Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and provides a communication method and apparatus. In the method, an automatic repeat request mechanism is implemented by means of a medium access control (MAC) entity, that is, a MAC entity of a data receiving end generates a transmission status report of a MAC SDU, and feeds back the transmission status report to a data sending end, so as to instruct the data sending end to implement data retransmission on the basis of the status report, thereby reducing the transmission delay of the status report and improving transmission efficiency.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510206262.1, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 24, 2025, entitled “A Communication Method and Apparatus”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Wireless communication systems include a radio link control (RLC) layer, responsible for providing reliable data transmission between the transmitter and receiver. The RLC layer can employ an automatic repeat request (ARQ) mechanism to ensure data reliability. For example, if a data packet sent by the transmitter's RLC layer does not receive a status report (such as an indication of successful or failed reception) from the receiver within a certain time, the transmitter considers the data packet lost and retransmits it, thus ensuring the integrity and correctness of data transmission.

[0004] In this process, the RLC layer at the receiving end encapsulates the status report into an RLC protocol data unit (PDU) for transmission. The RLC layer then passes the RLC PDU to the medium access control (MAC) layer for further processing and transmission. When an RLC PDU is passed to the MAC layer, it corresponds to a service data unit (SDU). The MAC layer needs to multiplex logical channels, assembling multiple MAC SDUs into a single MAC PDU for transmission. However, the successful assembly of each MAC SDU depends on factors such as the priority of the logical channel corresponding to the MAC SDU, the priority bit rate, the token bucket size, and the packet size of the MAC SDU. If the MAC SDU corresponding to the status report cannot be successfully assembled, the status report cannot be sent in a timely manner, resulting in significant latency, which further leads to longer retransmission latency and lower transmission efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for reducing the transmission delay of status reports for automatic retransmission requests and improving transmission efficiency. To achieve the above objective, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device. The communication device can be a data receiving end, such as a terminal or network device, or a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the terminal or network device, or a module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal or network device. The method includes: a MAC entity receiving a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), the MAC PDU including one or more Media Access Control Service Data Units (MAC SDUs); the MAC entity determining first information, the first information indicating transmission status information of the MAC SDU, the transmission status including successful reception and / or reception failure; the MAC entity submitting the first information to the physical layer, or the MAC entity instructing the physical layer to send the first information.

[0007] In the above implementation, the ARQ mechanism is implemented through the MAC entity. That is, the MAC entity of the data receiver generates a status report for the transmission of MAC SDU and feeds it back to the data sender to instruct the data sender to retransmit the data according to the status report. This can avoid the problem that the MAC SDU corresponding to the status report cannot be successfully packetized due to the priority of the logical channel or the priority bit rate, and can reduce the transmission delay of the status report of the automatic retransmission request, thereby improving the transmission efficiency.

[0008] In one implementation, when performing logical channel multiplexing, the MAC entity prioritizes allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information. That is, the MAC entity can flexibly determine the priority of allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information. For example, the MAC entity can determine the priority of allocating resources to the logical channel of the first information based on the priority of the service corresponding to the first information or the latency requirements. For instance, if the service latency requirement is high, the status report MAC CE has the highest priority, and the status report MAC CE is reused first, thereby reducing the transmission latency of the status report for automatic repeat request and improving transmission efficiency.

[0009] In one implementation, it is determined whether to prioritize allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information based on a first condition. The first condition includes at least one of the following: the duration of a first timer is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first timer is used to trigger the determination of the first information, the duration of no update of the MAC entity's receive window is greater than or equal to a second threshold, or the number of MAC SDUs not received by the MAC entity's receive window is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0010] In the above embodiments, the MAC entity at the receiving end can allocate resource priority to the logical channel corresponding to the first information based on the data reception status. This priority can be flexibly determined based on factors such as the duration of the receiving window's monitoring timer (e.g., the duration the receiving window has not been updated, or the number of MAC SDUs not received by the receiving window). For example, in situations with high service latency requirements or potential receiving window congestion, to quickly send a status report to trigger MAC SDU retransmission, resources can be prioritized for the logical channel corresponding to the first information. This reduces the transmission latency of the status report for automatic retransmission requests and improves transmission efficiency.

[0011] In one implementation, the first information includes the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the sequence numbers of the SDUs corresponding to multiple logical channels.

[0012] The above embodiments can flexibly support MAC layer ARQ retransmission management at different levels. For example, when the receiving end feeds back a data transmission status report, it can provide feedback on the reception status of MAC SDUs based on different granularities, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of status reports, allowing for flexible configuration and reducing retransmission signaling overhead. For example, status reports can be generated based on logical channel groups, logical channels, and the priorities corresponding to the logical channels. That is, the status report can include the sequence numbers of MAC SDUs corresponding to the same logical channel group, or the sequence numbers of MAC SDUs corresponding to different logical channels, or the sequence numbers of multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to the same logical channel priority, etc.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first information includes the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

[0014] In the above embodiments, when the receiving end feeds back the status report of data transmission, it can provide feedback on the reception status of MAC SDU based on different granularities. For example, MAC SDU numbering based on the same logical channel group or logical channel priority can indicate the transmission status information of SDU in the logical channel group, or indicate the transmission status information of SDU corresponding to the logical channel priority. This allows for flexible configuration of ARQ retransmission management and reduces the signaling overhead of status reports.

[0015] In one implementation, the first information is used to indicate a MAC SDU that was successfully received, and / or to indicate a MAC SDU that was not successfully received.

[0016] In one implementation, the first information is carried in uplink control information. That is, status reports can be sent using uplink control information (UCI) to provide feedback on the data transmission status to the sending end, thereby reducing the transmission latency of status reports.

[0017] In one implementation, the method further includes: a MAC entity determining to send first information at a first time, the first time being obtained by adding a first offset to a second time, and the second time being the time when the MAC entity receives the request to transmit status information. That is, the MAC entity at the receiving end can trigger the transmission of a status report, such as the first information, based on the time it receives the request to transmit status information from the sending end.

[0018] In one implementation, the method further includes: the MAC entity determining to send first information at a first time, the first time being obtained by adding a second offset to a third time, and the third time being the time when the first timer expires. That is, the MAC entity at the receiving end can trigger the transmission of a status report, such as the first information, based on the time when the monitoring timer of the receiving end's receiving window, such as the time when the first timer expires or expires.

[0019] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device. This communication device can be a data sending end, such as a terminal or network device, or a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the terminal or network device, or a module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal or network device. The method includes: a MAC entity sending a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), the MAC PDU including one or more Media Access Control Service Data Units (MAC SDUs); receiving first information, the first information indicating the transmission status information of the MAC SDU, the transmission status including successful reception and / or failed reception; and retransmitting the failed SDU according to the first information.

[0020] In one implementation, the first information includes the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the sequence numbers of the SDUs corresponding to multiple logical channels.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first information includes the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

[0022] In one implementation, the first information is used to indicate a MAC SDU that was successfully received, or to indicate a MAC SDU that was not successfully received.

[0023] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit or module for implementing the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device may be a terminal or a component within a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions, or a network device or a component within a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions.

[0024] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device may be a terminal or a component within a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions, or a network device or a component within a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. The at least one processor may execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the communication device or located externally to the communication device. Furthermore, the communication device may also include an interface.

[0025] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one aspect.

[0026] Sixthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program or program that, when run by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one aspect.

[0027] A seventh aspect provides a chip including at least one processor for executing computer instructions or programs, which, when run, cause the chip to perform the method described in any one aspect. The processor may execute a computer program or instructions stored in memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the chip or located externally. Furthermore, the chip may include an interface.

[0028] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a receiving device for performing the method as described in any one of the first aspects and a transmitting device for performing the method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0029] The technical effects of any of the possible implementations of aspects two through eight can be found in the technical effects of the different possible implementations of aspect one above, and will not be repeated here.

[0030] Understandably, provided that the solutions do not contradict each other, the solutions in the above aspects can be combined. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a receiving end MAC entity generating a status report according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another receiving end MAC entity generating a status report according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another receiving end MAC entity generating a status report according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of a receiving window of a receiving end according to an embodiment of this application.

[0037] Figures 8-11 are schematic diagrams of status report indication information provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a receiving window corresponding to a logical channel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figures 13-14 are schematic diagrams of status report indication information provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a receiving window corresponding to another logical channel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for determining the timing of sending a status report according to an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining the timing of sending a status report, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1000 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 1000 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 core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Communication system 1000 may also include Internet 300.

[0046] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) 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).

[0047] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, network devices, 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 5th-generation (5G) 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.

[0048] 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 Packet Data Convergence Protocol (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 (RANC) and Medium Access Control (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). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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 called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] In existing communication transmission processes, Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) can be used. This involves the data sender sending data to the data receiver, who uses verification information to determine the correctness of the received data and sends the result back to the sender. If an error occurs during data reception, the sender can retransmit the data after receiving the feedback until the receiver receives the data correctly.

[0057] This application provides a communication method that implements the ARQ mechanism through a MAC entity. Specifically, the MAC entity generates a status report for MAC SDU transmission and feeds it back to the data sender to instruct the data sender to retransmit the data based on the status report. This reduces the transmission latency of the status report for automatic retransmission requests and improves transmission efficiency.

[0058] As shown in Figure 2, the following operations are included.

[0059] 201: The sending end's MAC entity generates a MAC PDU based on the MAC SDU and sends the MAC PDU to the receiving end. Correspondingly, the receiving end receives the MAC PDU.

[0060] It should be understood that MAC entities exist at both the sending and receiving ends. The sending end described in this application can be a terminal in the communication architecture shown in Figure 1, or it can be a RAN node in Figure 1. This application does not limit this. If the sending end is a terminal and the receiving end can be a RAN node, the data transmission process can be called uplink data transmission; if the sending end is a RAN node and the receiving end can be a terminal, the data transmission process can be called downlink data transmission.

[0061] The MAC entity is primarily responsible for handling various transport channels, such as broadcast channels, downlink shared channels, call channels, uplink shared channels, and random access channels. The MAC entity is used to map logical channels to transport channels. For data transmission, the transmitting end's MAC entity acquires a MAC SDU, multiplexes the corresponding MAC SDUs of one or more logical channels into a MAC PDU, and one MAC PDU corresponds to one or more transport blocks (TBs), which are then sent to the physical layer through the transport channel. For data reception, the receiving end's MAC entity demultiplexes the transport blocks transmitted from the transport channel into MAC SDUs and submits them to the upper layer through the corresponding logical channel.

[0062] It should be understood that the logical channel described above can also be named other channels, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0063] Based on resource scheduling results, the MAC entity at the sending end determines the logical channels through which data can be transmitted and the amount of data that can be transmitted on each logical channel. The MAC entity generates a medium access control element (MAC CE) to be transmitted and assembles it together with MAC SDU(s) to form a MAC PDU. A MAC PDU includes one or more MAC SDUs. The MAC PDU is then passed down to the physical layer for transmission over the air interface.

[0064] When multiple logical channels are transmitting data and the total amount of data exceeds the transmission capacity of the current transmission time interval (TTI), the MAC entity at the sending end can perform logical channel priority processing to determine which logical channel's data should be transmitted first.

[0065] 202: The receiving end's MAC entity determines the first information, which is used to indicate the transmission status information of the MAC SDU.

[0066] The receiving end's MAC entity generates first information based on the reception status of one or more MAC SDUs included in the MAC PDU received in step 201, and uses the first information to indicate the transmission status information of the MAC SDU in step 201 to the data sending end.

[0067] The transmission status includes successful reception and / or failed reception; that is, the transmission status information of a MAC SDU is used to indicate whether the MAC SDU was successfully received or failed to receive. For example, if a MAC SDU is successfully received by the receiving device, the corresponding transmission status information for that MAC SDU can be an acknowledgement (ACK). If a MAC SDU is not successfully received by the receiving device, i.e., reception failed, the corresponding transmission status information for that MAC SDU can be a negative acknowledgement (NACK).

[0068] In one implementation, the first information is used to indicate a MAC SDU that was successfully received, and / or to indicate a MAC SDU that was not successfully received.

[0069] In one implementation, when performing logical channel multiplexing, the MAC entity prioritizes sending the first information, that is, the MAC entity prioritizes allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information.

[0070] Optionally, the MAC CE that transmits status information has the highest priority.

[0071] For example, as shown in Figure 3, when generating a MAC PDU, the receiving end's MAC entity can prioritize reusing the MAC CE for transmitting status information, also known as the status report MAC CE. If there are still remaining resources, it can then reuse the MAC SDU, and finally reuse other types of MAC CEs.

[0072] In another implementation, when performing logical channel multiplexing, the MAC entity can determine whether to prioritize allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information based on whether a first condition is met. For example, if the MAC entity determines that the first condition is met, it will prioritize allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information; conversely, if the MAC entity determines that the first condition is not met, it does not need to prioritize allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information, and the allocation of the logical channel for the first information has a lower priority.

[0073] In other words, the MAC entity can flexibly determine the priority of allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information. For example, the MAC entity can determine the priority of allocating resources to the logical channel of the first information based on the priority or latency requirements of the service corresponding to the first information. For instance, if the service latency requirement is high, the status report MAC CE has the highest priority and is reused first; if the service latency requirement is low, the status report MAC CE has the lowest priority and can reuse MAC SDUs and / or other types of MAC CEs first, followed by the status report MAC CE, etc.

[0074] In one implementation, the receiving end's MAC entity can maintain a receive window. Only after successfully receiving a complete SDU will the receive window slide upwards, i.e., update the next receive window. If the MAC entity receives an erroneous PDU, it needs to notify the sending end's MAC entity to retransmit via a status report such as the first information in this application.

[0075] In one implementation, the MAC entity of the receiving end can be configured with a monitoring timer for the receiving window (such as a first timer). The duration of this timer is the duration of the receiving window monitoring timer, which can be configured via radio resource control (RRC) messages.

[0076] For example, the monitoring timer is used by the receiving end's MAC entity to determine the reception status of the PDU within a certain period of time. If the PDU is not received within the configured duration of the monitoring timer, the receiving end considers the PDU to have been lost. If the monitoring timer expires or times out, a status report will be triggered, i.e., the receiving end sends a status report to the sending end to notify the sending end of the information about the potentially lost PDU and request retransmission.

[0077] For example, if the duration of the monitoring timer configured for the receiving end via an RRC message is a first duration, for one monitoring cycle, the receiving device starts the first timer, monitors and records the reception status of MAC SDUs within the receiving window within the first duration, and triggers a feedback status report, such as the receiving end sending the first message, after the first timer expires or times out. Furthermore, upon the expiration or timeout of the first timer, the next monitoring cycle begins, such as restarting the first timer, monitoring and recording the reception status of MAC SDUs within the receiving window within the first duration, and repeating this process.

[0078] In one implementation, the first condition may include at least one of the following: the duration of a first timer, i.e., the monitoring timer of the receiving window, is less than or equal to a first threshold; the duration for which the receiving window of the MAC entity has not been updated is greater than or equal to a second threshold; or, the number of MAC SDUs that the receiving window of the MAC entity has not received is greater than or equal to a third threshold. The first timer is used to trigger the determination of the first information.

[0079] Method 1: The MAC entity can be determined based on the duration of the first timer corresponding to the receiving window.

[0080] For example, if the duration of the first timer configured at the current receiver is less than or equal to the threshold 1 (which can be the first threshold), it indicates that the service latency requirement is high, and the first information, i.e. the status report MAC CE, has the highest priority. Resources can be allocated to the logical channel corresponding to the first information, i.e. the status report MAC CE, as shown in Figure 3.

[0081] Additionally, for example, if the duration of the first timer configured at the current receiver is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, it indicates that the service latency requirement is moderate. In this case, the MAC entity of the receiver can preferentially reuse some MAC SDUs, wherein the number or number of bits of the preferentially reused MAC SDUs must be less than a certain threshold. If there are still remaining resources, the status report MAC CE can be reused first, then the remaining MAC SDUs can be reused, and finally other types of MAC CEs can be reused, as shown in Figure 4.

[0082] For example, if the duration of the first timer configured at the current receiver is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it indicates that the service latency requirement is low. In this case, the MAC entity of the receiver first reuses the MAC SDU. If there are still remaining resources, it reuses the status report MAC CE. Finally, it reuses other types of MAC CE, as shown in Figure 5.

[0083] Method 2: The MAC entity of the receiving end can be determined based on the state of the receiving window.

[0084] Example 1: If the receive window of the current receiver's MAC entity does not have an update duration greater than or equal to the third threshold, it indicates that the receive window may be blocked. A status report needs to be sent as soon as possible to trigger the retransmission of the MAC SDU. The first information, i.e. the status report MAC CE, has the highest priority and resources can be allocated to the logical channel corresponding to the first information, i.e. the status report MAC CE, as shown in Figure 3.

[0085] Conversely, if the duration for which the receiving window of the current receiving end's MAC entity has not been updated is less than the third threshold, it is considered that the probability of the receiving window being blocked is low. The priority of logical channel multiplexing can be determined by referring to Figure 4 or Figure 5 above. As shown in Figure 5, the receiving end's MAC entity first multiplexes the MAC SDU. If there are still remaining resources, it then multiplexes the status report MAC CE, and finally multiplexes other types of MAC CE.

[0086] Example 2: If the number of MAC SDUs that the current receiver's MAC entity has not received in its receive window is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, it means that a large number of MAC SDUs have not been received. A status report needs to be sent as soon as possible to trigger the retransmission of MAC SDUs. The first information, i.e. the status report MAC CE, has the highest priority and resources can be allocated to the logical channel corresponding to the first information, i.e. the status report MAC CE, as shown in Figure 3.

[0087] Conversely, if the number of MAC SDUs not received by the current receiver's MAC entity reception window is less than the fourth threshold, the MAC SDU reception success rate is considered high. The priority of logical channel multiplexing can be determined by referring to Figure 4 or Figure 5 above. As shown in Figure 4, the receiver's MAC entity can prioritize multiplexing a portion of the MAC SDUs, where the number of MAC SDUs or bits prioritized for multiplexing must be less than a certain threshold. If there are still remaining resources, status report MAC CEs can be multiplexed, then the remaining MAC SDUs can be multiplexed, and finally other types of MAC CEs can be multiplexed.

[0088] It should be understood that in the specific transmission of a MAC SDU, the MAC entity at the sending end can divide a large MAC SDU into one or more smaller parts for transmission. For example, an SDU can be divided into multiple segments (SGs). A MAC SDU can be identified by an SDU serial number (SN), and each segment of an SDU can be identified by an SG. In other words, an SN can be associated with a complete SDU, and an SG can be associated with a specific segment included in a segmented SDU.

[0089] Therefore, it should be noted that the number of MAC SDUs in this application can be represented by the number of SNs corresponding to at least one MAC SDU, or by the number of SGs of the segments corresponding to the MAC SD. Wherein, if a MAC SDU is not divided into multiple segments, it can be considered as corresponding to one segment.

[0090] Referring to Figure 6, if calculated by the number of MAC SDUs, the number of MAC SDUs not received in the receiving window of this MAC entity is 5, with corresponding SNs of SN = 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8. If calculated by the number of segments of the MAC SDU, the number of segments of the MAC SDU not received in the receiving window of this MAC entity is 6, with corresponding SNs of SN = 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8. Among them, the MAC SDU with SN = 3 includes two segments, namely SG = 1 and 3.

[0091] Example 3: If the number of unreceived MAC SDUs within the current receiver's MAC entity's receive window that is less than the first received MAC SDU sequence number and greater than or equal to the fifth threshold, where the first MAC SDU sequence number is the sequence number following the sequence number of the largest MAC SDU already received by the MAC entity, and can be represented by adding 1 to the largest sequence number among the received MAC SDUs, this indicates that a significant number of MAC SDUs have not been received. A status report needs to be sent as soon as possible to trigger MAC SDU retransmission. The first message, i.e., the status report MAC CE, has the highest priority, and resources can be allocated preferentially to the logical channel corresponding to the first message, i.e., the status report MAC CE, as shown in Figure 3. The difference between Example 3 and Example 2 is that in Example 2, the number of unreceived MAC SDUs is determined based on the entire receive window, while in Example 3, the number of unreceived MAC SDUs is determined based on the largest received SN within the receive window.

[0092] Conversely, if the current receiver's MAC entity receive window is smaller than the first received MAC SDU sequence number and the number of unreceived MAC SDUs is less than the fifth threshold, then the MAC SDU reception success rate is considered high. The priority of logical channel multiplexing can be determined by referring to Figure 4 or Figure 5 above. As shown in Figure 4, the receiver's MAC entity can preferentially multiplex a portion of the MAC SDUs, where the number of preferentially multiplexed MAC SDUs or the number of bits must be less than a certain threshold. If there are still remaining resources, status report MAC CEs can be multiplexed, then the remaining MAC SDUs can be multiplexed, and finally other types of MAC CEs can be multiplexed.

[0093] Referring to Figure 6, if calculated by the number of MAC SDUs, the highest SN of the MAC SDUs already received in the receiving window of this MAC entity is SN=6. The next MAC SDU is SN=7. There are 3 MAC SDUs with SN less than 7 that have not been received, corresponding to SNs of SN=5, 3, and 2. If calculated by the number of segments in the MAC SDU, there are 4 segments of MAC SDUs with SN less than 7 that have not been received, corresponding to SNs of SN=2, 3, and 5. The MAC SDU with SN=3 includes two segments, SG=1 and SG=3.

[0094] It should be understood that the first information is used to indicate the transmission status information of the MAC SDU, that is, to indicate whether the reception of each MAC SDU was successful or failed. Specifically, this can be achieved by carrying the sequence number of the MAC SDU in the first information, such as carrying the SN, which can be used to indicate whether the reception of the MAC SDU associated with that SN was successful or failed. Further optionally, the first information may also carry the SG associated with the MAC SDU to indicate whether the segment reception of the MAC SDU corresponding to a certain SN was successful or failed.

[0095] In one implementation, when the MAC entity at the sending end sends a MAC SDU, it can number the MAC SDUs based on the same logical channel. That is, based on the granularity of the logical channel, the sequence number of multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to the same logical channel is determined; multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to different logical channels are numbered separately.

[0096] Alternatively, the MAC entity at the sending end can be numbered based on the MAC SDUs corresponding to multiple different logical channels, that is, to uniformly number the multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to different logical channels.

[0097] Alternatively, the MAC entity at the sending end can number the MAC SDUs based on the same logical channel group to determine the sequence number of the MAC SDUs corresponding to that logical channel group. In other words, multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to the same logical channel group are numbered to determine the corresponding sequence number; multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to different logical channel groups are not numbered uniformly.

[0098] Alternatively, the MAC entity at the sending end can number the MAC SDUs based on multiple different logical channel groups, that is, to uniformly number multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to different logical channel groups.

[0099] Alternatively, the MAC entity at the sending end can number the MAC SDUs based on the same logical channel priority, that is, number the multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to logical channels of the same priority, while not numbering the multiple MAC SDUs corresponding to logical channels of different priorities.

[0100] Therefore, in one embodiment, the sequence number of the MAC SDU carried by the first information may include the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the sequence numbers of the SDUs corresponding to multiple logical channels.

[0101] In one embodiment, the first information may include or be used to indicate the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

[0102] The following section describes the specific implementation of the MAC status report provided in this application, using examples.

[0103] Implementation method 1: Based on all MAC SDUs included in the MAC entity, a unified number is assigned, that is, the first information includes the SDU serial number at the MAC entity level.

[0104] For example, as shown in Figure 7, the receive windows of the MAC entity, such as SN=1, 4 and 7 corresponding to logical channel group 1, SN=2, 3 and 5 corresponding to logical channel group 2, and SN=6 and 8 corresponding to logical channel 3. In addition, SN=1, 2, 3 and 7 correspond to logical channel priority 1, and SN=4, 5, 6 and 8 correspond to logical channel priority 2.

[0105] Case 1: The first information may include the transmission status information of the MAC SDUs of all logical channels.

[0106] As shown in Figure 8, the first information may include the fields: SN type, Range, ACK_SN, and NACK_SN.

[0107] The SN type field indicates the type of SN number, with three possibilities: if the field indicates MAC, it means the SN numbering method is based on the MAC entity as a whole; if the field indicates LCG, it means the SN numbering method is based on logical channel groups; and if the field indicates PRI, it means the SN numbering method is based on logical channel priority.

[0108] The range field has three possibilities: if the field is ALL_LG, it indicates that the reception status of all logical channels is being reported; if the field is LCG, it indicates that the reception status of a portion of the logical channel groups is being reported. For example, when the field is LCG, it is also necessary to indicate which specific logical channel group it corresponds to; if the field is PRI, it indicates that the reception status of a portion of the logical channel priorities is being reported, and when the field is PRI, it is also necessary to indicate which specific priority it corresponds to.

[0109] The field ACK_SN is the upper limit SN corresponding to the current status report. That is, all SNs below this SN have been received, except for those that have not been received.

[0110] The NACK_SN field is the SN corresponding to the MAC SDU that was not received. There can be one or more NACK_SN fields.

[0111] For example, as shown in Figure 8, this status report indicates that all logical channels are reported together for the MAC CE. For instance, ACK_SN=7 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDU is less than SN=7. Similarly, NACK_SN=4 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=4 among the MAC SDUs less than SN=7 has not been received.

[0112] Case 2: The first information may include only the transmission status information of MAC SDUs of some logical channel groups. The status information may be reported separately for each logical channel group or reported together by multiple logical channel groups.

[0113] The first piece of information may include the identifier (ID) of the logical channel group. For example, as shown in Figure 9, this status report corresponds to the reporting status of a single logical channel group. LCG=1 indicates that only the reception status of logical channel group 1 is reported. ACK_SN=8 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDUs {1, 4, 7} in logical channel group 1 (within the range of SN=8) are MAC SDUs. NACK_SN=4 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=4 in logical channel group 1 (within the range of SN=8) has not been received.

[0114] For example, as shown in Figure 10, the first information, such as the status report MAC CE, is reported together by multiple logical channel groups. For example, if LCG=2 and LCG=3, it means that the first information reports the transmission status information of the MAC SDU of logical channel group 2 and logical channel group 3.

[0115] Here, ACK_SN=9 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDUs {2, 3, 5} and {6, 8} in logical channel groups 2 and 3, respectively, are less than SN=9; NACK_SN=5 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=5 in logical channel group 2, which is less than SN=9, has not been received; NACK_SN=6 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=6 in logical channel group 3, which is less than SN=9, has not been received.

[0116] Case 3: The first information may include only the transmission status information of MAC SDUs with partial logical channel priorities. Each logical channel priority may be reported separately, or multiple logical channel priorities may be reported together.

[0117] The first piece of information may include an indication of logical channel priority. For example, as shown in Figure 11, this status report shows the reporting status of a single logical channel priority for each MAC CE. PRI=2 indicates that only the reception status of logical channels with priority 2 is reported. ACK_SN=9 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDUs {4, 5, 6, 8} with priority 2 (less than SN=9) are being reported. NACK_SN=4 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=4 among the MAC SDUs {4, 5, 6, 8} with priority 2 (less than SN=9) has not been received.

[0118] Implementation Method 2: Numbering is based on the MAC SDU corresponding to the same logical channel group in the MAC entity, that is, the first information includes the SDU sequence number of the logical channel group.

[0119] For example, for the case where the field range is LCG, each logical channel group can be reported separately. Figure 12 illustrates, for example, the receive window of logical channel group 1 and the receive window of logical channel group 2. The receive window of logical channel group 1 and the MAC SDUs in logical channel group 2 are numbered separately.

[0120] As shown in Figure 13, LCG=1 indicates that the reception status of logical channel group 2 is being reported, ACK_SN=3 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDU{1,2} in logical channel group 1 which is less than SN=3, and NACK_SN=2 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=2 in logical channel group 1 which is less than SN=3 has not been received, and also indicates that the first segment SG=1 of the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=2 has not been received.

[0121] LCG=2 indicates that the reception status of logical channel group 2 is being reported. ACK_SN=4 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDU{1,2,} in logical channel group 2 is less than SN=4. NACK_SN=2 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=2 in MAC SDU{1,2,3} of logical channel group 2 is not received.

[0122] Implementation Method 3: Numbering is based on the MAC SDU corresponding to the same logical channel priority in the MAC entity, that is, the first information includes the SDU sequence number corresponding to the priority.

[0123] For example, when the SN type field indicates PRI, each logical channel priority can be reported individually, or multiple logical channel priorities can be reported together.

[0124] In one implementation, when the number of failed MAC SDUs to be received is less than the number of successfully received MAC SDUs, the failed MAC SDUs can be indicated. The first information may carry a field indicating the report type, such as FAI, which indicates that the report is used to indicate the failed MAC SDUs to be received.

[0125] In another implementation, when the number of successfully received MAC SDUs is less than the number of failed MAC SDUs, the system can indicate the successfully received MAC SDUs. The status report type field carried in the first information is set to SUC, indicating that the status report is used to indicate the successfully received MAC SDUs.

[0126] For example, as shown in Figure 14, LCG=1 indicates that the status report type indicator for reporting logical channel group 1 is SUC, which means that the reported MAC SDU was successfully received. ACK_SN=3 indicates that the currently reported MAC SDU{1,2} in logical channel group 1 is less than SN=3. SUC_SN=2 indicates that the MAC SDU corresponding to SN=1 in MAC SDU{1,2} of logical channel group 1 is less than SN=3 and was successfully received.

[0127] 203a: The MAC entity at the receiving end submits the first information to the physical layer. The physical layer sends the first information.

[0128] In other words, the MAC entity at the receiving end submits the first information to the physical layer, so that the physical layer can send the first information. The physical layer then sends this first information to the sending end.

[0129] Alternatively, step 203a can be replaced by 203b: the MAC entity of the receiving end instructs the physical layer to send the first information.

[0130] Optionally, the MAC entity at the receiving end instructs the physical layer to send the first information. For example, the first information can be carried in uplink control information (UCI). The MAC entity at the receiving end can instruct the physical layer to carry the first information in the uplink control information (UCI) to feed back the data transmission status report to the sending end, thereby reducing the transmission latency of the status report.

[0131] In one implementation, referring to the aforementioned SDU numbering method, such as uniformly numbering all MAC SDUs included in the MAC entity, i.e., the first information includes the SDU sequence number at the MAC entity level, the first information can indicate the SN (or SG) of the MAC SDU with the smallest currently unreceived SN. For example, as shown in Figure 15, within the receiving window, the smallest currently unreceived SN is SN = 2. Alternatively, the first information can indicate the SN of the highest priority currently unreceived MAC SDU. For example, as shown in Figure 15, within the receiving window, the highest priority currently unreceived SN is SN = 5.

[0132] In another implementation, referring to the aforementioned SDU numbering method, such as MAC SDU numbering based on the same logical channel group or logical channel priority, the first information can indicate the logical channel group ID or priority, and the MAC SDU with the smallest SN that has not been received at present.

[0133] In one implementation, in step 203b, the timing of sending the first information can be related to the triggering method of the status report. For example, the sender can send an inquiry request to the receiver to instruct the receiver to provide a status report, thus triggering the sending of the first information. In this approach, the timing of sending the first information can be related to the timing of the sender's inquiry request, or in other words, the timing of sending the first information can be related to the timing of the MAC entity receiving the request to transmit status information. Optionally, a time-domain offset, such as a first offset, can be configured for the receiver to send the status report.

[0134] For example, as shown in Figure 16, the MAC entity of the receiving end can determine to send the first information at a first moment, wherein the first moment is obtained by adding a first offset to a second moment, and the second moment is the moment when the MAC entity receives the request to transmit the status information.

[0135] Optionally, the transmit bias corresponding to each logical channel group or logical channel priority, such as the first bias, can be configured independently.

[0136] In another implementation, the transmission time of the first information can be determined by the monitoring timer of the receiving window configured by the MAC entity of the receiving end. For example, the transmission of the first information is triggered after the monitoring timer of the receiving window of the MAC entity of the receiving end expires, such as a first timer. In this way, the transmission time of the first information can be related to the duration and / or the timeout of the monitoring timer of the MAC entity's receiving window. Optionally, a time-domain offset, such as a second offset, related to the transmission status report can be configured for the receiving end.

[0137] In another example, as shown in Figure 17, the MAC entity of the receiving end determines to send the first information at the first moment, where the first moment is obtained by adding the second offset to the third moment, and the third moment is the moment when the first timer expires.

[0138] Furthermore, this application also provides a possible implementation method in which the transmission time of the first information can be determined by the state of the receiving window of the MAC entity, and the transmission of the first information can be triggered if the state of the receiving window meets at least one of the following conditions:

[0139] Condition 1: The duration during which the receiver's MAC entity receive window has not been updated exceeds threshold 1;

[0140] Condition 2: The number of MAC SDUs (or MAC SDU segments) that are not received within the MAC entity receive window of the receiving end exceeds threshold 2;

[0141] Condition 3: The number of MAC SDUs (or MAC SDU segments) that are not received within the receiving window of the receiving end's MAC entity is less than the highest SN within the receiving window, or exceeds threshold 3.

[0142] In one implementation, in step 203b, the transmission time of the first information can be the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource most recent after the time when the MAC entity of the receiving end triggers the transmission of the status report.

[0143] Optionally, step 204 is also included: the sending end retransmits the failed MAC SDU according to the first information.

[0144] Correspondingly, after receiving the first information, the sending end can retransmit the failed MAC SDU according to the information of the successful and / or failed MAC SDUs indicated in the first information.

[0145] In the above embodiments, the data receiver can implement status report feedback through the MAC entity, thereby flexibly performing logical channel multiplexing according to service latency requirements. For example, when service latency requirements are high, the MAC entity can prioritize the multiplexing of status reports during logical channel multiplexing, thus avoiding the problem that the MAC SDU corresponding to the status report cannot be successfully packetized due to the priority or priority bit rate of the logical channel, reducing the transmission latency of status reports and improving the transmission efficiency of status reports. In addition, the above implementation method of this application can also flexibly support different levels of MAC layer ARQ retransmission management, such as status report feedback based on logical channels, status report feedback based on logical channel groups, or status report feedback based on logical channel priorities, etc., which can be flexibly configured and reduce retransmission signaling overhead.

[0146] 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.

[0147] In one possible implementation, to achieve the functions described in the above embodiments, the transmitting end or receiving end includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to each function, such as network devices, components within network devices, terminals, or components within terminals. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples 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 through hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0148] Figures 18 and 19 are schematic diagrams of a possible communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be used to implement the functions of the receiving end (such as a network device, a component in a network device, a terminal, or a component in a terminal) in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of any of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be the terminal 120 shown in Figure 1, or the RAN node 110 shown in Figure 1, or a component applied to the terminal or RAN node (such as a module, communication module, or chip).

[0149] As shown in Figure 18, the communication device 1800 includes a processing unit 1801 and a transceiver unit 1802. The communication device 1800 is used to implement the function of the receiving end in the method embodiment shown in Figure 2 above.

[0150] The transceiver unit is used to receive MAC PDUs, which include one or more MAC SDUs; wherein the MAC PDU is received by the MAC entity.

[0151] The processing unit 1801 is used to determine first information, wherein the first information is determined by the MAC entity, and the first information is used to indicate the transmission status information of the MAC SDU, the transmission status including successful reception and / or failed reception.

[0152] The transceiver unit 1802 can be used to deliver first information to the physical layer, or for the MAC entity to instruct the physical layer to send first information.

[0153] In one implementation, when performing logical channel multiplexing, the MAC entity prioritizes allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information.

[0154] In one implementation, a determination is made on whether to prioritize allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information based on a first condition. The first condition includes at least one of the following: the duration of a first timer is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first timer is used to trigger the determination of the first information, the duration of the receiving window of the MAC entity not being updated is greater than or equal to a second threshold, or the number of MAC SDUs not received by the receiving window of the MAC entity is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0155] In addition, since the communication device 1800 can be used to implement the function of the transmitting end in the method embodiment shown in FIG2 above, it can also achieve the beneficial effects of any of the above method embodiments.

[0156] The transceiver unit 1802 can be used by the MAC entity to send a MAC PDU, which includes one or more MAC SDUs, wherein the MAC PDU is sent by the MAC entity.

[0157] The transceiver unit 1802 can also be used to receive first information, which is used to indicate the transmission status information of the Service Data Unit (MAC) SDU of Media Access Control, including successful reception and / or failed reception.

[0158] The processing unit 1801 can be used to retransmit the SDU that failed to be received based on the first information.

[0159] For a more detailed description of the above-mentioned processing unit 1801 and transceiver unit 1802, please refer to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG2.

[0160] As shown in Figure 19, the communication device 1900 includes a processor 1910 and an interface circuit 1920. The processor 1910 and the interface circuit 1920 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1920 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1900 may also include a memory 1930 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1910, or storing input data required by the processor 1910 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1910 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 1920 can also be understood as part of the processor 1910, in which case the communication device 1900 includes the processor 1910.

[0161] When the communication device 1900 is used to implement the method shown in FIG2, the processor 1910 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 1801, and the interface circuit 1920 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 1802.

[0162] 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 a network device, 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 a network device, 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 network device by these modules.

[0163] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip used in a network device, the chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip receives information from the terminal, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the network device, and then sent to the chip by these modules. The chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being forwarded to other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the network device, and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0164] In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly 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 between RAN nodes and terminals, such as between network devices and terminals; between two RAN nodes, such as between a CU and a DU; or between different modules within a single device, such as between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or between a chip in a network device and other modules of that network device.

[0165] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), 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.

[0166] 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, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium 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 storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a network device or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a network device or terminal.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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.

[0169] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means 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. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the preceding and following related objects. "Including at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B, and C.

[0170] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0171] 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 includes: The Media Access Control (MAC) entity receives a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), which includes one or more Media Access Control Service Data Units (MAC SDUs). The MAC entity determines first information, which is used to indicate the transmission status information of the MAC SDU, including successful reception and / or failed reception; The MAC entity submits the first information to the physical layer, or the MAC entity instructs the physical layer to send the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When performing logical channel multiplexing, the MAC entity prioritizes allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Whether to prioritize allocating resources to the logical channel corresponding to the first information is determined based on a first condition, wherein the first condition includes at least one of the following: The duration of the first timer is less than or equal to the first threshold, and the first timer is used to trigger the determination of the first information. The duration for which the receive window of the MAC entity is not updated is greater than or equal to the second threshold, or... The number of MAC SDUs that the receiving window of the MAC entity has not received is greater than or equal to the third threshold.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first information includes the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the sequence numbers of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first information includes the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate a MAC SDU that was successfully received, and / or to indicate a MAC SDU that was not successfully received.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The MAC entity of Media Access Control sends a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), which includes one or more Media Access Control Service Data Units (MAC SDUs). Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate the transmission status information of the MAC SDU, the transmission status including successful reception and / or failed reception; The MAC SDU that failed to be received is retransmitted based on the first information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first information includes the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the sequence number of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the sequence numbers of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The first information includes the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel group, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first priority, the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to the first logical channel, or the transmission status information of the SDU corresponding to multiple logical channels.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate a MAC SDU that was successfully received, or to indicate a MAC SDU that was not received.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-6 or 7-10.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being 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, the processor being used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6 or 7-10 through logic circuits or executing code instructions.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6 or 7-10.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed by the communication device, the method as described in any one of claims 1-6 or 7-10 is implemented.

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