Repeated transmission method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a repeated transmission method and a communication apparatus, which can mitigate the problem of PDCCH overlap to improve communication performance, and are applicable to a communication system. The method comprises: receiving first information, wherein the first information is used for indicating time-domain resources occupied by PDCCHs respectively corresponding to K SSBs, a PDCCH corresponding to an i-th SSB among the K SSBs comprises an initial transmission and a repeated transmission, an interval between a slot occupied by the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and a slot occupied by the repeated transmission thereof is a first time length, the first time length is associated with a first parameter, and time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCHs respectively corresponding to the K SSBs do not overlap, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K; and receiving a first PDCCH on the basis of the first information, the first PDCCH comprising an initial transmission and a repeated transmission of a PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

Description

Repeated transmission method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510395347.9, filed on March 28, 2025, entitled "Repeated Transmission Method and Communication Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In communication systems, retransmitting signals can improve demodulation performance. Signals carried on the physical downlink control channel can also be retransmitted. However, when different synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) are retransmitted in the time domain, overlapping may occur. Overlapping PDCCHs can interfere with each other, affecting communication performance. Therefore, improving communication performance is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method and apparatus for repeated transmission, which can solve the problem of overlapping physical downlink control channels and thus improve communication performance.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A first aspect provides a repetitive transmission method. The repetitive transmission method includes: a first communication device receiving first information from a second communication device, the first information indicating the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of K synchronization signals and Physical Broadcast Channel Blocks (SSBs), wherein the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes initial transmission and repetitive transmission, the time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the time slot occupied by the repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB are spaced apart by a first time length, the first time length being associated with a first parameter, the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs not overlapping, K being an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i being a positive integer less than or equal to K; the first communication device receiving a first PDCCH from the second communication device according to the first information, the first PDCCH including the initial transmission and repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

[0007] As an example, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or parts. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or parts may be used in the terminal device.

[0008] Based on the repetitive transmission method provided in the first aspect, the first communication device can receive first information and receive the first PDCCH according to the first information. Since the time length between the first transmission and repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB indicated by the first information is the first time length, which is related to the first parameter, and the time domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap, the overlap of PDCCHs corresponding to different SSBs can be improved, thereby improving communication performance.

[0009] Secondly, a repetitive transmission method is provided. This repetitive transmission method includes: a second communication device sending first information to a first communication device, the first information indicating the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K synchronization signals and Physical Broadcast Channel Blocks (SSBs); the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes initial transmission and repetitive transmission; the time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the time slot occupied by the repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB are spaced apart by a first time length, the first time length being associated with a first parameter; the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap; K is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K; the second communication device sending a first PDCCH to the first communication device, the first PDCCH including the initial transmission and repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

[0010] As an example, the second communication device may be a network device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or parts. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or parts may be used in a network device.

[0011] In conjunction with the methods provided in the first or second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first parameter is used to indicate the degree of overlap of the temporal resources of the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first parameter is equal to 1, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 4 time slots; or, the first parameter is equal to 1 / 2, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 2 time slots; or, the first parameter is equal to 2, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 1 time slot. In this way, a smaller first time length can be used when the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs do not overlap, thus balancing communication latency and communication performance.

[0013] In one possible implementation, there is a pre-configured correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter. This allows the first time length to be determined based on the first parameter, eliminating the need for separate indication and reducing signaling overhead.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate the offset between the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB, the offset being associated with a first parameter, and the first time length being determined based on the offset.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB reside in the same search space; alternatively, the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB resides in a first search space, and the repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB reside in a second search space, wherein the first search space and the second search space are different. This allows for more flexible setting of the first time length and a wider range of applicability.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a first parameter and an indication of repeated transmission of the PDCCH. The indication of repeated transmission of the PDCCH occupies at least one bit, and the first time length is associated with the value of the at least one bit and the first parameter. This allows the first communication device to indicate whether to repeat transmission based on the actual scenario, making the communication method more flexible and further improving communication performance.

[0017] In one possible implementation, when at least one bit is 01, 10, or 11, the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap.

[0018] In one possible implementation, at least one bit is carried in the Master System Information Block (MIB) and / or the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). This allows for the reuse of existing information in the SSB, reducing signaling overhead.

[0019] For example, at least one bit is carried in the redundant bits of the main system information block and / or the reserved bits in the physical broadcast channel. That is, existing bits in the main system information block and / or the physical broadcast channel can be reused, thereby reducing implementation complexity and signaling overhead.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first parameter is equal to 1 / 2, and the K SSBs include the first SSB, the second SSB, the third SSB, and the fourth SSB. The first information is used to indicate that: the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB is located in time slot n and time slot n+1; the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB is located in time slot n and time slot n+1; and the time domain symbol occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB is different from that occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB; the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB is located in time slot n+2 and time slot n+3; and the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB is located in time slot n+2 and time slot n+3; and the time domain symbol occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB is different from that occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB. n is a positive integer. The PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB and the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB occupy symbols q and q+N respectively in one time slot. The PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB and the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB occupy symbols p and p+N respectively in one time slot. q and p are positive integers less than or equal to the total number of symbols in one time slot, and p≠q, p≠q+N, q≠p+N, where N is the number of symbols occupied by the control resource set corresponding to the PDCCH. This design ensures compatibility with existing terminal devices and expands the application scenarios.

[0021] Thirdly, a repetitive transmission method is provided. This repetitive transmission method includes: a first communication device receiving second information from a second communication device, the second information indicating a second time length between a first time-domain resource and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the i-th SSB among K SSBs, and the time slot occupied by the repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB; the second information is carried in the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) and / or the Master System Information Block (MIB). The first communication device receives the first transmission of the second PDCCH from the second communication device on the first time-domain resource, and receives the repetitive transmission of the second PDCCH from the second communication device on the second time-domain resource; the first PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to an SSB among the K SSBs, and the second time-domain resource is determined based on the first time-domain resource and the second time length.

[0022] As an example, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or parts. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or parts may be used in the terminal device.

[0023] Based on the method provided in the third aspect, the time length between the initial transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH can be indicated by existing signaling. This allows for matching different second time lengths according to actual conditions, making the repeated transmission of the PDCCH more flexible. Indicating the second time length in existing information can reduce resource overhead. In summary, the above method can balance resource overhead and flexibility in repeated transmission.

[0024] Fourthly, a retransmission method is provided. This retransmission method includes: a second communication device sending second information to a first communication device. The second information indicates a second time length between the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the i-th SSB among K SSBs and the time slot occupied by the retransmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. The second information is carried in the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) and / or the Master System Information Block (MIB). The second time length is determined based on the first and second time domain resources. The second communication device sends the first transmission of a second PDCCH to the first communication device on the first time domain resources, and sends the retransmission of a first PDCCH to the first communication device on the second time domain resources. The second PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to one of the K SSBs. The second time domain resources are determined based on the first time domain resources and the second time length.

[0025] As an example, the second communication device may be a network device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or parts. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or parts may be used in a network device.

[0026] In conjunction with the methods provided in the third or fourth aspect, one possible implementation scheme involves the second information being carried in the physical broadcast channel and / or the main system information block. This includes: the second information being carried in reserved bits of the physical broadcast channel, and / or the second information being carried in at least one bit of the reserved bits of the physical broadcast channel and redundant bits of the main system information block. This means that existing bits in the main system information block and / or the physical broadcast channel can be reused, thereby reducing implementation complexity and signaling overhead.

[0027] In one possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the second information and the second time length.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the second information includes at least two bits, which are used to indicate repeated transmission of the PDCCH and to determine a second time length. This allows for indication of whether to repeatedly transmit the PDCCH, making the communication method more flexible.

[0029] In one possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the second time length and the values ​​of at least two bits; alternatively, there is a correspondence between the second time length, the values ​​of at least two bits, and a first parameter, which indicates the degree of overlap of the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs being monitored. This allows for indication of different second time lengths, making the location of repeated PDCCH transmissions more flexible.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs do not overlap. This reduces the overlap between different PDCCHs and improves communication performance.

[0031] Fifthly, a method for repeated transmission is provided. The method includes: a first communication device receiving downlink control information from a second communication device, the downlink control information indicating a third time-domain resource occupied by the initial transmission of first data, and a third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the first data; the first communication device receiving the initial transmission of the first data on the third time-domain resource, and receiving the repeated transmission of the first data on a fourth time-domain resource, the fourth time-domain resource being determined based on the third time-domain resource and the third time length.

[0032] As an example, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or parts. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or parts may be used in the terminal device.

[0033] Based on the retransmission method provided in the fifth aspect, the third time length between the first transmission and the retransmission of the first data can be indicated by the downlink control information. In this way, the overlap between the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the retransmission can be reduced, thereby improving the decoding performance of the first data.

[0034] Furthermore, the resources for the initial transmission of first data can be configured based on existing technologies, making it compatible with existing technologies and applicable to more types of terminals.

[0035] A sixth aspect provides a method for repeated transmission, the method comprising: a second communication device sending downlink control information to a first communication device, the downlink control information indicating a third time domain resource occupied by the initial transmission of first data, and a third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the first data; the second communication device sending the initial transmission of the first data to the first communication device on the third time domain resource, and sending the repeated transmission of the first data to the first communication device on a fourth time domain resource, the fourth time domain resource being determined based on the third time domain resource and the third time length.

[0036] As an example, the second communication device may be a network device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or parts. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or parts may be used in a network device.

[0037] In conjunction with the methods provided in the fifth or sixth aspect, one possible implementation includes a first bit in the downlink control information. This first bit indicates the retransmission of the first data, and the value of the first bit and the third time interval between the retransmission of the first data and its initial transmission are pre-configured. Thus, the third time interval can be indicated by the first bit, reducing signaling overhead.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the downlink control information includes multiple bits. The first bit of these bits indicates that the first data will be repeatedly transmitted. The other bits, excluding the first bit, indicate a third time interval between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the first data. This allows for a wider range of possible third time interval types and more flexible timing of the repeated transmission of the first data.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the first bit is either the most significant bit or the least significant bit among the multiple bits. This allows for the use of consecutive bits to indicate a third time length, reducing processing complexity.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the first bit is also used to indicate that a second piece of data, different from the first, will be transmitted repeatedly. This allows the first bit to be reused, reducing signaling overhead.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the first data is system message block one, and the second data is a contention resolution message used in the random access procedure, namely message four.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the first bit is also used to indicate a fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data. In this way, the first bit can be reused, reducing signaling overhead.

[0043] A seventh aspect provides a communication apparatus. This communication apparatus is used to execute the communication method described in any one of the implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0044] In this application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device can be a network device (such as a radio access network (RAN) node), a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a network device.

[0045] It should be understood that the communication apparatus described in the seventh aspect includes modules, units, or means that implement the communication methods described in any of the first to fourth aspects. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units for performing the functions involved in the aforementioned communication methods.

[0046] Eighthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor configured to execute the communication method described in any of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the eighth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the eighth aspect and other communication devices.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the eighth aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store computer programs (or code instructions or program instructions) and / or data related to the communication method described in any of the first to fourth aspects.

[0049] In this application, the communication device described in the eighth aspect can be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device can be a network device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a network device.

[0050] A ninth aspect provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory, such that the communication device performs the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first to fourth aspects.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the ninth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the ninth aspect and other communication devices.

[0052] In this application, the communication device described in the ninth aspect can be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device can be a network device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a network device.

[0053] A tenth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the communication method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the tenth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the tenth aspect and other communication devices.

[0055] In this application, the communication device described in aspect ten can be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device can be a network device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit with communication function, the chip, the chip system, or other components or assemblies can be applied in a network device.

[0056] Eleventhly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor being configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading a computer program from the memory, to execute a communication method as described in any one of the first to fourth aspects according to the computer program.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the eleventh aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the eleventh aspect and other communication devices.

[0058] In this application, the communication device described in the eleventh aspect can be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit with communication function, a chip, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, or the circuit, chip, chip system, or other components or assemblies with communication function can be applied in the terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device can be a network device (such as a radio access network (RAN) node), a communication module, a circuit, chip, chip system, or other components or assemblies with communication function. The communication module, the circuit, chip, chip system, or other components or assemblies with communication function can be applied in the network device.

[0059] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes one or more terminal devices and one or more network devices.

[0060] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the communication method described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0061] In a fourteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0062] Furthermore, the technical effects of aspects seven through fourteen above can be referred to with reference to the technical effects of the communication methods described in aspects one through four above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the PDCCH scheduling and PDSCH scheduling process provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the time-domain location of the PDCCH when M=1;

[0066] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the time-domain location of the PDCCH when M = 1 / 2;

[0067] Figure 5 shows the time-domain location of the PDCCH when M=2;

[0068] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a repetitive transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of PDCCH in the search space provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the time domain location of the PDCCH when the first parameter is equal to 1 according to the embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the time domain location of the PDCCH when the first parameter is equal to 2 according to the embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the time domain location of the PDCCH when the first parameter is equal to 3 according to the embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the time domain location of the PDCCH in the PDCCH mode provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating another repetitive transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating another repetitive transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a first data scheduling relationship provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another first data scheduling relationship provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0080] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems, etc.

[0081] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0082] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0083] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0084] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0085] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0086] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical (PHY) layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0087] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they distinguish different indication information.

[0088] Third, "pre-defined," "pre-configured," or "pre-specified" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0089] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as LTE protocols of the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0090] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0091] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0092] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail first using the communication system shown in FIG1 as an example. Exemplarily, FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the method provided in the embodiments of this application applies. As shown in FIG1, the communication system includes network devices and terminal devices.

[0093] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes at least one network device (such as network device 110a and network device 110b) and at least one terminal device (such as terminal device 120a to terminal device 120j).

[0094] Terminal devices can connect to network devices wirelessly, and network devices can connect to the core network 130 via wired or wireless means. Network devices can connect to the Internet 140, and the core network 130 can connect to the Internet 140.

[0095] Among them, network devices and terminal devices can exchange information.

[0096] Terminal equipment can be a terminal with transceiver capabilities. This terminal equipment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user apparatus. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal device in this application can also be an onboard module, onboard unit, onboard component, onboard chip, or onboard unit, which is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal device can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the function, such as a communication module, chip, chip system, other components or parts, or circuits or functional components. This device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. The chip system can be composed of chips or include chips and other discrete devices.Among them, the various forms of terminal devices mentioned above can also be referred to as terminal-side devices.

[0097] In this application embodiment, the network device can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. For example, the network device can be a device located in the access network (AN) of a communication system, which can be used to provide access services for terminals. In one possible scenario, the network device can be a radio access network (RAN) device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), or a base station in a future communication system. In future mobile communication systems, the network device may also have other naming conventions, all of which are covered within the protection scope of this application embodiment, and this application does not impose any limitations on them. Alternatively, the network device may also include 5G, such as a next-generation mobile communication base station (gNB) in an NR system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a 5G base station, or it may be a network node constituting a gNB, a transmission and reception point (TRP or transmission point (TP)) or a transmission measurement function (TMF). Alternatively, the network device 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 wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Optionally, the network device can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network device in V2X technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the network device 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 network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device functions.

[0098] Alternatively, a network device can be a logical unit used to implement the functions of a cell, or in other words, a network device corresponds to a cell.

[0099] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with each network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, network devices can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0100] In different systems, CU (or centralized unit control plane (CU-CP)) and centralized unit user plane (CU-UP)), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) (open CU), DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU units in this application can be implemented through a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0101] In this embodiment, the form of the network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be the network device itself; it can also be any device that supports the network device in implementing that function, such as a communication module, chip, chip system, other components or parts, or circuits or functional components. This device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. The chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. The network devices of the various forms described above can also be referred to as network-side devices.

[0102] It should be understood that Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding only, and the communication system may also include other network devices and / or other terminal devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0103] Network equipment includes an RRC signaling interaction module, a MAC signaling interaction module, and a PHY signaling and data interaction module. Terminal equipment includes an RRC signaling interaction module, a MAC signaling interaction module, and a PHY signaling and data interaction module.

[0104] Network devices and terminal devices can exchange RRC signaling via the RRC signaling interaction module. They can also exchange Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) signaling via the MAC signaling interaction module. Finally, they can exchange one or more of the following via the PHY interaction module: uplink control signaling, downlink control signaling (such as DCI), uplink data, or downlink data.

[0105] The technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0106] 1. Search space (SS), also known as physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) SS.

[0107] In communication systems, such as NR communication systems, access network devices can configure terminal devices with the type of DCI to be monitored, the time-domain location of the monitored DCI, and the number of PDCCH candidates, monitoring period, and location for each aggregation level (AL) within the search space.

[0108] The PDCCH search space can be of two types: common search space (CSS) and UE-specific search space (USS).

[0109] Among them, CSS can be divided according to the role of DCI carried by PDCCH monitored in the PDCCH search space. For example, for PDCCH that carries DCI for scheduling system information block (SIB1), the search space is Type0-PDCCH SS.

[0110] The search space for the PDCCH used by the DCI to schedule the data channel is Type1-PDCCH SS. The data channel can be the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the information carried can be message 2 (Msg2), message 4 (Msg4), etc., which will not be elaborated further.

[0111] For the DCI carried by the PDCCH used to schedule other system information (OSI), the search space is Type0A-PDCCH SS. In some examples, the OSI can be the OSI in system information block 19 (SIB19).

[0112] It is understood that the format of the DCI mentioned above can be DCI format 1_0, and the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code of the DCI can be scrambled by the system information-radio network temporary identifier.

[0113] For ease of description, the embodiments in this application mainly use Type 0-PDCCH SS as an example, but the possibility of repeated PDCCH transmission in other types of SS is not excluded.

[0114] Type0-PDCCH SS can be configured through the master information block (MIB), such as through "pdcchConfigSib1" in the MIB; or, Type0-PDCCH SS can be configured through SIB1.

[0115] 2. PDCCH monitoring occasion: This refers to the time-domain location of a DCI scrambled by an RNTI under a certain search space configuration, such as a continuous symbol location or a slot location. In the embodiments of this application, the symbol can be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

[0116] 3. PDCCH candidate: A temporal resource used for UE blind detection of PDCCH. A search space includes PDCCH candidates for each aggregation level configured for that search space. During UE blind detection, each PDCCH candidate in the control resource set (CORESET) of the corresponding monitoring occasion is blindly detected one by one according to the different configured ALs until the DCI format monitored by the UE is detected, or until the maximum number of blind detections is reached.

[0117] 4. PDCCH scheduling and PDSCH scheduling.

[0118] As shown in Figure 2, the PDCCH scheduling process includes S201 and S202.

[0119] S201, the network device sends an SSB to the UE.

[0120] The SSB includes information indicating the symbols occupied by the PDCCH in a time slot. The SSB also includes parameters such as M.

[0121] S202, the network device sends a PDCCH to the UE.

[0122] The PDCCH is used to carry downlink information. For example, the PDCCH can be used to carry DCI.

[0123] PDSCH scheduling includes S202 mentioned above and S203 and S204 below.

[0124] S203, the UE monitors the PDCCH in the configured search space.

[0125] The PDCCH carries the DCI (Distributed Control Information). This DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH (Programmed Distribution Controller). The DCI may include information indicating the time-domain location of the PDSCH.

[0126] S204, The network device sends the PDSCH to the UE according to the PDSCH time domain location indicated by the DCI.

[0127] Understandably, in some scenarios, PDCCH scheduling can be implemented by SIB1.

[0128] The information carried in this PDSCH can be SIB1, or message four in the random access procedure.

[0129] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, sending a PDCCH means sending the information carried on the PDCCH. Receiving a PDCCH means receiving the information carried on the PDCCH. Similarly, sending a PDSCH means sending the information carried on the PDSCH. Receiving a PDSCH means receiving the information carried on the PDSCH.

[0130] 5. PDCCH retransmission, SIB retransmission, and message quadruple retransmission schemes.

[0131] 5.1 PDCCH repeated transmission.

[0132] In some protocol versions, such as 3GPP protocol version 19 (release 19, R19) technical specification (TS) 38.213, repeated transmission of PDCCH within a common search space set (CSS set) is supported. The search space sets that allow repeated transmission of PDCCH include Type0-PDCCH CSS, Type0A-PDCCH CSS, Type1-PDCCH CSS, and Type2-PDCCH CSS.

[0133] In R19, in a Type 0 PDCCH repeating CSS, the first transmission of the PDCCH and the repeating transmission of the PDCCH are located in different time slots. That is, for Type 0 PDCCH CSS, the PDCCH repeats between time slots.

[0134] For repeated PDCCH transmissions, the time-domain resources occupied by the PDCCH can be located in two consecutive time slots. For example, the first transmission of the PDCCH occurs in time slot n0, and repeated transmissions occur in time slot n0+1. For instance, in the case of SSB-CORESET0 multiplexing mode 1, the UE can monitor the PDCCH in two consecutive time slots, where time slot n0 is determined based on the SSB index corresponding to the UE's beam.

[0135] Alternatively, the time-domain resources occupied by the PDCCH can be located in two discontinuous time slots. For example, the first transmission of the PDCCH may be in time slot n0, and the repeated transmissions may be in time slot n0+X; or, the first transmission of the PDCCH may be in time slot n0+1, and the repeated transmissions may be in time slot n0+1+X. Here, n0 can be as defined in Part 13 of 3GPP TS38.213, and n0 and X are positive integers.

[0136] 5.2 SIB1 repeated transmission.

[0137] SIB1 can be carried in a PDSCH. The PDSCH used to carry SIB1 can also be called SIB1 PDSCH. SIB retransmission is SIB1 PDSCH retransmission. SIB1 can be retransmitted in two time slots, that is, the first transmission of SIB1 is in one time slot, and the retransmission of SIB1 is in another time slot.

[0138] 5.3 Msg4 is transmitted repeatedly.

[0139] Msg4 repeat transmission can be UE-specific repeat indication via DCI, or configured via SIB1, or implicitly indicated via SIB1PDSCH repeat transmission.

[0140] 6. Parameter M.

[0141] The parameter M is used to determine the degree of overlap of the temporal resources of the UE monitoring PDCCH within the beams corresponding to different SSBs in a cell. M has three possible values: 1, 1 / 2, or 2, with different values ​​of M corresponding to different degrees of overlap.

[0142] For the UE, parameter M can be configured by the access network device. In some cases, M can be obtained through the field "pdcchConfigSIB1" in the MIB. In this case, the UE can obtain M by receiving and decoding the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block in the SSB.

[0143] The following examples, using SSB0 to SSB3, illustrate the distribution of PDCCHs under different values ​​of M and the monitoring timing for the PDCCHs corresponding to each SSB. For ease of understanding, the monitoring timing for the first transmission of a PDCCH corresponding to an SSB and the monitoring timing for repeated transmissions of a PDCCH corresponding to an SSB are referred to as the monitoring timing for the PDCCH corresponding to that SSB.

[0144] When M=1, the time slots corresponding to the first monitoring opportunity of each of the N SSBs are consecutive. As shown in Figure 3, taking SSB0 to SSB3 as examples, the first monitoring opportunity of each of the 4 SSBs is 4 consecutive time slots. Assuming that the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB is located in two consecutive time slots, the monitoring opportunity for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is time slot n. Then, the monitoring opportunity for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is time slot n+1, the monitoring opportunity for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is time slot n+1, the monitoring opportunity for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is time slot n+2, the monitoring opportunity for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is time slot n+2, the monitoring opportunity for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is time slot n+3, the monitoring opportunity for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is time slot n+3, and the monitoring opportunity for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is time slot n+4. The time domain location of the PDCCH corresponding to each SSB is the same as the time domain location of the monitoring timing of the PDCCH corresponding to that SSB. The PDCCH occupies the same number of symbols in a time slot, such as two consecutive symbols, like symbol 0 and symbol 1. Therefore, it can be seen that the time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 overlap with the time domain resources occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0, the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 overlaps with the time domain resources occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1, and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 overlaps with the time domain resources occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2.

[0145] In this embodiment of the application, the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB can also be understood as the PDCCH corresponding to the index of the SSB, which will not be elaborated further.

[0146] When M = 1 / 2, the monitoring timing of the PDCCH corresponding to the j-th SSB completely overlaps with the monitoring timing of the PDCCH corresponding to the (j+1)-th SSB, and the monitoring timing of the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the k-th SSB overlaps with the monitoring timing of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the (k+1)-th SSB, where j is an even number and k is an odd number. As shown in Figure 4, taking SSB0 to SSB3 as examples, assuming that the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB is located in two consecutive time slots, then the monitoring timing of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 are both in time slot n, and the monitoring timing of the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 are both in time slot n+1. The monitoring timing for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is both in time slot n+1. The monitoring timing for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is both in time slot n+2. Therefore, the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the k-th SSB overlaps with the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the (k+1)-th SSB. The time domain position of the time slot containing the PDCCH corresponding to each SSB is the same as the time domain position of the monitoring timing of the PDCCH corresponding to that SSB. The PDCCH corresponding to the j-th SSB occupies the same number of symbols in a time slot, which are always two consecutive symbols, such as symbol 0 and symbol 1. The PDCCH corresponding to the (j+1)-th SSB also occupies the same number of symbols in a time slot, which are always two consecutive symbols, such as symbol 2 and symbol 3.

[0147] When M=2, the monitoring timing of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB is offset by one time slot relative to the monitoring timing of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the (i+1)-th SSB. The first transmission and repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB are located in consecutive time slots. The time domain position of the time slot where the PDCCH corresponding to each SSB is located is the same as the time domain position of the monitoring timing of the PDCCH corresponding to that SSB. The PDCCH corresponding to each SSB occupies the same number of symbols in a time slot, which are two consecutive symbols, such as symbol 0 and symbol 1. As shown in Figure 5, taking SSBs including SSB0 to SSB3 as an example, assuming that the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB is located in two consecutive time slots, the monitoring timing for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is time slot n. Then, the monitoring timing for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is time slot n+1, the monitoring timing for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is time slot n+2, the monitoring timing for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is time slot n+3, the monitoring timing for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is time slot n+4, the monitoring timing for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is time slot n+5, the monitoring timing for the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is time slot n+6, and the monitoring timing for the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is time slot n+7. The time domain location of the PDCCH corresponding to each SSB is the same as the time domain location of the monitoring timing of the PDCCH corresponding to that SSB. The PDCCH occupies the same number of symbols in a time slot, such as two consecutive symbols, like symbol 0 and symbol 1. The relationship between the PDCCH corresponding to each SSB from SSB0 to SSB4 and the monitoring timing is shown in Figure 5.

[0148] Based on the above analysis, it can be seen that when M=1 and M=1 / 2, the PDCCHs corresponding to different SSBs may overlap when they are repeatedly transmitted in the time domain. The PDCCHs that overlap in the time domain will interfere with each other, thus affecting the communication efficiency. Therefore, how to improve the efficiency of repeated transmission is an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0149] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a method for repeated transmission. It should be noted that the communication method provided in this application can be applied between the terminal device and the network device shown in Figure 1. For specific implementation, please refer to the following method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced by the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0151] The following embodiments illustrate the method provided by the embodiments of this application in conjunction with a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device may be a terminal device in the communication system shown in FIG1, and the second communication device may be a network device in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​In this repetitive transmission method, the second communication device may send first information to the first communication device to indicate the resources occupied by the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs, and send the first PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB. Since the first time length of the interval between the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the repetitive transmission of the i-th PDCCH is associated with the first parameter of the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB, and the PDCCHs corresponding to different SSBs do not overlap, the overlap of PDCCHs corresponding to different SSBs can be improved, thereby improving communication performance.

[0152] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0153] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a repetitive transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application. This repetitive transmission method can be applied to communication between a first communication device and a second communication device.

[0154] S601, the second communication device sends first information to the first communication device. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information from the second communication device.

[0155] The first information is used to indicate the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K SSBs. The PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes the first transmission and repeated transmissions. The time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB are separated by a first time length. The first time length is associated with the first parameter. The time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap. K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0156] The PDCCH corresponding to the SSB is determined based on the information in the SSB.

[0157] The first parameter is used to determine the degree of overlap of temporal resources for UE monitoring PDCCH within the beams corresponding to different SSBs within a cell, such as parameter M mentioned above. In this embodiment, the first parameter is used to indicate the degree of overlap of temporal resources for monitoring PDCCH corresponding to K SSBs. Optionally, the first parameter can be equal to 1, or the first parameter can be equal to 1 / 2, or the first parameter can be equal to 2. The first parameter can be applied to terminal devices within the beams corresponding to K SSBs to determine the timing of PDCCH monitoring.

[0158] The first time length is the time length between the k-th symbol of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB in K SSBs and the u-th symbol of the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. For example, it can be the time length between the start symbol of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the start symbol of the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. Another example is the time length between the end symbol of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the end symbol of the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. Yet another example is the time length between the k-th symbol of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the 1st SSB and the u-th symbol of the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. Both k and u are positive integers and less than the number of symbols in a time slot, and k ≠ u.

[0159] Alternatively, the first time length is the time interval between the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. For example, the first time length is the time length between the start time of the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the start time of the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB; or, the first time length is the time length between the end time of the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the end time of the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB; or, the first time length is the time length between the start time of the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the end time of the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB; or, the first time length is the time length between the end time of the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the start time of the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB.

[0160] It is understandable that the granularity of the first time length and the granularity of the resources occupied by PDCCH are used as examples. In actual implementation, there may be other ways to implement the granularity of the first time length and the granularity of the resources occupied by PDCCH, which will not be elaborated here.

[0161] The first time length is associated with the first parameter, meaning the first parameter affects the first time length.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the first parameter is equal to 1, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 4 time slots; or, the first parameter is equal to 1 / 2, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 2 time slots; or, the first parameter is equal to 2, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 1 time slot. In this way, a smaller first time length can be used when the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs do not overlap, thus balancing communication latency and communication performance.

[0163] The first communication device can determine the first time length by combining the first parameter. The following will explain this in different scenarios.

[0164] It is understandable that the first time length can be indicated by the first information. The implementation of the first information indicating the first time length will be explained below and will not be repeated here.

[0165] The time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs do not overlap. That is, the time-domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the j-th SSB and the time-domain resources occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the j-th SSB do not overlap with the time-domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the k-th SSB and the time-domain resources occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the k-th SSB. j and k are integers less than or equal to K, and j ≠ k.

[0166] The first information may include the first parameter.

[0167] In this embodiment, the first information can be carried on one of the K SSBs. The first information can determine the time-domain resource information of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs according to existing technology. For example, the first information can determine the time-domain resource information of the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs through the parameter indication in the field "pdcchConfigSIB1" in the MIB.

[0168] The first communication device can determine the time domain resources for repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB based on the time domain resources for determining the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB.

[0169] S602, the second communication device sends a first PDCCH to the first communication device. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first PDCCH from the second communication device according to the first information.

[0170] The first PDCCH includes the initial transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

[0171] The first SSB is the SSB corresponding to the beam where the first communication device is located among the K SSBs.

[0172] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, PDCCH and PDSCH are used as examples. With the evolution of communication technology, PDCCH and PDSCH may have other possible names, which will not be elaborated here.

[0173] As mentioned earlier, the first time length can be indicated by the first information. The following describes how the first information indicates the first time length in different ways.

[0174] Method 1: Indirectly indicate the first time length by indicating the first parameter.

[0175] In method 1.1, there is a correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter, and this correspondence can be pre-configured, such as by agreement through a protocol or pre-stored in the communication device. In this case, the first communication device can determine the first time length by combining the first parameter and the correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter. Thus, the first time length can be determined based on the first parameter without requiring a separate indication of the first time length, thereby reducing signaling overhead. The following example illustrates the correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter.

[0176] For example, the first communication device may pre-configure a correspondence between at least one first parameter and a first time length, such as the relationship shown in Table 1 below. Here, the first parameter of the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB is one of at least one first parameter.

[0177] Table 1

[0178] Referring to Table 1, if the first parameter is 1, the first time length is the length of 4 time slots; if the first parameter is 1 / 2, the first time length is the length of 2 time slots; and if the first parameter is 2, the first time length is the length of 1 time slot. The relationships shown in Table 1 are for illustrative purposes only. In actual implementation, there may be other corresponding relationships between the first parameter and the first time length, which will not be elaborated upon.

[0179] When the correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter is pre-configured, the first communication device can determine the first time length by combining the first parameter and the pre-configured correspondence between the first parameter and the first time length, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of indicating the first time length.

[0180] If the correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter is agreed upon by the protocol, optionally, information indicating the first time length corresponding to each value of the first parameter can be added to the existing table in the protocol, such as Table 13-11 of TS 38.213.

[0181] In method 1.2, the first information is used to indicate the offset between the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. The offset is associated with the first parameter, and the first time length is determined based on the offset.

[0182] The offset between the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB can refer to the number of time slots offset or the number of symbols offset.

[0183] Optionally, a correspondence exists between the bias and the first parameter, and this correspondence can be pre-configured, such as by agreement through a protocol or pre-stored in the communication device. In this case, the first communication device can determine the first parameter by combining the first parameter and the correspondence between the bias and the first parameter.

[0184] For example, taking the number of time slots with offset as an example, the first communication device can pre-configure at least one correspondence between offset and first time length, such as the relationship shown in Table 2 below. Here, the first parameter of the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB is one of at least one first parameter.

[0185] Table 2

[0186] The first time length is determined based on the bias, and the first time length can be equal to the bias.

[0187] Referring to Table 2, if the first parameter is 1, the offset is 4, and the first time length is the length of 4 time slots; if the first parameter is 1 / 2, the offset is 2, and the first time length is the length of 2 time slots; if the first parameter is 2, the offset is 1, and the first time length is the length of 1 time slot.

[0188] It is understandable that the first time length may not be equal to the bias. For example, the first time length may be determined by the bias according to a preset mapping rule. For instance, the first time length may be v times the bias.

[0189] The relationship shown in Table 2 above is for illustrative purposes. In actual implementation, there may be other corresponding relationships between the first parameter and the first time length. For example, the above bias may refer to the number of bias symbols, which will not be elaborated here.

[0190] Optionally, as shown in Figure 7(a), the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB are located in the same search space, such as both being located in the first search space. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7(b), the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB is located in the first search space, and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB is located in the second search space, where the first search space and the second search space are different. This makes the setting of the first time length more flexible and has a wider range of applications.

[0191] In Method 1, the first information may further include at least one bit, which is used to indicate whether the PDCCH is transmitted repeatedly. For example, when the at least one bit includes a single bit, the at least one bit being 1 indicates that the PDCCH is transmitted repeatedly, and the at least one bit being 0 indicates that the PDCCH is not transmitted repeatedly.

[0192] Method 2: The first information can indicate the first time length using at least one bit.

[0193] The first information includes a first parameter and an indication of repeated PDCCH transmission. The indication of repeated PDCCH transmission occupies at least one bit, and the first time length is associated with the value of the at least one bit and the first parameter. In this way, the first communication device can be instructed whether to repeat transmission according to the actual scenario, making the communication method more flexible and further improving communication performance.

[0194] In Method 2, the first time length corresponding to at least one bit is related to the first parameter. For example, if the first parameter corresponding to the PDCCH of K SSBs is 1, then the first time length corresponding to at least one bit is greater than or equal to 4 time slot lengths; if the first parameter corresponding to the PDCCH of K SSBs is 1 / 2, then the first time length corresponding to at least one bit is greater than or equal to 2 time slot lengths; if the first parameter corresponding to the PDCCH of K SSBs is 2, then the first time length corresponding to at least one bit is greater than or equal to 1 time slot length.

[0195] For example, at least one bit can be pre-configured to indicate a first time length in the case of repeated transmissions. The value of the first time length, depending on the different values ​​of the first parameter, ensures that the PDCCHs corresponding to any two SSBs among the K SSBs do not overlap.

[0196] Optionally, at least one bit may include a single bit. Exemplarily, at least one bit being "1" indicates repeated transmission of the PDCCH. In this case, the first time length is pre-configured. The first time length is greater than or equal to four time slot lengths. It is understood that at least one bit being "0" can be used to indicate non-repeated transmission of the PDCCH. It is understood that in some possible implementations, at least one bit being "0" can be used to indicate repeated transmission of the PDCCH, and at least one bit being "1" can be used to indicate repeated transmission of the PDCCH.

[0197] Optionally, at least one bit may include two or more bits. In some examples, the PDCCH can be repeatedly transmitted by agreement, in which case different values ​​of at least one bit correspond to a first time length. The correspondence between the value of at least one bit and the first time length can be pre-configured.

[0198] For example, at least one bit may include two bits, and the correspondence between the value of at least one bit and the first time length can be shown in Table 3 below.

[0199] Table 3

[0200] In other examples, at least one bit can be used to indicate whether the PDCCH is to be transmitted repeatedly, and if the value of at least one bit requires the PDCCH to be transmitted repeatedly, a first time length can be indicated.

[0201] Taking at least one bit including two bits as an example, when at least one bit is 00, it indicates that the PDCCH will not be transmitted repeatedly; when at least one bit is 01, 10, or 11, it indicates that the PDCCH will be transmitted repeatedly, and different values ​​of the at least one bit indicate different first time lengths. For example, when at least one bit indicates that the PDCCH will be transmitted repeatedly, the correspondence between the value of the at least one bit and the first time length can be agreed upon by the protocol. For example, when at least one bit is 01, 10, or 11, it indicates that the PDCCH will be transmitted repeatedly, and the correspondence between the value of the at least one bit and the first time length is shown in Table 4 below.

[0202] Table 4

[0203] Based on Table 3 above, when at least one bit is 01, 10 or 11, the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap.

[0204] In one possible implementation, at least one bit is carried in the MIB and / or PBCH, which allows for the reuse of existing information in the SSB and reduces signaling overhead.

[0205] For example, to reduce implementation complexity and signaling overhead, existing bits in the MIB and / or PBCH can be reused. For instance, at least one bit can be carried in a spare bit in the MIB and / or a reserved bit in the PBCH. The reserved bit in the PBCH can be bit "a6" and bit "a7". Furthermore, in some scenarios, such as when the communication band frequency is less than or equal to a frequency threshold (e.g., 3 GHz) and the SSB subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz, the highest bit in the PBCH used to indicate the SSB subcarrier offset, i.e., bit "a5", can also be used to carry at least one bit.

[0206] The following examples, using the first parameter, the first time length, and K SSBs (including SSB0 to SSB3), illustrate the temporal location of the PDCCH in methods 1 and 2. With the first parameter equal to 1 and the first time length equal to 4 time slots, assuming the PDCCH occupies symbols 0 and 1 in one time slot, the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 occurs is time slot n, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 occurs is time slot n+4; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 occurs is time slot n+1, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 occurs is time slot n+5; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 occurs is time slot n+2, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 occurs is time slot n+6; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 occurs is time slot n+3, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 occurs is time slot n+7. The time-domain positions of the first and repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 to SSB3 are shown in Figure 8.

[0207] With the first parameter equal to 1 / 2 and the first time length equal to 2 time slots, assuming that the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 and SSB2 each occupies symbols 0 and 1 in one time slot, and the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 and SSB3 each occupies symbols 2 and 3 in one time slot, and the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located is time slot n, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located is time slot n+1; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is located is time slot n+1; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is located is time slot n+2, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is located is time slot n+3; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is located is time slot n+2, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is located is time slot n+3. The time-domain positions of the first and repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 to SSB3 are shown in Figure 9.

[0208] With the first parameter equal to 2 and the first time length equal to 1 time slot, assuming that the PDCCH occupies symbols 0 and 1 in one time slot, the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located is time slot n, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located is time slot n+1; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is located is time slot n+2, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB1 is located is time slot n+3; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is located is time slot n+4, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB2 is located is time slot n+5; the time slot where the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is located is time slot n+6, then the time slot where the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB3 is located is time slot n+7. The time domain positions of the first and repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 to SSB3 are shown in Figure 10.

[0209] As can be seen from Figures 8 to 10 above, the time domain positions corresponding to different SSBs are different.

[0210] Method 3: The first information indicates the pattern of the PDCCH corresponding to K SSBs to indicate the first time length.

[0211] The mode of PDCCH corresponding to K SSBs refers to the relative positional relationship between the time domain resources occupied by the first transmission and the time domain resources occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to each SSB in the K SSBs.

[0212] For example, when the first parameter equals 1 / 2 and the K SSBs include the first SSB, second SSB, third SSB, and fourth SSB, the first information is used to indicate: the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB is located in time slot n and time slot n+1; the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB is located in time slot n and time slot n+1; the time domain symbol occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB is different from that occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB; the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB is located in time slot n+2 and time slot n+3; the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB is located in time slot n+2 and time slot n+3; the time domain symbol occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB is different from that occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB; and n is a positive integer. The PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB and the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB occupy symbols q and q+N in one time slot, and the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB and the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB occupy symbols p and p+N in one time slot. q and p are positive integers less than or equal to the total number of symbols in a time slot. p ≠ q, p ≠ q+N, and q ≠ p+N. N is the number of symbols occupied by the control resource set (CORESET) corresponding to the PDCCH. If the first to fourth SSBs correspond to SSB0 to SSB3 respectively, q = 0, and p = 2, then the time-domain positions of the PDCCHs corresponding to the first to fourth SSBs are shown in Figure 11. p and q can be determined according to existing techniques and will not be elaborated further.

[0213] It should be understood that the above mode is for illustrative purposes only. In actual implementation, other modes may exist, which ensure that the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap. Furthermore, the implementation principle of the PDCCH mode corresponding to the K SSBs is similar to that when the first parameter is equal to 1 or 2, and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0214] Optionally, the first information may include the positional relationship between the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs, i.e., indicating the pattern of the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs. Alternatively, the first information may include the index of the pattern. Alternatively, there may be a correspondence between the PDCCH pattern and the first parameter, which can be pre-configured. For example, the PDCCH pattern corresponding to a first parameter equal to 1 / 2 can be pre-configured via the protocol; then, based on the first parameter in the first information, the PDCCH patterns corresponding to the K SSBs can be determined.

[0215] The above implementation of the first time length is for illustrative purposes only. In actual implementation, other possible implementations exist, which will not be elaborated upon. Furthermore, the different implementations in methods 1 to 3 can be combined with each other if logically consistent. For example, for the first parameter equal to 1 and the first parameter equal to 2, the method in method 1 can be used to indicate the first time length. For the case where the first parameter is 1 / 2, the method in method 3 can be used to indicate the first time length by agreeing on the correspondence between the first parameter 1 / 2 and the PDCCH mode through a protocol.

[0216] In some examples, when the frequency range (FR1) is less than 3 gigahertz (GHz), the first time length can be indicated by method 3.

[0217] It is understandable that method 3 can also be used in other scenarios, which will not be elaborated here.

[0218] In summary, in the repetitive transmission method provided in Figure 6 above, the first communication device can receive the first information and receive the first PDCCH according to the first information. Since the time length between the first transmission and the repetitive transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB indicated by the first information is the first time length, which is related to the first parameter, and the time domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap, the overlap of PDCCHs corresponding to different SSBs can be improved, thereby improving communication performance.

[0219] In some possible embodiments, the second communication device may directly indicate to the first communication device the length of time between the first transmission and repeated transmissions of the PDCCH corresponding to the same SSB.

[0220] For example, Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of another repetitive transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application. This repetitive transmission method can be applied to communication between a first communication device and a second communication device.

[0221] A method for repeated transmission is provided. The method for repeated transmission includes:

[0222] S1201, the second communication device sends second information to the first communication device. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the second information from the second communication device.

[0223] The second information is used to indicate the second time length of the interval between the first time-domain resource and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs, and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. The second information is carried in the PBCH and / or MIB. The information in the second information used to determine the first time-domain resource can be referred to the relevant description of S201 in the method provided in Figure 2 above. For example, the first time-domain resource can be determined according to the parameters in the field "pdcchConfigSIB1" in the MIB.

[0224] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the PBCH and / or MIB, including: the second information is carried in reserved bits of the PBCH, and / or the second information is carried in at least one bit of the reserved bits of the PBCH and redundant bits of the MIB. The reserved bits in the PBCH can be bit "a6" and bit "a7". For example, in some scenarios, such as when the communication band frequency is less than or equal to a frequency threshold (e.g., 3 GHz) and the SSB subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz, the highest bit in the PBCH used to indicate the SSB subcarrier offset, i.e., bit "a5" in the PBCH, can also be used to carry at least one bit.

[0225] In one possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the second information and the second time length.

[0226] In one possible implementation, the second information includes at least two bits, which are used to indicate repeated transmission of the PDCCH and to determine the second time length.

[0227] In one possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the second time length and the values ​​of at least two bits; alternatively, there is a correspondence between the second time length, the values ​​of at least two bits, and a first parameter, where the first parameter indicates the degree of overlap of the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs being monitored. The correspondence between the second time length and the values ​​of at least two bits can be referenced from the correspondence between the bit values ​​and the first time length when at least one bit includes two bits, as shown in Figure 6 above, and will not be elaborated further.

[0228] S1202, the second communication device sends the first transmission of the second PDCCH to the first communication device on the first time domain resource, and sends repeated transmissions of the second PDCCH to the first communication device on the second time domain resource. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first transmission of the second PDCCH from the second communication device on the first time domain resource, and receives repeated transmissions of the second PDCCH from the second communication device on the second time domain resource.

[0229] The second PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB among the K SSBs, and the second time domain resource is determined based on the first time domain resource and the second time length.

[0230] Based on the method shown in Figure 12, the time length between the initial transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH can be indicated using existing signaling. This allows for matching different second time lengths according to actual conditions, making the repeated transmission of the PDCCH more flexible. Indicating the second time length in existing information can reduce resource overhead. In summary, the above method can balance resource overhead and flexibility in repeated transmission.

[0231] For example, Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of another repetitive transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application. This repetitive transmission method can be applied to communication between a first communication device and a second communication device.

[0232] S1301, the second communication device sends downlink control information to the first communication device. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives downlink control information from the second communication device.

[0233] Downlink control information is used to indicate the third time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the first data, and the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data.

[0234] The downlink control information can be carried in the first transmission of the PDCCH or in the repeated transmission of the PDCCH.

[0235] The third time length can also be called the repetition interval.

[0236] In one possible implementation, the downlink control information includes a first bit, which is used to indicate that the first data should be transmitted repeatedly. Indicating that the first data should be transmitted repeatedly can also be understood as enabling the repeated transmission of the first data, activating the function of repeatedly transmitting the first data, or repetition enabling, etc.

[0237] In this case, optionally, the third time length between the value of the first bit and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data relative to the time slot occupied by repeated transmissions of the first data is pre-configured. Thus, the third time length can be indicated by the first bit, reducing signaling overhead.

[0238] For example, a first bit of 1 indicates that the first data will be transmitted repeatedly, while a first data bit of 0 indicates that the first data will not be transmitted repeatedly. When the first bit indicates that the first data will be transmitted repeatedly, the third time length corresponding to the value of the first bit can be 4 time slots, or other possible values, which will not be elaborated further.

[0239] Optionally, the third time length between the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first parameter and the first data and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data is pre-configured. In this way, the third time length can be indicated by the first bit, which can reduce signaling overhead.

[0240] For the implementation of the first parameter, please refer to the relevant introduction in the method provided in Figure 6. For the correspondence between the third time length and the first parameter, please refer to the correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter. It will not be elaborated here.

[0241] In one possible implementation, the downlink control information includes multiple bits. The first bit of these bits indicates that the first data will be repeatedly transmitted. The other bits, excluding the first bit, indicate a third time interval between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the first data. This allows for a wider range of possible third time interval types and more flexible timing of the repeated transmission of the first data.

[0242] There is a correspondence between the values ​​of the bits other than the first bit and the third time length among multiple bits, and this correspondence can be pre-configured.

[0243] Optionally, the first bit can be the most significant bit among the multiple bits, or the first bit can be the least significant bit among the multiple bits. In this way, the bits used to indicate the third time length can be consecutive, reducing processing complexity.

[0244] Alternatively, the first bit can be any one of multiple bits.

[0245] Taking the example of multiple bits being divided into two bits, the first bit of these two bits is used to indicate repeated transmission of the first data, and the other bit is used to indicate the third time length. For example, if the bit indicating the third time length is 0, it can be used to indicate that the first data is transmitted in consecutive slots, i.e., the third time length is one slot; if the bit indicating the third time length is 1, it can be used to indicate that the third time length is Y slots. The value of Y can be preconfigured.

[0246] Taking a 3-bit approach as an example, the first bit of these 3 bits indicates that the first data should be transmitted repeatedly, while the other two bits indicate a third time length. For instance, different values ​​of the two bits can correspond to different third time lengths. The implementation principle of different values ​​of two bits corresponding to different third time lengths can be found in the explanation of method 2 in Figure 6, where at least one different value of one bit corresponds to a first time length, and will not be elaborated upon here. In this way, multiple indications of the third time length can be achieved, making the temporal location of repeatedly transmitted data more flexible.

[0247] The implementation of the third time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of downlink control information indicating the first data can be referred to the relevant introduction of S202 in Figure 2 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0248] S1302, the second communication device sends the first data to the first communication device for the first time on the third time domain resource, and sends the first data to the first communication device repeatedly on the fourth time domain resource. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first data for the first time on the third time domain resource, and receives the first data repeatedly on the fourth time domain resource.

[0249] The fourth time domain resource is determined based on the third time domain resource and the third time length.

[0250] For example, if the third time-domain resource is located in time slot n1 and the third time length is the length of four time slots, then the fourth time-domain resource can be determined to be located in time slot n1+4, where n1 is a positive integer. It should be understood that the downlink control information includes symbols used to indicate the symbols occupied by the first data in a time slot. The symbols occupied by the fourth time-domain resource in time slot n1+4 are determined based on the symbols occupied by the first data in a time slot as indicated by the DCI. For example, if the symbols occupied by the first data in a time slot as indicated by the DCI are symbols 2 to 13, then, in the case where the fourth time-domain resource is located in time slot n1+4, the fourth time-domain resource includes symbols 2 to 13 in time slot n1+4.

[0251] The method shown in Figure 13 can be used in conjunction with the method shown in Figure 6. The following explanation illustrates the positional relationship between the PDCCH and the first data using the method shown in Figure 13 in conjunction with the method shown in Figure 6. For example, as shown in Figure 14, if the first time length in the method shown in Figure 6 is 4 time slots, the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located in time slot n, and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located in time slot n+4, and if the DCI in S1301 is the DCI carried by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0, and this DCI indicates that the third time length is 3 time slots, then the time slot where the first data is first transmitted is time slot n+4, and the time slot where the first data is repeatedly transmitted is time slot n+7.

[0252] For example, as shown in Figure 15, if the first time length in the method provided in Figure 6 is 4 time slots, the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located in time slot n, and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0 is located in time slot n+4, if the DCI in S1301 is the DCI carried by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to SSB0, and the DCI indicates that the third time length is 2 time slots, then the time slot where the first transmission of the first data is located is time slot n, and the time slot where the repeated transmission of the first data is located is time slot n+2.

[0253] The time domain location of the first transmission of the second data is similar to that of the first transmission of the first data, and will not be described in detail here.

[0254] Based on the retransmission method provided in Figure 13, the fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the retransmission can be indicated by the downlink control information. In this way, the overlap between the first transmission and the retransmission of the first data can be reduced, thereby improving the decoding performance of the first data.

[0255] Furthermore, the resources for the initial transmission of first data can be configured based on existing technologies, making it compatible with existing technologies and applicable to more types of terminals.

[0256] The repeated transmission method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 6-15. The communication apparatus used to perform the repeated transmission method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 16 and 17.

[0257] Optionally, the downlink control information can also be used to indicate the fifth time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the second data, and the fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data.

[0258] For example, when the downlink control information includes a first bit, the first bit is also used to indicate that second data, which is different from the first data, should be transmitted repeatedly. In this way, the first bit can be reused, reducing signaling overhead.

[0259] In some examples, the first data is system message block one; the second data is the contention resolution message used in the random access procedure, i.e., message four, or the fourth message.

[0260] When the downlink control information includes a first bit, which indicates the retransmission of the first data, the first bit also indicates a fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the retransmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data. In this case, the principle by which the first bit indicates the fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the retransmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data is similar to that of indicating the third time length between the time slot occupied by the retransmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data. The difference is that the fourth time length and the third time length can be the same or different, which will not be elaborated further. In this way, the first bit can be reused, reducing signaling overhead.

[0261] The downlink control information includes multiple bits. The first bit among these bits indicates that the second data will be repeatedly transmitted. The other bits, excluding the first bit, also indicate a fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data. In this case, the principle by which the other bits indicate the fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data is similar to the principle by which the other bits indicate the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data, and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0262] If the first bit is also used to indicate the retransmission of the second data, the method provided in Figure 13 may further include:

[0263] S1303, the second communication device performs an initial transmission of second data to the first communication device on the fifth time domain resource, and a repeated transmission of the second data to the first communication device on the sixth time domain resource. Correspondingly, the first communication device performs an initial transmission of the second data on the fifth time domain resource, and a repeated transmission of the second data on the sixth time domain resource.

[0264] The sixth time domain resource is determined based on the fifth time domain resource and the fourth time length. The implementation principle of S1303 can be found in the relevant introduction of S1301, and will not be elaborated here.

[0265] For example, FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG16, the communication device 1600 includes a processing module 1601 and a transceiver module 1602. For ease of explanation, FIG16 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0266] In some embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG1 to perform the function of the first communication device in the repetitive transmission method shown in FIG6.

[0267] The transceiver module 1602 is used to receive first information. The first information is used to indicate the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K SSBs. The PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes the initial transmission and repeated transmissions. The time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs is separated from the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB by a first time length. The first time length is associated with a first parameter. The time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap. K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0268] The transceiver module 1602 is further configured to receive a first PDCCH from the second communication device according to the first information, wherein the first PDCCH includes the first transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

[0269] Processing module 1601 is used to process the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K SSBs. Optionally, transceiver module 1602 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module (not shown in Figure 16). The transceiver module is used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of communication device 1600.

[0270] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 16) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1601 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1600 can perform the functions of the first communication device in any of the repetitive transmission methods shown in FIG. 6.

[0271] It should be understood that the communication device 1600 may be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, the chip system, or other components or assemblies may be used in a terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0272] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1600 can be referenced to the technical effects of the repeated transmission method shown in any of the items in Figure 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0273] In other embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG1 to perform the function of the second communication device in the repeated transmission method shown in FIG6.

[0274] The processing module 1601 is used to generate first information. The first information is used to indicate the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K SSBs. The PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes the initial transmission and repeated transmissions. The time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs is separated from the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB by a first time length. The first time length is associated with a first parameter. The time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap. K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0275] The transceiver module 1602 is used to send the first message.

[0276] The transceiver module 1602 is also used to send a first PDCCH to the first communication device. The first PDCCH includes the first transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

[0277] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 16) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1601 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1600 can perform the functions of the second communication device in the repeated transmission method shown in FIG. 6.

[0278] It should be understood that the processing module 1601 involved in the communication device 1600 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and can be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 1602 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0279] It should be noted that the communication device 1600 can be a network device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or assemblies can be used in network devices.

[0280] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1600 can be seen by referring to the technical effects of the repeated transmission method shown in any of Figure 6, which will not be elaborated here.

[0281] In some embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG1 to perform the function of the first communication device in the repetitive transmission method shown in FIG12.

[0282] The transceiver module 1602 is used to receive second information from the second communication device. The second information is used to indicate the second time length of the interval between the first time domain resources and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. The second information is carried in the PBCH and / or MIB.

[0283] Processing module 1601 is used to determine the second time domain resource based on the first time domain resource and the second time length.

[0284] The transceiver module 1602 is also configured to receive the first transmission of the second PDCCH from the second communication device on the first time domain resource, and to receive repeated transmissions of the second PDCCH from the second communication device on the second time domain resource, wherein the first PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to one of the K SSBs.

[0285] Optionally, the transceiver module 1602 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module (not shown in FIG16). The transceiver module is used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 1600.

[0286] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 16) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1601 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1600 can perform the functions of the first communication device in any of the repetitive transmission methods shown in FIG. 12.

[0287] It should be understood that the communication device 1600 may be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, the chip system, or other components or assemblies may be used in a terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0288] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1600 can be referenced from the technical effects of the repeated transmission method shown in any of Figure 12, which will not be elaborated here.

[0289] In other embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG1 to perform the function of the second communication device in the repeated transmission method shown in FIG12.

[0290] The processing module 1601 is used to generate second information. The second information is used to indicate a second time length between the first time domain resources and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs, and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. The second information is carried in the PBCH and / or MIB, and the second time length is determined according to the first time domain resources and the second time domain resources.

[0291] The transceiver module 1602 is used to send second information to the first communication device.

[0292] The transceiver module 1602 is also used to send the first transmission of the second PDCCH to the first communication device on the first time domain resource, and to send the repeated transmission of the first PDCCH to the first communication device on the second time domain resource. The second PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB among the K SSBs. The second time domain resource is determined according to the first time domain resource and the second time length.

[0293] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 16) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1601 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1600 can perform the functions of the second communication device in the repeated transmission method shown in FIG. 12.

[0294] It should be understood that the processing module 1601 involved in the communication device 1600 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and can be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 1602 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0295] It should be noted that the communication device 1600 can be a network device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or assemblies can be used in network devices.

[0296] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1600 can be referred to in the technical effects of the repeated transmission method shown in any of Figure 12, which will not be elaborated here.

[0297] In some embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG1 to perform the function of the first communication device in the repetitive transmission method shown in FIG13.

[0298] The transceiver module 1602 is used to receive downlink control information from the second communication device. The downlink control information is used to indicate the third time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the first data, and the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data.

[0299] Processing module 1601 is used to determine the fourth time domain resource based on the third time domain resource and the third time length.

[0300] The transceiver module 1602 is also used to receive the first transmission of the first data on the third time domain resource and to receive the repeated transmission of the first data on the fourth time domain resource.

[0301] Optionally, the transceiver module 1602 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module (not shown in FIG16). The transceiver module is used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 1600.

[0302] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 16) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1601 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1600 can perform the functions of the first communication device in any of the repetitive transmission methods shown in FIG. 13.

[0303] It should be understood that the communication device 1600 may be a terminal device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. The communication module, the circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, the chip system, or other components or assemblies may be used in a terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0304] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1600 can be referenced from the technical effects of the repeated transmission method shown in any of Figure 13, which will not be elaborated here.

[0305] In other embodiments, the communication device 1600 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG1 to perform the function of the second communication device in the repeated transmission method shown in FIG13.

[0306] The processing module 1601 is used to generate downlink control information, which is used to indicate the third time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the first data, and the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data.

[0307] The transceiver module 1602 is used to send downlink control information to the first communication device.

[0308] The transceiver module 1602 is also used for the initial transmission of first data to the first communication device on a third time domain resource, and for repeated transmission of first data to the first communication device on a fourth time domain resource, wherein the fourth time domain resource is determined based on the third time domain resource and the third time length.

[0309] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 16) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1601 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1600 can perform the functions of the second communication device in the repetitive transmission method shown in FIG. 13.

[0310] It should be understood that the processing module 1601 involved in the communication device 1600 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and can be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 1602 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0311] It should be noted that the communication device 1600 can be a network device, a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, a chip system, or other components or assemblies. This communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions, chip system, or other components or assemblies can be used in network devices.

[0312] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1600 can be referred to in the technical effects of the repeated transmission method shown in any of Figure 13, which will not be elaborated here.

[0313] For example, Figure 17 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in a terminal device or network device. As shown in Figure 17, the communication device 1700 may include a processor 1701. Optionally, the communication device 1700 may also include a memory 1702 and / or a transceiver 1703. The processor 1701 is coupled to the memory 1702 and the transceiver 1703, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0314] The following section, with reference to Figure 17, provides a detailed description of each component of the communication device 1700:

[0315] The processor 1701 is the control center of the communication device 1700. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1701 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0316] Optionally, the processor 1701 can perform various functions of the communication device 1700 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1702 and calling data stored in the memory 1702.

[0317] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 1701 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG17.

[0318] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1700 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1701 and 1704 shown in FIG. 17. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0319] The memory 1702 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 1701 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0320] Optionally, the memory 1702 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1702 may be integrated with the processor 1701 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1701 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1700 (not shown in FIG. 17). This embodiment of the application does not specifically limit this.

[0321] Furthermore, the memory may be external or internal, or it may not be included.

[0322] Transceiver 1703 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1700 is a terminal device, transceiver 1703 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 1700 is a network device, transceiver 1703 can be used to communicate with a terminal device or with another network device.

[0323] Optionally, transceiver 1703 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 17). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0324] Optionally, the transceiver 1703 can be integrated with the processor 1701 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1701 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1700 (not shown in FIG17). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0325] Alternatively, the transceiver 1203 can also be implemented via an interface circuit. In the case where the communication device 1700 shown in Figure 17 is a chip, the transceiver 1203 serves as the chip's input / output interface, sending corresponding outputs and receiving corresponding inputs.

[0326] It should be noted that the structure of the communication device 1700 shown in Figure 17 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. The actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0327] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1700 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0328] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a CPU, but it can also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0329] It should also be 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. Non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, or flash memory. Volatile memory can be 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).

[0330] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or 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., 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 includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0331] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article 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 existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0332] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0333] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process 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.

[0334] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples 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 implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0335] 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 referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0336] 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.

[0337] 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.

[0338] 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.

[0339] 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 solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or 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, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0340] 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 method for repeated transmission, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: The system receives first information from a second communication device. This first information indicates the time-domain resources occupied by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K synchronization signals and Physical Broadcast Channel Blocks (SSBs). The PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes initial transmission and repeated transmission. The time slot occupied by the initial transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB is spaced apart from the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB by a first time length. The first time length is associated with a first parameter. The time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap. K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K. The first PDCCH is received from the second communication device according to the first information. The first PDCCH includes the first transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

2. A method for repeated transmission, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: Send first information to the first communication device. The first information is used to indicate the time domain resources occupied by the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to each of the K synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs). The PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs includes the first transmission and repeated transmission. The time slot occupied by the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB are separated by a first time length. The first time length is associated with a first parameter. The time domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap. K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to K. Send a first PDCCH to the first communication device. The first PDCCH includes the first transmission and repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to at least one of the K SSBs.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first parameter is used to indicate the degree of overlap of the time-domain resources of the PDCCH corresponding to the K SSBs.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first parameter is equal to 1, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 4 time slot lengths; or, The first parameter is equal to 1 / 2, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 2 time slot lengths; or, The first parameter is equal to 2, and the first time length is greater than or equal to 1 time slot length.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, There is a correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter, and the correspondence between the first time length and the first parameter is pre-configured.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the offset between the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB, the offset being associated with the first parameter, and the first time length being determined based on the offset.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB are located in the same search space; or, The first transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB is located in the first search space, and the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB is located in the second search space. The first search space is different from the second search space.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first information includes the first parameter and indication information for repeated transmission of PDCCH, wherein the indication information for repeated transmission of PDCCH occupies at least one bit, and the first time length is associated with the value of the at least one bit and the first parameter.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the value of at least one bit is 01, 10 or 11, the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The at least one bit is carried in the redundant bits of the main system information block (MIB) and / or the reserved bits in the physical broadcast channel (PBCH).

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first parameter is equal to 1 / 2. The K SSBs include a first SSB, a second SSB, a third SSB, and a fourth SSB. The first information indicates that: the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB is located in time slot n and time slot n+1; the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB is located in time slot n and time slot n+1; the time domain symbol occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB is different from the time domain symbol occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB; the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB is located in time slot n+2 and time slot n+3; and the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB is located in time slot n+2 and time slot n+3. In +3, the time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB are different from those occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB, and n is a positive integer; the PDCCH corresponding to the first SSB and the PDCCH corresponding to the third SSB occupy symbols q and q+N in one time slot, and the PDCCH corresponding to the second SSB and the PDCCH corresponding to the fourth SSB occupy symbols p and p+N in one time slot, where q and p are positive integers less than or equal to the total number of symbols in one time slot, and p≠q, p≠q+N, q≠p+N, and N is the number of symbols occupied by the control resource set corresponding to the PDCCH.

12. A method for repeated transmission, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: Receive second information from the second communication device. The second information is used to indicate a second time length between the time slot occupied by the first time domain resource and the first transmission of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB. The second information is carried in the physical broadcast channel PBCH and / or the main system information block MIB. The first transmission of the second PDCCH from the second communication device is received on the first time domain resource, and repeated transmissions of the second PDCCH from the second communication device are received on the second time domain resource. The second PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB among the K SSBs. The second time domain resource is determined based on the first time domain resource and the second time length.

13. A method for repeated transmission, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: Send second information to the first communication device. The second information is used to indicate a second time length between the time slot occupied by the first time domain resource and the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH corresponding to the i-th SSB among the K SSBs. The second information is carried in the physical broadcast channel PBCH and / or the main system information block MIB. The second time length is determined according to the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource. The first transmission of the second PDCCH is sent to the first communication device on the first time domain resource, and the second PDCCH is repeatedly transmitted to the first communication device on the second time domain resource. The second PDCCH is the PDCCH corresponding to the SSB among the K SSBs.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The second information is carried in the physical broadcast channel and / or the main system information block, including: The second information is carried in the reserved bits of the physical broadcast channel, and / or the second information is carried in at least one bit of the reserved bits of the physical broadcast channel and the redundant bits of the main system information block.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, There is a correspondence between the second information and the second time length.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, The second information includes at least two bits used to indicate repeated transmission of the PDCCH and to determine the second time length.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, There is a correspondence between the second time length and the values ​​of the at least two bits; or, there is a correspondence between the second time length, the values ​​of the at least two bits, and the first parameter, which is used to indicate the degree of overlap of the PDCCHs corresponding to the K SSBs.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12-17, characterized in that, The time-domain symbols occupied by the PDCCH corresponding to each of the K SSBs do not overlap.

19. A method for repeated transmission, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: Receive downlink control information from a second communication device, the downlink control information being used to indicate the third time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the first data, and the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data. The first transmission of the first data is received on the third time domain resource, and the repeated transmission of the first data is received on the fourth time domain resource, wherein the fourth time domain resource is determined based on the third time domain resource and the third time length.

20. A method for repeated transmission, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: Send downlink control information to the first communication device. The downlink control information is used to indicate the third time domain resources occupied by the first transmission of the first data, and the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data. The first transmission of the first data to the first communication device on the third time domain resource, and the repeated transmission of the first data to the first communication device on the fourth time domain resource, wherein the fourth time domain resource is determined based on the third time domain resource and the third time length.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The downlink control information includes a first bit, which is used to indicate repeated transmission of the first data. The value of the first bit and the third time length between the repeated transmission of the first data and the first transmission of the first data are pre-configured.

22. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The downlink control information includes multiple bits, a first bit of which is used to indicate repeated transmission of the first data, and the other bits of which are used to indicate the third time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the first data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the first data.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The first bit is the most significant bit among the plurality of bits, or the first bit is the least significant bit among the plurality of bits.

24. The method according to any one of claims 21-23, characterized in that, The first bit is also used to indicate that a second data, which is different from the first data, is sent repeatedly.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The first data is system message block one, and the second data is a contention resolution message used in the random access procedure.

26. The method according to any one of claims 21-25, characterized in that, The first bit is also used to indicate a fourth time length between the time slot occupied by the repeated transmission of the second data and the time slot occupied by the first transmission of the second data.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-26.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and interface circuits; among which, The interface circuit is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; The processor is used to run the code instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-26.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a transceiver, the transceiver being used for information exchange between the communication device and other communication devices, and the processor executing code instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-26.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor for executing code instructions to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-11.

31. The communication device according to any one of claims 27-30, characterized in that, The communication device further includes a memory for storing the code instructions.

32. The communication device according to any one of claims 27-31, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip.

33. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-26.

34. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes: a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-26.

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