Transmission method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a transmission method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first terminal device sending, by means of non-segmented transmission or segmented transmission, a first message to a network device or a second terminal device, and receiving a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or, on the basis of the received second message, sending a third message, wherein a corresponding start position, in a non-volatile memory (NVM), of data contained in the third message is the same as or different from a corresponding start position, in the non-volatile memory (NVM), of data contained in the first message.

Description

Transmission method and apparatus Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this application relate to the field of communication technology. Background Technology

[0002] From the early days of 2G to 4G, cellular mobile communication systems primarily served mobile phones—mobile terminal devices held by people. With the rapid development of mobile internet and the Internet of Things (IoT), from the later stages of 4G to the present, the evolution of cellular mobile communication technology has considered and supported increasingly diverse IoT application scenarios. Correspondingly, more types of IoT device terminals have been supported and implemented in actual network deployments and service applications, such as eMTC, NB-IoT, and RedCap terminals. With the increasing diversity of IoT terminal device types, cellular mobile systems have gained increasingly stronger capabilities in providing services and offering services to vertical industries.

[0003] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this application and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Among the massive number of IoT devices, the area of ​​large-scale and lower-cost IoT terminal devices remains a gap in cellular mobile communication systems. To provide more robust, reliable, and complete IoT application solutions, supporting lower-cost IoT terminal devices within the 3GPP cellular mobile system has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0005] Low-cost IoT terminal devices in 3GPP cellular mobile systems are called Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) devices, also known as Ambient Powered IoT devices. These are IoT devices powered by energy harvesting, and they either have no battery or limited energy storage capacity (e.g., using capacitors). These AIoT devices can also be called AIoT (Ambient Internet of Things) devices, passive IoT devices, or simply tag-based devices, among other names.

[0006] Devices that communicate directly with AIoT devices are called readers, interrogators, etc. Readers can reside in network devices, allowing direct communication between AIoT devices and 5G networks without the need for terminal devices to transmit information between the AIoT devices and the 5G network. Readers can also reside in terminal devices, enabling indirect network communication for environmental IoT. This means that in the communication between environmental IoT devices and the 5G network, a terminal device supporting environmental IoT helps transmit information between the environmental IoT devices and the 5G network.

[0007] In 3GPP's 5G system, tagged terminal devices (i.e., AIoT devices) can reuse existing base station deployments and support industry applications based on these tagged terminal devices through existing cellular mobile communication networks, thereby effectively reducing deployment and usage costs. 3GPP's 5G system can provide reliable authentication, network coordination, and accurate and stable terminal device management mechanisms, and can also optimize the network to improve system capacity and spectrum utilization efficiency.

[0008] However, the inventors discovered that, as a new type of IoT terminal in 5G systems, AIoT devices are severely limited in cost. The hardware capabilities of AIoT devices are significantly weaker than those of ordinary smartphones and other types of IoT devices. Traditional communication processes for terminal devices, such as random access and uplink / downlink scheduling, may be too complex for new AIoT devices, and their hardware capabilities may not be sufficient. Therefore, using access and data transmission methods unique to AIoT devices is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

[0009] To address at least one of the above-mentioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a transmission method and apparatus.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a transmission method is provided, applied to a first terminal device, wherein the method includes: sending a first message to a network device or a second terminal device in a non-segmented transmission or segmented transmission manner; and receiving a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or sending a third message according to the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0011] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a transmission method is applied to a network device and / or a second terminal device, wherein the method includes: receiving a first message sent by a first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner; and sending a second message to the first terminal device; and / or receiving a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a transmission apparatus is provided, configured in a first terminal device, the apparatus comprising: a sending unit that sends a first message to a network device or a second terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner; and a receiving unit that receives a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or, the sending unit sends a third message according to the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a transmission apparatus is provided, configured in a network device and / or a second terminal device, wherein the apparatus includes: a receiving unit that receives a first message sent by a first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner; and a sending unit that sends a second message to the first terminal device; and / or, the receiving unit receives a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device including the apparatus described in the third or fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect of the present application, a network device is provided, the network device including the apparatus described in the fourth aspect of the present application.

[0016] According to a seventh aspect of the present application, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a terminal device according to a fifth aspect of the present application and / or a network device according to a sixth aspect of the present application.

[0017] According to an eighth aspect of the present application, a computer-readable program is provided, wherein when the program is executed in a transmission device or terminal device, the program causes the transmission device or terminal device to perform the transmission method described in the first aspect of the present application.

[0018] According to a ninth aspect of the present application, a computer-readable program is provided, wherein when the program is executed in a transmission device or network device, the program causes the transmission device or network device to perform the information transmission and reception method described in the second aspect of the present application.

[0019] According to a tenth aspect of the present application, a storage medium storing a computer-readable program is provided, wherein the computer-readable program causes a transmission device or terminal device to perform the transmission method described in the first aspect of the present application.

[0020] According to an eleventh aspect of the present application, a storage medium storing a computer-readable program is provided, wherein the computer-readable program causes a transmission device or network device to perform the transmission method described in the second aspect of the present application.

[0021] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application is that the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, which can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0022] Specific embodiments of this application are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, indicating how the principles of this application can be adopted. It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, embodiments of this application include many changes, modifications, and equivalents.

[0023] Features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0024] It should be emphasized that the term "including / comprises" as used herein refers to the presence of a feature, whole, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, or components. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The elements and features described in one drawing or embodiment of this application may be combined with elements and features shown in one or more other drawings or embodiments. Furthermore, in the drawings, similar reference numerals denote corresponding parts in several drawings and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the topology of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 is another schematic diagram of the topology of the communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an input method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the AS (access stratum) process between the AIoT device and the reader in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the first MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the second MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 6C is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the fourth MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the fifth MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of the input method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an input device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 10 is another schematic diagram of the input device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of the system configuration of a first terminal device or a second terminal device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of the system configuration of a network device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of this application will become apparent from the following description. Specific embodiments of this application are specifically disclosed in the description and drawings, illustrating partial implementations in which the principles of this application may be employed. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the described embodiments; rather, it includes all modifications, variations, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0041] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish different elements by name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or chronological order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one or more of the terms listed in association and all combinations thereof. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," etc., refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components, or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or assemblies.

[0042] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc., including the plural forms, should be broadly understood as "a kind" or "a class" rather than limited to the meaning of "an." Furthermore, the term "the" should be understood to include both the singular and plural forms, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Additionally, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to a network that conforms to any of the following communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc.

[0044] Furthermore, communication between devices in a communication system can be carried out according to communication protocols at any stage, including but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and 5G, New Radio (NR), future 6G, etc., and / or other currently known or future communication protocols.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a first terminal device 101, a second terminal device 102, and a network device 103.

[0046] The first terminal device 101 includes different terminal devices, such as AIoT devices, tags, tag-type terminals, etc.

[0047] The second terminal device 102 includes a reader, an intermediate node, an intermediate user equipment (UE), etc.

[0048] Network equipment 103 includes network equipment (gNB), base stations with reader functions, etc.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, the term "network device" refers, for example, to a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to a communication network and provides services to that terminal device. Network devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: base station (BS), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), broadcast transmitter, mobile management entity (MME), gateway, server, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), etc.

[0050] Base stations can include, but are not limited to: NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), and 5G base stations (gNBs), IAB hosts, etc. They can also include Remote Radio Heads (RRHs), Remote Radio Units (RRUs), relays, or low-power nodes (e.g., femeto, pico, etc.). The term "base station" can encompass some or all of their functions, and each base station can provide communication coverage to a specific geographic area. The term "cell" can refer to a base station and / or its coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, "intermediate node" can be a relay device with AIoT capabilities, an IAB node, a terminal device (UE), a repeater, etc.

[0052] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "User Equipment" (UE) or "Terminal Equipment" (TE) refer, for example, to a device that accesses a communication network and receives network services through a network device. A terminal device can be fixed or mobile, and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), terminal, subscriber station (SS), access terminal (AT), station, etc.

[0053] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device may include, but is not limited to: Ambient IoT devices (hereinafter referred to as AIoT devices), tags, tag-type terminals, etc.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms "network side" or "network equipment side" refer to one side of the network, which can be a base station or include one or more network devices as described above. The terms "user side," "terminal side," or "terminal equipment side" refer to the side of the user or terminal, which can be a UE or include one or more terminal devices as described above. Unless otherwise specified, "equipment" can refer to either network equipment or terminal equipment.

[0055] The following describes the scenarios of the embodiments of this application through more specific examples, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0056] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the topology of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present application, and Figure 3 is another schematic diagram of the topology of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein Figure 2 and Figure 3 represent two different topology methods.

[0057] As shown in Figure 2, network devices (base stations) can communicate directly with AIoT devices, sending signals directly to or receiving signals directly from them. Communication between network devices and AIoT devices includes AIoT data and / or signaling. Furthermore, in this topology, the network device sending signals to the AIoT device and the network device receiving signals from the AIoT device may be different network devices.

[0058] As shown in Figure 3, network devices (base stations) can also use intermediate nodes to send signals to or receive signals from AIoT devices. That is, AIoT devices can communicate bidirectionally with a network device and an intermediate node between the AIoT device and the network device.

[0059] In this embodiment, the intermediate node can be an AIoT-capable relay device, IAB node, terminal device (UE), repeater, etc. The intermediate node transmits AIoT data and / or signaling between AIoT devices and network devices (base stations).

[0060] In the embodiments of this application, the network device sending signals / information / configurations to the AIoT device, or the AIoT device receiving signals / information / configurations from the network device, can be done by the network device directly sending the signals to the AIoT device and receiving them, or by the network device sending the signals to the AIoT device via an intermediate node and receiving them, or by the network device sending the signals to the AIoT device through other methods and receiving them. Unless otherwise specified, this application is not limited thereto.

[0061] In the embodiments of this application, the AIoT device sending signals / information to the network device or the network device receiving signals / information from the AIoT device can be done in various ways: the AIoT device sends the signal and the network device receives it directly; the AIoT device sends the signal and the network device receives it via an intermediate node; or the AIoT device sends the signal and the network device receives it through other methods. Unless otherwise specified, this application is not limited thereto.

[0062] First aspect of the embodiments

[0063] This application provides a transmission method, which is applied to a first terminal device, such as the first terminal device 101 in FIG1 or the AIoT device in FIG2.

[0064] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a transmission method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the method includes:

[0065] 401: The first terminal device sends a first message to the network device or the second terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and

[0066] 402: The first terminal device receives a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or,

[0067] 403: The first terminal device sends a third message based on the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0068] Therefore, the first terminal device can retransmit data, retransmit data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be used in scenarios with different topologies of the first terminal devices.

[0069] It is worth noting that the above description is merely illustrative of embodiments of this application, and the application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order between various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be removed. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above description, and are not limited to the description in Figure 4 above.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first terminal device is, for example, a tag or tag-type terminal device, an Ambient IoT device (AIoT device for short), or a passive IoT device;

[0071] In some embodiments, the second terminal device is, for example, a reader or an intermediate node; the intermediate node may be a relay device with AIoT capabilities, an IAB node, a terminal device (UE), a repeater, etc.

[0072] In some embodiments, the network device is, for example, a gNB.

[0073] For example, a network device, referred to as an AIoT RAN node (corresponding to the network device in Figure 2), provides AIoT radio (AIoT radio) to AIoT devices and connects to a core network element with AIoT sensing capabilities via a second interface (e.g., the NG interface). A second terminal device, such as an intermediate UE reader (corresponding to the intermediate node in Figure 3), is the terminal device that provides AIoT radio to AIoT devices and connects to a gNB (which can be a gNB that enhances AIoT functionality, corresponding to the network device in Figure 3) via an NR Uu interface. The network device and intermediate node can use a common reader function that provides AIoT radio, which resides in either the AIoT RAN node or the UE reader.

[0074] In some embodiments, the existing NR wireless interface protocol stack (including control plane and user plane protocol stacks) is too complex for AIoT devices (first terminal devices), making many functions impossible to implement. A new protocol stack design is needed for AIoT devices. Therefore, the air interface between the AIoT device and the reader (network device and / or second terminal device) differs from the NR Uu interface. The wireless interface between the AIoT device (first terminal device) and the access network can be referred to as the first interface, for example, called the AIoT interface, AIoT Uu, A-Uu, etc. If the intermediate terminal device (second terminal device) has reader functionality, then the wireless interface between the intermediate terminal device and the AIoT device can also be the first interface.

[0075] For example, the physical layer of the first interface has the following characteristics: For AIoT devices, since they may be passive devices, they must transmit data through backscattering. For example, the carrier providing backscattering is called the first waveform, which can be a blank carrier, a carrier wave, a continuous wave, a sine wave, a backscattered / backscattering wave, or an uplink wave, etc., and this application is not limited to these.

[0076] For example, the first waveform is used to provide power to the AIoT device. The first waveform can be emitted by a device that communicates with the AIoT device, such as the network device in the topology of Figure 2, the intermediate node in the topology of Figure 3, etc.; the first waveform can also be emitted by an independent third-party device, and this application does not limit this.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first terminal device sends a first signal by backscattering a first waveform, or the first terminal device autonomously generates a second signal and transmits it.

[0078] For example, the first waveform is a waveform sent by a network device or a third-party device. The first terminal device modulates the information to be sent to the network device onto the first waveform by adjusting its backscatter circuit, and then backscatters the modulated first waveform, that is, the first signal.

[0079] For example, the first terminal device generates a first waveform and modulates the information to be sent to the network device onto the first waveform, that is, it transmits the second signal.

[0080] For example, both the first and second signals are single-carrier signals. Compared to multi-carrier signals, single-carrier signals have lower modulation (e.g., using OOK, On-Off Keying modulation) and demodulation complexity, and lower requirements for hardware capabilities and accuracy, which can effectively reduce the complexity and cost of the first terminal device.

[0081] In some embodiments, messages from an AIoT device (first terminal device) to a reader (network device and / or second terminal device) can be called D2R (device to reader) messages, or uplink data; messages from a reader (network device and / or second terminal device) to an AIoT device (first terminal device) are called R2D (reader to device) messages, or downlink data; messages at the Media Access Control (MAC) layer are also called MAC Protocol Data Units (PDUs).

[0082] For example, the first message and the third message are D2R messages, and the second message is an R2D message.

[0083] In some embodiments, the second message uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types: a first MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains at least a first field; a second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field; a third MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field; and a fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

[0084] In some embodiments, the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type, the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, and the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type further include at least the third field; the third field includes at least a message type field, and the first terminal device determines the type of the second message based on the third field.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first MAC PDU type, the second MAC PDU type, the third MAC PDU type, and the fourth MAC PDU type are all R2D MAC PDU types.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first message and the third message use at least a fifth MAC PDU type, which is a D2R MAC PDU type.

[0087] The following sections of this application will provide examples of each of the aforementioned MAC PDU types, based on the specific content of the first, second, and third messages.

[0088] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the AS (access stratum) process between the AIoT device and the reader in an embodiment of this application.

[0089] For example, Step A is AIoT paging. The paging message sent by the reader is based on higher layers, such as a service request from the core network. The paging message indicates the AIoT device that needs to respond. For example, the paging message contains a permanent device identifier of the AIoT device.

[0090] Step B is D2R data transmission, for example, the transmission of a permanent device identifier by the AIoT device indicated in the paging message with or without using the AIoT random access procedure;

[0091] Step C is R2D data transmission, for example, Step C1 is possible R2D data transmission, such as sending a command message; Step C2 is possible D2R data transmission, such as responding to a command message.

[0092] This embodiment of the application is for D2R data transmission in step B of Figure 5, or it can be for D2R data transmission in step C2 of Figure 5; optionally, step C can be repeated, that is, there may be multiple R2D messages carrying multiple command messages, so the AIoT device may also respond to the command messages in multiple R2D messages.

[0093] The following description, in conjunction with Figure 5, illustrates the "segmented transmission" and "non-segmented transmission" of this application:

[0094] In some embodiments, an AIoT device may include two types of storage: one is non-volatile memory (NVM), such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) for permanently storing device identifiers; the other is a register, also called volatile memory (VM), which is used to temporarily store any information required for operation only when there is available energy in the energy storage.

[0095] For example, the data contained in the first message and / or the third message is stored in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0096] In some embodiments, when the length of the higher-layer data packet is long and exceeds the transport block that the AIoT device can support after adding headers or control information, the data needs to be transmitted in segments; when the transport block supported by the AIoT device can accommodate all the higher-layer data plus the corresponding headers or control information, the data is transmitted without segments.

[0097] For example, for data transmission in the R2D and D2R directions, there is no limit to the minimum size of the transport block, and the maximum transport block can support around 1000 bits. At a specific time, the transport block size that a specific AIoT device can transmit depends on the target coverage area, the target data rate, energy consumption / device availability, etc. Therefore, taking D2R data transmission as an example, when the D2R data length is long and exceeds the transport block size that the AIoT device can support, the data needs to be transmitted in segments. When the D2R data length is short and less than or equal to the transport block size that the AIoT device can support, the data can be transmitted without segments.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first message and / or the third message are non-segmented data, i.e., complete D2R messages, and / or the first message and / or the third message are the first segmented data in a segmented transmission or other segmented data.

[0099] For example, for D2R data transmission, unlike traditional terminals that operate on the AS cache, all user data (high-level data) or segmented data to be transmitted resides at the high level. In other words, the data to be transmitted or segmented is actually in the NVM. AIoT devices directly read data or data segments from the NVM for transmission, without residing in the AS cache. This transmission method can be called on-the-fly transmission or read-and-transmit. High-level data transmission or segmented transmission requires memory information.

[0100] For specific D2R (device to reader) data transmission, the physical layer of the AIoT device needs to know the transport block size (TBS) of the PDRCH (Physical Device-to-Reader CHannel) so that it can indicate the amount of data that can be transmitted to layer 2 (MAC layer) and correctly set parameters such as modulation and channel coding for modulation and coding.

[0101] For example, the transport block size can be indicated based on control information in a message containing higher-level data (higher-level commands) sent by a network device or a second terminal device.

[0102] In some embodiments, the method further includes: before sending the first message, the first terminal device also receives higher-level data sent by the network device or the second terminal device, wherein the higher-level data includes at least a higher-level command message.

[0103] In some embodiments, the higher-layer data packets sent by the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device are indicated by higher-layer data sent by the second terminal device.

[0104] For example, before D2R data transmission, the core network sends data, or service requests, such as command messages, to the AIoT device via a reader to trigger the AIoT device to perform D2R data transmission.

[0105] For example, D2R data that needs to be transmitted in segments is typically a response message (e.g., C2 in Figure 5) to a “read” command (e.g., C1 in Figure 5).

[0106] For example, higher-level commands need to include the necessary memory information to allow AIoT devices to read data from the memory (NVM). For instance, a higher-level command might contain the following information:

[0107] Memory block: also known as memory type, memory number, memory region, memory bank, etc., is used to indicate different memory areas. For example, the memory of an AIoT device can be divided into multiple areas to store different types of data, such as user area, device identification storage area, sensor data storage area, reserved area, etc.

[0108] Starting address S: This refers to the starting address within the memory region (memory block) to be read. It can also be understood as a pointer to the starting location of the memory to be read; for example, it can also be called the initial starting address.

[0109] The length to be read (e.g., number of bytes, number of bits, memory address offset K, etc.): The memory address offset K refers to the memory data read from the starting address S to address S+K. If each address index can store 2 bytes of data, then the memory address offset K corresponds to 2K bytes of data; optionally, the length to be read can also be replaced with the ending address, which is not limited in this application.

[0110] For example, in the D2R data transmission in Step B, since the purpose is to send a persistent device identifier, the location where the persistent device identifier is stored can be pre-configured and does not require indication from the reader.

[0111] In some embodiments, to support segmented transmission, after the reader receives a segment of data, a second message (R2D message) can be used to indicate the size of the data received by the reader, such as the number of bytes or the number of bits.

[0112] For example, the received data size here refers to the total amount of data successfully received starting from the first segment. This data size is also equivalent to an offset, which is the address offset from the initial starting address (the starting address indicated in the higher-level command). Based on the memory-related information in the higher-level command, such as the starting address and data length, the A-IoT device obtains the starting address of the next segment in memory based on the offset, thus enabling the transmission of the next segment.

[0113] For example, the offset also implicitly indicates whether the next segment is a new transmission or a retransmission. For instance, if the offset value indicated by the current R2D message is the same as the offset value indicated by the previous R2D message, or if the offset value indicated by the current R2D message is 0, the current segment is equivalent to a retransmission of the previous segment.

[0114] For example, if it is a new transmission, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM); if it is a retransmission, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0115] In some embodiments, the retransmission of A-IoT devices differs from that of traditional NR devices. There is no concept of buffering. In fact, the A-IoT device reads from the NVM again and retransmits the data that was previously sent. Therefore, with the offset indication, the A-IoT device does not need to understand whether the next segment is a new transmission or a retransmission. It directly reads data from the NVM according to the address offset indicated by the reader and then performs segmented transmission.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first terminal device may or may not store the high-level data.

[0117] For example, if the first terminal device stores (remembers, saves) the higher-layer data, the first terminal device sends a first message and / or a third message based on the higher-layer data; if the first terminal device does not store the higher-layer data, the first terminal device sends a first message and / or a third message based on the latest higher-layer data indicated by the network device and / or the second terminal device. The specific details of the first, second, and third messages will be explained in further detail below.

[0118] In this embodiment of the application, the method for the first terminal device to perform the next data transmission is determined based on the different states of the first terminal device and the different MAC PDU types (or formats) used in the second message.

[0119] Examples are given below:

[0120] In some embodiments, when the first terminal device sends the first message in the non-fragmented or fragmented transmission manner, the first terminal device receives the second message using a first MAC PDU type, wherein the first field contains a higher-layer command message. The MAC PDU type is also called a message type, Layer 2 message type, or MAC message type.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first terminal device sends the third message in the manner of non-fragmented transmission or segmented transmission, based on the fourth field of the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type.

[0122] In some embodiments, the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type further includes a third field, which includes at least a message type field, and the first terminal device determines the type of the second message based on the third field.

[0123] In some embodiments, the second message further includes at least a fifth field, wherein the fifth field indicates the identification information of the first terminal device at the access layer, and the first terminal device determines that the second message is sent to the first terminal device based on the fifth field.

[0124] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the first MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application; for example, the first MAC PDU type is an R2D MAC PDU type.

[0125] For example, a second message using the first MAC PDU type corresponds to a MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type.

[0126] For example, the first field contains a higher-layer command message, corresponding to the container (upper layer data) field in Figure 6A, which indicates higher-layer data, where the higher-layer data is contained as a container in the first field; the third field corresponds to the message type field in Figure 6A, which indicates the type of the current MAC PDU, for example, this message type field indicates the value corresponding to the first MAC PDU type; the fourth field corresponds to the TBS (Transmission Block Size) field in Figure 6A, which indicates the size of the transmitted data; the fifth field corresponds to the AS ID1...AS IDn (Access Layer Identifier) ​​field in Figure 6A, which indicates the identification information of the first terminal device in the access layer, for example, this fifth field may contain one or more AS IDs, indicating that the message is a multicast message, and higher-layer data can be sent to the first terminal devices corresponding to these AS IDs simultaneously;

[0127] Optionally, the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type may also include a length field, which indicates the length of the entire MAC PDU (e.g., the number of bytes or bits), or the length of all fields after the length field, or only the length of the higher-level data field; the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type may also include a D2R scheduling information field, which indicates D2R scheduling information; in some embodiments, the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type may also include other fields, such as a field indicating the number N of AS IDs (not shown in FIG. 6A), which are not limited or listed in this application.

[0128] For example, after the first terminal device sends the first message (D2R message) in a non-segmented transmission manner, it receives a second message containing a command message from the reader, that is, the reader resends the command message. Then the first terminal device still uses the non-segmented transmission method (i.e., transmits the entire command reply message) and performs D2R transmission according to the received second message, which is equivalent to retransmitting non-segmented data.

[0129] For example, if the second message uses the first MAC PDU type, the first terminal device determines whether the second message is of the first MAC PDU type based on the third field, that is, whether it is a message with a command sent by the reader. For example, the name of the second message can be called R2D data transfer or R2D higher layer data transfer, indicating that the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains higher layer data, that is, a command message.

[0130] For example, the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type also carries an Access Layer ID (AS ID), which is used by the reader to identify each first terminal device. The first terminal device determines whether the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type is sent to itself by comparing the AS ID in the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type with its own AS ID.

[0131] In some embodiments, after sending a D2R message (first message or third message), the first terminal device may not need to store (save, remember) the higher-level data, but instead consider the command response to be finished. If the D2R message (first message or third message) fails to be sent, the reader will resend a second message carrying the higher-level command message, and the first terminal device will respond according to the newly received command message.

[0132] For example, if the first terminal device sends a first message using non-segmented transmission and receives a second message with a command message from the reader (i.e., the reader resends the command message, and the message type is the first MAC PDU mentioned above), it indicates that the reader is unsure whether the first terminal device has received the previous command message and resent it. If the transport block size in the new R2D message (second message) received by the first terminal device is insufficient for the first terminal device to perform non-segmented transmission, then the first terminal device can perform segmented transmission to send the third message based on the transport block size in the new second message. That is, the first terminal device segments the original command reply message, which is equivalent to rereading and transmitting the first segmented data from the NVM.

[0133] For example, after the first terminal device sends the first segmented D2R message (first message) via segmented transmission, it receives a second message with a command message from the reader (i.e., the reader resends the command message, and the message type is the first MAC PDU mentioned above). This indicates that the reader is unsure whether the first terminal device has received the previous command message and resends it. Therefore, the first terminal device still sends the first segmented D2R message (third message). Alternatively, it can be understood that the first terminal device re-segments the data based on the received command message (second message). It can segment the data according to the current block size indicated by the reader and does not need to be exactly the same as the previous segment size.

[0134] Therefore, when the first terminal device sends the next segment of data or resends the D2R message, it can know the corresponding position of the data contained in the next segment of data or the resent D2R message in the NVM, thereby enabling the first terminal device to support D2R transmission or D2R segmented transmission.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the first terminal device sends the first message in a segmented transmission manner, the first terminal device receives the second message using the second MAC PDU type, wherein the second field indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the first terminal device that the network device or the second terminal device correctly received.

[0136] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the second MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application; for example, the second MAC PDU type is the R2D MAC PDU type.

[0137] For example, a second message using the second MAC PDU type corresponds to a MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type.

[0138] For example, the second field corresponds to the Received data size field in Figure 6B, which indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the first terminal device that the network device or the second terminal device correctly receives. Alternatively, the second field may also be called segment offset, byte offset, etc., and this application does not limit it in this way.

[0139] For example, after the first terminal device sends the first segmented D2R message (first message) via segmented transmission, it receives the second message sent by the reader. The MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type corresponding to the second message contains a second field corresponding to the first terminal device, which is the size of the data received by the reader. The second field indicates the address offset between the starting address of the first segmented data (response data to the command) sent by the first terminal device to the reader and the starting address of the next segmented data to be sent (third message).

[0140] The above scenario can be extended to: after an AIoT device sends a segmented D2R message via segmented transmission, it receives a second message from the reader. The second MAC PDU type contains a second field, which is the size of the data received by the reader. Then, the AIoT device sends the next D2R segmented data based on the second field.

[0141] For example, after the first terminal device sends M segmented messages (the first message and / or the third message) via segmented transmission, it receives a second message from the reader. The MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type corresponding to the second message contains a second field corresponding to the first terminal device, which is the size of the data received by the reader. This second field indicates the total length of the M segments, that is, it indicates the address offset between the starting address of the first segment data (response data to the command) sent by the first terminal device to the reader and the starting address of the next (M+1) segment data (the third message) to be sent.

[0142] Therefore, when the first terminal device sends the next segment of data, it can know the corresponding position of the next segment of data in the NVM, thereby enabling the first terminal device to support D2R transmission or D2R segmented transmission.

[0143] In some embodiments, when the value of the second field is 0, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0144] For example, if the value of the second field is 0, it means that the reader may have received a reply message from the first terminal device but may not have been able to decode it successfully. Knowing that the first terminal device has already received the previous command message, it sends an R2D message to trigger the device to retransmit the first segment. Then the first terminal device still sends the first segment D2R message.

[0145] In some embodiments, the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type further includes a third field, a fourth field, a fifth field, a length field, a D2R scheduling information field, etc. For example, the specific details of each field can be referred to the content of the first MAC PDU type, and will not be repeated here. The MAC PDU of the second message type may also contain other fields, which are not limited or listed in this application.

[0146] For example, as shown in Figure 6B, when the second message is sent in a broadcast manner, each AS ID corresponds to a second field. The first terminal device obtains the corresponding second field based on the received second message if the AS ID in the second message is the same as the AS ID of the AIoT device itself.

[0147] Since the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type does not contain higher-level command messages, the first terminal device needs to save the higher-level command messages (the first time) received from the reader, i.e., the memory information in the aforementioned higher-level commands, when performing segmented transmission.

[0148] In some embodiments, the second field further indicates the address offset between the initial start address of the data sent from the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device and the start address corresponding to the higher-level data contained in the third message.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first terminal device sends the third message in the segmented transmission manner based on the fourth field of the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, the second field, and the stored higher-level data.

[0150] For example, when the first terminal device performs segmented transmission, the content of the higher-layer command received from the reader (the first time), which is the memory information in the higher-layer command mentioned above, is saved. In subsequent segmented transmissions and segmented retransmissions, the address offset can be obtained through the second field, and then the content at the corresponding address position can be read. This read data is sent to the reader as D2R "higher-layer data", which is then passed to the core network by the reader. Here, D2R "higher-layer data" refers to the higher-layer data (command response) carried in the D2R message, which corresponds to the saved R2D higher-layer data (command message). Both refer to data from higher layers (e.g., AIoT NAS layer (non-access layer)) and are placed in the layer 2 message as a container.

[0151] Figure 7 is an example diagram of the MAC PDU format of the fifth MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application. For example, the fifth MAC PDU type is the D2R MAC PDU type.

[0152] For example, the third message using the fifth MAC PDU type corresponds to the MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type.

[0153] For example, the MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type contains a container (upper layer data) field, which contains the "higher layer data" of D2R, and also contains a segment indication field, which can be 1 bit, indicating whether the MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type is the last (segment) data.

[0154] Optionally, the MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type may also include a message type field, such as indicating D2R data transfer or D2Rupper layer data transfer; optionally, the MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type may also include an AS ID field to indicate the identifier of the current first terminal device; for example, if the MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type does not include a message type field and / or an AS ID field, the Reader can determine the type of the MAC PDU and the corresponding AS ID based on the time-frequency resources corresponding to the received MAC PDU of the fifth MAC PDU type, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0155] For example, based on the stored (first) higher-level command content received from the reader, i.e., the memory information in the higher-level command mentioned above, the first terminal device can obtain the initial starting address of the data sent by the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device. After the first terminal device sends a segmented D2R message (first message) through segmented transmission, it receives a second message sent by the reader. The MAC PDU of the second message type contains a second field corresponding to the first terminal device. This second field indicates the address offset between the initial starting address and the starting address of the uplink higher-level data contained in the third message. Then, the first terminal device sends a third message using the fifth MAC PDU type based on the determined starting address of the uplink higher-level data contained in the third message. For example, similar to the above, a segmented D2R message corresponding to the first message can be the first segmented D2R message or other segmented messages besides the first segmented D2R message.

[0156] In some embodiments, when the first terminal device sends the first message in the segmented transmission manner, the first terminal device receives the second message using the third MAC PDU type, wherein the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the first terminal device that the network device or the second terminal device has correctly received, and the higher-level command message contained in the first field of the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is empty or not empty.

[0157] For example, the difference between the third MAC PDU type and the first MAC PDU type is that the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type additionally includes a second field. For details about the second field, please refer to the second MAC PDU type, which will not be repeated here.

[0158] For example, the second message using the third MAC PDU type corresponds to a MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type.

[0159] In some embodiments, if the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is empty, the first terminal device sends the third message based on the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type and the stored higher-level data.

[0160] For example, based on the stored (first) higher-level command content received from the reader, i.e., the memory information in the aforementioned higher-level commands, the first terminal device can obtain the initial starting address of the data sent by the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device. After the first terminal device sends a segmented D2R message (first message) via segmented transmission, it receives a second message sent by the reader. The MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type corresponding to this second message contains a second field corresponding to the first terminal device, and the first field of this second message is empty. Then, the first terminal device sends a third message corresponding to the fifth MAC PDU. For example, similar to the above, the segmented D2R message corresponding to the first message can be the first segmented D2R message, or it can be other segmented messages besides the first segmented D2R message.

[0161] In some embodiments, if the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is not empty, the first terminal device sends the third message based on the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type and the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type.

[0162] For example, the first terminal device does not store the content of the higher-level command received (in the first instance) from the reader. After the first terminal device sends a segmented D2R message (first message) via segmented transmission, it obtains the memory information in the higher-level command based on the first field of the received second message. This allows it to determine the initial starting address of the data sent by the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device. Furthermore, based on the second field, it can determine the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data correctly received by the network device or the second terminal device from the first terminal device. Therefore, the first terminal device can determine the starting position of the data contained in the third message within the NVM; subsequently, the first terminal device sends the third message. Similarly, as described above, the segmented D2R message corresponding to the first message can be either the first segmented D2R message or other segmented messages besides the first segmented D2R message.

[0163] Therefore, when the first terminal device sends the next segment of data, it can know the corresponding position of the data contained in the next segment in the NVM, thereby enabling the first terminal device to support D2R transmission or D2R segmented transmission.

[0164] Therefore, after each segment of data is sent, the first terminal device does not need to store the higher-level command message. Instead, the command message is repeated in the next R2D message, which saves the temporary storage space of the first terminal device and reduces the energy required to maintain the storage.

[0165] In some embodiments, when the first terminal device sends the first message in the manner of non-segmented transmission or segmented transmission, the first terminal device receives the second message using the fourth MAC PDU type, and the first terminal device stops data transmission during the current paging process.

[0166] Figure 6C is a schematic diagram of the MAC PDU format of the fourth MAC PDU type according to an embodiment of this application; for example, the fourth MAC PDU type is the R2D MAC PDU type.

[0167] For example, the second message using the fourth MAC PDU type corresponds to a MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type.

[0168] In some embodiments, the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type further includes at least the third field; the third field includes at least a message type field, and the first terminal device determines the type of the second message based on the third field.

[0169] For example, the third field corresponds to the message type field in Figure 6C, which indicates the type of the current MAC PDU. For example, this message type field indicates the value corresponding to the fourth MAC PDU type. For example, the fourth MAC PDU type may also contain other fields, such as the length field, the AS ID field, etc. For details about the above fields, please refer to the relevant content in the first MAC PDU type, which will not be repeated here.

[0170] For example, after the first terminal device sends a D2R message (first message) in a non-segmented transmission manner, or after sending a segmented D2R message (first message) in a segmented transmission manner, it receives a second message sent by the reader. This second message indicates failure, or it is a negative acknowledgment, such as a NACK (negative acknowledgement) message. The first terminal device considers that this D2R data transmission has failed and waits for the next paging process to reconnect.

[0171] For example, this fourth MAC PDU type can be called a NACK message type. The MAC PDU of this NACK message type can contain one or more AS IDs, indicating that data transmission of one or more first terminal devices has failed and reconnection is required. For example, if the paging message received by the first terminal device from the next reader contains the same transaction identifier as the paging message from the currently failed paging process, then the failed first terminal device can reconnect. The above is merely an illustrative example, and this application does not limit the process by which the first terminal device reconnects.

[0172] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0173] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0174] Second aspect of the embodiments

[0175] This application provides a transmission method applied to a second terminal device or network device, such as the second terminal device 102 or network device 103 in FIG1, the network device in FIG2, or the intermediate node in FIG3. The embodiments of the second aspect can be combined with the embodiments of the first aspect, and the content identical to that in the embodiments of the first aspect will not be repeated.

[0176] Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of the transmission method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the method includes:

[0177] 801: The second terminal device or network device receives a first message sent by the first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and

[0178] 802: The second terminal device or network device sends a second message to the first terminal device; and / or,

[0179] 803: The second terminal device or network device receives a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0180] In some embodiments, before the second terminal device or network device receives the first message, the second terminal device or network device also sends higher-level data to the first terminal device, wherein the higher-level data includes at least a higher-level command message.

[0181] In some embodiments, when the second terminal device or network device fails to receive the first message, the second terminal device or network device sends the second message, which uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0182] A first MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains at least a first field;

[0183] The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

[0184] For example, if the second terminal device or network device fails to receive the first message, it sends a MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type or a MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type to the first terminal device. Then, when the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type, it sends a third message according to the content of the first field. Alternatively, if the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type, the first terminal device reconnects.

[0185] In some embodiments, when the second terminal device or network device fails to successfully receive the first message sent by the first terminal device in a segmented transmission manner, the second terminal device or network device sends the second message, which uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0186] The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field;

[0187] The third MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field;

[0188] The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

[0189] For example, if the second terminal device or network device fails to receive the first message of segmented transmission, it sends a MAC PDU of type second MAC PDU, third MAC PDU, or fourth MAC PDU to the first terminal device. Then, when the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of type second MAC PDU, it sends a third message based on the second field and the stored higher-layer data. Alternatively, when the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of type third MAC PDU, it sends a third message based on the contents of the first and second fields. Or, if the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of type fourth MAC PDU, the first terminal device re-accesses the network.

[0190] For example, if the network device or the second terminal device fails to receive the first message, and the second message triggers the first terminal device to retransmit higher-layer data, then the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0191] In some embodiments, when the second terminal device or network device successfully receives the first message sent by the first terminal device in a segmented transmission manner, the second terminal device or network device sends the second message, which uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0192] The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field;

[0193] The third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field.

[0194] For example, when the second terminal device or network device successfully receives the first message of segmented transmission, it sends a MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type or a MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type. Then, when the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, it sends a third message based on the second field and the stored higher-layer data. Alternatively, when the first terminal device receives the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type, it sends a third message based on the contents of the first field and the second field.

[0195] For example, when the network device or the second terminal device successfully receives the first message of the segmented transmission, the second message sent triggers the first terminal device to send the next segment of higher-layer data. In this case, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0196] It is worth noting that Figure 8 above is only an illustrative description of the embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order between various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be removed. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description in Figure 8 above.

[0197] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0198] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0199] Third aspect of the embodiments

[0200] This application provides a transmission device corresponding to the method described in the first aspect of the embodiment. This device may be, for example, a first terminal device, or one or more components or parts configured on the first terminal device; details identical to those in the first aspect of the embodiment will not be repeated.

[0201] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a transmission device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the access device 900 according to an embodiment of this application includes:

[0202] The sending unit 901 sends a first message to the network device or the second terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and

[0203] Receiving unit 902 receives a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or,

[0204] The sending unit 901 sends a third message according to the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0205] In some embodiments, the second message uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0206] A first MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains at least a first field;

[0207] The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field;

[0208] The third MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field;

[0209] The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

[0210] In some embodiments, when the sending unit 901 sends the first message in the manner of non-fragmented transmission or segmented transmission, the receiving unit 902 receives the second message using the first MAC PDU type, wherein the first field contains a higher-level command message.

[0211] In some embodiments, the sending unit 901 sends the third message in the manner of non-fragmented transmission or segmented transmission according to the fourth field of the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type.

[0212] In some embodiments, when the sending unit 901 sends the first message in the manner of segmented transmission, the receiving unit 902 receives the second message using the second MAC PDU type, wherein the second field indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the sending unit 901 that the network device or the second terminal device has correctly received.

[0213] In some embodiments, the second field further indicates the address offset between the initial start address of the data sent from the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device and the start address corresponding to the higher-level data contained in the third message.

[0214] In some embodiments, the sending unit 901 sends the third message in the segmented transmission manner according to the fourth field of the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, the second field and the stored higher-level data.

[0215] In some embodiments, when the value of the second field is 0, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0216] In some embodiments, when the sending unit 901 sends the first message in the segmented transmission manner, the receiving unit 902 receives the second message using the third MAC PDU type, wherein the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the sending unit 901 correctly received by the network device or the second terminal device, and the higher-level command message contained in the first field of the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is empty or not empty.

[0217] In some embodiments, when the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is empty, the sending unit 901 sends the third message based on the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type and the stored higher-level data;

[0218] If the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is not empty, the sending unit 901 sends the third message based on the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type and the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type.

[0219] In some embodiments, when the sending unit 901 sends the first message in the manner of non-segmented transmission or segmented transmission, the receiving unit 902 receives the second message using the fourth MAC PDU type, and the sending unit 901 stops data transmission in the current paging process.

[0220] In some embodiments, the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type, the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, and the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type further include at least the third field.

[0221] In some embodiments, the third field includes at least a message type field, and the receiving unit 902 determines the type of the second message based on the third field.

[0222] In some embodiments, the second message further includes at least a fifth field, wherein the fifth field indicates the identification information of the first terminal device at the access layer, and the first terminal device determines that the second message is sent to the first terminal device based on the fifth field.

[0223] In some embodiments, before sending the first message, the receiving unit 902 also receives higher-level data sent by the network device or the second terminal device, wherein the higher-level data includes at least a higher-level command message, and the first terminal device may or may not store the higher-level data.

[0224] In some embodiments, the first message and / or the third message is the first segment data or other segment data in the segmented transmission.

[0225] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The transmission device 900 may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0226] Furthermore, for simplicity, Figure 9 only illustrates the connection relationships or signal flow between the various components or modules, but those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies such as bus connections can be used. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors, memory, transmitters, and receivers; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0227] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0228] Fourth aspect of the embodiment

[0229] This application provides a transmission device. This device may be, for example, a second terminal device and / or a network device, or one or more components or parts configured in the second terminal device and / or the network device. Contents identical to those in the embodiments of the first to third aspects will not be repeated.

[0230] Figure 10 is another schematic diagram of a transmission device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the transmission device 1000 includes:

[0231] The receiving unit 1001 receives a first message sent by the first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and

[0232] Sending unit 1002 sends a second message to the first terminal device; and / or,

[0233] The receiving unit 1001 receives a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0234] In some embodiments, before the receiving unit 1001 receives the first message, the sending unit 1002 also sends higher-level data to the first terminal device, wherein the higher-level data includes at least a higher-level command message.

[0235] In some embodiments, when the receiving unit 1001 fails to receive the first message, the sending unit 1002 sends the second message, which uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0236] A first MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains at least a first field;

[0237] The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

[0238] In some embodiments, when the receiving unit 1001 fails to receive the first message sent by the first terminal device in a segmented transmission manner, the sending unit 1002 sends the second message, which uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0239] The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field;

[0240] The third MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field;

[0241] The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

[0242] In some embodiments, when the receiving unit 1001 successfully receives the first message sent by the first terminal device in a segmented transmission manner, the sending unit sends the second message, the second message using at least one of the following MAC PDU types:

[0243] The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field;

[0244] The third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field.

[0245] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0246] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The transmission device 1000 may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0247] Furthermore, for simplicity, Figure 10 only illustrates the connection relationships or signal flow between the various components or modules, but those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies such as bus connections can be used. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors, memory, transmitters, and receivers; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0248] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0249] Fifth aspect of the embodiment

[0250] This application provides a first terminal device that includes the transmission device described in the embodiment of the third aspect. The first terminal device is, for example, the first terminal device 101 in FIG1 or the AIoT device in FIG2.

[0251] This application provides a second terminal device that includes the transmission apparatus described in the fourth aspect of the embodiment. The second terminal device is, for example, the second terminal device 102 in FIG1 or the intermediate node in FIG3.

[0252] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of the system configuration of a first terminal device or a second terminal device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the first terminal device or the second terminal device 1100 may include a processor 1110 and a memory 1120; the memory 1120 is coupled to the processor 1110. It is worth noting that this figure is exemplary; other types of structures may also be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunications functions or other functions.

[0253] In one embodiment, the function of the transmission device can be integrated into the processor 1110.

[0254] Processor 1110 is configured to: send a first message to a network device or a second terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented manner; and receive a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or, send a third message based on the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM), or...

[0255] The method includes receiving a first message sent by a first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner; sending a second message to the first terminal device; and / or receiving a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0256] In another embodiment, the transmission device can be configured separately from the processor 1110. For example, the transmission device can be configured as a chip connected to the processor 1110, and the function of the transmission device can be realized through the control of the processor 1110.

[0257] As shown in Figure 11, the first terminal device or the second terminal device 1100 may further include a communication module 1130. It is worth noting that the first terminal device or the second terminal device 1100 does not necessarily need to include all the components shown in Figure 11; furthermore, the first terminal device or the second terminal device 1100 may also include components not shown in Figure 11, which can be found in related technologies.

[0258] As shown in Figure 11, the processor 1110, sometimes also referred to as a controller or operation control, may include a microprocessor or other processor device and / or logic device. The processor 1110 receives input and controls the operation of various components of the first terminal device or the second terminal device 1100.

[0259] In some embodiments, processor 1110 may include a random number generator and a comparator.

[0260] The memory 1120 may be, for example, one or more of a cache, flash memory, hard drive, removable medium, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or other suitable means. It can store various types of data, and also programs for executing related information. The processor 1110 can execute the program stored in the memory 1120 to perform information storage or processing, etc. The functions of other components are similar to those in existing systems and will not be described further here. The components of the first terminal device or the second terminal device 1100 can be implemented using dedicated hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0261] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0262] Implementation of the sixth aspect

[0263] This application provides a network device that includes the transmission apparatus described in the fourth aspect of the embodiment. The network device is, for example, network device 103 in FIG1, and the network devices in FIG2 and 3.

[0264] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of the system configuration of a network device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 12, the network device 1200 may include a processor 1210 and a memory 1220; the memory 1220 is coupled to the processor 1210. The memory 1220 can store various data; in addition, it also stores an information processing program 1230, and executes the program 1230 under the control of the processor 1210 to receive various information sent by the first terminal device and send various information to the first terminal device.

[0265] In one embodiment, the function of the transmission device can be integrated into the processor 1210.

[0266] The processor 1210 can be configured to: receive a first message sent by the first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner; and send a second message to the first terminal device; and / or receive a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0267] In another embodiment, the transmission device can be configured separately from the processor 1210. For example, the transmission device can be configured as a chip connected to the processor 1210, and the function of the transmission device can be realized through the control of the processor 1210.

[0268] In addition, as shown in Figure 12, network device 1200 may also include a transceiver 1240 and an antenna 1250, etc.; the functions of the above components are similar to those in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here. It is worth noting that network device 1200 does not necessarily include all the components shown in Figure 12; furthermore, network device 1200 may also include components not shown in Figure 12, which can be referred to in the prior art.

[0269] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the first terminal device can resend data, resend data in segments, and re-access data according to the instructions of the network device and / or the second terminal device, and can support communication and services from the first terminal device to the network, and can be universal in the topology of each first terminal device.

[0270] Seventh aspect of the embodiment

[0271] This application provides a communication system, including a first terminal device according to an embodiment of the fifth aspect, a second terminal device according to an embodiment of the fifth aspect, and / or a network device according to an embodiment of the sixth aspect. Specific details can be found in the descriptions of the embodiments of the fifth and sixth aspects.

[0272] For example, the structure of this communication system can be seen in Figures 1 and 2.

[0273] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a first terminal device 101, a second terminal device 102, and / or a network device 103. The first terminal device 101 may be the same as the first terminal device 101 described in the fifth aspect embodiment, the second terminal device 102 may be the same as the second terminal device described in the fifth aspect embodiment, and the network device 103 may be the same as the network device described in the sixth aspect embodiment. Repeated content will not be described again.

[0274] As shown in Figure 2, the communication system includes network devices and AIoT devices. The AIoT devices may be the same as the first terminal devices described in the fifth aspect embodiment, and / or the network devices may be the same as the network devices described in the sixth aspect embodiment. Repeated content will not be described again.

[0275] As shown in Figure 3, the communication system includes network devices, intermediate nodes, and AIoT devices. The AIoT devices may be the same as the first terminal devices described in the fifth aspect embodiment, and / or the intermediate nodes may be the same as the second terminal devices described in the fifth aspect embodiment. Repeated content will not be repeated.

[0276] The apparatus and methods described above in this application can be implemented in hardware or in combination with software. This application relates to a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the apparatus or components described above, or to implement the various methods or steps described above. This application also relates to storage media for storing the above programs, such as hard disks, magnetic disks, optical disks, DVDs, flash memory, etc.

[0277] The methods / apparatus described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in hardware, software modules executed by a processor, or a combination of both. For example, one or more and / or one or more combinations of functional block diagrams shown in FIG11 can correspond to various software modules in a computer program flow or various hardware modules. These software modules can correspond to the various steps shown in FIG4, respectively. These hardware modules can be implemented, for example, using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to embed these software modules.

[0278] The software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium can be coupled to the processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium can be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The software module can be stored in the memory of a mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a high-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a high-capacity flash memory device, the software module can be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the high-capacity flash memory device.

[0279] One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in Figure 11 can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, or any suitable combination thereof for performing the functions described herein. One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in Figure 11 can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0280] The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on its spirit and principles, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0281] Regarding the implementation methods including the above embodiments, the following notes are also disclosed:

[0282] 1. A transmission method applied to a first terminal device, wherein the method comprises:

[0283] Sending the first message to the network device or the second terminal device in a non-fragmented or segmented transmission manner: and

[0284] Receive a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or,

[0285] A third message is sent according to the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

[0286] 2. The method according to Appendix 1, wherein the first message and / or the third message is the first segment data or other segment data in the segmented transmission.

[0287] 3. An access method, applied to a network device or a second terminal device, wherein the method includes:

[0288] Receive the first message sent by the first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and

[0289] Send a second message to the first terminal device; and / or,

[0290] The system receives a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0291] 4. According to the method described in Appendix 3, when the network device or the second terminal device fails to receive the first message, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0292] 5. According to the method described in Appendix 3, when the network device or the second terminal device successfully receives the first message sent by the segmented transmission method, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

[0293] 6. A terminal device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the access method as described in any one of Appendices 1-2.

[0294] 7. A network device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the access method as described in any one of Appendices 3-5.

Claims

1. A transmission device, configured on a first terminal device, the device comprising: The sending unit transmits a first message to a network device or a second terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and The receiving unit receives a second message sent by the network device or the second terminal device; and / or, The sending unit sends a third message according to the received second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second message uses at least one of the following MAC PDU (Protocol Data Unit) types: A first MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains at least a first field; The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field; The third MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field; The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, When the sending unit sends the first message in the manner of non-segmented transmission or segmented transmission, the receiving unit receives the second message using the first MAC PDU type, wherein the first field contains a higher-level command message.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The sending unit sends the third message in either the non-segmented transmission or the segmented transmission manner, based on the fourth field of the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, When the sending unit sends the first message in the segmented transmission manner, the receiving unit receives the second message using the second MAC PDU type, wherein the second field indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the sending unit that the network device or the second terminal device has correctly received.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The second field also indicates the address offset between the initial start address of the data sent from the first terminal device to the network device or the second terminal device and the start address corresponding to the higher-layer data contained in the third message.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The sending unit sends the third message in the segmented transmission manner according to the fourth field of the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, the second field, and the stored higher-level data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, When the value of the second field is 0, the starting position of the data contained in the third message in non-volatile memory (NVM) is the same as the starting position of the data contained in the first message in non-volatile memory (NVM).

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, When the sending unit sends the first message in the segmented transmission manner, the receiving unit receives the second message using the third MAC PDU type, wherein the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type indicates the sum of the sizes of one or more segments of data sent by the sending unit that the network device or the second terminal device has correctly received, and the higher-level command message contained in the first field of the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is empty or not empty.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, If the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is empty, the sending unit sends the third message based on the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type and the stored higher-level data; If the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type is not empty, the sending unit sends the third message based on the second field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type and the first field in the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, When the sending unit sends the first message in the manner of non-segmented transmission or segmented transmission, the receiving unit receives the second message using the fourth MAC PDU type, and the sending unit stops data transmission in the current paging process.

12. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type, the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type, and the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type also contain at least the third field.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the third field includes at least a message type field, and the receiving unit determines the type of the second message based on the third field.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The second message also includes at least a fifth field, wherein the fifth field indicates the identification information of the first terminal device at the access layer, and the first terminal device determines that the second message is sent to the first terminal device based on the fifth field.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, Before sending the first message, the receiving unit also receives higher-level data sent by the network device or the second terminal device, wherein the higher-level data includes at least higher-level command messages, and the first terminal device may or may not store the higher-level data.

16. A transmission device, configured in a network device or a second terminal device, wherein, The device includes: The receiving unit receives a first message sent by the first terminal device in a non-segmented or segmented transmission manner: and The sending unit sends a second message to the first terminal device; and / or, The receiving unit receives a third message sent by the first terminal device according to the second message, wherein the starting position of the data contained in the third message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device is the same as or different from the starting position of the data contained in the first message in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of the first terminal device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, Before the receiving unit receives the first message, the sending unit also sends higher-level data to the first terminal device, wherein the higher-level data includes at least a higher-level command message.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, When the receiving unit fails to receive the first message, the sending unit sends the second message, which uses at least one of the following MAC PDU types: A first MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the first MAC PDU type contains at least a first field; The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, When the receiving unit fails to receive the first message sent by the first terminal device in a segmented transmission manner, the sending unit sends the second message, the second message using at least one of the following MAC PDU types: The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field; The third MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field; The fourth MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the fourth MAC PDU type contains at least a third field.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, When the receiving unit successfully receives the first message sent by the first terminal device in a segmented transmission manner, the sending unit sends the second message, the second message using at least one of the following MAC PDU types: The second MAC PDU type, wherein the MAC PDU of the second MAC PDU type contains at least a second field; The third MAC PDU type contains at least a first field and a second field.

Images