Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and a related apparatus. The method comprises: receiving a first signal, wherein the length of one chip in the first signal is (I) of the length of one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, M being a positive integer; receiving first information, wherein the first information indicates a first time length, which first time length is used for the communication from a first communication apparatus to a second communication apparatus, and there is a correspondence between a value set of the first time length and the value of M; and sending a second signal, wherein the length of one chip in the second signal is the first time length. On the premise of ensuring the communication quality, the number of elements included in a value set of a first time length is constrained on the basis of the value of M, such that the number of bits of first information that indicates the first time length can be reduced, thereby reducing the overheads of communication between a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. CN202510367492.6, filed on March 25, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Related Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] The rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology is making the interconnection of everything a reality. However, the short battery life of IoT terminals increases the difficulty and cost of maintenance, becoming a major bottleneck restricting the development of IoT. Backscatter communication, based on wireless power transmission, envelope detection and demodulation, and reflection-scatter modulation technologies, holds promise for solving the terminal lifespan and maintenance problems, enabling next-generation terminals with ultra-low cost, high density, and maintenance-free passive IoT capabilities.

[0004] Widely used radio frequency identification (RFID) systems are a type of backscatter communication system. A typical RFID system architecture includes a reader and a tag, which can exchange data. The ambient internet-of-things (A-IoT) system currently being discussed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is similar to RFID. This system includes A-IoT terminals (or devices) similar to tags, network devices with reader functionality, or traditional user equipment (UE).

[0005] To meet the requirements of ultra-low power consumption, AIoT technology devices use low-precision and low-power mid-to-low frequency ring oscillators or adopt a completely local oscillator-free method to receive downlink signals.

[0006] In AIoT technology, reader-to-device (R2D) communication is defined as the downlink direction, and device-to-reader (D2R) communication is defined as the uplink direction. In AIoT, the uplink time unit is called a chip, and similarly, the downlink time unit is also called a chip. The length of the uplink time unit can be called the uplink time length, uplink level length, or device-to-reader chip length (D2R chip length). The length of the downlink time unit can be called the downlink time length, downlink level length, or reader-to-device chip length (R2D chip length).

[0007] After the reader configures the uplink duration to the device, the device sends an uplink signal to the reader according to the configured uplink duration. In order for the reader to configure the uplink duration to the device, the reader needs to determine the uplink duration to be configured to the device from a set of values ​​including multiple uplink durations, and then indicate the uplink duration to the device through indication information.

[0008] The applicant's research found that because the set of possible uplink duration values ​​includes a large number of uplink duration values, the indication information requires a significant number of bits to fully indicate the uplink duration values ​​included in the set. Reducing the overhead of this indication information is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application propose a communication method, which is applied to a first communication device.

[0010] The first communication device is applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip) within a terminal responsible for communication functions. For example, the first communication device can be a terminal device, a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, functional module, control unit, circuit, processor, or integrated circuit that can be applied to the aforementioned device or apparatus; specific applications are not limited in this application.

[0011] The method includes: receiving a first signal, wherein the length of a chip in the first signal is one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length. M is a positive integer; receiving first information, the first information indicating a first time length, the first time length being used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, the set of values ​​for the first time length having a corresponding relationship with the value of M; sending a second signal, wherein the chip length in the second signal is the first time length.

[0012] In the above technical solution, under the premise of ensuring communication quality, the number of elements included in the value set of the first time length can be reduced by constraining the value of M, thereby reducing the number of bits of the first information indicating the first time length, and thus reducing the communication overhead between the first communication device and the second communication device.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the range of values ​​for M includes M1 and M2;

[0014] When M is M1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S1 elements, and the minimum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. min1 The maximum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. max1 M1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1; when M is M2, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S2 elements, and the minimum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. min2 The maximum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. max2 M2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1; when M1>M2, any one or more of the following conditions must be met: A. S1<=S2; B. ChipLength min1 ≤ChipLength min2 C, Chip Length max1 ≤ChipLength max2 D. The S1 elements are a subset of the S2 elements.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, when M1>M2, it specifically satisfies any one or more of the following: A, S1 <S2;B、ChipLength min1 <ChipLength min2 C, Chip Length max1 <ChipLength max2 D. The S1 elements are a proper subset of the S2 elements.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the set of values ​​for M includes at least two of the following values: {1,2,4,6,8,16,24,32}.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 1, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0018] M = 32, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69 microseconds (µs)};

[0019] M = 24, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us};

[0020] M = 16, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us};

[0021] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us};

[0022] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us};

[0023] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us};

[0024] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us};

[0025] Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the set of values ​​for M is: {2,6,24} or {2,8,24}.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application propose a communication method applied to a second communication device.

[0028] The second communication device may be a network device, a device or apparatus with a chip, a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, control unit, circuit, or processor applicable to the aforementioned device or apparatus, or at least one of a central unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU), the specific of which is not limited in this application.

[0029] The method includes: transmitting a first signal, wherein the length of a chip in the first signal is one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length. M is a positive integer; send a first message, the first message indicating a first time length, the first time length being used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, the set of values ​​for the first time length having a corresponding relationship with the value of M; receive a second signal, the length of a chip in the second signal being the first time length.

[0030] In the above technical solution, under the premise of ensuring communication quality, the number of elements included in the value set of the first time length can be reduced by constraining the value of M, thereby reducing the number of bits of the first information indicating the first time length, and thus reducing the communication overhead between the first communication device and the second communication device.

[0031] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the range of values ​​for M includes M1 and M2;

[0032] When M is M1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S1 elements, and the minimum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. min1 The maximum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. max1 M1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1; when M is M2, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S2 elements, and the minimum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. min2 The maximum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. max2 M2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1; when M1>M2, any one or more of the following conditions must be met: A. S1<=S2; B. ChipLength min1 ≤ChipLength min2 C, Chip Length max1 ≤ChipLength max2 D. The S1 elements are a subset of the S2 elements.

[0033] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, when M1>M2, it specifically satisfies any one or more of the following: A, S1 <S2;B、ChipLength min1 <ChipLength min2 C, Chip Length max1 <ChipLength max2 D. The S1 elements are a proper subset of the S2 elements.

[0034] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the set of values ​​for M includes at least two of the following values: {1,2,4,6,8,16,24,32}.

[0035] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 1, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0036] M = 32, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69 microseconds (µs)};

[0037] M = 24, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us};

[0038] M = 16, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us};

[0039] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us};

[0040] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us};

[0041] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us};

[0042] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us};

[0043] Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the set of values ​​for M is: {2,6,24} or {2,8,24}.

[0045] Thirdly, embodiments of this application propose a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device. This communication system performs the methods described in the first and / or second aspects above, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0046] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, which is a first communication device. The device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The components of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0047] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, which is a second communication device. The communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the second aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0048] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions described in the first aspect above.

[0051] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a system-on-a-chip or chip containing a modem module, or a system-in-package chip.

[0052] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is configured to perform the method described in any possible implementation of any of the preceding first aspects.

[0053] In an eighth aspect, this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0054] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, through which the processor communicates with other devices or components.

[0055] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions described in the second aspect above.

[0056] In a ninth aspect, this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is configured to perform the method described in any possible implementation of any of the preceding second aspects.

[0057] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first and / or second aspects described above.

[0058] In its eleventh aspect, this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0059] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first and / or second aspects described above.

[0060] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0061] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through twelfth can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one and / or two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0062] Figure 1a is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 100 used in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figures 1b and 1c show another schematic diagram of a communication system architecture;

[0064] Figures 2a and 2b are schematic diagrams of one AIoT scenario;

[0065] Figures 2c to 2d are schematic diagrams of one structure of the device in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an RFID scenario;

[0067] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the time-domain waveform using SFS;

[0068] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the signal frequency domain after adopting SFS;

[0069] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the communication method in this application.

[0070] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 8 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 9 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0073] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0074] (1) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the access network device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of some parameters to the terminal device through messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration corresponds to configuration and refers to the alignment of information or parameter values ​​between the terminal and the access network device without using messages or signaling. Instead, it uses parameter information or parameter values ​​that the access network device and the terminal device have negotiated in advance. These parameters can also be parameter information or parameter values ​​used by the access network device or the terminal device as specified by standard protocols, or parameter information or parameter values ​​that are pre-stored in the access network device or the terminal device. This application does not limit this. Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0075] (2) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0076] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0077] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Furthermore, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c. Where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0078] (3) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to the terminal" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from the network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which may include receiving directly from the network device through the air interface or receiving indirectly from the network device through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0079] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0080] It is understandable that information may undergo processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can still understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0081] (4) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly instructing the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly instruct the information to be instructed by instructing other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only instruct a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement order of various information, thereby reducing instruction overhead. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to instruct the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0082] The instruction information can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, media access control (MAC) layer (or medium access control (MAC) layer) signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0083] Secondly, the communication system involved in the embodiments of this application is introduced. This application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or future communication systems. The communication system includes at least one of network equipment or terminal equipment.

[0084] Figure 1a is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 100 used in the embodiments of this application.

[0085] As shown in Figure 1a, the communication system includes a wireless access network and a core network. Optionally, the communication system 100 may also include the Internet. The wireless access network may include at least one network device (also understood as an access network device, as shown in Figure 1a 110a and 110b) and at least one terminal (also understood as the terminal devices described above, as shown in Figure 1a 120a-120j). Furthermore, the network device (or wireless network device) may be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1a 110a), a micro base station or an indoor station (as shown in Figure 1a 110b), a relay node or a donor node, etc. It is understood that all or part of the functions of the network device in this application may also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form adopted by the wireless network device.

[0086] For ease of description, the communication system illustrated in Figure 1a is described using the network device as a base station and the terminal device as a terminal as an example. It is understood that when the communication system includes an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network, the base station can be an IAB node. Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the base station and the network device can be interchanged.

[0087] In this application, the base station and the terminal can be fixed or mobile. The base station and the terminal can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted, on water, or in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal.

[0088] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1a can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal; that is, 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1a can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1a can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0089] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be achieved using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0090] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0091] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. To communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell. When the terminal communicates with this serving cell, it is also susceptible to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0092] The technical solution of this application can be applied to cellular communication systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, 4th generation (4G) communication systems, 5G communication systems, and communication systems beyond the 5th generation. For example, future communication systems. For example, 4th generation communication systems may include Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication systems. 5th generation communication systems may include New Radio (NR) communication systems. The technical solution of this application can also be applied to wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, communication systems supporting the convergence of multiple wireless technologies, device-to-device (D2D) systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) networks, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems.

[0093] The terminal equipment and network equipment involved in this application are described below.

[0094] Terminal equipment, often simply called a terminal, refers to devices or modules that connect to the aforementioned communication systems and possess corresponding communication functions. Terminals typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform these functions. They are also configured with program instructions for executing these functions. Terminal equipment is also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), fixed wireless access (FWA), customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. Terminal equipment includes wireless communication capabilities (providing voice / data connectivity to users). Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving (e.g., drones, vehicles), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in self-driving can be drones, helicopters, or airplanes. For example, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, or ships. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, or robotic arms. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes. The terminal device can also be a device or module that is connected to the communication system shown above and has corresponding communication functions. The terminal device usually contains a communication module, circuit or chip that performs the corresponding communication function, and the terminal device is also configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0095] Terminal equipment can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit in the aforementioned devices or apparatuses; specific details are not limited in this application. In this application, the term "terminal equipment" can refer to the terminal equipment itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the terminal equipment that performs the methods provided in this application; specific details are not limited in this application. Network equipment is a device deployed in a wireless access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal equipment. Network equipment can connect terminal equipment to a radio access network (RAN) node of a wireless network, and can also be called access network equipment, RAN entity, access node, or network node, etc.

[0096] Specifically, network equipment can be network equipment for cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, 4G communication systems, 5G communication systems, or future communication systems. Network equipment can also be network equipment in open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) or cloud radio access network (CRAN). Alternatively, network equipment can also be network equipment in a communication system resulting from the integration of two or more of the above communication systems.

[0097] Network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) systems, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, radio controller in CRAN scenarios, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and reception point (TRP), etc., and can also be network equipment in 5G mobile communication systems. For example, next-generation base station (gNB) in NR systems, TRP, TP; or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system; or, network equipment can also be network nodes constituting a gNB or transmission point. Examples include centralized unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), centralized unit control plane (CU-CP), centralized unit user plane (CU-UP), or radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). Alternatively, network equipment can be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, network equipment in V2X technology can be roadside units (RSUs). It should be understood that the aforementioned TRP can be a device or module located on the network side of the communication system and possessing corresponding communication functions. The TRP typically contains communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. The TRP can also be configured with program instructions for the corresponding communication functions.

[0098] Please refer to Figure 1b, which illustrates another architecture of the communication system. The Access Network Equipment (RAN) communicates with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link and with user equipment (UE) via an air interface. Specifically, the baseband unit (BBU) in the RAN communicates with the core network via a backhaul link, and the radio unit (RU) in the RAN communicates with at least one UE via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU includes at least one control unit (CU) and at least one distributed unit (DU), which can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0099] Please refer to Figure 1c, which illustrates another architecture of the communication system. In some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which may be interfaces such as E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., the RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which may be interfaces such as F1 interfaces. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide Control Plane (C-Plane) and User Plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, and in some examples, it defines the signaling procedures of F1. The F1 interface supports the control plane F1-C and the user plane F1-U.

[0100] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). This application does not limit the specific names. Any of the units CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0101] Optionally, for network elements in the ORAN system, each network element can implement the protocol layer functions shown in Table 1 below.

[0102] Table 1

[0103] The architecture of the CU and DU of a network device is described below. A network device includes at least one CU and at least one DU. Optionally, the network device may also include at least one RU.

[0104] The following example uses a network device consisting of a CU and a DU. The CU has some core network functions and can include CU-CP and CU-UP. The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU may be configured to implement the functions of at least one layer of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (e.g., at least one of the RRC or SDAP layers). The DU may be configured to implement the functions of at least one layer of the protocol layer below the PDCP layer (e.g., at least one of the RLC, MAC, or physical (PHY) layers). Alternatively, the CU may be configured to implement the functions of at least one layer of the protocol layer above the PDCP layer (e.g., at least one of the RRC or SDAP layers), and the DU may be configured to implement the functions of at least one layer of the protocol layer below the PDCP layer (e.g., at least one of the RLC, MAC, or PHY layers).

[0105] When a CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP, CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when a CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0106] The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover.

[0107] CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices.

[0108] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, Higher Physical Layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces.

[0109] In some examples, the CU may not have a PDCP layer, i.e., it only includes the RRC layer. CU-CP does not have PDCP-C. CU-UP may not have PDCP-U, or may not have CU-UP at all. In some examples, the DU may not have an RLC layer, only the MAC and Higher PHY layers. Furthermore, in some examples, it may not have a CU and may only include the DU.

[0110] In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation. In some examples, the RU is a logical node carrying both Lower Physical Layer (Lower PHY) and Radio Frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP Transmission Reception Point (TRP), Remote Radio Head (RRH), or other similar entity. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes the PHY processing, such as fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0111] The DU and RU can be co-located or separate. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through a Lower-Layer Split CUS-Plane (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU. The DU and RU can cooperate to implement PHY layer functions. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, the DU may be configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU may be configured to implement mid-RF functions. For example, DU is configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and RU is configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level functions and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer may include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer may include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0112] Optionally, the ORAN architecture also includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) module.

[0113] When terminals are used in IoT, they can be called AIoT terminals (tags) or devices, and devices communicating with AIoT terminals can be called readers. Figure 2a shows a scenario where network devices communicate directly with AIoT terminals, allowing direct data transmission. The channel used by the network device to send data to the AIoT terminal can be called PRDCH or ambient physical downlink shared channel (APDSCH). Correspondingly, the channel used by the AIoT terminal to send data to the network device can be called PDRCH or APUSCH.

[0114] Figure 2b illustrates a scenario where network devices and AIoT terminals communicate through an intermediate node. The network device can transmit data to the AIoT terminal via the intermediate node. The intermediate node can be a UE (User Equipment), and the network device and UE are connected via a Uu port. Data can be sent and received between the UE and the AIoT terminal. In this intermediate node topology, the channel transmitted from the UE to the AIoT terminal can be called the PRDCH. Correspondingly, the channel transmitted from the AIoT terminal to the UE can be called the PDRCH.

[0115] In Figure 2a above, the network device has or integrates the function of a reader / writer, and in Figure 2b, the UE has or integrates the function of a reader / writer. The AIoT terminal can be passive (e.g., device 1), semi-passive (e.g., device 2a), or active (e.g., device 2b), obtaining energy through solar, radio frequency, wind, hydro, or tidal power, etc. This application does not specifically limit the method of energy acquisition. These AIoT terminals may not be equipped with or rely on power devices such as batteries, or may only have limited energy storage capacity, supporting data sensing, transmission, and distributed computing by obtaining energy from the environment.

[0116] Regarding the types of AIoT terminals, AIoT terminals can be categorized into devices with the following different capabilities:

[0117] Type 1 devices (which may be abbreviated as device 1) have the following characteristics: they do not support uplink and downlink amplification, and uplink transmission is based on an externally provided carrier in a backscatter manner;

[0118] The second type of device (which can be abbreviated as device 2a) includes one of the following features: support for uplink or downlink amplification, with uplink transmission based on an externally provided carrier in a backscatter manner;

[0119] The third type of device (which can be abbreviated as device 2b) includes one of the following features: support for uplink or downlink amplification, with uplink transmission based on an internally generated carrier.

[0120] Optionally, the peak power consumption of the first type of device is ≤1 microwatt (uw), the peak power consumption of the second type of device is ≤several hundred uw, and the peak power consumption of the third type of UE is ≤several hundred uw.

[0121] A schematic diagram of a Type I device is shown in Figure 2c. Type I devices include one or more of the following components: Antenna: A device used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals; it is the front-end component for signal transmission and reception in wireless communication. Matching Network: By adjusting the circuit impedance, it achieves impedance matching between the antenna and the back-end circuit, reducing signal reflection and improving transmission efficiency. RF Energy Harvester: A module that harvests energy from radio frequency signals (such as electromagnetic waves) in the environment and converts it into usable electrical energy. Power Management Unit (PMU): Manages the charging and discharging process of the energy storage device, optimizes energy distribution, and ensures stable system power supply. Energy Storage: Used to store the electrical energy harvested by the RF energy harvester, providing power for subsequent device operation. Radio Frequency Band-Pass Filter (RF BPF): Allows only radio frequency signals in a specific frequency band to pass through, filtering out out-of-band noise and interference signals. Clock Generator: Generates a stable clock signal, providing a time reference for the synchronous operation of various circuit modules. RF Envelope Detector: Detects the envelope information of radio frequency signals and extracts the amplitude variation characteristics of the signal. Baseband Low-Pass Filter (BB LPF): Filters baseband signals, suppressing high-frequency noise and retaining effective low-frequency signals. Comparator: Compares the levels of input signals and outputs a logic high or low level result; commonly used for signal decision-making. Backscatter Modulator (Impedance Switching): Modulates information by switching its own impedance and utilizing the reflection of the incident radio frequency signal; it is a core component of backscatter communication. Baseband Logics: Handles the logical operations of baseband signals, including encoding, decoding, and control functions. Decoder: Parses the encoded signal and restores the original information. Controller: Coordinates and controls the workflow of various modules in the circuit, ensuring the system operates according to the set logic. Encoder: Encodes the original information according to rules, facilitating signal transmission and processing. Memory: Stores data or programs, used to temporarily store intermediate results or configuration parameters.

[0122] A schematic diagram of a third type of device is shown in Figure 2d. This third type of device includes one or more of the following components: Antenna: A device used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals; it is the front-end component for signal transmission and reception in wireless communication. Matching Network: By adjusting the circuit impedance, it achieves impedance matching between the antenna and the back-end circuit, reducing signal reflection and improving transmission efficiency. RF Energy Harvester: A module that harvests energy from radio frequency signals (such as electromagnetic waves) in the environment and converts it into usable electrical energy. Power Management Unit (PMU): Manages the charging and discharging process of the energy storage device, optimizes energy distribution, and ensures stable system power supply. Energy Storage: Used to store the electrical energy harvested by the RF energy harvester, providing power for subsequent device operation. Radio Frequency Band-Pass Filter (RF BPF): Allows only radio frequency signals in a specific frequency band to pass through, filtering out out-of-band noise and interference signals. Clock Generator: Generates a stable clock signal, providing a time reference for the synchronous operation of various circuit modules. Low Noise Amplifier (LNA): Amplifies weak RF input signals while maintaining low noise characteristics, improving signal quality. Intermediate Frequency Amplifier & Filter (IF amp & IF filter): Amplifies the intermediate frequency (IF) signal and filters out out-of-band interference, ensuring the purity and strength of the IF signal. Intermediate Frequency Envelope Detector (IF-ED): Detects the envelope of the IF signal and extracts amplitude variation information. Baseband Amplifier (BB amp): Amplifies the baseband signal to meet the signal strength requirements for subsequent processing or transmission. Comparator / N-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC): Compares signal levels and converts analog signals into N-bit digital signals for easier digital circuit processing. Power Amplifier (PA): Amplifies the power of the transmitted signal, increasing signal transmission distance and coverage. Local Oscillator (LO): Generates a local oscillation signal used for frequency conversion during mixing. Low-Pass Filter (LPF): Filters out high-frequency components and retains low-frequency signals; commonly used in signal demodulation or modulation stages.Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC): Converts digital signals into analog signals for modulation or signal reconstruction. Modulator: Modulates baseband signals onto a carrier wave, shifting the signal spectrum for wireless transmission. Mixer: Mixes the input signal with the local oscillator signal to perform frequency conversion (e.g., down-converting RF signals to intermediate frequency). Baseband Logic: Handles logical operations on baseband signals, including encoding, decoding, and control functions. Decoder: Parses the encoded signal to reconstruct the original information. Controller: Coordinates and controls the workflow of various circuit modules to ensure the system operates according to the set logic. Encoder: Encodes raw information according to rules for signal transmission and processing. Memory: Stores data or programs, used for temporary storage of intermediate results or configuration parameters.

[0123] The reader / writer involved in the embodiments of this application can be a handheld or fixed device for reading (and sometimes writing) tag information, or it can be understood as a device that communicates with the tag. It can be a terminal, a network device, or a device with read / write capabilities. It can also be an IAB node or a relay node.

[0124] Figure 3 illustrates an example RFID scenario. The RFID terminal (tag) uses a low-precision, low-power, mid-to-low frequency ring oscillator or a completely oscillator-less receiver to receive downlink signals. When the tag is operational, the communication energy and carrier wave are supplied by the reader, and communication is based on a reflected carrier wave, as shown in Figure 3: the reader sends a carrier wave to the tag, and the tag modulates and reflects the carrier wave sent by the reader for transmission. Given the low-power advantage of RFID communication technology, AIoT has emerged. To meet ultra-low power requirements, AIoT terminal devices also use low-precision, low-power, mid-to-low frequency ring oscillators or completely oscillator-less receivers to receive downlink signals. This receiving method further reduces the downlink power consumption of the terminal device. However, for this type of low-power receiving method, only amplitude detection, such as envelope detection, can be performed because a low-precision ring oscillator alone cannot guarantee accurate demodulation of signal phase information.

[0125] Existing RFID terminals are characterized by low cost, low design complexity, and poor coverage performance, thus limiting their applicability to various scenarios. In its research, AIoT has implemented enhanced coverage designs to address these issues.

[0126] In AIoT technology, reader-to-device (R2D) communication is defined as the downlink direction, and device-to-reader (D2R) communication is defined as the uplink direction. In AIoT, the uplink time unit is called a chip, and similarly, the downlink time unit can also be called a chip. The length of the uplink time unit can be called the uplink time length, uplink level length, or device-to-reader chip length (D2R chip length). The length of the downlink time unit can be called the downlink time length, downlink level length, or reader-to-device chip length (R2D chip length).

[0127] The length of one chip in the downlink signal (R2D chip length) is equal to the length of one Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. Where M is a positive integer. Specifically, Where “×” means multiplication, and “SCS” means subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0128] In AIoT scenarios, the downlink (D2R) direction supports frequency division multiple access (FDMA) for multiple devices. Multi-device FDMA requires small frequency shifting (SFS), specifically as follows: Let the bits before line code encoding be the information bit length, and the length of the information bit can be denoted as T. b Then, the length of each chip after line code encoding and SFS is denoted as D2R chip length. Where R is the FDMA multiplexing factor, also known as the time-domain repetition factor. In the frequency domain, when R > 1, compared to R = 1, the frequency domain position of the signal will shift by + / - . Hz; In the time domain, when R>1, compared to R=1, the length of each chip of the signal is shortened by a factor of R, and it repeats R times. For ease of understanding, see Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the time-domain waveform using SFS, and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the signal frequency domain after using SFS. After using SFS, the frequency domain bandwidth of the uplink signal is: With R=4, after adopting SFS, a set of chips in the uplink signal is repeated 4 times in the time domain, and the length of this set of chips in the time domain is shortened.

[0129] After the reader configures the uplink duration to the device, the device sends an uplink signal to the reader according to the configured uplink duration. In order for the reader to configure the uplink duration to the device, the reader needs to determine the uplink duration to be configured to the device from a set of values ​​including multiple uplink durations, and then indicate the uplink duration to the device through indication information.

[0130] The applicant's research found that because the set of possible uplink duration values ​​includes a large number of uplink duration values, the indication information requires a significant number of bits to fully indicate the uplink duration values ​​included in the set. Reducing the overhead of this indication information is a technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0131] To address the aforementioned problems, this application proposes a communication method applied to a first communication device. The method includes: receiving a first signal, wherein the length of a chip in the first signal is one Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length. M is a positive integer; receiving first information, the first information indicating a first time length, the first time length being used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, the set of values ​​for the first time length corresponding to the value of M; sending a second signal, where the chip length of one segment of the second signal is the first time length. Through the above method, the first time length is determined based on the value of M. While ensuring communication quality, constraining the number of elements included in the set of values ​​for the first time length based on the value of M can reduce the number of bits in the first information indicating the first time length, thereby reducing the communication overhead between the first and second communication devices.

[0132] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic flowchart of one embodiment of the communication method in this application. The communication method proposed in this application will be described below using the example of a first communication device being a terminal device, an AIoT terminal (tag), or a device, and a second communication device being a network device or a reader. The communication method proposed in this application includes:

[0133] 601. The first communication device receives a first signal, wherein the length of one chip in the first signal is one OFDM symbol length.

[0134] In step 601, the second communication device sends a first signal to the first communication device. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first signal from the second communication device. This first signal can also be referred to as a downlink signal or an R2D signal. The length of one chip in the first signal is one OFDM symbol length. M is a positive integer.

[0135] In another way of expressing this, the length of one chip in the first signal can also be called the R2D chip length. Where “×” means multiplication, and “SCS” means subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0136] In one possible implementation, the set of values ​​for M includes at least two of the following values: {1,2,4,6,8,16,24,32}.

[0137] In one example, the set of values ​​for M is: {2, 6, 24}.

[0138] In another example, the set of values ​​for M is {2, 8, 24}.

[0139] In another possible implementation, the set of values ​​for M includes at least one of the following values: {1,2,4,6,8,16,24,32}.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the first communication device determines the value of M based on the first signal.

[0141] In another possible implementation, the second communication device sends indication information (or scheduling information) to the first communication device, which indicates the value of M. The first communication device determines the value of M based on the indication information (or scheduling information).

[0142] In another possible implementation, the first communication device determines the value of M based on pre-configured information or information predefined by the protocol.

[0143] It should be noted that "M" is only a way of expressing the length of a chip in the first signal. "M" can also be replaced with other parameter names, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0144] 602. The first communication device receives first information, which indicates a first time length. The first time length is used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device. The set of values ​​for the first time length corresponds to the value of M.

[0145] In step 602, the second communication device sends first information to the first communication device, and the first communication device receives the first information accordingly.

[0146] The first time length can also be the device-to-reader chip length (D2R chip length). Correspondingly, the set of values ​​for the first time length can be the set of device-to-reader chip lengths (D2R chip length set).

[0147] Furthermore, different values ​​of M correspond to different sets of values ​​for the first time length. The following explanation uses the range of values ​​for M, including M1 and M2, as an example.

[0148] In one example, when M is M1, the set of possible values ​​for the first time length includes S1 elements, and the minimum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. min1 The maximum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. max1 M1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When M is M2, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S2 elements, and the minimum value among S2 elements is ChipLength. min2 The maximum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. max2 M2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Specifically, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S1 elements, meaning the set of values ​​for the first time length contains S1 first time lengths; the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S2 elements, meaning the set of values ​​for the first time length contains S2 first time lengths.

[0149] When M1 > M2, one or more of the following conditions must be met:

[0150] A. S1 <= S2;

[0151] B. Chip Length min1 ≤ChipLength min2 ;

[0152] C. Chip Length max1 ≤ChipLength max2 ;

[0153] D and S1 elements are subsets of S2 elements.

[0154] Building upon the above example, further, when M1 > M2, it specifically satisfies one or more of the following:

[0155] A, S1 <S2;

[0156] B. Chip Length min1 <ChipLengthmin2 ;

[0157] C. Chip Length max1 <ChipLength max2 ;

[0158] D and S1 elements are proper subsets of S2 elements.

[0159] In another example, the first time length included in S1 elements is the same as the first time length included in S2 elements;

[0160] Alternatively, the first time length included in S1 elements is the same as the first time length included in S2 elements;

[0161] Alternatively, the first time length included in S1 elements is different from the first time length included in S2 elements.

[0162] In another example, the first time length included in S1 elements is the same as the first time length included in S2 elements, and the number of intersection elements of S1 elements and S2 elements is different from the number of union elements of S1 elements and S2 elements.

[0163] Furthermore, the value of M and the set of values ​​for the first time length are also related to the repetition factor R and the D2R bandwidth of the second signal. The repetition factor of the second signal indicates the rule of chip variation in the second signal in the time domain, and the D2R bandwidth refers to the bandwidth from the device to the reader, the uplink bandwidth, or the bandwidth from the first communication device to the second communication device. Specifically, the multiplexing factor of the second signal indicates the number of times the chips in the second signal are repeated in the time domain and the multiple by which the length of the chips in the second signal varies. Below, taking the D2R bandwidth value set as {15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 180 kHz, 360 kHz, 720 kHz, 1440 kHz, 2880 kHz} as an example, we will introduce the correspondence between the value of M and the set of values ​​for the first length under different values ​​of R.

[0164] Implementation method A: If the repetition factor R of the second signal is 1, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0165] M=32, and the first time length value set includes: {0.69 microseconds / us};

[0166] M=24, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us};

[0167] M=16, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us};

[0168] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us};

[0169] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us};

[0170] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us};

[0171] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us};

[0172] Alternatively, M=1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}.

[0173] Taking M=24 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69us}, {1.39us}, or {0.69us, 1.39us}.

[0174] Using implementation method A, the overhead of indicating the first information will be reduced from 3 bits to 2 bits. Specifically, when the set of values ​​for the first time length (i.e., the D2R chip length set) is {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us, 5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}, that is, when the set of values ​​for the first time length (D2R chip length set) includes a total of 8 elements, the first information requires 3 bits to completely indicate the 8 elements in the set of values ​​for the first time length (D2R chip length set). For example, the first information "000" indicates a first time length of 0.69us, the first information "001" indicates a first time length of 1.39us, the first information "010" indicates a first time length of 2.78us, the first information "100" indicates a first time length of 5.56us, the first information "011" indicates a first time length of 11.11us, the first information "101" indicates a first time length of 33.33us, the first information "110" indicates a first time length of 66.67us, and the first information "111" indicates a first time length of 133.33us. In this scheme, the number of elements in the first time length value set (D2R chip length set) is reduced. For example, if the first time length value set (D2R chip length set) is {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}, then the first information can completely indicate all elements in the first time length value set (D2R chip length set) using only 2 bits. For example, the first information "00" indicates a first time length of 11.11us, the first information "10" indicates a first time length of 33.33us, the first information "01" indicates a first time length of 66.67us, and the first information "11" indicates a first time length of 133.33us.

[0175] Implementation method B, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 4, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0176] M=16, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.39us, 2.78us};

[0177] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us, 8.33us};

[0178] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.39us, 2.78us, 8.33us};

[0179] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 8.33us, 16.67us, 33.33us};

[0180] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 8.33us, 16.67us, 33.33us};

[0181] Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 8.33us, 16.67us, 33.33us}.

[0182] Taking M=16 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {1.39us}, {2.78us}, or {1.39us, 2.78us}.

[0183] The repetition factor (R) of the uplink signal is related to the bandwidth of the uplink signal. A larger R value corresponds to a smaller uplink bandwidth. Coverage distance is correlated with signal bandwidth; specifically, in the uplink direction, a smaller signal bandwidth corresponds to a larger coverage distance, and vice versa. Therefore, as the R value of the uplink signal increases, the uplink bandwidth decreases, and the uplink coverage distance increases. To match the uplink coverage distance, the downlink coverage distance also needs to increase. This increased downlink coverage distance, in turn, reduces the M value of the downlink signal.

[0184] For example, when R=4, compared to R=1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal decreases, the coverage distance in the uplink direction increases, and the M value of the downlink signal decreases. The range of M values ​​does not include M=32 and M=24.

[0185] In implementation method C, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 8, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0186] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 4.17us};

[0187] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 4.17us};

[0188] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.39us, 4.17us, 8.33us, 16.67us};

[0189] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.39us, 4.17us, 8.33us, 16.67us};

[0190] Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.39us, 4.17us, 8.33us, 16.67us}.

[0191] Taking M=8 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69us}, {1.39us}, {4.17us}, {0.69us,1.39us}, {0.69us,4.17us}, or {1.39us,4.17us}.

[0192] For example, when R=8, compared to R=1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal is smaller, the coverage distance in the uplink direction is increased, and the M value of the downlink signal is reduced. The range of M values ​​does not include M=32, M=24 and M=16.

[0193] In implementation method D, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 16, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0194] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 2.08us};

[0195] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 2.08us};

[0196] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 2.08us, 4.17us, 8.33us};

[0197] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 2.08us, 4.17us, 8.33us};

[0198] Alternatively, M=1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 2.08us, 4.17us, 8.33us}.

[0199] Taking M=8 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {1.69us}, {2.08us}, or {1.69us, 2.08us}.

[0200] For example, when R=16, compared to R=1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal decreases, the coverage distance in the uplink direction increases, and the value of M in the downlink direction decreases. The range of values ​​for M does not include M=32, M=24, and M=16. In implementation E, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 32, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0201] M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us};

[0202] M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us};

[0203] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us, 2.08us, 4.17us};

[0204] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us, 2.08us, 4.17us};

[0205] Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us, 2.08us, 4.17us}.

[0206] Taking M=4 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {1.04us}, {2.08us}, {4.17us}, {1.04us, 2.08us}, {1.04us, 4.17us} or {2.08us, 4.17us}.

[0207] For example, when R=32, compared to R=1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal decreases, the coverage distance in the uplink direction increases, and the value of M in the downlink direction decreases. The range of values ​​for M does not include M=32, M=24, and M=16. In implementation F, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 64, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0208] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us, 2.08us};

[0209] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us, 2.08us};

[0210] Alternatively, M = 1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us, 2.08us}.

[0211] Taking M=4 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {1.04us}, {2.08us}, or {1.04us, 2.08us}.

[0212] For example, when R=64, compared to R=1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal decreases, the coverage distance in the uplink direction increases, and the value of M in the downlink direction decreases. The range of values ​​for M does not include M=32, M=24, M=16, M=8, and M=6. In implementation G, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 96, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0213] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us};

[0214] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us};

[0215] Alternatively, M = 1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us}.

[0216] Taking M=4 as an example, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69us}, {1.39us}, or {0.69us, 1.39us}.

[0217] For example, when R = 96, compared to R = 1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal decreases, the coverage distance in the uplink direction increases, and the value of M in the downlink direction decreases. The range of values ​​for M does not include M = 32, M = 24, M = 16, M = 8, and M = 6. In implementation H, if the repetition factor R of the second signal is 128, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships:

[0218] M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us};

[0219] M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us};

[0220] Alternatively, M = 1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {1.04us}.

[0221] For example, when R = 128, compared to R = 1, the bandwidth of the uplink signal decreases, the coverage distance in the uplink direction increases, and the value of M in the downlink direction decreases. The range of values ​​for M does not include M = 32, M = 24, M = 16, M = 8, and M = 6. It is understood that, similar to how the first communication device determines the value of M, the first communication device can also determine the value of R in various ways. For example, the first communication device determines the value of R based on the instruction information (or scheduling information) of the second communication device; or, for example, the first communication device determines the value of R based on pre-configured information or protocol-predefined information. This application embodiment does not limit this approach.

[0222] It is understood that, similar to how the first communication device determines the value of M, the first communication device can also determine the D2R bandwidth in various ways. For example, the first communication device may determine the D2R bandwidth based on the instruction information (or scheduling information) of the second communication device; or, for example, the first communication device may determine the D2R bandwidth based on pre-configured information or information predefined by the protocol; or, for example, the first communication device may determine the D2R bandwidth based on its own hardware performance. This application embodiment does not impose any limitations on these methods.

[0223] Optionally, the first time length (i.e., D2R chip length) in the embodiments of this application satisfies any one or more of the following:

[0224] 1. The D2R chip length is a multiple of the R2D chip length, or the D2R chip length is a factor of the R2D chip length.

[0225] 2. The smallest D2R chip length in one or more D2R chip length sets needs to be consistent with... A microsecond (µs) is equivalent to a minimum D2R chip length containing at least two sampling points. A D2R chip length set includes one or more D2R chip lengths.

[0226] 3. The largest D2R chip length in one or more D2R chip length sets must be no less than 133.33us.

[0227] 603. The first communication device sends a second signal, wherein the length of a chip in the second signal is the first time length. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second signal.

[0228] In step 603, the first communication device determines a first time length based on the first signal, the first information, the value of R, and the D2R bandwidth. Then, the first communication device sends a second signal based on the first time length, wherein the length of one chip in the second signal is the first time length.

[0229] In this embodiment, the direction from the first communication device to the second communication device is referred to as the uplink direction, and the direction from the second communication device to the first communication device is referred to as the downlink direction. The uplink and downlink coverage performance of the first communication device depends on the coverage performance of the direction with the weaker coverage performance, either the uplink or downlink direction. For example, when the uplink coverage performance is good but the downlink coverage performance is poor, the uplink and downlink coverage performance depends on the downlink coverage performance. Similarly, when the downlink coverage performance is good but the uplink coverage performance is poor, the uplink and downlink coverage performance depends on the uplink coverage performance. Therefore, the uplink and downlink coverage performances need to be comparable. The larger the value of M, the worse the demodulation performance in the downlink direction, and correspondingly, the worse the downlink coverage performance. With a large value of M, even if the uplink coverage performance is very good, the uplink and downlink coverage performance is still limited by the downlink coverage performance. The smaller the value of M, the better the demodulation performance in the downlink direction, and correspondingly, the better the downlink coverage performance. When the value of M is smaller, even if the downlink coverage performance is excellent, the uplink and downlink coverage performance is still limited by the uplink coverage performance. Therefore, the applicant discovered that different values ​​of M can be associated with D2R chip length sets containing different elements. A D2R chip length set does not need to include too many D2R chip lengths, balancing uplink and downlink coverage performance with the overhead of indicating the first information. While ensuring communication quality, by constraining the number of elements in the set of values ​​for the first time length according to the value of M, the number of bits indicating the first information for that first time length can be reduced, thereby reducing the communication overhead between the first communication device and the second communication device.

[0230] Next, the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application will be described. This communication device can be used in at least one of the first communication device or the second communication device in the foregoing embodiments.

[0231] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 7, the communication device 700 includes a transceiver module 701 and a processing module 702.

[0232] The communication device 700 includes a first communication device or components (e.g., a chip or chip system), modules, or units within the first communication device. Alternatively, the communication device 700 includes a second communication device or components (e.g., a chip or chip system), modules, or units within the second communication device.

[0233] The communication device 700 can be used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG6, as detailed in the relevant description in the embodiment shown in FIG6 above.

[0234] The communication device 700 can be used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG6, as can be seen in the relevant description in the embodiment shown in FIG6 above.

[0235] The processing module 702 is used for data processing. The transceiver module 701 is used to implement the corresponding communication functions.

[0236] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0237] Optionally, the communication device 700 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the communication device 700 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme performed by the communication device 700 includes both transmitting and receiving actions.

[0238] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a storage module, which can be used to store at least one of the instructions or data. The processing module 702 can read at least one of the instructions or data in the storage module so that the communication device 700 can implement the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0239] The communication device 700 can be used to perform the actions performed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. The processing module 702 is used to perform processing-related operations by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. The transceiver module 701 is used to perform receiving or transmitting-related operations by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

[0240] The communication device 700 can be used to perform the actions performed by the second communication device side in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. The processing module 702 is used to perform processing-related operations on the second communication device side in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. The transceiver module 701 is used to perform receiving or transmitting-related operations on the second communication device side in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

[0241] For example, the communication device 700 is used to execute the following scheme.

[0242] In one example, when the communication device 700 is applied to a first communication device, the communication device 700 includes:

[0243] Transceiver module 701 is used to receive a first signal, wherein the length of a chip in the first signal is one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length. M is a positive integer;

[0244] The transceiver module 701 is used to receive first information, the first information indicating a first time length, the first time length being used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, and the set of values ​​for the first time length having a corresponding relationship with the value of M.

[0245] Transceiver module 701 is used to transmit a second signal, wherein the chip length of the second signal is the first time length;

[0246] In another example, when the communication device 700 is applied to a second communication device, the communication device 700 includes:

[0247] The transceiver module 701 is used to send first information, which is associated with a reference signal resource set. The reference signal resource set includes one or more reference signal resources. The first information is used to determine a target resource in the reference signal resource set. The target resource satisfies at least one of the following characteristics: the target resource is used to map a data channel; the target resource does not participate in the counting of reference signal resources; or the target resource is not counted as an active reference signal resource. The reference signal resource set includes a first resource and / or a second resource. The first resource is used to characterize the reference signal resource corresponding to the output result of the first task, and the second resource is used to characterize the reference signal resource corresponding to the input result of the first task.

[0248] The implementation methods and descriptions of the first information, the reference signal resource set, and the target resource can be found in the corresponding content of the embodiment in Figure 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0249] For other implementation methods, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0250] It should be understood that the specific procedures for each module to perform the above-mentioned corresponding processes have been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0251] The processing module 702 in the above embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuitry. The transceiver module 701 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuitry. The transceiver module 701 can also be referred to as a communication module or communication interface. The storage module can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0252] In one example, the transceiver module 701 is used to perform the aforementioned steps 601 to 603.

[0253] This application also provides another communication device. FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to FIG8, the communication device 800 includes a processor 801.

[0254] Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a memory 802.

[0255] Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a transceiver 803.

[0256] In one possible implementation, the processor 801, memory 802, and transceiver 803 are connected via a bus, and the memory 802 stores computer instructions.

[0257] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 800 includes a second communication device, or a CU or DU included in the second communication device, or a component (e.g., a chip or chip system), module, or unit within the second communication device, the communication device 800 can be used to perform the steps performed by the second communication device in the above method embodiments, as can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0258] Optionally, the processing module 702 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be the processor 801, and the transceiver module 701 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be the transceiver 803. Alternatively, the processing module 702 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be the processor 801, and the transceiver module 701 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be the transceiver 803.

[0259] The aforementioned memory 802 can be built into the communication device 800 or externally placed in the communication device 800. This application embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0260] This application also provides a communication device. Figure 9 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 9, the communication device 900 can be the first communication device in the above method embodiments, or it can be a component (e.g., a chip or chip system), module, or unit of the first communication device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 900 can be used to perform the steps performed by the first communication device in the above method embodiments, and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0261] Processors are mainly used to process data or signals, control communication devices, execute corresponding software programs, and process the data of software programs.

[0262] The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency (RF) circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and RF signals, as well as the processing of RF signals.

[0263] Antennas are primarily used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves.

[0264] Optionally, the communication device 900 may also include input / output devices, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., primarily used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0265] When data needs to be transmitted, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then processes the baseband signal and transmits it outward as electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor then converts the baseband signal back into data and processes it.

[0266] For ease of explanation, Figure 9 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual communication devices, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. Memory may also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory may be set up independently of the processor or integrated with the processor; this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0267] In this embodiment, the antenna and radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit of the communication device, and the processor with processing functions can be regarded as the processing unit of the communication device. As shown in FIG9, the communication device 900 includes a transceiver unit 910 and a processing unit 920. The transceiver unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver machine, transceiver device, etc. The processing unit can also be called a processor, processing board, processing module, processing device, etc.

[0268] Optionally, the devices in transceiver unit 910 used for receiving functions can be considered as receiving units, and the devices in transceiver unit 910 used for transmitting functions can be considered as transmitting units. That is, transceiver unit 910 includes both receiving and transmitting units. A transceiver unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc. A receiving unit can also be called a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit, etc. A transmitting unit can also be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0269] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 910 is used to perform the transmission and reception operations of at least one of the devices in the first communication device in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 920 is used to perform other operations on at least one of the devices in the first communication device in the above method embodiment besides the transmission and reception operations.

[0270] When the communication device is a chip or chip system, the chip or chip system includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit, or logic circuit integrated on the chip or chip system. In the above method embodiments, the sending operation corresponds to the output of the input / output circuit, and the receiving operation corresponds to the input of the input / output circuit.

[0271] This application also provides another communication system, which includes a second communication device and a first communication device. The second communication device is used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG6, and the first communication device is used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG6.

[0272] This application also provides a computer program product including computer instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of the embodiment shown in FIG6 above.

[0273] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of the embodiment shown in FIG6 above.

[0274] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory to cause the processor to execute the method of the embodiment shown in FIG6 above.

[0275] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0276] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory in which computer programs or computer instructions are stored.

[0277] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program that controls the method of the embodiment shown in Figure 6. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0278] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0279] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0280] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0281] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part of the technical solution that makes an essential contribution, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a communication device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0282] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first communication device, and the method includes: Receive a first signal, wherein the length of a chip in the first signal is one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length. M is a positive integer; Receive first information, the first information indicating a first time length, the first time length being used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, and the set of values ​​for the first time length having a corresponding relationship with the value of M; A second signal is transmitted, wherein the chip length of the second signal is the first time length.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The range of values ​​for M includes M1 and M2; When M is M1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S1 elements, and the minimum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. min1 The maximum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. max1 M1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When M is M2, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S2 elements, and the minimum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. min2 The maximum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. max2 M2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When M1 > M2, one or more of the following conditions must be met: A. S1 <= S2; B、Chip Length min1 ≤ChipLength min2 ; C、Chip Length max1 ≤ChipLength max2 ; D. The S1 elements are a subset of the S2 elements.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When M1 > M2, it specifically satisfies one or more of the following: A, S1 <S2; B、Chip Length min1 <ChipLength min2 ; C、Chip Length max1 <ChipLength max2 ; D. The S1 elements are a proper subset of the S2 elements.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The set of values ​​for M includes at least two of the following values: {1,2,4,6,8,16,24,32}.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, If the repetition factor R of the second signal is 1, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships: M = 32, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69 microseconds (µs)}; M = 24, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us}; M = 16, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us}; M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us}; M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us}; M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}; M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}; Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The set of values ​​for M is: {2,6,24} or {2,8,24}.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a second communication device, and the method includes: The first signal is transmitted, wherein the length of a chip in the first signal is one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length. M is a positive integer; Send a first message, the first message indicating a first time length, the first time length being used for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, and the set of values ​​for the first time length having a corresponding relationship with the value of M; Receive a second signal, wherein the chip length of the second signal is the first time length.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The range of values ​​for M includes M1 and M2; When M is M1, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S1 elements, and the minimum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. min1 The maximum value among the S1 elements is ChipLength. max1 M1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When M is M2, the set of values ​​for the first time length includes S2 elements, and the minimum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. min2 The maximum value among the S2 elements is ChipLength. max2 M2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S2 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When M1 > M2, one or more of the following conditions must be met: A. S1 <= S2; B、Chip Length min1 ≤ChipLength min2 ; C、Chip Length max1 ≤ChipLength max2 ; D. The S1 elements are a subset of the S2 elements.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, When M1 > M2, it specifically satisfies one or more of the following: A, S1 <S2; B、Chip Length min1 <ChipLength min2 ; C、Chip Length max1 <ChipLength max2 ; D. The S1 elements are a proper subset of the S2 elements.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The set of values ​​for M includes at least two of the following values: {1,2,4,6,8,16,24,32}.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7-10, characterized in that, If the repetition factor R of the second signal is 1, the correspondence between M and the set of values ​​for the first time length satisfies at least one of the following relationships: M = 32, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes: {0.69 microseconds (µs)}; M = 24, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us}; M = 16, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {0.69us, 1.39us, 2.78us}; M=8, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {2.78us, 5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us}; M=6, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {5.56us, 11.11us, 33.33us}; M=4, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}; M=2, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {16.67us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}; Alternatively, M = 1, and the set of values ​​for the first time length includes a subset of the following set: {11.11us, 33.33us, 66.67us, 133.33us}.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The set of values ​​for M is: {2,6,24} or {2,8,24}.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, which implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12 via logic circuitry or executable code instructions.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12 to be implemented.

16. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12 to be implemented.

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