Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus, which can be applied to WLAN systems supporting IEEE 802.11ax next-generation Wi-Fi protocols, such as 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7 or EHT, or 802.11 series protocols such as 802.11be next-generation and Wi-Fi 8, and can also be applied to UWB-based wireless personal area network systems and sensing systems. In the method, a first node and a second node may determine a channel in a first initial access phase on the basis of a communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase, that is, the communication bandwidth of the first node can be fully utilized. Since the communication bandwidth of the first node may correspond to one or more base carriers, performing signaling interaction in an initial connection phase using a larger number of selectable base carriers can reduce signaling interaction latency.

Description

A communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510378365.6, filed on March 26, 2025, entitled "A Method and Device for Communication", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In short-range wireless communication, nodes in the network can be divided into grant (G) nodes and terminal (T) nodes. G nodes can communicate with T nodes. Specifically, G nodes can compete for broadband channels at a granular level of 20MHz base carrier, occupying one or more base carriers at a time to communicate with T nodes.

[0004] During the initial access phase, node T will complete the signaling interaction with node G on the 20MHz base carrier on which the access request is sent. As a result, G must compete for this 20MHz base carrier to complete the initial access, which will lead to a large delay in the initial access. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and communication apparatus that can reduce the latency of initial access.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a first node, specifically, it can be executed by the first node or by components of the first node (e.g., chips, circuits, or chip systems).

[0007] The method includes: sending an access request message to a second node on a first time-frequency resource, the access request message being used to request the establishment of a connection with the second node, the access request message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase; and determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the first node and the second node can determine the channel of the first initial access phase based on the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase. In other words, the communication bandwidth of the first node can be fully utilized. Since the communication bandwidth of the first node can correspond to one or more basic carriers, the signaling interaction in the initial connection phase can be shortened by using more selectable basic carriers.

[0009] Specifically, the more base carriers available, the higher the probability that the G node will occupy at least one of the base carriers in the contention channel, and the shorter the statistical waiting time for the contention channel in signaling interaction, thus resulting in lower latency.

[0010] In this application, the access request message is physical layer control information.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: detecting second indication information on a first time-frequency resource, the second indication information being used to indicate the channel of the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, the second node can send a second indication message, and the first node can detect the second indication message. Therefore, the initial access channel can be determined based on the first and second indication messages, allowing the second node to configure the initial access channel and improve communication efficiency. For example, the second node can choose a channel with lower load or less interference as the initial access channel to improve communication efficiency.

[0013] For example, determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to the first indication information includes: if the second indication information is detected, determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to the second indication information and the first indication information; or, if the second indication information is not detected, determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to a preset relationship and the first indication information, wherein the preset relationship includes a correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, the first node can detect the second indication information, and thus determine the initial access channel based on the first and second indication information. Specifically, if the second indication information is detected, the second node can measure the different channels corresponding to the communication bandwidth of the first node, so that the first node can perform initial access on the optimal channel measured by the second node, thereby reducing access latency. If the second indication information is not detected, the first node can determine the initial access channel based on a preset relationship. Since the preset relationship can include a large number of random access channels, this makes the load of the first node more distributed, avoiding channel congestion caused by multiple first nodes accessing concurrently.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the first time-frequency resource is a synchronize acquisition block (SAB) period in the time domain and a fundamental carrier in the frequency domain.

[0016] Based on the above scheme, the first node can detect the second indication information within one SAB cycle and one time-frequency range of a basic carrier, thereby increasing the probability of detecting the second indication information. In other words, it can maximize the guarantee that the first node can detect the information when the second node sends the second indication information, and if the first node does not detect the information within the corresponding time-frequency range, it can determine that the second node has not sent the information. Furthermore, it can align the first node and the second node to determine whether the information has been transmitted, thus ensuring the reliability of communication.

[0017] For example, the first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase includes 1 basic carrier, or to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase includes 4 basic carriers, or to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase includes all basic carriers in the current communication frequency band.

[0018] Based on the above scheme, the first indication information can indicate the number of basic carriers included in the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase. This not only indicates the communication bandwidth of the first node, but also saves the overhead of indication.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving third indication information on the first time-frequency resource, the third indication information being used to indicate that there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, this application defines resources for sending access request messages, so that the initial access process can proceed normally.

[0021] For example, the third indication information is carried in the number of remaining SAB cycles field.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, using unused values ​​from existing fields to indicate whether there are resources in the first time-frequency resource that can send access request messages can save the overhead of indication.

[0023] For example, the resource that sends the access request message is located at the end of the first channel occupancy time (COT) of the second node in the time domain, wherein the first time-frequency resource is located within the first COT of the second node in the time domain.

[0024] Since the resource used to send the access request message is a reserved resource, placing it at the end of the COT can avoid gaps in the COT when the resource is not used, and can also prevent other nodes from preempting the channel when the resource is not used, thus ensuring the communication performance of the second node.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving fourth indication information from a second node, the fourth indication information being used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on a first base carrier, the first base carrier being the base carrier for sending the fourth indication information, and decoding the fourth indication information using a predefined scrambling code.

[0026] By decoding the fourth indication information using a predefined scrambling code, the first node can determine the base carrier for transmitting the fourth indication information and the resources on the base carrier for transmitting broadcast data. This allows the first and second nodes to schedule broadcast data without needing to know each other's operating frequency and bandwidth.

[0027] For example, each bit in the predefined scrambling code is either 0 or all bits are 1.

[0028] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the first time-frequency resource is located within the first COT of the second node in the time domain, and the time interval between any SAB transmitted by the second node in the first COT and any SAB transmitted by the second node in the second COT is an integer number of radio frames. In other words, the time interval between any two SABs transmitted by the second node in different COTs is an integer number of radio frames.

[0029] Since the second node sends an integer number of SABs in different COTs, the first node does not need to blindly detect SABs in the second COT over time using a sliding window. Instead, it only needs to detect SABs at the boundaries of the radio frames, thus saving the detection overhead of the first node.

[0030] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a second node. Specifically, it can be executed by the second node or by its constituent components (e.g., chips, circuits, or chip systems).

[0031] The method includes: receiving an access request message from a first node on a first time-frequency resource, the access request message being used to request the establishment of a connection with a second node, the access request message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in a first initial access phase; and determining the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information.

[0032] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: transmitting second indication information on a second time-frequency resource, the second indication information being used to indicate a channel for the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth, the second time-frequency resource including the first time-frequency resource.

[0033] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, determining the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information includes: when sending the second indication information, determining the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the second indication information and the first indication information; or, when not sending the second indication information, determining the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on a preset relationship and the first indication information, wherein the preset relationship includes a correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase, and the second indication information is used to indicate the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth.

[0034] Based on the above scheme, the second node can send a second indication message, thereby determining the initial access channel based on the first and second indication messages. Specifically, when the second node sends the second indication message, it can measure the different channels corresponding to the communication bandwidth of the first node, allowing the first node to perform initial access on the optimal channel measured by the second node, thus reducing access latency. When the second node does not send the second indication message, the first node can determine the initial access channel based on a preset relationship. Since the preset relationship can include a large number of random access channels, this makes the load on the first node more distributed, avoiding channel congestion caused by multiple first nodes accessing concurrently.

[0035] For example, the second time-frequency resource is one SAB period in the time domain and one or more basic carriers in the frequency domain.

[0036] Based on the above scheme, the first node can transmit the second indication information within one SAB cycle and within the time-frequency range of one or more base carriers. This enables the first node to detect the second indication information on any base carrier where it may exist, increasing the probability of detecting the second indication information. In other words, it can maximize the guarantee that the first node can detect the information whenever the second node transmits the second indication information. Furthermore, it can align the information understanding between the first and second nodes and ensure the reliability of communication.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending third indication information on the first time-frequency resource, the third indication information being used to indicate that there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message.

[0038] As an example, the resource that sends the access request message is located at the end of the first COT of the second node in the time domain.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending fourth indication information, which is used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on the first base carrier, the first base carrier being the base carrier for sending the fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information being scrambled using a predefined scrambling code.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, the first time-frequency resource is located within the first COT of the second node in the time domain, and the time interval between any SAB transmitted by the second node in the first COT and any SAB transmitted by the second node in the second COT is an integer number of radio frames. In other words, the time interval between any two SABs transmitted by the second node in different COTs is an integer number of radio frames.

[0041] For details not fully described in the second aspect and the beneficial effects, please refer to the first aspect.

[0042] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which can be a first node or a component of the first node (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system), and can be used to implement the methods of the first aspect and any of its implementations.

[0043] The device includes: a transceiver unit, configured to send an access request message to a second node on a first time-frequency resource, the access request message being used to request the establishment of a connection with the second node, the access request message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase; and a processing unit, configured to determine the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information.

[0044] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the processing unit is further configured to: detect second indication information on the first time-frequency resource, the second indication information being used to indicate the channel of the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth.

[0045] For example, the processing unit is specifically configured to: determine the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on the second indication information and the first indication information when the second indication information is detected; or, determine the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on a preset relationship and the first indication information when the second indication information is not detected, wherein the preset relationship includes the correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to: receive third indication information on the first time-frequency resource, the third indication information being used to indicate that there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message.

[0047] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to: receive fourth indication information from the second node, the fourth indication information being used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on the first base carrier, the first base carrier being the base carrier for transmitting the fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information being scrambled using a predefined scrambling code.

[0048] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which can be a second node or a component of the second node (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system), and can be used to implement the methods of the second aspect and any of its implementations.

[0049] The device includes: a transceiver unit, configured to receive an access request message from a first node on a first time-frequency resource, the access request message being used to request the establishment of a connection with a second node, the access request message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase; and a processing unit, configured to determine the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information.

[0050] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is further configured to: transmit second indication information on a second time-frequency resource, the second indication information being used to indicate the channel of the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth, the second time-frequency resource including the first time-frequency resource.

[0051] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the processing unit is specifically used to: determine the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the second indication information and the first indication information when the second indication information is sent; or, determine the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on a preset relationship and the first indication information when the second indication information is not sent, wherein the preset relationship includes the correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase, and wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth.

[0052] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to: send third indication information on the first time-frequency resource, the third indication information being used to indicate that there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message.

[0053] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to: send fourth indication information, which is used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on the first base carrier, the first base carrier being the base carrier for sending the fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information being scrambled using a predefined scrambling code.

[0054] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a memory for storing a program; and at least one processor for executing the computer program or instructions stored in the memory to perform the method provided in any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations.

[0055] In one implementation, the device is either a first node or a second node.

[0056] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit for use in a first or second node.

[0057] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor and a communication interface, the at least one processor being configured to obtain a computer program or instructions stored in a memory via the communication interface to execute the method provided in any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0058] In one implementation, the device also includes a memory.

[0059] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided for performing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0060] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0061] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores program code for execution by a node, the program code including methods for performing any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations.

[0062] Ninthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided in any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations.

[0063] In a tenth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided in any of the above aspects or their implementations. The communication interface can be implemented in hardware or software.

[0064] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory that stores computer programs or instructions. The processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to perform the methods provided by any of the above aspects or their implementations.

[0065] When the method provided in this application is executed by a chip, this application does not limit the specific number of chips implementing the method. For example, it can be executed by one chip, or by two or more chips. Furthermore, when the number of chips implementing the method is two or more, the chip manufacturers are not limited; they can be from the same manufacturer or different manufacturers.

[0066] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program is provided that, when run on a computer, causes the methods provided by any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations to be executed.

[0067] In the twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, including the first node and the second node mentioned above.

[0068] It should be understood that the beneficial effects of aspects three through twelfth and any of their implementations can be referenced from aspects one through two and any of their implementations. Attached Figure Description

[0069] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0070] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the initial access process.

[0071] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 provided in this application.

[0072] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process between G node and T node.

[0073] Figure 5 is another schematic diagram of the interaction process between G node and T node.

[0074] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0075] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0076] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5th generation (5G) systems (or New Radio (NR) systems), Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, and LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems. Furthermore, the technical solutions provided in this application support short-range communication.

[0077] For example, short-range communication enables communication between electronic devices that are relatively close to each other. Currently, mainstream access technologies for short-range communication include Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, and ZigBee. With the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), new application scenarios such as smart cars, smart homes, smart terminals, and smart manufacturing have emerged, giving rise to a new generation of short-range access technologies. Taking Sparklink Alliance access technology as an example, it includes, but is not limited to: Sparklink Basic (SLB) (also known as Synchronous Low Latency Broadband, SLB) access technology and Sparklink Low Energy (SLE) (also known as Synchronous Low Energy, SLE) access technology. SLB access technology can support high-bandwidth services such as screen projection, virtual reality (VR), and vehicular communication, while SLE access technology can support low-bandwidth, low-rate, and low-power services such as audio playback, keyboard, mouse, and electronic pen input. For ease of description, in the following embodiments, SLB access technology may be abbreviated as SLB, and SLE access technology may be abbreviated as SLE. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the access technology mentioned in the following description refers to short-range access technology.

[0078] The embodiments of this application can be applied to wireless local area networks (WLANs), for example, supporting IEEE 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11a / b / g standards, 802.11n standards, 802.11ac standards, 802.11ax standards (i.e., Wi-Fi 6, also known as the high efficient (HE) standard), 802.11be standards (i.e., Wi-Fi 7, also known as the extremely high throughput (EHT) standard), 802.11bn standards (i.e., Wi-Fi 8, also known as the ultra high reliability (UHR) standard) or next-generation Wi-Fi 8 standards, and also include 802.11ad, 802.11ay standards, etc. The embodiments of this application can also be applied to wireless local area network systems that support integrated millimeter wave (IMMW), wireless local area network systems that support ultra-wideband (UWB) such as the 802.15 series standards, sensing systems such as the 802.11bf series standards, or wireless positioning such as 802.11az. This application can also support standard protocols such as Sparklink and Nearlink.

[0079] The communication systems described above that are applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited thereto.

[0080] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a first device 110 and a second device 120, which can communicate based on wireless communication technology. Exemplarily, the transmitting device 110 refers to a device that transmits instruction information, and the receiving device 120 refers to a device that receives instruction information.

[0081] It should be noted that Figure 1 is only used as an example to illustrate that the communication system 100 includes a transmitting end device 110 and a receiving end device 120, but the communication system 100 is not limited to including more other devices, and this application does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0082] For example, in the embodiments of this application, the transmitting device 110 or the receiving device 120 can be any device with wireless transceiver function. For example, the transmitting device 110 is a radio access network (RAN) node or terminal, and the receiving device 120 is an RAN node or terminal.

[0083] In this application, the RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, is used to help a terminal access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a Wi-Fi system. The RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, or a donor node. In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can cooperate to help a terminal achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing some of the functions of a base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU (Radio Control Unit) performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (RAN) protocol and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU (Radio Link Control Unit) performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RAN) layer and Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of each of these protocol layers, please refer to the relevant technical specifications. The RU (Radio Receiver Unit) can be used to implement radio frequency (RF) signal transmission and reception functions. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0084] In different systems, RAN nodes can have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). In this application, the RAN node can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, the RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN node. For ease of description, a network device or base station is used as an example of a RAN node below.

[0085] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminals can also be referred to as terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as D2D communication, V2X communication, MTC, IoT, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control (e.g., smart manufacturing), autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, smartphones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, aircraft, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminals.

[0086] In some embodiments, the transmitting device 110 and the receiving device 120 may support at least one short-range access technology, for example, both may support SLB access technology. Furthermore, the transmitting device 110 and / or the receiving device 120 may also support SLE access technology. For example, mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, and other devices may simultaneously support SLE and SLB. As another example, VR glasses, in-vehicle control panels, and cameras may support SLB. Whether electronic devices support SLE access technology is not the focus of this application and will not be described in detail here.

[0087] For example, in a communication process supporting SLB access technology, one of the sending device 110 and the receiving device 120 can act as a grant (G) node, and the other can act as a terminal (T) node. The grant node can be referred to as a master control node device, G node, G device, or first node, etc.; the terminal node can be referred to as a T node, T device, or second node, etc. This application does not limit the device names, as long as they can perform the corresponding functions. For ease of description, the grant node will be abbreviated as G node and the terminal node as T node below. Generally, as a G node, resources can be uniformly scheduled and managed. Therefore, the G node can send data scheduling information, and the T node can receive data scheduling information and send data according to the data scheduling information.

[0088] It should be understood that the above description of the transmitting device 110 and the receiving device 120 is merely exemplary, and this application does not limit the specific form of the transmitting device 110 and the receiving device 120.

[0089] Typically, before two nodes in a wireless communication system can communicate, a connection must be established. This connection establishment process is also known as the initial access phase. The initial access phase generally includes discovering relevant nodes, establishing a temporary connection, exchanging security-related information, exchanging and configuring node capabilities and communication parameters, and ultimately establishing a stable connection. During the initial access phase, when establishing a temporary connection, the two nodes initially do not know each other's operating frequency or bandwidth; subsequent processes can be based on the established temporary connection.

[0090] Figure 2 shows an example of the connection establishment process between G nodes and T nodes in SLB technology. As shown in Figure 2, the initial access process includes the following steps:

[0091] S201, Node G sends an SAB to Node T. The SAB may include a first training signal (FTS), a second training signal (STS), and synchronization information. The SAB may also be called a synchronization block or a synchronization information block, etc. The specific name of the SAB is not limited in this embodiment.

[0092] S202, Node G sends a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) to Node T. This PBCH can be used to carry system configuration information, such as the master information block (MIB).

[0093] In step S203, node G sends SIB 0 to node T. It should be understood that S203 is an optional step, meaning that S203 can be omitted, or that node T does not need to wait to receive SIB 0 before sending the access request message; that is, node T can execute S204 before receiving SIB 0.

[0094] S204, Node T sends an access request message to Node G.

[0095] S205, Node G sends an Extended Resource Control (XRC) setup message (xrcSetup) to Node T.

[0096] S206, Node T sends an XRC setup complete message (xrcSetupComplete) to Node G.

[0097] In step S207, node G and node T complete the full negotiation and association process, specifically including steps S207-1 to S207-4: S207-1, node G sends a security context request message (securityContextRequest) to node T; S207-2, node T sends a security context response message (securityContextResponse) to node G; S207-3, node G sends an association establishment message (such as a security-related association establishment message (associationSetupwithSec) or a security-independent association establishment message (associationSetupnonSec)) to node T; S207-4, node T sends an association establishment complete message (associationComplete) to node G.

[0098] S208, G node and T node complete the capability negotiation process, specifically including S208-1 and S208-2, that is, S208-1, G node sends T node capability request message (tNodecapabilityRequest) to T node, S208-2, T node sends T node capability response message (tNodecapabilityFeedback) to G node.

[0099] S209, G node and T node complete XRC reconfiguration, specifically including S209-1 and S209-2, that is, S209-1, G node sends XRC reconfiguration message (xrcReconfiguration) to T node, S209-2, T node sends XRC reconfiguration complete message (xrcReconfigurationComplete) to G node.

[0100] In SLB technology, G nodes can compete for broadband channels at granular levels of 20MHz base carriers, occupying one or more base carriers at a time to communicate with T nodes. Correspondingly, the T node will send an access request message on a specific 20MHz base carrier and complete the initial access phase signaling interaction with the G node on the same 20MHz base carrier. For example, the G node and T node execute the above-mentioned S205 to S209 on the 20MHz base carrier for sending the access request. This means that the G node must compete for this 20MHz base carrier during the initial access phase to complete the initial access, which will result in a relatively large initial access delay.

[0101] In view of this, this application proposes a communication method and communication apparatus that can reduce the latency of initial access.

[0102] It should be understood that the embodiments shown below use the first node and the second node as examples of the execution subjects of the interaction to illustrate the method. However, this application does not limit the execution subject. As long as a program can run the code of the method provided in the embodiments of this application to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application. The execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of this application can be the first node or the second node, or it can be a functional module in the first node or the second node that can call and execute the program. For example, the first node in Figure 3 can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the method that the first node can implement, or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first node; the second node in the figure can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the method that the terminal node can implement, or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second node; the third node in Figure 3 can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the method that the terminal node can implement, or it can be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third node.

[0103] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 3, the method 300 includes the following steps.

[0104] S310, the first node sends an access request message to the second node, and the second node receives the access request message accordingly.

[0105] The access request message is used to request a connection with the second node, or in other words, it's used by the first node to initiate the connection establishment process, or by the first node to request to join the management of the second node. For example, the access request message can also be called access information, a random access block (RAB) message, an access information block message, information mapped on a RAB, a random access channel (RACH) message, or information carried by a RACH, etc., and it is physical layer control information. For instance, the access request message could be the message sent in S204 of Figure 2.

[0106] In this application, the first node can be a T node, and the second node can be a G node.

[0107] The access request message includes first indication information, which indicates the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase, or in other words, the communication bandwidth supported by the first node in the first initial access phase, or the communication bandwidth that the first node can use in the first initial access phase. For example, the first indication information may indicate the level or type of communication bandwidth; specifically, it may indicate how many basic carriers the communication bandwidth includes, where one basic carrier occupies a bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0108] The first initial access phase can be understood as the current initial access phase, and S310 can also be regarded as a step of the first initial access phase. An initial access phase may include the signaling interaction process shown in Figure 2. The amount of communication bandwidth that the first node can use in different initial access phases can be the same or different, without restriction.

[0109] For example, the first indication information can be 2 bits. When the indication information is 0, it indicates that the working frequency of node T in the first initial access phase includes 1 basic carrier, i.e., the communication bandwidth is 20MHz. When the indication information is 1, it indicates that the working frequency of node T in the first initial access phase includes 4 basic carriers, i.e., the communication bandwidth is 80MHz. When the indication information is 2, it indicates that the working frequency of node T in the first initial access phase includes all basic carriers within this frequency band, i.e., the communication bandwidth is the entire bandwidth within this frequency band. Here, "this frequency band" can be understood as the current communication frequency band, i.e., the frequency band in which the first node sends the access request message, for example, the 2.4GHz communication frequency band, or the 5GHz communication frequency band, etc. All basic carriers within the current communication frequency band can refer to all frequency domain resources in the current communication frequency band used for SLB technology communication.

[0110] It should be understood that the above indication method is only an example, and the first indication information may also occupy more or fewer bits. This application does not limit the specific indication method.

[0111] Optionally, the access request message may also include the identifier of the first node, the identifier of the second node, etc.

[0112] S320, the first node determines the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to the first instruction information, or in other words, determines the channel through which the first node communicates with the second node in the first initial access phase.

[0113] The channel determined by the first node can be used to transmit messages after the access request message. For example, the signaling interactions after S204 in Figure 2 are all completed through this channel.

[0114] Specifically, determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information can mean that determining the channel of the first node and the second node in the first initial access phase is the channel corresponding to the communication bandwidth of the first node.

[0115] In this application, the channel and the working carrier are in one-to-one correspondence. In some scenarios, the channel and the working carrier are equivalent and can be substituted for each other. For example, determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase can be replaced by: determining the working carrier of the first node in the first initial access phase, or determining the channel corresponding to the working carrier of the first node in the first initial access phase.

[0116] In this application, a channel refers to a segment of frequency domain resources, which can be represented by a channel number (such as an index). The channel during the initial access phase can also be called the initial access channel.

[0117] S330, the second node determines the channel for the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information. In other words, it determines the communication channel between the second node and the first node in the first initial access phase.

[0118] Similarly, the channel determined by the second node can be used to transmit messages after the access request message. For example, the signaling interactions after S204 in Figure 2 are all completed through this channel.

[0119] Specifically, determining the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information can mean that the channel of the second node and the first node in the first initial access phase is the channel corresponding to the communication bandwidth of the first node.

[0120] For example, the channel determined by the second node for the first initial access phase is the same as the channel determined by the first node for the first initial access phase; for example, both can include the resources for the first node to send access request messages.

[0121] Based on the above scheme, the first node and the second node can determine the channel of the first initial access phase based on the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase. In other words, the communication bandwidth of the first node can be fully utilized. Since the communication bandwidth of the first node can correspond to one or more basic carriers, the signaling interaction in the initial connection phase can be shortened by using more selectable basic carriers.

[0122] Specifically, the more base carriers available, the higher the probability that the G node will occupy at least one of the base carriers in the contention channel, and the shorter the statistical waiting time for the contention channel in signaling interaction, thus resulting in lower latency.

[0123] Optionally, the first node sending an access request message may mean that the first node sends an access request message on the first time-frequency resource, or that the first node sends an access request message on the first sub-resource (e.g., the access request resource) in the first time-frequency resource. In other words, there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource that can send an access request message.

[0124] For example, the first time-frequency resource is a SAB cycle in the time domain, where a SAB cycle refers to the time period between the start time of one SAB and the start time of the next SAB.

[0125] For example, the first time-frequency resource is a basic carrier in the frequency domain, that is, the bandwidth occupied by the first time-frequency resource in the frequency domain is 20MHz.

[0126] The first time-frequency resource will be explained below with reference to Figure 4.

[0127] Figure 4 is a time-based schematic diagram of the interaction process between G nodes and T nodes. In Figure 4, COT represents the channel occupancy time during which a G node competes for a channel, or the duration for which a G node successfully competes for and occupies the channel. Figure 4 exemplarily illustrates the eight transmission time intervals (TTIs) in COT, namely TTI 0 to TTI 7. Figure 4 also exemplarily illustrates four channels (CHs), such as CH1 to CH4.

[0128] In this system, the G node periodically transmits SABs on each occupied channel, starting from the beginning of the COT. As shown in Figure 4, the G node transmits SABs in TTI0 and TTI4 of the COT, respectively. That is, the period of this SAB is 4 TTIs, meaning the length of one SAB period is 4 TTIs. Each channel can be considered as a basic carrier.

[0129] Among them, the T node can send an access request message on CH1 and on the RACH resource in TTI7 within the SAB period corresponding to TTI4 to TTI7. The RACH resource is the resource for sending the access request message. The frequency domain resource in the first time-frequency resource can be CH1, and the time domain resource in the first time-frequency resource can be the SAB period corresponding to TTI4 to TTI7, as shown in Figure 4.

[0130] It should be understood that the signaling transmission in CH4 shown in Figure 4 can be referenced from CH1, but since it is not shown in detail in Figure 4, it will not be described further here. The signaling transmission in TTI2 and TTI3 can be referenced from TT11, and the signaling transmission in TTI6 and TTI7 can be referenced from TT15, but these are not shown in detail in Figure 4.

[0131] Furthermore, in Figure 4, the SABs transmitted in different channels and different SAB periods can be different, but the periods of the SABs in different channels are aligned in the time domain. For example, the first SAB transmitted on CH1 and CH4 both start at TTI0, and the second SAB transmitted on CH1 and CH4 both start at TTI4.

[0132] It should be understood that the channel position and / or number of channels occupied by the G node each time can be different. The channels occupied by the G node can be continuous or discontinuous. For example, the number of channels occupied by the G node can be represented in 20MHz granularity, that is, the bandwidth of CH1 to CH4 in Figure 4 is 20MHz (for example only). In Figure 4, the number of channels that the G node has competed for can be these four channels. Figure 4 does not show the G node transmitting signaling on CH2 and CH3. In specific implementations, when the G node competes for multiple channels, the G node can transmit signaling on each of these multiple channels separately, or it can transmit signaling on some of these multiple channels (i.e., the G node may not transmit signaling on some channels), or the G node can transmit signaling on some of these multiple channels at a certain time. The signaling transmitted by the G node can be in the initial access procedure or data, etc., without restriction. Figure 4 shows that the signaling transmitted by the G node includes SAB, PBCH, G link physical control information (GCI), reference signal (RS), etc., where RS can be used for channel estimation. As shown in Figure 4, the period of PBCH is 8 TTIs.

[0133] In this context, a T node, upon detecting an SAB, can detect a GCI on each channel on which the SAB was detected. A G node can then schedule the resources it occupies using this GCI; for example, a GCI can schedule resources on at least one of the channels CH1 to CH4. Optionally, within a TTI, for a T node in one transmission direction (uplink or downlink), a G node can send at most one GCI to that T node. Optionally, for a T node (including both uplink and downlink directions), a G node can send at most one GCI to that T node. It should be understood that GCIs have various types, and Figure 4 does not limit the specific GCI type.

[0134] Furthermore, Figure 4 illustrates a scenario where one G node communicates with multiple T nodes. The "T node sending" period in the figure can be the time when one or more T nodes send information to the G node, and the "G node sending" period can be the time when the G node sends information to one or more T nodes. In this scenario, the one or more T nodes have already established a connection with the G node before the COT (Content Controller), and the connection establishment process can be referred to Figure 2.

[0135] Figure 4 illustrates a channel as an example. A channel is an example of a frequency domain resource. In specific implementations, the channel in Figure 4 can also be called a sub-channel, sub-band, or frequency band, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0136] Furthermore, after the COT of a G node ends, the G node can re-compete for the channel.

[0137] Optionally, before S310, method 300 further includes: S301, the second node sends second indication information on the second time-frequency resource, and correspondingly, the first node detects the second indication information on the first time-frequency resource.

[0138] The second indication information is used to indicate the channel of the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth, or in other words, to indicate the correspondence between at least one communication bandwidth and at least one channel of the initial access phase. Optionally, the one or more communication bandwidths that can be indicated in the second indication information include the communication bandwidth indicated by the first node in the first indication information.

[0139] For example, the second indication information may indicate: when the working carrier includes 1 basic carrier, the channel number of the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to the working carrier; when the working carrier includes 4 basic carriers, the channel number of the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to the working carrier; and when the working carrier includes all basic carriers in this frequency band, the channel number of the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to the working carrier.

[0140] Optionally, the second indication information can be called initial access carrier indication information, which can be a GCI, for example, called GCI0. It can include at least 48 bits of information, including three 16-bit segments. One 16-bit segment indicates: the working carrier contains the channel number of the channel corresponding to the T-node working carrier of the initial access phase of one base carrier. Another 16-bit segment indicates: the working carrier contains the channel number of the channel corresponding to the T-node working carrier of the initial access phase of four base carriers. The remaining 16-bit segment indicates: the working carrier contains the channel number of the channel corresponding to the T-node working carrier of all base carriers in this frequency band during the initial access phase.

[0141] The second time-frequency resource includes the first time-frequency resource.

[0142] Specifically, the second time-frequency resource and the first time-frequency resource can be aligned in the time domain. For example, both the second and first time-frequency resources may be a single SAB cycle, and this SAB cycle may contain resources for sending access request messages.

[0143] Optionally, both the first and second time-frequency resources include at least one Time Time Interval (TTI) in the time domain. Specifically, the second node transmitting the second indication information on the second time-frequency resource can mean that the second node transmits the second indication information on at least one of all the TTIs included in the second time-frequency resource.

[0144] Specifically, the second time-frequency resource and the first time-frequency resource may partially overlap in the frequency domain. For example, the first time-frequency resource may be a single base carrier in the frequency domain, and the base carrier in the first time-frequency resource contains resources for the first node to transmit access request messages. The second time-frequency resource may be one or more base carriers in the frequency domain, and each base carrier in the second time-frequency resource contains resources for transmitting access request messages.

[0145] It should be understood that the resource used to send access request messages means that the resource can be used to send access request messages, or that the resource is reserved for access request messages. However, in actual communication, the resource can be used to send access request messages for a certain T node, or it can be used not to send access request messages for any T node. That is, the resource can be actually used or it can not be actually used.

[0146] Furthermore, the first node's action of detecting the second indication information can occur either before or after sending the access request message. However, when detecting the second indication information, it has already determined on which resource the access request message needs to be sent. Therefore, it can detect the second indication information on the first time-frequency resource on which the access request message is sent. Optionally, the first node sending the access request message on the first time-frequency resource and detecting the second indication information on the first time-frequency resource can mean that the first node detects the second indication information on the base carrier on which the access request message is sent. Here, the time-domain resource for sending the access request message and the time resource for detecting the second indication information do not overlap; that is, the first node does not need to detect the second indication information on the time-domain resource for sending the access request message. In other words, the first node detects the second indication information on the second sub-resource (e.g., the detection window) within the first time-frequency resource. The second sub-resource and the first sub-resource are identical in the frequency domain but do not overlap in the time domain.

[0147] For the second node, since it sends the second indication information before receiving the access request message, it cannot know on which resource the first node sent the access request message. However, it can determine the resource used to send the access request message (see the third indication information below for details). Therefore, the second node can send the second indication information on the second time-frequency resource, which includes the resource used to send the access request message. Optionally, the second node sending the second indication information on the second time-frequency resource can mean that the second node sends the second indication information on the base carrier where each resource used to send the access request message is located. The time-domain resource used to send the access request message and the time-domain resource used to send the second indication information do not overlap; that is, the second node does not need to send the second indication information on the time-domain resource used to send the access request message.

[0148] Taking Figure 4 as an example, the frequency domain resource in the first time-frequency resource can be CH1, and the time domain resource in the first time-frequency resource can be the SAB period corresponding to TTI4 to TTI7, that is, the first time-frequency resource includes 4 TTIs. The frequency domain resources in the second time-frequency resource can be CH1 and CH4, and the time domain resource in the second time-frequency resource can be the SAB period corresponding to TTI4 to TTI7, that is, the second time-frequency resource also includes 4 TTIs. In Figure 4, RACH and the shaded part are resources used to send access request messages. RACH is the resource actually occupied by the first node, while the shaded part is not actually occupied by the first node.

[0149] Taking Figure 5 as an example, the second node can send the second indication information on at least one of the TTIs from TTI4 to TTI7 corresponding to CH1, and also on at least one of the TTIs from TTI4 to TTI7 corresponding to CH4. Specifically, the second indication information can be a GCI, and therefore, the resources it occupies can be the resources where the GCI is located in Figure 5. The first node can detect the existence of the second indication information on each of the TTIs from TTI4 to TTI7 corresponding to CH1. That is, the T node sends the access request message and detects the second indication information on CH1, but sends the access request message only at the end of TTI7, while detecting the second indication information on the first half of TTIs from TTI14 to TTI6 and TTI17. The resources reserved by the G node for sending the access request message and the G node for sending the second indication information are both on CH1 and CH4, but the resources reserved for sending the access request message are only at the end of TTI7, while sending the second indication information on the first half of each of TTIs from TTI14 to TTI17. It should be understood that any parts not fully described in Figure 5 can be referred to Figure 4.

[0150] Optionally, the second node can determine whether to send the second indication information based on its configuration. For example, if the second node is configured with a working carrier for the T-node during the initial access phase, the second node can send the second indication information on each base carrier including the access information block, within each SAB period containing the access information block, and within at least one TTI. Furthermore, the resources used by the second node to send the second indication information are not limited by the "GCI indicating which T-node groups are included in this base carrier" field in the synchronization information.

[0151] For the first node, in step S320, the first node determines the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to the first indication information, including: if the first node detects the second indication information, the first node determines the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to the second indication information and the first indication information; or, if the first node does not detect the second indication information, the first node determines the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to a preset relationship and the first indication information.

[0152] Specifically, if the first node detects the second indication information, it can determine the channel for the first node in the first initial access phase based on the second and first indication information. For example, the first indication information indicates that the first node's operating carrier in the first initial access phase includes four basic carriers, and the second indication information indicates that when the operating carrier includes four basic carriers, the channel number of the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to that operating carrier is 'a'. Therefore, the first node can determine that the channel for communication between the first node and the second node in the first initial access phase is channel a. If the first node does not detect the second indication information, it can determine the channel for the first node in the first initial access phase based on a preset relationship and the first indication information. For example, the first indication information indicates that the first node's operating carrier in the first initial access phase includes four basic carriers, and the preset relationship indicates that when the operating carrier includes four basic carriers, the channel number of the channel in the initial access phase corresponding to that operating carrier is 'a'. Therefore, the first node can determine that the channel for communication between the first node and the second node in the first initial access phase is channel a. In this context, channel a occupies a bandwidth in the frequency domain that is equivalent to the bandwidth occupied by four basic carriers, i.e., 80MHz. For the first node and the second node, they can perform signaling interaction for the first initial access phase on any one or more 20MHz within the 80MHz. In other words, as long as the second node competes for the channel on any one or more 20MHz within the 80MHz, it can send S205 and subsequent information to the second node. In contrast, if the signaling interaction for the first initial access phase can only be performed on the 20MHz on which the access request message is sent, then the second node must compete for this unique 20MHz in order to send S205 and subsequent information to the second node, which will increase the access latency.

[0153] The preset relationship includes the correspondence between communication bandwidth and channels in the initial access phase, or in other words, the selectable initial access channels corresponding to the communication bandwidth. Specifically, this preset relationship is predefined by the protocol. For each bandwidth type, the protocol specifies non-overlapping initial access channels. For example, the preset relationship is as follows: when the device operates in 5GHz band 2 with a 20MHz channel bandwidth, all 20MHz channels can be used as its initial access channels; when the device operates in 5GHz band 2 with an 80MHz channel bandwidth, the device's initial access channel is selected from the 80MHz channels with channel numbers 1664 and 2331; when the device operates in 5GHz band 2 with a 200MHz channel bandwidth, the device's initial access channel is the 200MHz channel with channel number 2170, and so on. The first node can select the channel corresponding to its communication bandwidth according to this preset relationship. Optionally, the first node can select the working carrier where the access information block is located as the working carrier in the initial access phase.

[0154] For the second node, in step S330, the second node determines the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase according to the first indication information, including: if the second node sends the second indication information, the second node determines the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase according to the second indication information and the first indication information; or, if the second node does not send the second indication information, the second node determines the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase according to a preset relationship and the first indication information, wherein the preset relationship includes the correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase.

[0155] The specific method by which the second node determines the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information can be found in the following: The method by which the first node determines the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information, which will not be elaborated here.

[0156] Based on the above scheme, the second node can send a second indication message, and the first node can detect the second indication message. Therefore, the initial access channel can be determined based on the first and second indication messages. When the second node sends the second indication message, it can measure the different channels corresponding to the communication bandwidth of the first node. Thus, the first node can perform initial access on the optimal channel measured by the second node, thereby reducing access latency. When the second node does not send the second indication message, the first node can determine the initial access channel based on a preset relationship. Since the preset relationship can include many random access channels, this makes the load on the first node more distributed, avoiding channel congestion caused by multiple first nodes accessing concurrently.

[0157] Optionally, before S310, method 300 further includes: S302, whereby the second node sends third indication information, and correspondingly, the first node receives the third indication information, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate whether there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message.

[0158] For example, the third indication information is carried in the SAB. Taking Figure 4 or Figure 5 as an example, the SAB on CH1 in TTI1 can indicate that there is no resource for sending an access request message in the SAB period. The SAB on CH4 in TTI1 can indicate that there is no resource for sending an access request message in the SAB period. The SAB on CH1 in TTI4 can indicate that there is a resource for sending an access request message at the end of the SAB period.

[0159] Alternatively, if there are no resources available for sending access request messages in the current SAB cycle, the second node may not indicate this.

[0160] For example, the third indication information can be carried in the remaining SAB cycle count field of the SAB. Specifically, the SAB includes FTS, STS, and synchronization information, etc., wherein the synchronization information may include a remaining SAB cycle count field, which is used to indicate the number of remaining SAB cycles, including the current SAB cycle. This field generally occupies 4 bits and takes a value from 1 to 10. In this application, unused values, such as 0, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, etc., can be used to indicate whether there are resources for sending access request messages in the current SAB cycle, thus saving indication bits.

[0161] Optionally, the third indication information may also indicate the current transmission mode of the second node, wherein the transmission mode includes continuous transmission mode and discontinuous transmission mode. In continuous transmission mode, the second node transmits broadcast information at a period of 8 milliseconds, starting from radio frame #0. In discontinuous transmission mode, in each COT, broadcast information is transmitted at a period of 8 milliseconds, starting from the first radio frame of the COT, until the end of the COT. For example, a value of 15 in the Remaining SAB Periods field indicates continuous transmission mode; a value of 14 indicates continuous transmission mode with RACH (i.e., resources used to send access request messages) at the end of the SAB periods; and a value of 0 indicates discontinuous transmission mode with RACH at the end of the SAB periods.

[0162] Optionally, the third instruction information may also be located in other fields within the SAB, without restriction.

[0163] Based on the above scheme, this application defines resources for sending access request messages, so that the initial access process can proceed normally.

[0164] For example, in discontinuous transmission mode, the resources used to send the access request message are located at the end of the second node's COT, or in other words, in the last radio frame of the second node's COT. For instance, in the examples of Figures 4 and 5, the resources used to send the access request message are both located at the end of the COT.

[0165] Since the resource used to send the access request message is a reserved resource, placing it at the end of the COT can avoid gaps in the COT when the resource is not used, and can also prevent other nodes from preempting the channel when the resource is not used, thus ensuring the communication performance of the second node.

[0166] Optionally, in this application, the first time-frequency resource is located within the channel occupancy time (COT) of the second node in the time domain, that is, the channel occupancy time (COT) of the second node includes the time-domain resources in the first time-domain resource.

[0167] Optionally, method 300 further includes: S340, the second node sends fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on a first base carrier, the first base carrier being the base carrier for sending the fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information being scrambled using a predefined scrambling code. Correspondingly, the first node can receive the fourth indication information and descramble it using the predefined scrambling code.

[0168] Specifically, the fourth instruction information is also a type of GCI, for example, called dynamic scheduling data control information or dynamic scheduling GCI, which can schedule broadcast data, such as scheduling system information block (SIB) or G link system message, etc.

[0169] The predefined scrambling code can refer to a scrambling code predefined by the protocol, such as a scrambling code where each bit is 0, or a scrambling code where each bit is 1, etc.

[0170] It should be understood that the fourth indication information includes frequency domain resource indication information, which can be a 16-bit bitmap. From the least significant bit to the most significant bit, the 16 bits correspond one-to-one with the node's working subcarrier groups in ascending order. In the 16 bits, a bit with a value of 1 indicates that the node's corresponding working subcarrier group is used, and a bit with a value of 0 indicates that the node's corresponding working subcarrier group is not used. Before successful XRC reconfiguration during the initial access phase, the node's working subcarrier group in this field is the T node's working subcarrier group; after successful XRC reconfiguration, the node's working subcarrier group in this field is the G node's working subcarrier group. When the fourth indication information is used to schedule broadcast data, and the indication range of the frequency domain resource indication information is the base carrier transmitting the fourth indication information, the node's working subcarrier group in the frequency domain resource indication information is the base subcarrier group on the base carrier transmitting the fourth indication information. That is, at this time, each bit in this bitmap represents a base subcarrier group, a bit with a value of 1 indicates that the base subcarrier group corresponding to this bit is used, and a bit with a value of 0 indicates that the base subcarrier group corresponding to this bit is not used. The scrambling code of the GCI can be used to indicate whether the indication range of the frequency domain resource indication information is the base carrier for transmitting the fourth indication information. When the scrambling code of the GCI is a predefined scrambling code, it indicates that the indication range of the frequency domain resource indication information is the base carrier for transmitting the fourth indication information. A base carrier consists of 161 consecutive subcarriers, and a base subcarrier group consists of 10 consecutive subcarriers. Therefore, a base carrier can include multiple base carrier groups.

[0171] Furthermore, for the first node, it can descramble the fourth indication information using various scrambling codes, including predefined scrambling codes. When decoded using a predefined scrambling code, the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) can pass, but when descrambled using other scrambling codes, the CRC check cannot pass.

[0172] During the initial access phase, the first node and the second node do not know each other's operating frequency and bandwidth, but they can determine the base carrier carrying the fourth indication information. The second node sends the fourth indication information through a predefined scrambling code, and the first node decodes the fourth indication information through a predefined scrambling code. Thus, the first node and the second node do not need to know the second node's operating frequency and bandwidth to achieve the scheduling of broadcast data.

[0173] It should be understood that the steps preceding S340 have no sequential relationship, and S340 can be executed at any step in method 300.

[0174] Optionally, the time interval between any two SABs transmitted by the second node in different COTs is an integer number of radio frames. For example, Figure 4 shows the first COT, where the first time-frequency resource is located in the time domain within the second node's first COT. Four SABs are transmitted in the first COT, denoted as SAB#1, SAB#2, SAB#3, and SAB#4. Similarly, the second node may also transmit one or more SABs in the second COT. For example, suppose the second node transmits two SABs in the second COT, denoted as SAB#5 and SAB#6. The time interval between any one SAB transmitted by the second node in the first COT and any one SAB transmitted by the second node in the second COT is an integer number of radio frames. That is, the time interval between any one of SABs (SAB#1, SAB#2, SAB#3, and SAB#4) and any one of SABs (SAB#5 and SAB#6) is an integer number of radio frames.

[0175] Since the second node sends an integer number of SABs in different COTs, the first node does not need to blindly detect SABs in the second COT over time using a sliding window. Instead, it only needs to detect SABs at the boundaries of the radio frames, thus saving the detection overhead of the first node.

[0176] It should be understood that the above-mentioned S302, S340 and "the time interval between any two SABs sent by the second node in different COTs is an integer number of radio frames" can be implemented in combination with method 300 or independently.

[0177] As an example, when S302 is implemented independently, the method may include: the second node generating and sending third indication information, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate whether there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message. Correspondingly, the first node may receive the third indication information and determine whether there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending an access request message based on the third indication information.

[0178] As another example, when S340 is implemented independently, the method may include: the second node generating and sending fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on the first base carrier, the first base carrier being the base carrier for sending the fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being scrambled with a predefined scrambling code, and correspondingly, the first node being able to receive the fourth indication information and parse the fourth indication information using the predefined scrambling code.

[0179] As another example, the scheme of "the time interval between any two SABs transmitted by the second node in different COTs is an integer number of radio frames" can be implemented separately. For example, the method may include: the second node transmits a first SAB in the first COT, the second node transmits a second SAB in the second COT, and the time interval between the first SAB and the second SAB is an integer number of radio frames; correspondingly, the first node can detect the first SAB in the first COT and detect the second SAB in the second COT, and the starting positions for detecting the first SAB and the second SAB are both located at the boundary of the radio frames.

[0180] For details regarding the independent implementation of the above scheme that are not described in detail, please refer to the preceding text; they will not be repeated here.

[0181] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the first node, the second node, and the third node include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0182] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of the communication devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or base station in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be a first node or a second node, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the first node or the second node.

[0183] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 2000 includes a processing unit 2010 and a transceiver unit 2020. The communication device 2000 is used to implement the functions of the first node or the second node in the method embodiment shown in Figure 6 above.

[0184] When the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the first node in the method embodiment shown in FIG3: the transceiver unit 2020 is used to: send an access request message to the second node on the first time-frequency resource. The access request message is used to request to establish a connection with the second node. The access request message includes first indication information, which is used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase; the processing unit 2010 is used to: determine the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase according to the first indication information.

[0185] When the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the second node in the method embodiment shown in FIG3: the transceiver unit 2020 is used to: receive an access request message from the first node on the first time-frequency resource, the access request message is used to request to establish a connection with the second node, the access request message includes first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase; the processing unit 2010 is used to: determine the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase according to the first indication information.

[0186] For a detailed description of the functions performed by the processing unit 2010 and the transceiver unit 2020, please refer to the relevant description in the method shown in Figure 3.

[0187] As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 3000 includes a processor 3010 and an interface circuit 3020. The processor 3010 and the interface circuit 3020 are coupled together. It is understood that the interface circuit 3020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 3000 may also include a memory 3030 for storing instructions executed by the processor 3010, or storing input data required by the processor 3010 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 3010 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 3020 can also be understood as part of the processor 3010, in which case the communication device 3000 includes the processor 3010.

[0188] When the communication device 3000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG3, the processor 3010 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 2010, and the interface circuit 3020 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 2020.

[0189] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to the first node (or second node), the chip implements the functions of the first node (or second node) in the above method embodiments. The information received by the chip can be understood as information first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the first node (or second node), and then sent to the chip by these modules. Similarly, the information sent by the chip can be understood as information first sent to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the first node (or second node), and then transmitted by these modules.

[0190] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0191] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0192] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0193] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0194] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B, and C.

[0195] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, 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. The order of the sequence numbers of the above processes does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0196] 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.

[0197] 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.

[0198] 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.

[0199] 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.

[0200] 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.

[0201] 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, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0202] 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 of communication, comprising: Applied to the first node, including: Send an access request message to the second node on the first time-frequency resource. The access request message is used to request to establish a connection with the second node. The access request message includes first indication information, which is used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase. The channel of the first node in the first initial access phase is determined based on the first indication information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Detect second indication information on the first time-frequency resource, the second indication information being used to indicate the channel of the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, Determining the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information includes: If the second indication information is detected, the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase is determined based on the second indication information and the first indication information; or, If the second indication information is not detected, the channel of the first node in the first initial access phase is determined according to the preset relationship and the first indication information. The preset relationship includes the correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first time-frequency resource is a synchronization acquisition block (SAB) period in the time domain and a fundamental carrier in the frequency domain.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node occupies 1 base carrier in the first initial access phase, or the first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node occupies 4 base carriers in the first initial access phase, or the first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node occupies all base carriers of the current communication frequency band in the first initial access phase.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third indication information is received on the first time-frequency resource, the third indication information being used to indicate that there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending the access request message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The resource that sends the access request message is located at the end of the first channel occupancy time (COT) of the second node in the time domain.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a fourth indication message from the second node. The fourth indication message is used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on a first base carrier. The first base carrier is the base carrier that sends the fourth indication message. The fourth indication message is scrambled using a predefined scrambling code.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first time-frequency resource is located within the first COT of the second node in the time domain, and the time interval between any SAB transmitted by the second node in the first COT and any SAB transmitted by the second node in the second COT is an integer number of radio frames.

10. A method of communication, comprising: Applied to the second node, including: On a first time-frequency resource, an access request message is received from a first node. The access request message is used to request the establishment of a connection with a second node. The access request message includes first indication information, which is used to indicate the communication bandwidth of the first node in the first initial access phase. The channel of the second node in the first initial access phase is determined based on the first indication information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: A second indication information is transmitted on a second time-frequency resource, the second indication information being used to indicate a channel for the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth, the second time-frequency resource including the first time-frequency resource.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The second time-frequency resource is one Synchronous Acquisition Block (SAB) period in the time domain and one or more basic carriers in the frequency domain.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, Determining the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase based on the first indication information includes: If the second indication information is sent, the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase is determined based on the second indication information and the first indication information; or, Without sending a second indication message, the channel of the second node in the first initial access phase is determined according to a preset relationship and the first indication message. The preset relationship includes the correspondence between communication bandwidth and the channel in the initial access phase. The second indication information is used to indicate the channel of the initial access phase corresponding to at least one communication bandwidth.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that, The first time-frequency resource is one SAB period in the time domain and one fundamental carrier in the frequency domain.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that, The first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node occupies 1 base carrier in the first initial access phase, or the first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node occupies 4 base carriers in the first initial access phase, or the first indication information is used to indicate that the communication bandwidth of the first node occupies all base carriers of the current communication frequency band in the first initial access phase.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third indication message on the first time-frequency resource, the third indication message being used to indicate that there is a resource in the first time-frequency resource for sending the access request message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The resource that sends the access request message is located at the end of the COT of the second node in the time domain.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fourth indication message is sent, which is used to schedule the transmission of broadcast data on the first base carrier. The fourth indication message is scrambled with a predefined scrambling code, and the first base carrier is the base carrier for sending the fourth indication message.

19. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 18, characterized in that, The first time-frequency resource is located within the first COT of the second node in the time domain, and the time interval between any SAB transmitted by the second node in the first COT and any SAB transmitted by the second node in the second COT is an integer number of radio frames.

20. A communications device, characterized by include: The unit is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or includes a unit used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 19.

21. A communications device, characterized by include: a processor coupled with the memory, the memory for storing a computer program, the processor for executing the computer program stored in the memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 10 to 19.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium has stored therein a computer program or instructions which, when executed by the communication apparatus, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or implement the method of any one of claims 10 to 19.

23. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program, when executed, implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or implements the method of any one of claims 10 to 19.

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