Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications. Provided are a communication method and a communication apparatus, which can be applied to an NTN, e.g., a satellite communication system. The method comprises: receiving a random access response or a contention resolution message, wherein the random access response or the contention resolution message comprises a first timing-advance adjustment amount for compensating for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay is a transmission delay between a network device and a terminal device, and the second transmission delay is a transmission delay between a reference point and the network device; and sending uplink information, wherein a timing advance for sending the uplink information is determined on the basis of the first timing-advance adjustment amount. In the embodiments of the present application, a reference point is introduced to enable a terminal device and a network device to respectively compensate for respective transmission delays to the reference point, such that it is only necessary to issue to the terminal device an adjustment amount corresponding to the portion compensated by the terminal device; alternatively, a plurality of terminal devices are enabled to acquire a TA adjustment amount by means of a single issuance. Therefore, a reduction in indication overheads is facilitated.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510368379.X, filed on March 25, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In the current mechanism, if the uplink signal from the terminal device fails to align within the cyclic prefix range on the network side, demodulation will fail. The timing advance (TA) mechanism addresses this issue by adjusting the timing of the uplink signal transmission from the terminal device to ensure that the uplink signal arrives synchronously on the network side.

[0004] Generally, the transmission latency caused by the distance between the terminal device and the network device is the main factor affecting the transmission latency (TA). Therefore, for terminal devices that cannot compensate for TA based on their distance from the network device, how to achieve uplink synchronization to correctly receive and demodulate uplink data is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and communication device that can reduce signaling overhead while ensuring uplink synchronization.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal or a component within the terminal (e.g., a module, communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a communication device. In this method: receiving a random access response or contention resolution message, the random access response or contention resolution message including a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount being used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay being the transmission delay between a network device and a terminal device, and the second transmission delay being the transmission delay between a reference point and the network device; sending uplink information, wherein the timing advance amount for sending the uplink information is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount.

[0007] For example, this communication method can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) scenarios, terrestrial networks (TN) scenarios, and other communication scenarios, such as existing communication systems and future communication systems.

[0008] Alternatively, the first TA adjustment amount can be determined based on the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay.

[0009] For example, the reference point can be located between the terminal device and the network device, as shown in Figure 7A below. Alternatively, the reference point can be located on the ground, such as within the coverage area of ​​the network device, as shown in Figure 7B. For example, the reference point can be the cell center point or the center point of the beam coverage area. Then, the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the cell center point or the center point of the beam coverage area and the network device.

[0010] In this embodiment, by introducing the concept of a reference point, the first transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device can be divided into: a second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device, and the remaining portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. This allows for saving indication overhead while ensuring uplink synchronization. By issuing a first TA adjustment amount, the terminal device can compensate for the difference between the first and second transmission delays, while the network device pre-compensates for the second transmission delay. This compensates for the first transmission delay, ensuring uplink synchronization, and only requires issuing the first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device, thus saving indication overhead. Alternatively, by issuing a first TA adjustment amount and a second TA adjustment amount for compensating the second transmission delay, the terminal device can compensate for the first transmission delay, thereby facilitating uplink synchronization.

[0011] For example, when sending uplink information, the terminal device compensates for the first TA adjustment, and the second transmission delay can be pre-compensated by the network device. In this way, only the first TA adjustment needs to be sent to the terminal device, which helps to save indication overhead compared to sending the sum of the first and second TA adjustments.

[0012] For example, when sending uplink information, the terminal device compensates for a first TA adjustment and a second TA adjustment, with the second TA adjustment used to compensate for a second transmission delay. The second TA adjustment can be carried in a broadcast message or in a random access response from multiple terminal devices. In this way, only one second TA adjustment needs to be sent, enabling multiple terminal devices to obtain it. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment to each terminal device individually, this scheme helps reduce indication overhead.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second transmission delay is used to determine the time when the network device receives the uplink information.

[0014] For example, the time window for a network device to receive uplink information can be postponed by a second transmission delay based on the original time window. The original time window mentioned here can be the time window for the network device to receive uplink information determined according to methods in related technologies. By adjusting the time window for receiving uplink information, the network device can compensate for the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device.

[0015] In this scheme, the network device can pre-compensate for the second transmission delay, and the terminal device only needs to compensate for the portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. That is, it only needs to indicate the first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device. Indicating the first TA adjustment amount to the first terminal device helps reduce indication overhead compared to indicating the adjustment amount used to compensate for the first transmission delay.

[0016] In some embodiments, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c ;or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0017] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a system information block (SIB), the SIB being used to broadcast system information to the coverage area of ​​a first beam; wherein: the SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment or indication information of the second timing advance adjustment, the second timing advance adjustment being used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and the timing advance is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment and the second timing advance adjustment.

[0018] In other words, all terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam can obtain the second TA adjustment amount by receiving the SIB. Or, the second TA adjustment amount is used to determine the timing advance of the terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam.

[0019] In other words, the second TA adjustment amount is the same for terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam. Or, the second TA adjustment amount is configured at the beam level. For example, the reference point is the same for terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam, or the reference point is configured at the beam level.

[0020] When the second TA adjustment quantity carries a broadcast message within a certain area, multiple terminal devices within that area can obtain the second TA adjustment quantity by sending it once. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment quantity to each terminal device individually, this scheme helps to further reduce indication overhead.

[0021] In some embodiments, the random access response further includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay, and the timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0022] Since a random access response can respond to multiple terminal devices at once, including a second TA adjustment in the random access response allows the second TA adjustment to be indicated to multiple access terminal devices. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment to each terminal device individually, this approach helps reduce indication overhead. Sending the second TA adjustment enables terminal devices to compensate for the second transmission delay, thereby facilitating uplink synchronization.

[0023] In addition, by sending a second TA adjustment quantity to the terminal device, the terminal device can be enabled to compensate for the second transmission delay. When the network device receives uplink information, there is no need to adjust the receiving strategy, which helps to reduce the processing complexity on the network side.

[0024] In some embodiments, the indication information for the second timing advance adjustment amount is one of the following: the absolute position information of the reference point; the relative position information of the reference point; or a parameter in a first formula, wherein the first formula is used to determine the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0025] Correspondingly, the terminal device can determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount. The second TA adjustment amount is used to compensate for the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device, and the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device is usually large. Directly issuing the TA adjustment amount may require a large resource budget. Especially for scenarios with a large coverage area, such as NTN scenarios, the resource budget required for directly issuing the second TA adjustment amount may be even greater. The embodiments of this application enable the terminal device to determine the second TA adjustment amount by issuing the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount, thereby helping to reduce the indication overhead.

[0026] In addition, the terminal device can calculate the second TA adjustment amount based on the location information of the reference point and the location information of the network device. Since the terminal device can obtain the location information of the network device at different times through ephemeris information, the network side does not need to update the second TA adjustment amount if the location of the reference point does not change, thus helping to avoid the resource overhead caused by updating the second TA adjustment amount.

[0027] For example, the input parameters of the first formula can be location-related information or time-related information of the network device. Since the terminal device can obtain the location information of the network device at different times through ephemeris information, etc., using the parameters of the first formula to indicate the second TA adjustment amount helps to avoid the resource overhead caused by updating the second TA adjustment amount.

[0028] In some embodiments, the first timing advance adjustment amount is indicated by a timing advance command field, wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0029] For example, for a system with a fixed subcarrier spacing, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on the value of the TA command (TAC) field; for a system with a variable subcarrier spacing, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on both the TAC field value and the subcarrier spacing. This is because the symbol length is related to the subcarrier spacing, and the robustness to TA errors varies with different symbol lengths. Therefore, the first TA adjustment can be related to the subcarrier spacing to improve TA accuracy.

[0030] In some embodiments, the value of the advance timing command field is T. A Wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s Or the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

[0031] By reusing the relevant configuration of the TAC field in the random access response from related technologies, it is helpful to reduce the complexity of implementation and the degree of modification to the protocol.

[0032] In some embodiments, the TAC field can be extended to indicate a first TA adjustment amount, improving system flexibility. For example, the first TA adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of 0–1 ms. The second time granularity can be, for example, 0.5 ms, 0.8 ms, or 0.9 ms, etc.

[0033] In some embodiments, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is less than or equal to the maximum time period that the first timing advance adjustment amount can support.

[0034] In this way, combining the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment can avoid uncompensable time intervals (or gaps), thus preventing accuracy loss caused by these gaps. It should be understood that this scheme is applicable when the first TA adjustment does not include negative values.

[0035] In some embodiments, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is 1ms, and the time range that the first timing advance adjustment amount supports adjustment is -0.5ms to 0.5ms or 0 to 1ms.

[0036] The second time granularity can be 1ms, and the first TA adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of -0.5ms to 0.5ms. This scheme can reduce the indication overhead of the second TA adjustment amount while reusing the TAC field to indicate the first TA adjustment amount, reducing the degree of modification to related technologies and helping to reduce the complexity of implementation.

[0037] For example, the TAC field can be extended to indicate the first TA adjustment amount, improving system flexibility. For instance, the time range supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount can be extended to 0–1 ms.

[0038] In some embodiments, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c +N TA,2 *T2; or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,2 T2 is the second timing advance adjustment amount, T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and N is the second timing advance adjustment amount. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, Tc This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0039] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as network devices or components within network devices (e.g., modules, communication modules, circuits or chips responsible for communication functions (e.g., modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or SoC chips or SIP chips containing modem cores)). It can also be a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the communication device functions. In this method: sending a random access response or contention resolution message, the random access response or contention resolution message including a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount being used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay being the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay being the transmission delay between a reference point and the network device; and receiving uplink information.

[0040] For example, this communication method can be applied to NTN scenarios. In other words, the network device can be a non-terrestrial network device. Part or all of the network device can be deployed on satellites, flight platforms, hot air balloons, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, meaning that satellites, flight platforms, hot air balloons, aircraft, and UAV systems can implement some or all of the functions of the network device. This communication method can also be applied to terrestrial networks (TN) scenarios, as well as other communication scenarios, such as existing and future communication systems.

[0041] Alternatively, the first TA adjustment amount can be determined based on the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay.

[0042] For example, the reference point can be located between the terminal device and the network device, as shown in Figure 7A below. Alternatively, the reference point can be located on the ground, such as within the coverage area of ​​the network device, as shown in Figure 7B. For example, the reference point can be the cell center point or the center point of the beam coverage area. Then, the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the cell center point or the center point of the beam coverage area and the network device.

[0043] In this embodiment, by introducing the concept of a reference point, the first transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device can be divided into: a second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device, and the remaining portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. This provides a basis for saving indication overhead while ensuring uplink synchronization. By issuing a first TA adjustment amount, the terminal device can compensate for the difference between the first and second transmission delays, while the network device pre-compensates for the second transmission delay. This compensates for the first transmission delay, ensuring uplink synchronization, and only requires issuing the first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device, thus saving indication overhead. Alternatively, by issuing a first TA adjustment amount and a second TA adjustment amount for compensating the second transmission delay, the terminal device can compensate for the first transmission delay, thus facilitating uplink synchronization. Furthermore, sending the second TA adjustment amount via broadcast messages or messages that can respond to multiple terminal devices simultaneously helps reduce indication overhead.

[0044] For example, when sending uplink information, the terminal device compensates for the first TA adjustment, and the second transmission delay can be pre-compensated by the network device. In this way, only the first TA adjustment needs to be sent to the terminal device, which helps to save indication overhead compared to sending the sum of the first and second TA adjustments.

[0045] For example, when sending uplink information, the terminal device compensates for a first TA adjustment and a second TA adjustment, with the second TA adjustment used to compensate for a second transmission delay. The second TA adjustment can be carried in a broadcast message or in a random access response from multiple terminal devices. In this way, only one second TA adjustment needs to be sent, enabling multiple terminal devices to obtain it. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment to each terminal device individually, this scheme helps reduce indication overhead.

[0046] In some embodiments, the second transmission delay is used to determine the time when the network device receives the uplink information.

[0047] For example, the time window for a network device to receive uplink information can be postponed by a second transmission delay based on the original time window. The original time window mentioned here can be the time window for the network device to receive uplink information determined according to methods in related technologies. By adjusting the time window for receiving uplink information, the network device can compensate for the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device.

[0048] In this scheme, the network device can pre-compensate for the second transmission delay, and the terminal device only needs to compensate for the portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. That is, it only needs to indicate the first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device. Indicating the first TA adjustment amount to the first terminal device helps reduce indication overhead compared to indicating the adjustment amount used to compensate for the first transmission delay.

[0049] In some embodiments, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c ;or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0050] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a system message block (SIB) for broadcasting system information to the coverage area of ​​a first beam; wherein the SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment or indication information of the second timing advance adjustment, the second timing advance adjustment being used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and the timing advance adjustment is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment and the second timing advance adjustment.

[0051] In other words, all terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam can obtain the second TA adjustment amount by receiving the SIB. Or, the second TA adjustment amount is used to determine the timing advance of the terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam.

[0052] In other words, the second TA adjustment amount is the same for terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam. Or, the second TA adjustment amount is configured at the beam level. For example, the reference point is the same for terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam, or the reference point is configured at the beam level.

[0053] When the second TA adjustment quantity carries a broadcast message within a certain area, multiple terminal devices within that area can obtain the second TA adjustment quantity by sending it once. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment quantity to each terminal device individually, this scheme helps to further reduce indication overhead.

[0054] In some embodiments, the random access response further includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay, and the timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0055] Since a random access response can respond to multiple terminal devices at once, including a second TA adjustment in the random access response allows the second TA adjustment to be indicated to multiple access terminal devices. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment to each terminal device individually, this approach helps reduce indication overhead. Furthermore, sending the second TA adjustment enables terminal devices to compensate for the second transmission delay, thereby facilitating uplink synchronization.

[0056] In some embodiments, the indication information for the second timing advance adjustment amount is one of the following: the absolute position information of the reference point; the relative position information of the reference point; or a parameter in a first formula, wherein the first formula is used to determine the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0057] Correspondingly, the terminal device can determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount. The second TA adjustment amount is used to compensate for the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device, and the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device is usually large. Directly issuing the TA adjustment amount may require a large resource budget. Especially for scenarios with a large coverage area, such as NTN scenarios, the resource budget required for directly issuing the second TA adjustment amount may be even greater. The embodiments of this application enable the terminal device to determine the second TA adjustment amount by issuing the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount, thereby helping to reduce the indication overhead.

[0058] In addition, the terminal device can calculate the second TA adjustment amount based on the location information of the reference point and the location information of the network device. Since the terminal device can obtain the location information of the network device at different times through ephemeris information, the network side does not need to update the second TA adjustment amount if the location of the reference point does not change, thus helping to avoid the resource overhead caused by updating the second TA adjustment amount.

[0059] For example, the input parameters of the first formula can be location-related information or time-related information of the network device. Since the terminal device can obtain the location information of the network device at different times through ephemeris information, etc., using the parameters of the first formula to indicate the second TA adjustment amount helps to avoid the resource overhead caused by updating the second TA adjustment amount.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first timing advance adjustment amount is indicated by a timing advance command field, wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0061] For example, for a system with a fixed subcarrier spacing, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on the value of the TAC field; for a system with a variable subcarrier spacing, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on both the TAC field value and the subcarrier spacing. This is because the symbol length is related to the subcarrier spacing, and the robustness to TA errors varies with different symbol lengths. Therefore, the first TA adjustment can be related to the subcarrier spacing to improve TA accuracy.

[0062] In some embodiments, the value of the advance timing command field is T. A Wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s Or the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

[0063] By reusing the relevant configuration of the TAC field in the random access response from related technologies, it is helpful to reduce the complexity of implementation and the degree of modification to the protocol.

[0064] In some embodiments, the TAC field can be extended to indicate a first TA adjustment amount, improving system flexibility. For example, the first TA adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of 0–1 ms. The second time granularity can be, for example, 0.5 ms, 0.8 ms, or 0.9 ms, etc.

[0065] In some embodiments, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is less than or equal to the maximum time period that the first timing advance adjustment amount can support.

[0066] In this way, combining the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment can avoid uncompensable time intervals (or gaps), thus preventing accuracy loss caused by these gaps. It should be understood that this scheme is applicable when the first TA adjustment does not include negative values.

[0067] In some embodiments, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is 1ms, and the time range that the first timing advance adjustment amount supports adjustment is -0.5ms to 0.5ms or 0 to 1ms.

[0068] The second time granularity can be 1ms, and the first TA adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of -0.5ms to 0.5ms. This scheme can reduce the indication overhead of the second TA adjustment amount while reusing the TAC field to indicate the first TA adjustment amount, reducing the degree of modification to related technologies and helping to reduce the complexity of implementation.

[0069] For example, the TAC field can be extended to indicate the first TA adjustment amount, improving system flexibility. For instance, the time range supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount can be extended to 0–1 ms.

[0070] In some embodiments, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c +N TA,2 *T2; or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,2 T2 is the second timing advance adjustment amount, T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and N is the second timing advance adjustment amount. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0071] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes: a unit for performing each step in any possible implementation of the first aspect above.

[0072] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes: a unit for performing each step in any possible implementation of the second aspect above.

[0073] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing computer programs 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory for storing part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions involved in the first aspect above.

[0076] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, or a component in the terminal, such as a module, a communication module, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem chip module), or a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device.

[0077] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing computer programs 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory for storing part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions involved in the second aspect above.

[0080] The aforementioned communication device may be a network device, or a component in a network device, such as a module, a communication module, or a chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem chip module). It may also be a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device.

[0081] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in the first aspect above, or performs the method described in the second aspect above.

[0082] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed, performs the method of the first aspect above, or performs the method of the second aspect above.

[0083] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip including: a processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, causing a communication device on which the chip is installed to perform the method of the first aspect above, or to perform the method of the second aspect above.

[0084] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes the communication devices described in the third or fourth aspect above, and / or the communication devices described in the fifth or sixth aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0085] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application;

[0086] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of the NTN architecture including transparent transmission mode satellites;

[0087] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture that includes regenerable mode satellites;

[0088] Figure 2C is a schematic diagram of another NTN architecture that includes regenerable mode satellites;

[0089] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of satellite coverage;

[0090] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the transmission latency between terminal devices and network devices in an NTN scenario;

[0091] Figure 4B illustrates the relationship between uplink and downlink frames;

[0092] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the method for determining TA in related technologies;

[0093] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0094] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the transmission delay between a network device and a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0095] Figure 7B is another schematic diagram of the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0096] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0097] Figure 9 is a possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application;

[0098] Figure 10 is another possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0099] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0100] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in the embodiments of this application 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, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to 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 plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Additionally, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the words "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or the order of execution, and that the words "first" and "second" do not necessarily imply that they are different.

[0101] In the various method embodiments of this application, the order of the sequence numbers does not imply the order of execution. The execution order should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0102] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, descriptions such as "under the circumstances," "if," "when," and "if..." can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, these descriptions all refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require any judgment action during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0103] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0104] In this application embodiment, "sending information to...(terminal)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal, and may include sending information to the terminal directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from...(terminal)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal, and may include receiving information from the terminal directly or indirectly. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0105] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and in the various implementation methods / methods / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various implementation methods / methods / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various implementation methods / methods / implementations within each embodiment can be combined according to their inherent logical relationships to form new embodiments, implementation methods, methods, or implementation approaches. The embodiments of this application described below do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0106] This application can be applied to various communication systems. For ease of understanding, the following description uses the communication system 10 shown in Figure 1 as an example to illustrate the communication system to which the embodiments of this application are applicable.

[0107] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 10 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, wherein the RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. The communication system 10 may also include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via wired means. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent and different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Communication system 10 may also include Internet 300.

[0108] RAN 100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems. RAN 100 can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems, or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial network (TN) are integrated. The NTN system can be an NTN system integrated with 4G, 5G, and any future generation of communication systems, such as NR NTN, Internet of Things (IoT) NTN, etc. NTN communication systems can be, for example, satellite communication systems, or include unmanned aerial vehicles, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other aerial access network equipment; this application does not limit the scope of such systems.

[0109] RAN node 110 (also known as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, etc.) is used to help terminals access the communication system wirelessly. In one possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a satellite (or satellite base station) or a high altitude platform station (HAPS), or a base station device mounted on a satellite / HAPS. The satellite can include at least one of the following: a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite (or geosynchronous orbit satellite) or a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) satellite. Non-geostationary orbit satellites may include at least one of the following: medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites or low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. There are no limitations here. Network equipment may also be gateway stations (or ground stations, earth stations, signaling stations, gateways, or gateway stations), etc. RAN nodes may also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0110] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), or radio units (RUs). Here, the CU can perform the functions of the base station's radio resource control protocol and PDCP, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU can perform the functions of the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). CUs can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane (CP) and CU-user plane (UP).

[0111] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). Similarly, a CU-CP can be called an O-CU-CP, a CU-UP can be called an O-CU-UP, and an RU can be called an O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples in its embodiments.

[0112] All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node may also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node may also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used in the RAN node.

[0113] Terminal 120 is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. The terminal can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal (MT), user terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, user device, and terminal device, etc. Terminal 120 can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0114] For example, terminal 120 can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device (e.g., a sensor, electricity meter, water meter, etc.), a V2X device, a station (ST) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device (also known as a wearable smart device), a tablet computer or a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, or a wireless terminal in a smart home. Wireless terminals (such as those in the home), vehicle-mounted terminals, vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, and drones with drone-to-drone (U2U) communication capabilities are all examples. Terminals can also be communication modules with satellite communication capabilities, satellite phones or their components, or satellite communication terminals, such as very small aperture terminals (VSAT terminals), portable stations, fixed stations, and vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminals. It should be understood that satellite communication terminals can serve as micro base stations to further provide data interfaces to accessed user equipment.

[0115] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0116] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminals.

[0117] For example, the core network 200 may include user plane function (UPF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, charging function (CHF) network elements, location management function (LMF) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, etc.

[0118] The following describes another communication system (NTN) to which the embodiments of this application are applicable.

[0119] NTN refers to a network that provides communication services using radio frequency resources on platforms such as satellites (including geostationary earth orbit (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and low earth orbit (LEO), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or high-altitude communication platforms. Compared to terrestrial cellular networks (such as 5G), NTN networks offer wider coverage, higher path loss, greater latency, faster speeds, and lower costs. As a supplement and extension to terrestrial networks, NTN can achieve wide-area seamless coverage that wired telephone networks and terrestrial mobile communication networks cannot, effectively solving internet access problems in areas with scarce communication infrastructure. For example, by deploying a large number of satellites in low Earth orbit, seamless ground coverage can be achieved through reasonable constellation construction, and the round-trip latency of data between satellites and ground terminals is greatly reduced. Even compared to geostationary orbit satellites, deploying satellites in low Earth orbit results in lower data round-trip latency, reaching the tens of milliseconds level.

[0120] With the use of technologies such as high-frequency bands, multi-beamforming, and frequency reuse, satellite communication capabilities have been significantly improved while reducing unit broadband costs, thus meeting the demands of high-data-rate services. Compared to terrestrial 5G networks and submarine fiber optic cables, NTN also has a significant cost advantage. Modern small satellites have low R&D and manufacturing costs, and software-defined technologies can further extend the lifespan of satellites in orbit. In addition to global coverage (such as in remote areas and on ocean-going vessels), NTN can also be used in emergency relief (such as disaster monitoring and emergency communications), the Internet of Things, and high-speed mobility (such as high-speed rail and airplanes), thus attracting widespread attention from industry and academia.

[0121] Because satellites are less susceptible to natural disasters or external damage, research is currently underway to use them as access network equipment (such as base stations) in mobile communication systems to provide communication services to areas such as oceans and forests. Unlike terrestrial base stations, satellites move at higher speeds relative to the ground and travel much farther, resulting in greater signal path loss when used as base stations. Current communication mechanisms designed for communication between terminal devices and terrestrial base stations cannot be directly applied to communication between terminal devices and satellite base stations.

[0122] Based on their operating modes, satellites can generally be divided into two main categories: transparent mode and regenerative mode. These two modes will be described in detail below.

[0123] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture including a satellite in pass-through mode. In pass-through mode, the satellite only acts as a frequency conversion relay, essentially functioning as an analog radio frequency repeater. Specifically, the satellite can replicate the NR Uu radio interface signal from the feed link (between the NTN gateway and the satellite) to the service link (between the satellite and the terminal equipment), and vice versa. The satellite radio interface on the feed link transmits the NR-Uu interface signal; that is, the satellite does not terminate the NR Uu interface signal but replicates it. The NTN gateway supports all the necessary functions for forwarding the NR-Uu interface signal. Different transmission satellites can connect to the same ground base station, such as a gNB. Optionally, the gateway can also be integrated with the base station.

[0124] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture including a satellite in regeneration mode. In regeneration mode, the satellite has some or all of the functions of a base station, such as including gNB equipment or DU on the satellite. In this architecture, the satellite acts as a base station to regenerate signals received from the ground, that is, transmitting NR-Uu radio interface signals on the service link between the terminal equipment and the satellite, and transmitting satellite radio interface signals on the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. The NG interface between the satellite and the gateway is carried on the satellite radio interface (SRI). The NG interface signal is transmitted to the NTN gateway through the SRI interface, and then forwarded by the NTN gateway to the core network equipment on the ground.

[0125] Figure 2B shows the NTN architecture with all base station functions. If the satellite only has DU functions, then the NTN architecture also includes a ground CU unit, as shown in Figure 2C.

[0126] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of satellite coverage. Satellites provide services to terminal devices within their coverage area via SSB 0 to SSB N-1. Compared to terrestrial communication systems, a single satellite offers wider coverage and longer transmission distances; providing services to terminal devices through wide coverage is a significant characteristic of satellite communication systems. Satellite communication is characterized by large latency and significant frequency offset.

[0127] During the initial access phase, the satellite, acting as a network device, needs to scan all beams sequentially and configure random access resources for the terminal device. The random access process generally refers to the process from when the terminal device sends a random access preamble (or simply preamble) to attempt to access the network device until a basic signaling connection is established between the terminal device and the network device.

[0128] Currently, network devices can broadcast different SSBs for different communication areas. These SSBs can be distinguished by their indices. In other words, different SSB indices represent downlink synchronization signals with different beam directions, and different downlink synchronization signals can cover and serve different areas.

[0129] After receiving the SSB, the terminal device can perform timed synchronization based on the SSB. Additionally, the terminal device can determine the time-frequency location of System Information B1 (SIB1) based on the indication information in the SSB and complete SIB1 parsing. Based on the SIB1 parsing result, the terminal device can obtain cell information.

[0130] Optionally, the terminal device can detect SIB19 and resolve it based on the search space configured in SIB1. Based on the SIB19 resolution result, the terminal device can obtain the satellite's ephemeris information. It should be noted that for satellite communication systems, the terminal device needs to obtain the satellite's ephemeris information, while for terrestrial communication systems, it does not.

[0131] After obtaining cell information and / or ephemeris information, the terminal device can send a random access preamble on the corresponding uplink resources based on the configuration information and SSB index. For the network device, the received random access preamble and the uplink resources can be used to determine the area where the terminal device is located and establish a connection with the terminal device.

[0132] The transmission delay between different terminal devices (e.g., terminal devices at different distances from the network device) and the network device may vary. Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the transmission delay between a terminal device and the network device in an NTN scenario. Figure 4A shows the transmission delay t1 between UE1 located at the sub-satellite point and the network device, and the transmission delay t2 between UE2 located at the cell edge and the network device. Here, t1 is less than t2. Because t1 and t2 are different, when UE1 and UE2 simultaneously transmit uplink signals, the arrival times of the uplink signals transmitted by UE1 and UE2 at the network device may be inconsistent. If the uplink signals of the terminal devices fail to align within the cyclic prefix range of the base station, demodulation will fail. The timing advance (TA) mechanism solves this problem by adjusting the timing of the uplink signal transmission by the terminal devices to ensure that the uplink signals arrive at the base station synchronously.

[0133] The TA mechanism refers to the system frame for uplink data transmission by the terminal device being sent a certain time ahead of the corresponding downlink frame, thereby achieving uplink data time slot alignment on the network side. Figure 4B illustrates the relationship between uplink and downlink frames. Referring to Figure 4B, the reference point for the terminal device's TA is calculated from the downlink reception time of the terminal device, and the uplink channel or signal is transmitted a certain time ahead (TA).

[0134] The transmission latency (TA) is mainly related to the transmission delay between the terminal device and the base station. Generally speaking, UEs farther away from the base station require a larger TA to send signals in advance, while UEs closer to the base station require a smaller TA to send signals in advance.

[0135] In NTN communication systems, satellites / high-altitude platforms / base stations typically have a large coverage area to support broader service coverage. Due to the large coverage area of ​​satellites, the bidirectional transmission delay of the signal is relatively large; therefore, the TA (Transmission Time) of terminal equipment in NTN scenarios is usually large. Furthermore, the high-speed movement of satellites causes the distance between the satellite and the ground terminal equipment to constantly change, resulting in dynamic changes in the bidirectional transmission delay of the signal, and consequently, dynamic changes in the TA of the terminal equipment.

[0136] Taking satellite communication as an example, during the initial access process, the UE needs to calculate the TA (Target Access Request) based on its own location and satellite ephemeris, and then send a random access request on the physical random access channel (PRACH) based on the TA calculation result. In this scenario, factors such as satellite coverage area, two-way transmission delay, and satellite movement speed will all affect the TA.

[0137] The method for determining the TA will be described below with reference to Figure 5, taking the initial access process as an example. The method shown in Figure 5 may include steps 1 to 6.

[0138] Step 1: The terminal device receives the SSB.

[0139] SSB can include PSS / SSS and PBCH. Terminal devices can perform timing estimation and downlink synchronization based on PSS / SSS detection. PBCH can be used to indicate the time-frequency resource location of system messages.

[0140] Step 2: The terminal device receives system messages, such as SIB1, SIB19, etc.

[0141] First, the terminal device can receive the PDCCH for scheduling the PDSCH carrying system messages based on the time and frequency resource location indicated by the PBCH; second, the terminal device can receive the PDSCH carrying system messages based on the time and frequency location indicated by the PDCCH, thereby obtaining system messages such as cell information and satellite ephemeris information.

[0142] Step 3: The terminal device calculates TA.

[0143] For example, the terminal device can perform TA calculation according to the formula specified in the protocol. Specifically, the UE side advances the downlink frame number i by T. TA This refers to the uplink frame number i. T TA It satisfies the following formula 1.

[0144] Step 4, the terminal device according to T TA Schedule a timer to send the PRACH message.

[0145] The parameters involved in Formula 1 will be described in detail below.

[0146] According to the frame structure definition in 3GPP protocol TS 38.211, the minimum time unit is T. c ,and Where, Δf max =480·10 3 Hz, Nf = 4096. In LTE, the smallest time unit is T. s The constant κ = T s / T c =64, and Where, Δf ref =15·10 3 Hz, N f,ref =2048.

[0147] N TA The value is 0 when sending PRACH, and can be updated by the TA command (TAC) field and the medium access control control element (MAC CE) in message 2 (Msg2) / message B (MsgB).

[0148] With n-TimingAdvanceOffset configured, N TA,offset Take the configured value of n-TimingAdvanceOffset; if n-TimingAdvanceOffset is not configured, take the default value according to the table defined in TS 38.133 (i.e., Table 1 described below).

[0149] Table 1

[0150] See Table 1, N TA,offset The value of can be determined by the uplink transmission duplex mode and frequency band.

[0151] If the high-level parameters TACommon, TACommonDrift, and TACommonDriftVariation are configured, then Calculated based on network configuration parameters; if the above parameters are not configured, then... It is 0.

[0152] TACommon indicates the common timing advance value for network control, which can include any timing offset deemed necessary by the network; TACommonDrift indicates the drift rate of the common TA; TACommonDriftVariation represents the change in the drift rate of the common TA. The TACommon, TACommonDrift, and TACommonDriftVariation fields are excluded when determining system information changes. Table 2 shows the value ranges for the above parameters.

[0153] Table 2

[0154] That is, the one-way propagation delay between the reference point and the satellite. common (t) satisfies the following formula 2 with the parameters in Table 2.

[0155] Among them, t epoch It is supplementary information for satellite ephemeris time.

[0156] For example, TACommon, TACommonDrift, and TACommonDriftVariation can be found in the following definitions of the NTN-Config information element in protocol TS 38.331.

[0157] With the relevant high-level parameters for the service satellite ephemeris configured... It can be calculated by the UE based on the UE's location and satellite ephemeris; otherwise... The value of is 0.

[0158] Step 5: The network device sends a random access response to the terminal device. This random access response may include a TA adjustment value.

[0159] For example, network devices can perform TA estimation based on the PRACH sent by the terminal device, determine the TA adjustment value, and indicate the TA adjustment value to the terminal device in the TAC of the random access response (RAR).

[0160] Taking the NR system as an example, for a TAG, the TAC in RAR is transmitted through T... A The index values ​​0, 1, 2, ..., 3846 indicate N TA Among them, for a subcarrier spacing of 2 u ×15kHz TAG, time adjustment amount N TA The following formula 3 is satisfied. N TA =T A ×16×64 / 2 u (Formula 3)

[0161] Where, N TA It is defined in protocol TS 38.211. N TA It is related to the subcarrier spacing of the first uplink transmission after receiving the random access response or the absolute timing advance command MAC CE.

[0162] Taking the LTE system as an example, the TAC in RAR is transmitted via T... A The index values ​​0, 1, 2, ..., 1282 indicate N. TA Among them, the time adjustment amount N TA The following formula 4 is satisfied. N TA =T A ×16 (Formula 4)

[0163] It can be seen that N TA The adjustment values ​​are all greater than or equal to 0, and negative TA indication is not supported.

[0164] Based on the calculation results of Formula 3 or Formula 4, the timing advance T is re-determined. TA .

[0165] Step 6: The terminal device sends T in advance according to the adjusted timing. TA Send message 3 (Msg3).

[0166] In other words, the terminal device can be based on the T redefined in step 5. TA By timing the transmission in advance, Msg3 is sent so that it can be aligned on the network side and thus be successfully received by the network side.

[0167] After successfully receiving Msg3, the network side can proceed with the subsequent access process, which will not be elaborated here.

[0168] The above section introduced the method for determining the initial TA during the initial access process. However, the distance between the terminal device and the network device may change over time; therefore, the network side needs to maintain the TA. For example, the network device can use the TAC in the MAC CE to determine the initial TA. A The index value indicates N TA The adjustment value, where TA The range of values ​​is, for example, 0, 1, 2, ..., 63.

[0169] It should be noted that in this case, the new N TA The value is based on the old N. TA And T indicated by TAC A Definitely, or rather, the updated N TA Based on the valid N prior to receiving the TAC TA And the T indicated by the TAC A It's confirmed.

[0170] As mentioned earlier, the terminal device can compensate for the TA (Transmission Aspect Ratio) based on its own location and the satellite's ephemeris information. In other words, the terminal device can compensate for the TA based on its distance from the satellite, and the compensation amount can be, for example, as shown in Formula 1 above.

[0171] Low-capability terminal devices, such as IoT devices and other devices without Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities, may be unable to obtain their own location information. When these devices operate in energy-saving or low-power modes, such as disabling GNSS capabilities to conserve energy and reduce power consumption, they may also fail to acquire their own location information. Because these devices cannot obtain their own location information, they are also unable to compensate for Location-Time (TA) based on the distance between themselves and network devices. In this situation, ensuring the accuracy of TA and achieving uplink synchronization to correctly receive and demodulate uplink data becomes a problem that needs to be solved.

[0172] One possible implementation is to compensate for the transmission delay caused by the distance between the terminal device and the network device by adjusting the TA (Transmission Time Adjustment) as indicated by the network device. For example, the terminal device can ignore the TA when calculating it. In other words, the timing advance performed by the terminal device when sending uplink information does not include... The network device can determine the TA adjustment value based on the measurement results of the uplink information; that is, the TA adjustment value includes the adjustment of the uplink information. This eliminates the need for terminal devices to compensate for TA based on their own location and satellite ephemeris information, while ensuring uplink data time slot alignment on the network side.

[0173] Generally, the transmission latency caused by the distance between the terminal device and the network device is the main factor affecting the Transmission Time Adjustment (TA). Therefore, compensating for the transmission latency between the terminal device and the network device with TA adjustments indicated by the network device incurs significant resource overhead. This is especially true in scenarios with a large network coverage area, such as the NTN scenario mentioned earlier, where the transmission latency between the network device and the terminal device is even greater, further increasing the overhead of indicating the TA adjustment. Furthermore, low-capacity terminal devices typically have lower air interface capabilities. Compensating for the transmission latency between the terminal device and the network device with TA adjustments indicated by the network device incurs excessive overhead, potentially affecting the normal communication of the terminal device.

[0174] This application provides a communication method to solve the above-mentioned problems. By introducing the concept of a reference point, the first transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device can be divided into: the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device, and the remaining part of the first transmission delay (i.e., the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay). By issuing a first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device to compensate for the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay, conditions can be provided for saving indication overhead.

[0175] For example, when sending uplink information, the terminal device compensates for the first TA adjustment, and the second transmission delay can be pre-compensated by the network device, thereby helping to ensure uplink synchronization. In this case, only the first TA adjustment needs to be sent to the terminal device, which helps to save indication overhead compared to sending the sum of the first and second TA adjustments.

[0176] For example, when sending uplink information, the terminal device compensates for the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment, which helps to reduce the processing complexity on the network side while ensuring uplink synchronization. The second TA adjustment is used to compensate for the second transmission delay. For instance, the second TA adjustment can be carried in a broadcast message or in a random access response to multiple terminal devices at once. In this way, only one second TA adjustment needs to be sent, enabling multiple terminal devices to obtain the second TA adjustment. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment to each terminal device once, this scheme helps reduce indication overhead.

[0177] It should be understood that the method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to both the initial access scenario and the communication scenario after the initial access. The following description, using the initial access scenario as an example and in conjunction with Figure 6, details the communication method provided in this application embodiment.

[0178] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 6 may involve the interaction between a first communication device and a second communication device. In this embodiment, the first communication device is described as a terminal device and the second communication device is described as a network device.

[0179] It should be noted that the first communication device can be a terminal device, or a component applicable to a terminal device, such as a module or communication module, or a circuit or chip applicable to a terminal device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0180] Similarly, the second communication device can be a network device, or a component applicable to a network device, such as a module or communication module, or a circuit or chip applicable to a network device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of a network device.

[0181] The method provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device (as the first communication device) and the network device (as the second communication device).

[0182] In some embodiments, the method shown in FIG6 can be applied to terrestrial communication scenarios. In other embodiments, the method shown in FIG6 can be applied to NTN scenarios. For example, the network device can be a satellite (or satellite base station) or HAPS, or a base station device mounted on a satellite / HAPS, or some functions of the network device can be deployed on a satellite / HAPS.

[0183] The method shown in Figure 6 may include steps S610 and S620.

[0184] S610, the terminal device receives a random access response or contention resolution message. Correspondingly, the network device sends a random access response or contention resolution message. The random access response or contention resolution message includes a first timing advance adjustment (i.e., a first TA adjustment).

[0185] The first TA adjustment can be used to compensate for the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay. The first transmission delay is the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device. Alternatively, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay.

[0186] The first transmission delay is related to the distance between the terminal device and the network device, and the second transmission delay is related to the distance between the reference point and the network device. Therefore, the first TA adjustment amount can be related to the following information: the distance between the terminal device and the network device, and the distance between the reference point and the network device.

[0187] For example, the second transmission delay is less than or equal to the first transmission delay. In other words, the distance between the reference point and the network device is less than the distance between the terminal device and the network device. It can be seen that the first TA adjustment compensates for a portion of the transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device. Or, in other words, the transmission delay compensated by the first TA adjustment is not the entirety of the transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device.

[0188] For example, the sum of the time indicated by the first TA adjustment and the second transmission delay can be the first transmission delay. Considering factors such as quantization error and calculation error, the sum of the time indicated by the first TA adjustment and the second transmission delay is approximately equal to the first transmission delay.

[0189] In some embodiments, the reference point may be located between the terminal device and the network device, as shown in Figure 7A below. Alternatively, the reference point may be located on the ground, such as within the coverage area of ​​the network device, as shown in Figure 7B. Exemplarily, the reference point may be the cell center point or the center point of the beam coverage area. Therefore, the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the cell center point or the center point of the beam coverage area and the network device.

[0190] It should be understood that the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay may or may not be equal to the transmission delay between the reference point and the terminal device. For example, in Figure 7A, the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay may be equal to the transmission delay between the reference point and the terminal device; that is, the first TA adjustment is used to compensate for the transmission delay between the reference point and the terminal device. However, in Figure 7B, the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay is not equal to the transmission delay between the reference point and the terminal device.

[0191] In some embodiments, the second transmission delay can be the integer millisecond portion of the first transmission delay, or in other words, the reference point can be determined based on the integer millisecond portion of the first transmission delay. Correspondingly, the first timing advance adjustment is used to compensate for the portion of the first transmission delay that is less than an integer millisecond. Alternatively, the first timing advance adjustment can be determined based on the portion of the first transmission delay that is less than an integer millisecond. Taking an NTN scenario where the first transmission delay is 3.4ms as an example, the second transmission delay can be 3ms, and the first timing advance adjustment is used to compensate for 0.4ms. Therefore, the reference point can be determined based on 3ms, and the first timing advance adjustment can be determined based on 0.4ms.

[0192] S620, the terminal device sends uplink information.

[0193] The timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information is determined based on the first TA adjustment. The timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information is the actual compensated timing advance, such as the timing advance of downlink frame number i relative to uplink frame number i.

[0194] In some embodiments, the timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information may include a first TA adjustment. That is, the terminal device may compensate for the portion of the first transmission delay other than the second transmission delay, or the terminal device may not compensate for the second transmission delay.

[0195] In this scenario, the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device can be used to determine the time when the network device receives uplink information, such as a time window for uplink information reception, to ensure uplink reception performance. For example, the time window for uplink information reception can be delayed by the second transmission delay based on the original time window. The original time window mentioned here can be the time window for uplink information reception determined according to methods in related technologies. By adjusting the time window for receiving uplink information, the network device can compensate for the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device.

[0196] In this scheme, the network device can pre-compensate for the second transmission delay, and the terminal device only needs to compensate for the portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. That is, it only needs to indicate the first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device. Indicating the first TA adjustment amount to the first terminal device helps reduce indication overhead compared to indicating the adjustment amount used to compensate for the first transmission delay.

[0197] In some embodiments, the timing advance amount for the terminal device to transmit uplink information may include a first timing advance adjustment amount and a second timing advance adjustment amount (i.e., a second timing advance adjustment amount). The second timing advance adjustment amount can be used to compensate for a second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device. Alternatively, the second timing advance adjustment amount can be determined based on the second transmission delay.

[0198] In other words, by adjusting the first TA and the second TA, the terminal device can compensate for the first transmission delay to ensure uplink alignment, thereby helping to ensure initial access performance.

[0199] For example, the second TA adjustment amount or its indication information can be carried in a broadcast message. In this way, by sending the second TA adjustment amount once, multiple terminal devices within the broadcast range can obtain the second TA adjustment amount. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment amount to each terminal device once, this approach helps to further reduce indication overhead.

[0200] As can be seen, in this embodiment, by introducing the concept of a reference point, the first transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device can be divided into: the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device, and the remaining portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. By issuing a first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device to compensate for the difference between the first and second transmission delays, the above-mentioned various schemes for reducing indication overhead can be supported.

[0201] The two schemes will be described in detail below.

[0202] Option 1

[0203] In Scheme 1, the terminal device only compensates for the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay. The second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device can be pre-compensated by the network device, thus facilitating uplink synchronization.

[0204] In some embodiments, the timing advance for the terminal device to transmit uplink information may include the time indicated by the first TA adjustment. Alternatively, the timing advance may also include one or more of the timing advance offset and common timing advance mentioned above.

[0205] For example, the timing advance of the terminal device sending uplink information can satisfy any of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c (Formula 5) T TA =(N TA,1 +N TA,offset )T c (Formula 6)

[0206] Among them, T TA For timing advance, N TA,1 For the first TA adjustment, N TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c N is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system. It should be understood that N... TA,offset , The method for determining this can be found in the previous text.

[0207] The time indicated by the first TA adjustment is N. TA,1 *T c .

[0208] In Scheme 1, the first TA adjustment amount sent to the terminal device is used to compensate for a portion of the transmission delay in the first transmission delay. Therefore, the first TA adjustment amount is smaller than the adjustment amount used to compensate for the first transmission delay. Compared to sending the adjustment amount to the terminal device to compensate for the first transmission delay, Scheme 1 helps reduce indication overhead.

[0209] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the transmission delay between a network device and a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7A shows an example where the reference point is located between the network device and the terminal device.

[0210] Referring to Figure 7A, the connection between the network device and the terminal device represents the first transmission delay. This connection includes a solid line portion and a dashed line portion. The connection between the solid line portion and the dashed line portion is the location of the reference point. The solid line portion represents the transmission delay between the reference point and the terminal device (i.e., the remaining part of the first transmission delay mentioned above, excluding the second transmission delay). The dashed line portion represents the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device.

[0211] It can be seen that the location of the reference point is different depending on the relative position between the terminal device and the network device.

[0212] In Scheme 1, the terminal device can compensate for the solid line portion in Figure 7A, while the dashed line portion can be pre-compensated by the network device. Compared to sending the adjustment amount corresponding to the sum of the solid and dashed line portions to the terminal device, sending only the first TA adjustment amount corresponding to the solid line portion to the terminal device helps reduce indication overhead. Furthermore, the network device's pre-compensation for the dashed line portion helps ensure uplink synchronization.

[0213] Figure 7B is another schematic diagram of the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device provided in the embodiment of this application. In Figure 7B, the reference point is located at the center of the beam coverage area.

[0214] Referring to Figure 7B, the transmission delay between the network device and the center point of the first beam coverage area is the second transmission delay. The connection between the network device and the terminal device represents the first transmission delay. This connection includes both solid and dashed lines, where the dashed line represents the second transmission delay, and the solid line represents the difference between the first and second transmission delays. The connection between the network device and the center point of the first beam coverage area is the same as the dashed line, both representing the second transmission delay.

[0215] Similarly, in Scheme 1, the terminal device can compensate for the solid line portion in Figure 7B, while the dashed line portion can be pre-compensated by the network device, which helps to reduce indication overhead.

[0216] It can be seen that when the relative position between the network device and the terminal device changes, the position of the reference point and the first TA adjustment may both change. Therefore, when the relative position between the network device and the terminal device changes, the reference point and the first TA adjustment can be redefined, which helps to improve the accuracy of TA compensation. For example, if the change in transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device exceeds a threshold or the change in the first TA adjustment exceeds a threshold, the position of the reference point and the first TA adjustment can be updated. Alternatively, the position of the reference point and the first TA adjustment can be updated periodically.

[0217] It should be understood that when updating the position of the reference point and the first TA adjustment, the updated position of the reference point or the updated first TA adjustment can be issued. Alternatively, when updating the position of the reference point and the first TA adjustment, the change in the reference point position or the change in the first TA adjustment can also be issued. In other words, the updated reference point can be determined based on the previously issued reference point position and the change in the reference point, and the updated first TA adjustment can be determined based on the previously issued first TA adjustment and the change in the first TA adjustment.

[0218] Option 2

[0219] In Scheme 2, the terminal device compensates for both the transmission delay between the reference point and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device. In other words, in Scheme 2, the terminal device compensates for the first transmission delay. Therefore, the network device can send adjustment amounts to the terminal device to compensate for the first transmission delay, such as a first TA adjustment amount and a second TA adjustment amount. The first TA adjustment amount and its sending method can be referred to the previous description; the second TA adjustment amount is described below.

[0220] As mentioned earlier, the second TA adjustment amount or the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount can be carried in a broadcast message. In some embodiments, the method shown in FIG6 may further include step S630 (not shown in FIG6).

[0221] In step S630, the terminal device receives the System Message Block (SIB). Correspondingly, the network device sends the SIB.

[0222] The SIB can be used to broadcast system information to the coverage area of ​​the first beam. The SIB mentioned here can be, for example, SIB1, or in an NTN scenario, SIB19, etc.

[0223] The SIB may include a second TA adjustment amount or indication information of the second TA adjustment amount. That is, all terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam can obtain the second TA adjustment amount by receiving the SIB. Alternatively, the second TA adjustment amount is used to determine the timing advance of terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam.

[0224] In other words, the second TA adjustment amount is the same for all terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam. Or, the second TA adjustment amount is configured at the beam level. For example, the reference point of the terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam is the same, or the reference point is configured at the beam level. It should be understood that the reference point of the terminal devices can also be configured at the terminal device level, as long as the second TA adjustment amount of the terminal devices is the same.

[0225] When the second TA adjustment quantity carries a broadcast message within a certain area, multiple terminal devices within that area can obtain the second TA adjustment quantity by sending it once. Compared to sending the second TA adjustment quantity to each terminal device individually, this scheme helps reduce indication overhead.

[0226] It should be understood that the second TA adjustment amount can also be carried in other types of broadcast messages, and this application does not limit this.

[0227] In other embodiments, the second TA adjustment amount can be carried in the random access response. Since the random access response can respond to multiple terminal devices at once, carrying the second TA adjustment amount once in the random access response can indicate the second TA adjustment amount to multiple access terminal devices, thereby helping to reduce indication overhead.

[0228] In Scheme 2, the timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information can be determined based on the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment. For example, the timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information may include the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment. Alternatively, the timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information may also include N. TA,offset , One or more of these can be used to improve the accuracy of timing advance.

[0229] For example, the timing advance for the terminal device to send uplink information can satisfy one of the following formulas: T TA =(N TA,1 +N TA,2 )*T c (Formula 9) T TA =(N TA,1 +N TA,2 +N TA,offset )T c (Formula 10)

[0230] Among them, T TA For timing advance, N TA,1 For the first TA adjustment, N TA,2 For the second TA adjustment, N TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c N is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system. It should be understood that N... TA,offset , The method for determining this can be found in the previous text.

[0231] It should be noted that Formulas 9 to 12 use T as the time granularity corresponding to the second TA adjustment. c As introduced, the time granularity corresponding to the second TA adjustment amount can also be other values, as will be explained later in the text, and will not be repeated here.

[0232] Referring again to Figure 7A, in Scheme 2, the terminal device can compensate for both the solid and dashed lines in Figure 7A to ensure uplink synchronization.

[0233] Referring again to Figure 7B, in Scheme 2, the terminal device can compensate for both the solid and dashed lines in the connection between the terminal device and the network device to ensure uplink synchronization.

[0234] In other words, the actual TA compensation of the terminal device = the time indicated by the first TA adjustment (corresponding to the solid line part) + the time indicated by the second TA adjustment (corresponding to the dashed line part).

[0235] The second TA adjustment can be carried in a system message block or a RAR. The system message can be used to broadcast system messages to the coverage area of ​​the first beam, while the RAR can respond to multiple terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam at once. In other words, issuing a single second TA adjustment can instruct multiple terminal devices on the second TA adjustment, helping to save on instruction overhead. Taking the scenario in Figure 7A as an example, it can be seen that the dashed line represents the main part of the transmission delay between the terminal device and the network device. Therefore, adopting scheme two can save more instruction resources.

[0236] In addition, in Scheme 2, the terminal device compensates for the first transmission delay, so the network device does not need to adjust the receiving strategy when receiving uplink information, which helps to reduce the processing complexity of the network device.

[0237] Referring again to Figure 7A, when the relative positions between the network device and the terminal device change, the position of the reference point, the first TA adjustment, and the second TA adjustment may all change. Therefore, when the relative positions between the network device and the terminal device change, the reference point, the first TA adjustment, or the second TA adjustment can be redefined, thereby improving the accuracy of TA compensation. For example, if the change in the first transmission delay exceeds a threshold, the change in the first TA adjustment exceeds a threshold, or the change in the second TA adjustment exceeds a threshold, the position of the reference point, the first TA adjustment, or the second TA adjustment can be updated. Alternatively, the position of the reference point, the first TA adjustment, or the second TA adjustment can be updated periodically.

[0238] Similar to the previous description, when updating the position of the reference point, the first TA adjustment, or the second TA adjustment, the updated value can be sent directly, or the change can be sent. The terminal device can determine the updated parameters based on the previously sent value and the change.

[0239] It should be understood that in the scenario shown in Figure 7B, when the relative positions between the network device and the terminal device change, the position of the reference point does not change, but the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device may change, i.e., the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment may change. In this case, the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment can be updated. The update method and timing can be referred to the description above and will not be repeated here.

[0240] As mentioned earlier, the adjustment amount of the second TA can be directly indicated, which helps to reduce the processing complexity on the terminal side.

[0241] Alternatively, the second TA adjustment amount can be indicated to the terminal device via the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount. Correspondingly, the terminal device can determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the indication information. Since the transmission delay between the reference point and network devices is typically large, directly issuing the TA adjustment amount may require a significant resource budget. This is especially true for scenarios with large coverage areas, such as NTN scenarios, where directly issuing the second TA adjustment amount may require even more resources. The embodiments of this application, by issuing the indication information of the second TA adjustment amount, enable the terminal device to determine the second TA adjustment amount, thereby helping to reduce indication overhead.

[0242] In some embodiments, the indication information for the second TA adjustment may include the absolute position information of the reference point, such as the position coordinates of the reference point in the geocentric coordinate system. The terminal device can determine the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device based on the absolute position information of the reference point and satellite ephemeris information; thereby determining the second TA adjustment based on the second transmission delay.

[0243] The terminal device can calculate the second TA adjustment amount based on the location information of the reference point and the location information of the network device. Since the terminal device can obtain the location information of the network device at different times through ephemeris information, the network side does not need to update the second TA adjustment amount if the location of the reference point does not change, thus helping to avoid the resource overhead caused by updating the second TA adjustment amount.

[0244] In some embodiments, the indication information for the second TA adjustment may include the relative position information of the reference point. For example, the relative position information of the reference point may be the relative position information between the reference point and the center point of the first beam coverage area, or the relative position information between the reference point and the cell center point. For example, the relative position information of the reference point may be the relative position information between the current reference point and the previously transmitted reference point. Alternatively, the relative position information of the reference point may be the change in position between the current reference point and the previously transmitted reference point. It can be seen that transmitting the change in the position information of the reference point requires fewer resources than directly transmitting the reference position information; therefore, this scheme helps to further reduce the resource overhead of indicating the second TA adjustment. Furthermore, similar to directly transmitting the reference point position information, this scheme helps to avoid the resource overhead of updating the second TA adjustment.

[0245] In some embodiments, the second TA adjustment amount can be determined according to a fitting formula (such as the first formula), or in other words, the first formula is used to determine the second TA adjustment amount.

[0246] For example, the first formula can be used to characterize the relationship between the second TA adjustment amount and the location of the network device. In an NTN scenario, the terminal device can typically obtain satellite ephemeris information to determine the location of the network device. Therefore, the terminal device can determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the first formula and the location of the network device.

[0247] For example, the first formula can be used to characterize the relationship between time and the second TA adjustment amount. This scheme is applicable to scenarios where satellite positions can be obtained, as well as scenarios where satellite positions cannot be obtained. Furthermore, when updating the second TA adjustment amount, this scheme does not require re-acquiring satellite position information, which helps reduce complexity.

[0248] The indication information for the second TA adjustment can be information related to the first formula, such as one or more of the parameters in the first formula, the type of the first formula, etc., thereby helping to save indication overhead. For example, the type of the first formula can include the order of the first formula, such as the first formula being a second-order formula, or the type of the first formula can indicate that the input parameters of the first formula are related to the satellite's position information; or the type of the first formula can indicate that the first formula can characterize the impact of satellite movement on the second TA adjustment. Furthermore, the parameters in the first formula can be, for example, the coefficients of each term in the first formula.

[0249] The first formula is taken as the second-order formula N. TA,2 =ax 2 Taking +by+cz as an example, the indication information for the second TA adjustment amount can include the parameters a, b, and c in the first formula, or it can include a, b, c, and 2 (the order of the first formula). Here, (x, y, z) in the first formula can be the coordinates of the reference point.

[0250] Let N be the first formula. TA,2 =C[A common (t epoch )+A CommonDrift ×(tt epoch )+A CommonDriftVariation ×(tt epoch ) 2 For example, the indication information for the second TA adjustment amount may include A. common A CommonDrift A CommonDriftVariation Among them, A common A CommonDrift A CommonDriftVariation This can be the fitting parameter; t is the current time, or the time when the second TA adjustment needs to be determined; t epoch It is auxiliary information for satellite ephemeris time, and C is a constant.

[0251] In the above example, the input parameters of the first formula can be location-related information or time-related information of the network device. Since the terminal device can obtain the location information of the network device at different times through ephemeris information, etc., using the parameters of the first formula to indicate the second TA adjustment helps to avoid the resource overhead caused by updating the second TA adjustment. In addition, when the input parameters of the first formula are time-related information, the first formula takes into account the impact of satellite motion on the second TA adjustment, thereby helping to improve the accuracy of TA compensation.

[0252] The first formula above is given as an example only, and this application does not limit it.

[0253] For example, the order of the first formula and one or more of the parameters in the first formula can be predefined, thereby helping to reduce indication overhead and processing complexity. For instance, the order of the first formula can be predefined, and the parameters in the first formula can be dynamically indicated, balancing indication overhead and system flexibility. As an example, the parameters in the first formula can differ for different satellite deployment scenarios, such as scenarios with different satellite orbital altitudes. Therefore, dynamically indicating the parameters in the first formula helps to accurately match different use cases.

[0254] It should be understood that, depending on the actual deployment of the satellite, the first formula may be the same in different scenarios. In such cases, the first formula can also be predefined, and this application does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0255] In some embodiments, the network device may also determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the first formula and the location of the network device, thereby helping to reduce the processing complexity of the network device.

[0256] It should be noted that the system can support one of the aforementioned Scheme 1 or Scheme 2, or it can support multiple schemes of Scheme 1 and Scheme 2, such as using different schemes to determine the timing advance of the terminal device sending uplink information under different circumstances.

[0257] In some embodiments, the initial access process can support Scheme 1 mentioned above, whereby a portion of the first transmission delay (represented by the first TA adjustment amount) can be compensated by the terminal device, and the remaining portion of the first transmission delay can be pre-compensated by the network device. During the initial access process, the terminal device has not yet been allocated dedicated resources, and its resources may be insufficient. Therefore, having the network device compensate for the remaining portion of the first transmission delay during the initial access process helps reduce the resource overhead of the terminal device.

[0258] In some embodiments, after the initial access process is completed, or after the terminal device accesses the network device, the system can support Scheme 2 mentioned above. Scheme 2 eliminates the need for pre-compensation on the network side, thereby helping to reduce the processing complexity on the network side. Furthermore, compared to the initial access process, the amount of data transmitted between the terminal device and the network device after network access may be greater; Scheme 2 can significantly reduce the processing complexity on the network side.

[0259] If the system supports Scheme 1 and Scheme 2 above, the network device can indicate the second TA adjustment amount to the terminal device after the initial access is completed. Alternatively, the network device can indicate the second TA adjustment amount to the terminal device during the initial access process and configure the effective time of the second TA adjustment amount to be after the initial access is completed. As an example, the effective time of the second TA adjustment amount can also be pre-configured.

[0260] The method for determining timing advance based on the first TA adjustment amount has been introduced above. The first TA adjustment amount will be introduced below.

[0261] In some embodiments, the first TA adjustment amount can be indicated by a TAC field. That is, the first TA adjustment amount can reuse the TAC field in related technologies, thereby helping to reduce the complexity of implementation and the degree of modification to the protocol. For example, the first TA adjustment amount can be carried in a TAC field in RAR, or the first TA adjustment amount can be carried in a TAC field in MAC CE.

[0262] In some embodiments, the first timing advance adjustment amount can be determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or the first timing advance adjustment amount can be determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier interval, such as the subcarrier interval configuration.

[0263] For example, in an LTE system, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on the value of the TAC field. Since the subcarrier spacing in an LTE system is usually fixed, the impact of subcarrier spacing variations can be disregarded when determining the first TA adjustment.

[0264] For example, in an NR system, the first TA adjustment can be determined based on the value of the TAC field and the subcarrier spacing. This is because the subcarrier spacing in an NR system is not fixed. The symbol length is related to the subcarrier spacing, and the robustness to TA errors varies with different symbol lengths. Therefore, the first TA adjustment can be related to the subcarrier spacing to improve TA accuracy.

[0265] The value of the advance command field is T. A For example, the first timing advance adjustment amount can satisfy the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s .

[0266] Alternatively, the first timing advance adjustment amount can satisfy the following formula: N TA,1 =T A*16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

[0267] The above T A The range of values ​​for T is reused from the range of the index indicating the adjustment value in the RAR's TAC, which helps reduce implementation complexity. It should be understood that T... A The range of values ​​may differ from the range of values ​​for the index indicating the adjustment value in the TAC of related technologies. This application does not limit this.

[0268] Currently, in LTE systems, the TAC in RAR consists of 11 bits, supporting index values ​​ranging from 0 to 1282. However, 11 bits can only support values ​​ranging from 0 to 2047. Therefore, in some embodiments, T... A The value range can be 0 to 2047. This scheme can widen the range of the first TA adjustment amount without changing the number of bits occupied by the existing TAC, or it can use more values ​​to indicate the same range of the first TA adjustment amount without changing the number of bits occupied by the existing TAC, which helps to improve the accuracy of the first TA adjustment amount.

[0269] Currently, in the NR system, the TAC in RAR consists of 12 bits, supporting an index value range of 0–3846. However, 12 bits can only support a value range of 0–4095. Similarly, T… A The value range can be from 0 to 4095. This scheme can broaden the range of the first TA adjustment amount without changing the bits occupied by the existing TAC, or it can help improve the accuracy of the first TA adjustment amount.

[0270] As mentioned earlier, the first TA adjustment can be used to compensate for the remaining portion of the first transmission delay excluding the second transmission delay. For example, the time indicated by the first TA adjustment can be the difference between the first and second transmission delays. Specifically, the time indicated by the first TA adjustment can be the product of the first TA adjustment and its corresponding time granularity (which can be called the first time granularity). The first time granularity can be the T mentioned earlier. c or T s It should be understood that the first time granularity can also take other values, and this application does not limit this.

[0271] As mentioned earlier, the second TA adjustment can be used to compensate for transmission delay between the reference point and network devices. For example, the time indicated by the second TA adjustment can be the transmission delay between the reference point and network devices. Specifically, the time indicated by the second TA adjustment can be the product of the second TA adjustment and the corresponding time granularity (which can be called the second time granularity).

[0272] It should be understood that time granularity can also be replaced by time unit, and this application does not limit this.

[0273] The second time granularity can be T, as mentioned above. c or T s Alternatively, the second time granularity can be determined based on the magnitude of the transmission delay between the network device and the reference point. Since the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device is typically large, configuring a larger second time granularity allows for the indication of the second TA adjustment amount to be done with fewer bits, thereby helping to reduce indication overhead.

[0274] Taking an NTN scenario as an example, the transmission latency between the network device and the reference point can be on the order of milliseconds. Therefore, the second time granularity can be, for example, 1 ms. This scheme helps reduce computational complexity and also reduces the indication overhead for indicating the second TA adjustment amount. Taking a transmission latency of 3ms to 5ms between the network device and the reference point as an example, with a second time granularity of 1ms, only 3 bits are needed to indicate the second TA adjustment amount.

[0275] In some embodiments, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, i.e., the second time granularity, is less than or equal to the maximum adjustment time supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount. In this way, combining the first TA adjustment amount and the second TA adjustment amount can avoid uncompensated time intervals (or gaps), thereby avoiding the accuracy loss caused by these gaps. It should be understood that this scheme is applicable to cases where the first TA adjustment amount does not include negative values.

[0276] Taking the configuration of the first TA adjustment amount multiplexing LTE TAC as an example, the maximum adjustment time supported by the first TA adjustment amount is approximately 0.667ms. In this case, the second time granularity can be less than or equal to 0.667ms. For example, the second time granularity can be 0.667ms to fully utilize the indication resources in the TAC, which helps to save the indication bits of the first TA adjustment amount. Alternatively, the second time granularity can be 0.3ms, 0.5ms, or 0.6ms, etc.

[0277] In some embodiments, the second time granularity can be 1 ms, and the time range supported for adjustment of the first TA adjustment amount is -0.5 ms to 0.5 ms. This scheme can reduce the indication overhead of the second TA adjustment amount while multiplexing the TAC field to indicate the first TA adjustment amount. Taking the LTE system as an example, of the 11 bits in the TAC field, 1 bit can be used as a sign bit to indicate whether the first TA adjustment amount is positive or negative; the remaining 10 bits can be used to indicate the absolute value (0 to 0.5) of the first TA adjustment amount.

[0278] In other embodiments, the TAC field can be extended to indicate a first TA adjustment amount, improving system flexibility. For example, the first TA adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of 0–1 ms. The second time granularity can be, for example, 0.5 ms, 0.8 ms, or 0.9 ms, etc.

[0279] The second time granularity is not T c In this case, formulas 9 to 12 mentioned above can be replaced by formulas 13 to 16: T TA =N TA,1 *T c +N TA,2 *T2 (Formula 13) T TA =(N TA,1 +N TA,offset )T c +N TA,2 *T2 (Formula 14)

[0280] Where T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and other parameters can be referred to the previous introduction, which will not be repeated here.

[0281] In some embodiments, the information element ta-ue-Specific can be defined to represent the first TA adjustment amount. The definition of ta-ue-Specific is as follows.

[0282] TA-Info::=SEQUENCE{ta-ue-Specific INTEGER(0..M)}

[0283] As mentioned earlier, the network device can determine the first TA adjustment amount based on the difference between the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay. The value of ta-ue-Specific can be 0 to M, and the granularity of ta-ue-Specific can be, for example, 0.1µs, 0.3µs, or 0.52µs. The value of M can be related to information such as the definition method of the reference point, the size of the coverage area of ​​the first beam, or the budget of the indicator resources. Taking a maximum difference of 1ms between the first and second transmission delays and a granularity of ta-ue-Specific of 0.1µs as an example, the value of M can be 10000.

[0284] In some embodiments, the information element taCommonReferenceLocation can be defined to represent the second TA adjustment amount. The definition of taCommonReferenceLocation is as follows.

[0285] TA-Info::= SEQUENCE{taCommonReferenceLocation INTEGER(0..N)}

[0286] As mentioned earlier, the network device can determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the second transmission delay between the reference point and the network device. The value of taCommonReferenceLocation can be 0 to N, and the granularity of taCommonReferenceLocation can be, for example, 0.5ms, 0.8ms, or 1ms. The value of N can be related to information such as the satellite's orbital altitude, the definition method of the reference point, the size of the coverage area of ​​the first beam, or the relative positional relationship between the coverage area of ​​the first beam and the network device. Taking a maximum second transmission delay of 5ms and a granularity of taCommonReferenceLocation of 0.5ms as an example, the value of N can be 10.

[0287] It should be understood that the names of the aforementioned information elements are given as examples only, and this application does not limit them.

[0288] For ease of understanding, the following example uses Scheme 1 mentioned above during the initial access process and Scheme 2 mentioned above after the initial access is completed, and the method provided by the embodiment of this application is described in conjunction with Figure 8.

[0289] The method shown in Figure 8 may include steps 1 through 10.

[0290] Step 1: The network device sends SSB, SIB1, and SIB19.

[0291] Step 2: The terminal device performs downlink synchronization to obtain cell information and ephemeris information.

[0292] Terminal devices can perform downlink timed synchronization based on the received SSB, and receive SIB1 based on the SSB to obtain cell information.

[0293] Terminal equipment can receive SIB19, such as receiving SIB19 based on SIB1 or receiving SIB19 based on SSB, to obtain ephemeris information.

[0294] Step 3: The terminal device sends a PRACH.

[0295] The terminal device can send a PRACH based on the timing advance. Before sending the PRACH, the terminal device can calculate the timing advance according to any of the formulas 5 to 8 mentioned above.

[0296] In this case, the first TA adjustment amount has not yet been configured. Therefore, when sending PRACH, the first TA adjustment amount can be 0. Other parameters in Formulas 5 to 8 can be determined by referring to methods in related technologies.

[0297] Step 4: The network device determines the reference point and the first TA adjustment amount.

[0298] For example, network devices can determine reference points in zones, such as determining reference points separately for the area covered by each beam. Furthermore, the network devices can determine the first TA adjustment amount based on the reference points and the PRACH measurement results.

[0299] Step 5: The network device sends a RAR. The RAR carries a first TA adjustment. For example, the first TA adjustment is indicated by the TAC field in the RAR.

[0300] It should be understood that the first TA adjustment amount can also be carried in Msg4 in subsequent processes.

[0301] Step 6: The terminal device determines the time and frequency resources and timing advance for sending Msg3 based on the RAR.

[0302] For example, the terminal device can determine the time-frequency resource location for transmitting Msg3 based on the UL grant information in the RAR.

[0303] In addition, the terminal device can determine the timing advance based on the first TA adjustment amount, such as by determining the timing advance based on any one of the formulas 5 to 8 mentioned above.

[0304] It should be understood that when determining the timing advance, other parameters besides those shown in Formulas 5 to 8 may also be considered, and this application does not limit this.

[0305] Step 7: The terminal device sends Msg3 to the network device.

[0306] Network devices can pre-compensate the reception window of Msg3 based on a reference point and receive Msg3 within the pre-compensated reception window.

[0307] Step 8: The terminal device and network device complete the subsequent initial access process.

[0308] The subsequent steps 9 to 11 are the actions performed by the terminal device and the network device after accessing the network.

[0309] Step 9: The network device sends a second TA adjustment amount, or an indication information for the second TA adjustment amount, to the terminal device.

[0310] Considering that the relative positions between the terminal device and the network device may have changed, the network device can re-determine the reference point and update the first TA adjustment amount based on the new reference point. In other words, the network device can also send the first TA adjustment amount to the terminal device.

[0311] The indication information for the second TA adjustment amount mentioned here can be the location information of the reference point, such as absolute or relative location information. Alternatively, the indication information for the second TA adjustment amount can be a formula characterizing the relationship between the second TA adjustment amount and the location of the network device, or a parameter in that formula.

[0312] The second TA adjustment can be carried in a system message, which can be used to broadcast the second TA adjustment to the cell range or the beam coverage area.

[0313] It should be noted that the second TA adjustment can also be carried in the system message issued in step 1. In this case, the effective time of the second TA adjustment can be configured to be after the terminal device accesses the network.

[0314] Step 10: The terminal device sends uplink information based on the timing advance. The timing advance is determined based on the first TA adjustment and the second TA adjustment. For example, the terminal device can calculate the timing advance using any of the formulas 13 to 16 mentioned above.

[0315] If the instruction information for the second TA adjustment amount is issued in step 9, the terminal device can determine the second TA adjustment amount based on the instruction information for the second TA adjustment amount, such as the location information of the reference point, and then determine the timing advance amount based on the second TA adjustment amount and the first TA adjustment amount.

[0316] Accordingly, the network device receives uplink information. When receiving uplink information, the network device does not need to pre-compensate for the uplink information reception window. In other words, the network device can determine the uplink information reception window according to methods in relevant technologies.

[0317] It can be seen that enabling the terminal device to compensate to the reference point during the initial access process can reduce indication overhead. Simultaneously, pre-compensation to the reference point by the network device enables uplink alignment, thus ensuring the initial access performance of the terminal device. After completing the initial access process, broadcasting the adjustment amount from the network device to the reference point to the terminal device helps reduce the resource overhead of distributing this adjustment. Furthermore, compensation by the terminal device for the transmission delay between the network device and the reference point, as well as compensation for the transmission delay between the terminal device and the reference point, enables uplink alignment.

[0318] It should be noted that the first time granularity or the second time granularity mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be predefined in order to reduce indication overhead.

[0319] It should be understood that the names of the first TA adjustment amount and the second TA adjustment amount mentioned in the embodiments of this application, as well as the representation in the formula, are all given by way of example, and this application does not limit them.

[0320] It should be noted that the order of appearance of the steps in the embodiments described above in this application does not represent the order in which the steps are executed. The steps in the embodiments described above in this application can also be executed in other orders, all of which are within the protection scope of this application.

[0321] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application may not depend on other features in certain scenarios, or may be combined with other features in certain scenarios. This application does not limit this.

[0322] The method embodiments provided by this application have been described above. The apparatus embodiments provided by this application will be described below. It should be understood that the description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, any content not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiments above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0323] Figure 9 is a possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described above. In one possible design, the communication device 900 may include a communication unit 910 and a processing unit 920. Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage unit 930 for storing device program code and / or data.

[0324] The communication device 900 can be a terminal-side device in the above embodiments, such as a terminal or a component in the terminal, such as a module, a communication module, or a circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions, or a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device.

[0325] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 910 can be used to receive a random access response or contention resolution message, the random access response or contention resolution message including a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount being used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay being the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay being the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device; and to send uplink information, wherein the timing advance amount for sending the uplink information is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount.

[0326] In one possible design, the second transmission delay is used to determine the time when the network device receives the uplink information.

[0327] In one possible design, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c ;or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0328] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving a system message block (SIB) for broadcasting system information to the coverage area of ​​a first beam; wherein: the SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment or indication information of the second timing advance adjustment, the second timing advance adjustment being used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and the timing advance adjustment is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment and the second timing advance adjustment.

[0329] In one possible design, the random access response further includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay, and the timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0330] In one possible design, the indication information for the second timing advance adjustment amount is one of the following: the absolute position information of the reference point; the relative position information of the reference point; or a parameter in a first formula used to determine the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0331] In one possible design, the first timing advance adjustment amount is indicated by a timing advance command field, wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0332] In one possible design, the value of the advance timing command field is T. A Wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s Or the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

[0333] In one possible design, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is less than or equal to the maximum adjustment time supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount.

[0334] In one possible design, the second timing advance adjustment corresponds to a time granularity of 1ms, and the first timing advance adjustment supports an adjustment time range of -0.5ms to 0.5ms or 0 to 1ms.

[0335] In one possible design, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA，1 *T c +N TA，2 *T2; or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,2 T2 is the second timing advance adjustment amount, T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and N is the second timing advance adjustment amount. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0336] The communication device 900 can be a network-side device in the above embodiments, such as a network device or a component in a network device, such as a module, a communication module, or a circuit or chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions, or a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device.

[0337] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 910 can be used to send a random access response or contention resolution message, the random access response or contention resolution message including a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount being used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay being the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay being the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device; and to receive uplink information.

[0338] In one possible design, the second transmission delay is used to determine the time when the network device receives the uplink information.

[0339] In one possible design, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c ;or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0340] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending a System Message Block (SIB) for broadcasting system information to the coverage area of ​​a first beam; wherein the SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment or indication information of the second timing advance adjustment, the second timing advance adjustment being used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and the timing advance adjustment is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment and the second timing advance adjustment.

[0341] In one possible design, the random access response further includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay, and the timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0342] In one possible design, the indication information for the second timing advance adjustment amount is one of the following: the absolute position information of the reference point; the relative position information of the reference point; or a parameter in a first formula used to determine the second timing advance adjustment amount.

[0343] In one possible design, the first timing advance adjustment amount is indicated by a timing advance command field, wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or the first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0344] In one possible design, the value of the advance timing command field is T. A Wherein: the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s Or the first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

[0345] In one possible design, the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is less than or equal to the maximum adjustment time supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount.

[0346] In one possible design, the second timing advance adjustment corresponds to a time granularity of 1ms, and the first timing advance adjustment supports an adjustment time range of -0.5ms to 0.5ms or 0 to 1ms.

[0347] In one possible design, the timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA，1 *T c +N TA，2 *T2; or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,2 T2 is the second timing advance adjustment amount, T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and N is the second timing advance adjustment amount.TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

[0348] For details regarding the steps or processes executed by each unit in the communication device 900, please refer to the descriptions in the corresponding methods; they will not be elaborated here.

[0349] It should be understood that the "unit" in the communication device 900 can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. For example, the "unit" can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. As another example, the communication unit 910 can be replaced by a transceiver circuit (e.g., it may include receiving and transmitting circuitry), and the processing unit 920 can be replaced by a processor or processing circuitry.

[0350] Figure 10 is another possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application. The communication device 1000 can be a terminal device / network device, a communication module within a terminal device / network device, or a component within a terminal device / network device, such as a module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, or a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the communication device functions. This device can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0351] The communication device 1000 may include one or more processors 1010, which may also be referred to as processing units, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 1010 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0352] In an alternative design, the processor 1010 may also store instructions and / or data that can be executed by the processor 1010 to cause the communication device 1000 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0353] In another alternative design, the communication device 1000 may include a communication interface 1020 for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 1020 may be a transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or it may be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0354] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may include one or more memories 1030, which may store instructions that can be executed on the processor 1010, causing the communication device 1000 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories 1030 may also store data. Optionally, the processor 1010 may also store instructions and / or data. The processor 1010 and the memories 1030 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0355] It should be understood that, in one possible design, the steps in the method embodiments provided in this application can be implemented by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are not provided here.

[0356] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0357] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0358] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes executed by the terminal device / network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0359] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes performed by the terminal device / network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0360] This application also provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface, the interface being used to send and / or receive signals, causing the processor to execute the various steps or processes executed by the terminal device / network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0361] The above-described device and method embodiments are completely corresponding, with corresponding modules or units performing corresponding steps. For example, a communication unit or communication interface performs the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiment, while other steps besides sending and receiving can be performed by a processing unit or processor.

[0362] In the embodiments of this application, the terms and English abbreviations are exemplary examples given for ease of description and should not be construed as limiting the application in any way. The embodiments of this application do not preclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0363] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," etc., are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. As illustrated, applications running on computing devices and computing devices can both be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and components may be located on a single computer and / or distributed among two or more computers. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable storage media on which various data structures are stored. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0364] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0365] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be based on the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0366] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0367] 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.

[0368] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0369] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0370] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, essentially or in other words, the parts that contribute to the prior art, or parts of the technical solutions, 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 network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0371] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive a random access response or contention resolution message, wherein the random access response or contention resolution message includes a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay is the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device; Send uplink information, wherein the timing advance for sending the uplink information is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive System Message Block (SIB), the SIB being used to broadcast system information to the coverage area of ​​the first beam; wherein: The SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or indication information of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and The timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

3. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send a random access response or contention resolution message, wherein the random access response or contention resolution message includes a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, the first transmission delay is the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device; Receive upstream information.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The second transmission delay is used to determine the time when the network device receives the uplink information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c ;or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: A system message block (SIB) is sent, which is used to broadcast system information to the coverage area of ​​the first beam. The SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and The timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The random access response also includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount. The second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay. The timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2, 6 or 7, characterized in that, The indication information for the second timing advance adjustment amount is one of the following: The absolute position information of the reference point; The relative position information of the reference point; or The parameters in the first formula are used to determine the second timing advance adjustment amount.

9. The method according to claim 2 or any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The first timing advance adjustment amount is indicated by the timing advance command field, wherein: The first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or The first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier interval configuration.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The value of the advance command field is T. A ,in: The first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s ;or The first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is less than or equal to the maximum adjustment time supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount.

12. The method according to claim 2 or any one of claims 6-9, characterized in that, The second timing advance adjustment amount corresponds to a time granularity of 1ms, and the first timing advance adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of -0.5ms to 0.5ms or 0 to 1ms.

13. The method according to claim 2 or any one of claims 6-12, characterized in that, The timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c +N TA,2 *T2; or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,2 T2 is the second timing advance adjustment amount, T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and N is the second timing advance adjustment amount. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The first receiving unit is configured to receive a random access response or contention resolution message, wherein the random access response or contention resolution message includes a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, wherein the first transmission delay is the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device; A transmitting unit is used to transmit uplink information, wherein the timing advance for transmitting the uplink information is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that, The device further includes: The second receiving unit is configured to receive a System Message Block (SIB), wherein the SIB is used to broadcast system information to the coverage area of ​​the first beam; wherein: The SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or indication information of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and The timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The first sending unit is used to send a random access response or contention resolution message, wherein the random access response or contention resolution message includes a first timing advance adjustment amount, the first timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the difference between a first transmission delay and a second transmission delay, wherein the first transmission delay is the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device, and the second transmission delay is the transmission delay between the reference point and the network device; The receiving unit is used to receive uplink information.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 or 16, characterized in that, The second transmission delay is used to determine the time when the network device receives the uplink information.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c ;or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that, The device further includes: The second transmitting unit is used to transmit a system message block (SIB), which is used to broadcast system information to the coverage area of ​​the first beam. The SIB includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount, wherein the second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay; and The timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14 or 16, characterized in that, The random access response also includes a second timing advance adjustment amount or an indication of the second timing advance adjustment amount. The second timing advance adjustment amount is used to compensate for the second transmission delay. The timing advance amount is determined based on the first timing advance adjustment amount and the second timing advance adjustment amount.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15, 19, or 20, characterized in that, The indication information for the second timing advance adjustment amount is one of the following: The absolute position information of the reference point; The relative position information of the reference point; or The parameters in the first formula are used to determine the second timing advance adjustment amount.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15 or any one of claims 19-21, characterized in that, The first timing advance adjustment amount is carried in the timing advance command field, wherein: The first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field; or The first timing advance adjustment amount is determined based on the value of the timing advance command field and the subcarrier interval configuration.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that, The value of the advance command field is T. A ,in: The first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16, where T A The value range of N is 0 to 1282. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system. s ;or The first timing advance adjustment amount satisfies the following formula: N TA,1 =T A *16*64 / 2 u , among which, T A The value range is 0 to 3846, where u is the subcarrier spacing configuration, and N is the subcarrier spacing configuration. TA,1 The time unit is T, which is supported in the new wireless communication system. c .

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, characterized in that, The time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount is less than or equal to the maximum adjustment time supported by the first timing advance adjustment amount.

25. The apparatus according to claim 15 or any one of claims 19-22, characterized in that, The second timing advance adjustment amount corresponds to a time granularity of 1ms, and the first timing advance adjustment amount supports an adjustment time range of -0.5ms to 0.5ms or 0 to 1ms.

26. The apparatus according to claim 15 or any one of claims 19-25, characterized in that, The timing advance satisfies one of the following formulas: T TA =N TA,1 *T c +N TA,2 *T2; or Among them, T TA Let N be the timing advance. TA,1 N is the amount of advance adjustment for the first timing. TA,2 T2 is the second timing advance adjustment amount, T2 is the time granularity corresponding to the second timing advance adjustment amount, and N is the second timing advance adjustment amount. TA,offset To allow for advance offset, For public timing advance, T c This is the time unit supported in the new wireless communication system.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and an interface for sending and / or receiving signals, such that the processor performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

29. A readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed, the computer performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program instructions that cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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