Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which can be applied to a multi-carrier sub-band full-duplex (SBFD) scenario, and enables the determination of a link direction of a terminal on a certain time unit in the multi-carrier SBFD scenario. In the method, when an RAN node configures X carriers for a terminal, and Y carriers among the X carriers are all configured with SBFD downlink sub-bands and / or SBFD uplink sub-bands on a certain time unit, the terminal and the RAN node can determine a link direction on the time unit on the basis of an intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflict handling criterion and an inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflict handling criterion. In this way, when there is an intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflict and / or an inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflict in the X carriers, the terminal and the RAN node can resolve the existing uplink and downlink conflicts, enabling the determination of the link direction on the time unit, that is, whether downlink transmission or uplink transmission or no transmission is performed on the time unit, and thus enabling the determination of the link direction of the terminal on the time unit.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510392093.5, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on March 28, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In a subband full-duplex (SBFD) scheme, a carrier is divided into multiple subbands, and the link directions of different subbands can be different. For example, a carrier can be divided into at least one downlink subband and at least one uplink subband. The downlink subband is used for downlink transmission, and the uplink subband is used for uplink transmission.

[0004] In addition, the terminal can also support multi-carrier SBFD, that is, the terminal can support the configuration of multiple carriers, some or all of which are SBFD carriers, that is, configured with SBFD uplink subband and / or downlink subband.

[0005] However, in multi-carrier SBFD scenarios, uplink and downlink conflicts may exist both within a single carrier and between different carriers. In this case, if the terminal's duplex mode is half-duplex (HD), it is unclear how the terminal will transmit data. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that enables a terminal to determine the link direction at a certain time unit in a multi-carrier SBFD scenario.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first terminal, or by a component of the first terminal, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first terminal, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first terminal. The method includes: receiving first configuration information, which configures X carriers, where Y of the X carriers are sub-band full-duplex (SBFD) carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink sub-band and / or an SBFD uplink sub-band in a first time unit, where X is a positive integer greater than 1 and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; determining the link direction in the first time unit according to a first criterion and a second criterion, wherein the first criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts within any one of the X carriers, and the second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between any two of the X carriers.

[0008] Based on this scheme, the network configures X carriers to the terminal, and if Y of these X carriers are configured with SBFD downlink subbands and / or SBFD uplink subbands in a certain time unit, the terminal can determine the link direction in that time unit according to the intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the first criterion) and the inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the second criterion). Therefore, if there are intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts and / or inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts among these X carriers, the terminal can resolve the existing uplink / downlink conflicts, thereby determining the link direction in that time unit. For example, it can determine whether to perform downlink transmission, uplink transmission, or no transmission in that time unit, thus realizing the determination of the link direction of the terminal in that time unit.

[0009] In one possible design, determining the link direction on the first time unit according to a first criterion and a second criterion includes: first processing uplink and downlink conflicts within at least one of the X carriers according to the first criterion, and then processing uplink and downlink conflicts between at least two of the X carriers according to the second criterion.

[0010] Based on this possible design, handling intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts first can determine the transmission direction of that carrier, thus providing a basis for inter-carrier conflict handling. If inter-carrier conflict handling is performed first, the link direction of carriers with intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts is uncertain, making inter-carrier conflict handling impossible. Therefore, handling intra-carrier link conflicts first, followed by inter-carrier link conflict handling, can effectively resolve intra-carrier and inter-carrier conflicts, determine the terminal's link direction, and improve transmission efficiency.

[0011] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a RAN node, or by a component of the RAN node, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the RAN node, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the RAN node. The method includes: sending first configuration information, which configures X carriers, where Y of the X carriers are sub-band full-duplex (SBFD) carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink sub-band and / or an SBFD uplink sub-band in a first time unit, where X is a positive integer greater than 1 and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; determining the link direction for transmission with a first terminal in the first time unit according to a first criterion and a second criterion, wherein the first criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts within any one of the X carriers, and the second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between any two of the X carriers.

[0012] Based on this scheme, the RAN node configures X carriers to the terminal. If Y of these X carriers are configured with SBFD downlink subbands and / or SBFD uplink subbands in a given time unit, the RAN node can determine the link direction in that time unit according to the intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the first criterion) and the inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the second criterion). Therefore, for the terminal, if intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts and / or inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts exist among these X carriers, the RAN node can simulate the terminal's resolution of the existing uplink / downlink conflicts, thereby determining the terminal's link direction in that time unit. In other words, it determines the link direction for transmission between the RAN node and the terminal in that time unit, ensuring that the RAN node and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the link direction in that time unit. This avoids transmission failures caused by inconsistent understandings of the link direction between the RAN node and the terminal, thus improving transmission efficiency.

[0013] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, the second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between any two carriers among the X carriers, including: the second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between at least one reference cell among the X carriers and a non-reference cell among the X carriers.

[0014] In conjunction with either the first or second aspect, in one possible design, only one SBFD carrier exists among the X carriers. If the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or if the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception across different frequency bands, at least one reference cell is designated as the first reference cell, and the first reference cell is an SBFD carrier.

[0015] In conjunction with either the first or second aspect, in one possible design, only one SBFD carrier exists among the X carriers. The X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception across different frequency bands. At least one reference cell includes a first reference cell and at least one second reference cell, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Specifically, the first reference cell is an SBFD carrier belonging to the first frequency band among the N frequency bands; one of the at least two second reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers, and the second frequency band is a frequency band other than the first frequency band among the N frequency bands.

[0016] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, the X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers. If the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or if the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception across different frequency bands, at least one reference cell is designated as the first reference cell. The first reference cell is the SBFD carrier with the smallest cell index among the multiple SBFD carriers, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0017] In conjunction with either the first or second aspect, in one possible design, the X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers. The X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and if the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception across different frequency bands, at least one reference cell includes at least one first reference cell and at least one second reference cell, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Specifically, one of the at least one first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band included in the X carriers, and one of the at least one second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. The first and second frequency bands belong to N frequency bands, the first frequency band includes at least one SBFD carrier from the X carriers, and the second frequency band does not include any SBFD carriers from the X carriers.

[0018] Based on the above four possible designs, the reference cell may include the SBFD carrier among X carriers. Since the transmission on the reference cell usually has a higher priority, determining the SBFD carrier as the reference cell can make the transmission on the SBFD carrier have a higher priority, thereby maximizing the gain of SBFD and minimizing the loss of SBFD gain.

[0019] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. The uplink transmission includes at least one of the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), or Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The downlink transmission includes at least one of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

[0020] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, one of the at least one second reference cell is configured for downlink or uplink in the first time unit by a first higher-layer parameter or a second higher-layer parameter, wherein the first higher-layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink / downlink configuration, and the second higher-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink / downlink configuration. Alternatively, the first time unit in one of the at least one second reference cell is a flexible time unit, and the second reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission in the first time unit by a third higher-layer parameter, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0021] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, where X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, at least one reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0022] In conjunction with either the first or second aspect, in one possible design, where X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception across different frequency bands, at least one reference cell includes N reference cells, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. The nth reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the nth frequency band included in the X carriers, where n = 1, ..., N.

[0023] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, where the first reference cell in at least one reference cell belongs to Y carriers, the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0024] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, if the first reference cell in at least one of the reference cells belongs to a carrier other than Y carriers out of X carriers, the first reference cell is configured for downlink or uplink in the first time unit by a first higher-layer parameter or a second higher-layer parameter, wherein the first higher-layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common time division duplex (TDD) uplink / downlink configuration, and the second higher-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink / downlink configuration; or, the first time unit in the first reference cell is a flexible time unit, and the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission in the first time unit by a third higher-layer parameter, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0025] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, the non-reference cell is an SBFD carrier among X carriers; the second criterion includes at least one of the following: In the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by a first or second higher-layer parameter, and there is uplink transmission on the non-reference cell configured with a third higher-layer parameter, the first time unit is considered a flexible time unit; or, in the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by a first or second higher-layer parameter, and there is uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information (DCI) on the non-reference cell, the first time unit is considered a flexible time unit; or, in the first time unit, if there is downlink transmission on the reference cell configured with a third higher-layer parameter, and there is uplink transmission on the non-reference cell configured with a third higher-layer parameter. If, within the first time unit, downlink transmissions on the reference cell are discarded, downlink transmissions configured with the third higher-layer parameter are discarded, and uplink transmissions scheduled by DCI are present on a non-reference cell, downlink transmissions on the reference cell are discarded; or, if within the first time unit, downlink transmissions scheduled by DCI are present on the reference cell, and uplink transmissions scheduled by DCI are present on a non-reference cell, this is considered an error. The uplink transmissions include at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmissions include at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS. The first higher-layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink / downlink configuration, and the second higher-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink / downlink configuration.

[0026] Based on this possible design, since the second criterion prioritizes transmission on non-reference cells as much as possible, such as the first and second criteria treating the first time unit as a flexible time unit, or the third and fourth criteria prioritizing transmission on non-reference cells, it is possible to maximize the transmission priority on SBFD carriers when the non-reference cell is an SBFD carrier, thereby maximizing the SBFD gain and minimizing SBFD gain loss.

[0027] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, for any one of the Y carriers, the first criterion includes at least one of the following: If, within a first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier and an uplink transmission configured with a third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, the uplink transmission on the SBFD uplink subband is discarded; or, if, within a first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier and an uplink transmission configured with a third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, the downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband is discarded; or, if, within a first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier and an uplink transmission configured with a third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, it is considered an error; or, if, within a first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier and an uplink transmission configured with a third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, it is considered an error; or, if, within a first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier and an uplink transmission configured with a third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier... If the transmission fails, it is considered an error. Alternatively, if within the first time unit, there is a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and an uplink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, or an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, then SSB takes priority. If within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and a PRACH scheduled by DCI on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, it is considered an error. Alternatively, if within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and a PRACH scheduled by DCI on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, then the downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband is discarded. Alternatively, if within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, or a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and a PRACH configured with third higher-layer parameters on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, then it depends on the implementation of the first terminal.

[0028] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in one possible design, for any carrier among the X carriers excluding the Y carriers, the first criterion includes at least one of the following: If, within a first time unit, a carrier is configured for downlink by a first higher-layer parameter or a second higher-layer parameter, and is also configured for uplink, it is considered an error condition; or, if, within a first time unit, a carrier is configured for uplink by a first higher-layer parameter or a second higher-layer parameter, and is also configured for downlink, it is considered an error condition; or, if, within a first time unit, there is a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI on the carrier, and an uplink transmission configured by a third higher-layer parameter, the uplink transmission is discarded; or, if, within a first time unit, there is a downlink transmission configured by a third higher-layer parameter on the carrier, and an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, the downlink transmission is discarded; if, within a first time unit, there is a downlink transmission configured by a third higher-layer parameter on the carrier, and an uplink transmission configured by a third higher-layer parameter... If, within the first time unit, there is both a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission and a DCI-scheduled uplink transmission on the carrier, it is considered an error. Alternatively, if, within the first time unit, there is an SSB transmission on the carrier and an uplink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter, or an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, the SSB transmission takes priority. If, within the first time unit, there is both a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission and a DCI-scheduled PRACH transmission on the carrier, it is considered an error. Alternatively, if, within the first time unit, there is both a downlink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter and a PRACH transmission scheduled by DCI, the downlink transmission is discarded. Alternatively, if, within the first time unit, there is both a downlink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter and a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and a PRACH transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter, the downlink transmission takes priority.

[0029] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods, wherein the modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0030] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0031] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0032] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the above aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0033] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the above aspects and any possible designs thereof.

[0034] A sixth aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor; said processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible designs thereof. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or may be independent of the processor.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, a communication device (e.g., a chip or chip system) is provided, the communication device including a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects and any possible designs thereof.

[0036] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0037] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0038] The communication device described in the third to seventh aspects may be the terminal in the first aspect, or a device contained in the terminal, such as a chip or chip system; or the communication device may be the RAN node in the second aspect, or a device contained in the RAN network node, such as a chip or chip system.

[0039] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, which may be a terminal, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the terminal that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the terminal; or, the communication device may be a RAN node, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the RAN node that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the RAN node.

[0040] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to eighth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0041] A ninth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0042] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0043] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal and a RAN node. The terminal can be used to implement the method described in the first aspect and any possible design thereof, and the RAN node can be used to implement the method described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0044] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the time slot structure in a traditional TDD system provided in this application;

[0046] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an SBFD scheme provided in this application;

[0047] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of uplink and downlink conflicts under HD TDD CA provided in this application;

[0048] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in this application;

[0049] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in this application;

[0050] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another O-RAN system provided in this application;

[0051] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a RAN chip architecture provided in this application;

[0052] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0053] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a multi-carrier aggregation method provided in this application;

[0054] Figures 10-12 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0055] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0056] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0057] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0058] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0059] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0060] It is understood that in this application, “...when,” “if,” and “...under certain circumstances” all refer to taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited, nor do they require a judgment action during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0061] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0062] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments and their implementations in this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and their implementations are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features of different embodiments and their implementations can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The embodiments described below do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0063] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is given below.

[0064] 1. Subband fullduplex (SBFD):

[0065] The fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) wireless communication system is deployed in the mid-to-high frequency band, achieving high data rates and low latency by using large bandwidth.

[0066] In current time division duplex (TDD) systems, the downlink (DL) typically occupies the majority of time resources, leading to a coverage imbalance between the DL and uplink (UL). For example, as shown in Figure 1, within one TDD cycle, the DL occupies four time slots, while the UL occupies one time slot. Compared to frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, TDD systems have poorer uplink coverage and higher latency. To address the uplink coverage and latency issues in TDD systems, Release 19 (R19) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduced the SBFD (Suspended Backwards Function) scheme.

[0067] In the SBFD scheme, a carrier is divided into multiple subbands, and the link directions of different subbands can be different. For example, a carrier can be divided into a downlink subband (also called an SBFD downlink subband) and an uplink subband (also called an SBFD uplink subband). The downlink subband is used for downlink transmission, and the uplink subband is used for uplink transmission. For example, as shown in Figure 2(a), a carrier is divided into three subbands, with the middle subband being the uplink subband and the top and bottom subbands being the downlink subbands; or, as shown in Figure 2(b), a carrier is divided into two subbands, with the top subband being the downlink subband and the bottom subband being the uplink subband.

[0068] Furthermore, the SBFD scheme has a time-domain concept; that is, SBFD uplink and downlink subbands are configured on certain time slots or symbols, not necessarily on all time slots or symbols. For example, a time slot configured with downlink and / or uplink subbands can be called an SBFD time slot, and a symbol configured with downlink and / or uplink subbands can be called an SBFD symbol. Here, "symbol" can refer to a time-domain symbol, such as an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

[0069] For example, SBFD uplink and downlink subbands can be configured on TDD downlink symbols or flexible symbols. Taking the example in Figure 2, the SBFD uplink and downlink subbands are configured on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time slots within a TDD cycle, while the 1st and 5th time slots within the same TDD cycle are not configured with SBFD uplink and downlink subbands. Here, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time slots can be understood as SBFD time slots, while the 1st and 5th time slots can be understood as non-SBFD time slots.

[0070] With the SBFD scheme, the base station can transmit and receive simultaneously using different frequency domain resources (sub-bands), increasing the uplink transmission resources available to the terminal, which can effectively improve uplink coverage and reduce uplink latency.

[0071] 2. Inter-carrier link conflict handling mechanism:

[0072] In 3GPP, a half-duplex (HD) TDD carrier aggregation (CA) mechanism was introduced. In the HD TDD CA mechanism, a terminal supports carrier aggregation of multiple component carriers (CCs). Each CC is a TDD spectrum, and the TDD uplink and downlink on each CC are configured independently and can be different.

[0073] For example, as shown in Figure 3, in a CA based on CC#1 and CC#2, the link directions of different CCs may be different at the same time (or on the same time domain symbol). For instance, during the time shown in the dashed box in Figure 3, the link direction of CC#1 is uplink, and the link direction of CC#2 is downlink.

[0074] Because terminals do not support simultaneous transmission and reception in half-duplex mode, if multiple carriers (CCs) have different link directions on the same time symbol, the terminal cannot transmit on one CC of the same time symbol while simultaneously receiving on another CC of the same time symbol. In other words, inter-carrier link conflicts may occur in the HD TDD CA mechanism.

[0075] To address inter-carrier link conflicts that may occur on certain time-domain symbols, the 3GPP protocol introduced the conflict handling criteria shown in Table 1. Here, the reference cell is the CC with the smallest index among all CCs in the HD TDD CA, and other cells are all CCs in the HD TDD CA other than the reference cell.

[0076] For example, in the embodiments of this application, "carrier" and "cell" can be used interchangeably, or "cell" can be understood as "cell on carrier".

[0077] Furthermore, Semi-D indicates that the cell is semi-statically configured as downlink by the network through higher-layer signaling tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon or tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationDedicated for a certain time domain symbol; Semi-U indicates that the cell is semi-statically configured as uplink by the network through higher-layer signaling tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon or tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationDedicated for a certain time domain symbol.

[0078] RRC-D indicates that the cell is configured with downlink transmission (or downlink reception) by higher-layer signaling at a certain time domain symbol. This downlink transmission may include the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the physical downlink share channel (PDSCH), and the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). RRC-U indicates that the cell is configured with uplink transmission (or uplink transmission) by higher-layer signaling at a certain time domain symbol. This uplink transmission includes the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), the physical uplink share channel (PUSCH), the sounding reference signal (SRS), and the physical random access channel (PRACH). Here, RRC stands for Radio Resource Control (RRC).

[0079] DG-D indicates that the cell is dynamically scheduled for downlink transmission (or downlink reception) by downlink control information (DCI) in a certain time domain symbol. This downlink transmission includes at least one of PDCCH, PDSCH, or CSI-RS. DG-U indicates that the cell is dynamically scheduled for uplink transmission (or uplink transmission) by DCI in a certain time domain symbol. This uplink transmission includes at least one of PUCCH, PUSCH, SRS, or PRACH.

[0080] Table 1

[0081] For example, based on the conflict handling criteria in Table 1, if the reference cell is semi-statically configured as uplink (Semi-U) in a certain time domain symbol, while other cells are dynamically scheduled as downlink (DG-D), this is an error scenario, and the base station can reconfigure or reschedule. If the reference cell is semi-statically configured as downlink (Semi-D) or configured as downlink (RRC-D) by higher-layer signaling, while other cells are configured as uplink (RRC-U) by higher-layer signaling, the terminal discards uplink, i.e., downlink transmission is prioritized.

[0082] 3. SBFD carrier intra-link collision handling mechanism:

[0083] Currently, the 3GPP standard for SBFD has decided to adopt a "network-side subband full-duplex, terminal-side half-duplex" mode. Network-side full-duplex means the base station can simultaneously transmit downlink and receive uplink on an SBFD symbol, while terminal-side half-duplex means the terminal can only transmit or receive on a single SBFD symbol, not simultaneously. An SBFD symbol can be understood as a time-domain symbol configured with SBFD uplink subbands and / or SBFD downlink subbands.

[0084] Therefore, if a base station simultaneously configures or instructs a terminal to perform uplink transmission and downlink reception on a single SBFD symbol, uplink and downlink conflicts will occur for the terminal. In this case, the criteria shown in Table 2 can be used to resolve uplink and downlink conflicts within an SBFD carrier. Here, an SBFD carrier can be understood as a carrier configured with (or divided into) SBFD uplink subbands and / or SBFD downlink subbands.

[0085] Table 2

[0086] For RRC-D, RRC-U, DG-D, and DG-U, please refer to the relevant explanations in Table 1 above. RRC-PRACH indicates that the subband is configured as PRACH by higher-layer signaling in a certain time domain symbol, and DG-PRACH indicates that the subband is dynamically scheduled as PRACH by DCI in a certain time domain symbol.

[0087] For example, based on the conflict handling criteria in Table 2, if the downlink subband is dynamically scheduled for downlink transmission (DG-D) and the uplink subband is configured for uplink by higher-layer signaling (RRC-U), the terminal discards the uplink and prioritizes the transmission of downlink; or, if the downlink subband is configured for downlink by higher-layer signaling (RRC-D) and the uplink subband is dynamically scheduled for uplink (DG-U), the terminal discards the downlink and prioritizes the transmission of uplink.

[0088] 4. Multi-carrier SBFD:

[0089] The terminal may support multi-carrier SBFD configuration. That is, the terminal can be configured with multiple carriers, some or all of which are SBFD carriers, i.e., configured with SBFD uplink subbands and / or downlink subbands.

[0090] However, in multi-carrier SBFD scenarios, for the terminal, uplink and downlink conflicts may exist both within a single carrier and between different carriers. In such cases, it is unclear how the terminal will perform transmission.

[0091] Furthermore, existing inter-carrier link conflict handling rules may prevent terminals from uplinking or downlinking on SBFD carriers. For example, based on the handling rules in Table 1, if the SBFD carrier is another cell, the transmission on the SBFD carrier may be dropped or considered an incorrect scenario. In this case, the terminal will not be able to obtain the gains provided by SBFD technology, or it will suffer a partial loss of SBFD gain.

[0092] Based on this, this application provides a communication method in which, when a RAN node configures X carriers to a terminal, and Y of these X carriers are configured with SBFD downlink subbands and / or SBFD uplink subbands in a certain time unit, the terminal and the RAN node can determine the link direction in that time unit according to the intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the first criterion) and the inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the second criterion). Therefore, when intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts and / or inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts exist among the X carriers, the terminal and the RAN node can resolve the existing uplink / downlink conflicts, thereby determining the link direction in that time unit, i.e., whether to perform downlink transmission or uplink transmission in that time unit, enabling the terminal to receive downlink or transmit uplink in that time unit.

[0093] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be used in various communication systems, including 3GPP communication systems, such as fourth-generation (4G) systems like Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G systems like NR, LTE and 5G hybrid networking systems, integrated communication and sensing systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-type communication (MTC) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, or other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system; there is no limitation on this.

[0094] The communication systems described above are merely illustrative examples, and are not limited to those described herein. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions described herein. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0095] Figure 4 illustrates a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 4, the communication system 40 includes a radio access network (RAN) 400 and a core network (CN) 500. RAN 400 includes at least one RAN node (410a and 410b in Figure 4, collectively referred to as 410) and at least one terminal (420a-420j in Figure 4, collectively referred to as 420). Core network 500 includes at least one core network device.

[0096] Optionally, RAN 400 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 4). Terminal 420 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 410. RAN node 410 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 500. The core network equipment in core network 500 and RAN node 410 in RAN 400 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions.

[0097] In one possible implementation, RAN 400 can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 400 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) (such as an NTN supporting pass-through mode and / or regenerative mode, or an NTN supporting eye-viewing mode (earth fixed cell) and / or non-eye-viewing mode (earth moving cell), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 400 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0098] In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 410 and terminal 420 are relative. For example, in Figure 4, network element 420i can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 420j accessing RAN 400 through network element 420i, network element 420i is a base station; but for base station 410a, network element 420i is a terminal. RAN node 410 and terminal 420 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, in Figure 4, network elements 410a and 410b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 420a-420j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0099] In some scenarios, communication between RAN node 410 and terminal 420 follows a specific protocol layer structure, which may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc.

[0100] As one possible implementation, terminal 420 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, V2X communication, MTC, IoT, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0101] As one possible implementation, RAN node 410, sometimes also referred to as RAN entity or access node, forms part of the communication system to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 410 in communication system 20 can be of the same type or different types.

[0102] In one possible scenario, RAN node 410 can be an access network device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (as shown in Figure 4, 410a), micro base stations or indoor stations (as shown in Figure 4, 410b), relay nodes or donor nodes, or radio controllers in CRAN scenarios. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, the RAN node can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0103] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0104] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an O-RAN central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an O-RAN central unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an O-RAN central unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU). Any of the units CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0105] As exemplified, Figure 5 illustrates a possible, non-limiting O-RAN system. In this system, the CU, DU, and RU cooperate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access. The CU, DU, and RU can be included in the access network equipment, and the CU and DU can be included in the BBU of the access network equipment.

[0106] Referring to Figure 5, access network devices communicate with core network devices via backhaul links and with terminals via air interfaces. Specifically, the access network device's BBU communicates with the core network device via the backhaul link, and the access network device's RU communicates with at least one terminal device via the air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link, and the CU communicates with at least one DU via a midhaul link. The BBU and RU can be co-located or not.

[0107] As one possible implementation, the CU and DU respectively implement some of the protocol layer functions of the access network device. For example, some protocol layer functions are implemented in the CU, and the remaining or all protocol layer functions are implemented in the DU. The CU can control one or more DUs.

[0108] For example, a CU can deploy the RRC layer, SDAP layer, and PDCP layer; or, in other words, a CU can be understood as a logical node carrying the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers of access network equipment. Therefore, the CU has the processing capabilities of the RRC, PDCP, and SDAP layers. Of course, the CU can also implement or carry other control functions. Similarly, a DU can deploy the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer; or, in other words, a DU can be understood as a logical node carrying the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers. Therefore, the DU has the processing capabilities of the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers. Of course, the DU can also implement or carry other functions.

[0109] Optionally, the CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be E2 interfaces, etc. Furthermore, the CU can also implement some core network functions. The CU (e.g., PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as F1. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). For example, F1 supports control plane functions through F1-C and user plane functions through F1-U.

[0110] In one example, the CU may include CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP can be understood as a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the PDCP control plane (PDCP control plane part of PDCP, PDCP-C), used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can communicate with the DU via F1-C. CU-UP can be understood as a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP user plane (PDCP user plane part of PDCP, PDCP-U), used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can communicate with the DU via F1-U.

[0111] CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function network elements, such as the AMF network element in a 5G system. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements can be, for example, UPF network elements.

[0112] The functional division of CU and DU described above is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation on CU and DU. Furthermore, the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, CU or DU can be configured as a node with more protocol layer functions, or as a node with partial protocol layer processing functions. For instance, some functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. As another example, the functions of CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency, placing functions that need to meet low latency requirements in the DU and functions that do not need to meet such latency requirements in the CU.

[0113] For example, in some examples, the CU may not carry the PDCP layer, i.e., it may only carry the RRC layer. CU-CP may not carry PDCP-C, CU-UP may not carry PDCP-U, or CU-UP may not exist. In other examples, the DU may not carry the RLC layer. Furthermore, it is also possible to have only the DU without a CU.

[0114] As one possible implementation, the DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the DU can deploy the RLC layer, MAC layer, and higher physical layer (Higher PHY). The RU can deploy the lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing functions. The DU can control at least one RU, and the DU and RU can communicate via a fronthaul interface. The DU and RU can be co-located or not.

[0115] The higher physical layer is closer to the MAC layer, and its functions may include at least one of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, modulation / demodulation, etc. The lower physical layer is closer to the mid-RF side, and its functions may include at least one of the following: fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, or extraction and filtering of the physical random access channel (PRACH), etc. The RU is similar to the TRP or remote radio head (RRH) in 3GPP, but it includes lower-level PHY functions, such as FFT / iFFT, or PRACH extraction.

[0116] Referring to Figure 6, the DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through the lower-layer split control user synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface. The LLS-CUS interface may include an LLS-C interface (providing the control plane C-Plane) and an LLS-U interface (providing the user plane U-Plane). Furthermore, the DU and RU exchange management information via a fronthaul link through the LLS-M interface, which provides the management plane (M-Plane). For example, the control plane C-Plane refers to real-time control between the DU and RU; the management plane M-Plane refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0117] The functional division of DU and RU described above is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation on DU and RU. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and RU can be configured to implement radio frequency functions, etc.

[0118] In some scenarios, the RAN in the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application may further include a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). The RIC may further include a non-real time RAN intelligent controller (Non-RT RIC or NRT RIC) and a near-real time RAN intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC or nRT RIC).

[0119] Non-real-time RICs are used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of the RAN, processing non-real-time information, such as latency-insensitive data with latency in the order of seconds. They can also implement artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) workflows, including model training and updates, and guide applications / functions in near-real-time RICs based on policies. Near-real-time RICs are used to implement near-real-time intelligent management of the RAN, processing near-real-time information, such as latency-sensitive data with latency in the order of tens of milliseconds. They can also achieve near-real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface. The E2 interface can be understood as an open interface between two nodes (or endpoints).

[0120] As one possible implementation, near real-time RICs can be used for model training and inference. For example, they can be used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. Near real-time RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data. Optionally, near real-time RICs can deliver inference results to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Optionally, inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs. For example, a near real-time RIC might deliver inference results to a DU, which then forwards them to an RU. Non-real-time RICs can also be used for model training and inference. Refer to the relevant documentation on using near real-time RICs for model training and inference; details will not be elaborated here.

[0121] As one possible implementation, near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can be configured as separate network elements. Alternatively, near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be part of other devices. For example, near real-time RICs can be set in RAN nodes (e.g., CU, DU), while non-real-time RICs can be set in OAM, cloud servers, core network devices, or other devices.

[0122] In one possible implementation, Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary RAN chip architecture, divided into a CU, a DU, and a RU. The CU can perform layer 2 (L2) and layer 3 (L3) functions, and further, the CU can also have some core network functions. The DU can perform layer 1 (L1) and some L2 functions, and the RU can perform L1 computing and radio frequency (RF) digital functions. The midhaul and backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the CU and DU, and between the CU and the core network. The fronthaul interface is used to carry traffic between the RU and DU. An integrated DU can include the aforementioned DU and RU functions.

[0123] For example, in terms of hardware, the CU and DU may include a chassis platform, motherboard, peripheral devices, and cooling equipment. The motherboard includes processing units, memory, internal input / output (I / O) interfaces, and external connection ports. The hardware of the CU and DU may also include hardware accelerators. Hardware accelerators include interfaces and hardware functional components, including: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller. For example, the processing unit may include a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU).

[0124] As shown in Figure 7, a DU (Duration Unit) is typically implemented using a multi-core processor and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to a hardware accelerator based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) / graphics processing unit (GPU); or all L1 functions can be offloaded to an FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerator, while other protocol stack components are implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. The hardware accelerator supports interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, the accelerator has a multi-channel peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface pointing to the CPU and external connections via gigabit Ethernet (GE) connectivity.

[0125] An RU may include an O-RAN processing unit (OPU), a digital processing unit (DPU), and an RF processing unit.

[0126] The OPU is used to receive Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and perform fronthaul interface, L1 layer (coding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0127] The DPU is used to perform synchronization, uplink (UL) digital downconversion (DDC), downlink (DL) digital upconversion (DUC), channel failure ratio (CFR), and digital pre-distortion (DPD) processing. It improves power amplifier efficiency by reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) / adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of the RF front-end. The DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC.

[0128] The RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and Tx / Rx filters. Conversion between the analog and digital domains can be performed within the transceiver module. This conversion includes, but is not limited to: digital-to-analog converter (DAC), analog-to-digital converter (ADC), RF sampling, and frequency conversion using a mixture of RF, intermediate frequency (IF), and local oscillator (LO) during up-conversion and down-conversion. Optionally, the physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries; that is, it is not necessary to distinguish between physical and logical partitions.

[0129] It should be noted that the communication system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0130] The communication method provided in this application embodiment will be described below with reference to the system shown in Figure 4, taking the interaction between the terminal and the RAN node as an example. It should be noted that in the following embodiments of this application, the message names, parameter names, or information names between various devices are just examples, and other names may be used in other embodiments. The method provided in this application does not specifically limit these names.

[0131] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, each device may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to perform all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0132] It is understood that this application uses a terminal and a RAN node as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be executed by a module applied to the terminal (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal's functions; similarly, the method executed by the RAN node can also be executed by a module applied to the RAN node (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the RAN node's functions.

[0133] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below. As shown in FIG8, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0134] S801, the RAN node sends the first configuration information to the first terminal. Correspondingly, the first terminal receives the first configuration information from the RAN node.

[0135] The first configuration information is used to configure X carriers, of which Y carriers are SBFD carriers. Each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink subband and / or an SBFD uplink subband in the first time unit. X is a positive integer greater than 1, and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X.

[0136] In one implementation, Y of the X carriers are SBFD carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink subband and / or an SBFD uplink subband in the first time unit. Alternatively, it can be understood that each of the Y carriers in the X carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink subband and / or an SBFD uplink subband in the first time unit, or that the first time unit of the Y carriers in the X carriers is configured as an SBFD time unit.

[0137] For example, the first time unit can be a time slot, an OFDM symbol, or any other unit in the time domain, without limitation. The first time unit can be any time unit in the communication system, or it can be the current time unit, or it can be a scheduled time unit, without limitation.

[0138] For example, taking X = 3 and Y = 2 as an example, the X carriers configured in the first configuration information can be as shown in Figure 9. Referring to Figure 9, the three carriers configured in the first configuration information include CC#1, CC#2, and CC#3. Among them, CC#2 and CC#3 are configured with SBFD downlink subband and SBFD uplink subband in time units 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Therefore, the first time unit can be any of time units 1, 2, and 3, CC#2 and CC#3 are two SBFD carriers, and CC#1 can be understood as a non-SBFD carrier. A non-SBFD carrier can be understood as a carrier that is not configured with SBFD downlink subband and SBFD uplink subband in the first time unit.

[0139] As one possible implementation, for any one of the Y SBFD carriers, a guard band may or may not exist between the SBFD downlink sub-band and the SBFD uplink sub-band. If a guard band exists between the SBFD downlink sub-band and the SBFD uplink sub-band, transmission may or may not be possible on that guard band; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0140] As one possible implementation, for any SBFD carrier among the Y SBFD carriers, there may or may not be overlap between the SBFD downlink subband and the SBFD uplink subband; this application does not impose any specific limitations on this.

[0141] As one possible implementation, for any SBFD carrier among the Y SBFD carriers, the time domain configuration of SBFD may have the following two configuration methods: 1. All time domain symbols contained in a time slot are configured as SBFD symbols, or all are configured as non-SBFD symbols; 2. Some time domain symbols contained in a time slot can be configured as SBFD symbols, and other time domain symbols can be configured as non-SBFD symbols.

[0142] For example, an SBFD symbol can be understood as a time-domain symbol configured with an SBFD uplink subband and / or an SBFD downlink subband, while a non-SBFD symbol can be understood as a time-domain symbol without an SBFD uplink or downlink subband. For uplink transmission, a non-SBFD symbol can be an uplink symbol or a flexible symbol; for downlink transmission, a non-SBFD symbol can be a downlink symbol or a flexible symbol. For example, an uplink symbol refers to a symbol used for uplink transmission, a downlink symbol refers to a symbol used for downlink transmission, and a flexible symbol refers to a symbol that can be configured for either uplink or downlink transmission.

[0143] As one possible implementation, the RAN node can configure X carriers to the first terminal through a system information block (SIB), or through RRC signaling, or through other signaling, without restriction. That is, the first configuration information can be carried in the SIB, RRC signaling, or other signaling.

[0144] As one possible implementation, the RAN node can configure X carriers to the first terminal through one or more signaling messages. That is, the first configuration information can be understood as one or more configuration information, which can be carried in one signaling message or multiple signaling messages, without restriction.

[0145] As one possible implementation, the X carriers may belong to (or be located in) the same frequency band, or the X carriers may belong to (or be located in) N frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0146] As one possible implementation, the RAN node can also send indication information to the first terminal, which enables link direction conflict handling for the X carriers.

[0147] For example, after enabling link direction conflict handling for a certain carrier, the first terminal can process the link direction conflict related to that carrier according to the conflict handling criteria before performing uplink transmission or downlink reception. If link direction conflict handling for a certain carrier is not enabled, the first terminal directly performs uplink transmission or downlink reception on that carrier according to the configuration or instructions of the RAN node, without performing link direction conflict handling related to that carrier.

[0148] S802, the first terminal determines the link direction on the first time unit according to the first criterion and the second criterion.

[0149] The first criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts within any one of the X carriers. The second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between any two of the X carriers.

[0150] For example, uplink / downlink conflict can also be understood as uplink / downlink transmission conflict, link direction conflict, or transmission direction conflict. Intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict can be understood as: within a first time unit, the carrier is configured, indicated, or scheduled for both uplink and downlink transmission. Inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflict can be understood as: within a first time unit, one carrier is configured, indicated, or scheduled for uplink transmission, and the other carrier is configured, indicated, or scheduled for downlink transmission.

[0151] As one possible implementation, if uplink / downlink conflicts exist within some of the X carriers, the first terminal can handle the intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts according to a first criterion. If uplink / downlink conflicts exist between multiple carriers among the X carriers, the first terminal can handle the inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts according to a second criterion.

[0152] As one possible implementation, if there are both intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts and inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts among the X carriers, the first terminal can first handle the intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts according to a first criterion, and then handle the inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts according to a second criterion, thereby determining the link direction in the first time unit. The link direction in the first time unit is uplink or downlink, or it can be no transmission.

[0153] Furthermore, when there are both intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts and inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts among X carriers, the determination of the reference cell for handling inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts may be implemented in the following two ways: 1) The first terminal can first handle intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts, then determine the reference cell based on the intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts handling results, and finally handle inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts based on the reference cell and the intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts handling results; 2) The first terminal first determines the reference cell, then handles intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts, and finally handles inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts based on the reference cell and the intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts handling results.

[0154] As one possible implementation, the method for handling uplink and downlink conflicts in this application can be applied to SBFD time units. For non-SBFD time units, existing conflict handling criteria can be reused, or the conflict handling criteria in this application can be used, without restriction.

[0155] Here, an SBFD time unit can be understood as a time unit on at least one of the X carriers where an SBFD downlink subband and / or an SBFD uplink subband are configured, and a non-SBFD time unit can be understood as a time unit on all of the X carriers where no SBFD downlink subband and / or SBFD uplink subband are configured. For example, based on the example shown in Figure 9, time units 1, 2, and 3 are SBFD time units, and time units 0 and 4 are non-SBFD time units.

[0156] Alternatively, an SBFD time unit can also be understood as a time unit on at least one of the multiple carriers with link direction conflicts among X carriers, where an SBFD downlink subband and / or an SBFD uplink subband are configured. A non-SBFD time unit can be understood as a time unit on all carriers of the multiple carriers with link direction conflicts among X carriers, where no SBFD downlink subband and / or SBFD uplink subband are configured.

[0157] The implementation of the first criterion, the second criterion, and the determination of the link direction on the first time unit based on the first and second criterions will be described in detail in subsequent embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0158] S803, the RAN node determines the link direction for transmission between the RAN node and the first terminal in the first time unit according to the first and second criteria.

[0159] For example, the link direction for transmission between the RAN node and the first terminal in the first time unit can be understood as: the link direction for transmission (or communication) between the RAN node and the first terminal in the first time unit. This link direction can be downlink or uplink.

[0160] The implementation of step S803 is similar to that of step S802 described above. Refer to the relevant description of the first terminal determining the link direction in the first time unit in the embodiments of this application; further details will not be repeated here. Furthermore, there is no strict order between steps S803 and S802. Step S802 can be executed first, followed by step S803; or step S803 can be executed first, followed by step S802; or steps S802 and S803 can be executed simultaneously. There is no restriction on the order of execution.

[0161] As one possible implementation, if the first terminal and the RAN node determine that the link direction in the first time unit is uplink, the first terminal performs uplink transmission in the first time unit, and the RAN node performs uplink reception in the first time unit; if the first terminal and the RAN node determine that the link direction in the first time unit is downlink, the first terminal performs downlink reception in the first time unit, and the RAN node performs downlink transmission in the first time unit. Furthermore, the transmission in the first time unit occurs on at least one of the X carriers; the specific carriers on which the transmission occurs need to be determined based on the collision handling results.

[0162] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the link direction determined by the RAN node in the first time unit refers to the link direction through which the RAN node and the first terminal transmit data in the first time unit.

[0163] Based on this scheme, when the RAN node configures X carriers to the terminal, and Y of these X carriers are all configured with SBFD downlink subbands and / or SBFD uplink subbands in a certain time unit, the terminal and the RAN node can determine the link direction in that time unit according to the intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the first criterion) and the inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling criteria (i.e., the second criterion). Therefore, if there are intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts and / or inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflicts among the X carriers, the terminal and the RAN node can resolve the existing uplink / downlink conflicts, thereby determining the link direction in that time unit, i.e., whether to perform downlink transmission or uplink transmission in that time unit, enabling the terminal to receive downlink or transmit uplink in that time unit.

[0164] The overall process of the communication method provided in this application has been described above. The first criterion, the second criterion, and the determination of the link direction on the first time unit will be explained in detail below.

[0165] In one possible implementation, for any one of the Y carriers, or for any one of the X carriers in the SBFD configuration, the first criterion includes at least one of the following:

[0166] 1) In the first time unit, if the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier has downlink transmission scheduled by DCI and the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier has uplink transmission configured by the third higher layer parameter, the uplink transmission on the SBFD uplink subband is discarded, or in other words, the downlink transmission scheduled by DCI on the SBFD downlink subband is given priority.

[0167] For example, in the embodiments of this application, the SBFD downlink subband (up) has downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and the SBFD uplink subband (up) has uplink transmission scheduled by DCI. This can also be understood as: the SBFD downlink subband (up) has downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and the SBFD uplink subband (up) has uplink transmission scheduled by DCI. This is explained uniformly here, and will not be repeated in subsequent embodiments.

[0168] The SBFD downlink subband (upper) has downlink transmission configured with a third higher layer parameter, and the SBFD uplink subband (upper) has uplink transmission configured with a third higher layer parameter. This can also be understood as: the SBFD downlink subband (upper) is configured for downlink transmission with a third higher layer parameter, and the SBFD uplink subband (upper) is configured for uplink transmission with a third higher layer parameter. This is a unified explanation here, and subsequent embodiments will not repeat it. Furthermore, the third higher layer parameter in this application embodiment is a higher layer parameter, and this application does not limit the specific implementation of the third higher layer parameter.

[0169] Understandably, since the first terminal operates in half-duplex mode and lacks the ability to transmit and receive simultaneously, in scenario 1), within the first time unit, the first terminal discards uplink transmissions on the SBFD uplink subband but can perform downlink transmissions on the SBFD downlink subband. However, for the RAN node, which possesses the ability to transmit and receive simultaneously, within the first time unit, the RAN node performs downlink transmissions on the SBFD downlink subband, and on the SBFD uplink subband, the RAN node can choose not to perform uplink reception or not, without restriction.

[0170] In other words, the term "discard" in this application embodiment is described from the perspective of the first terminal. For the RAN node, if the first terminal "discards" the uplink or downlink transmission, the RAN node may also discard the uplink or downlink transmission, or it may still perform the uplink or downlink transmission, without restriction.

[0171] Furthermore, for the first terminal, uplink transmission can also be understood as uplink sending, and downlink transmission can also be understood as downlink receiving; for the RAN node, uplink transmission can also be understood as uplink receiving, and downlink transmission can also be understood as downlink sending.

[0172] 2) In the first time unit, if the downlink transmission in the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier is configured with the third higher layer parameter, and the uplink transmission in the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier is scheduled by DCI, the downlink transmission in the SBFD downlink subband is discarded, or in other words, the uplink transmission scheduled by DCI in the SBFD uplink subband is given priority.

[0173] Similar to scenario 1) above, for the first terminal, within the first time unit, the first terminal discards downlink transmissions on the SBFD downlink subband but can perform uplink transmissions on the SBFD uplink subband. For the RAN node, within the first time unit, the RAN node can perform uplink reception on the SBFD subband, and on the SBFD downlink subband, the RAN node can perform downlink transmissions or not, without restriction.

[0174] 3) If, within the first time unit, the SBFD downlink subcarrier of the carrier carries downlink transmission with the third higher layer parameter configuration, and the SBFD uplink subcarrier of the carrier carries uplink transmission with the third higher layer parameter configuration, this is considered an error case.

[0175] 4) If, within the first time unit, the SBFD downlink subcarrier of the carrier carries downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and the SBFD uplink subcarrier of the carrier carries uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, this is considered an error.

[0176] For example, in scenario 3) or scenario 4), the RAN node may be considered to be misconfigured. If the RAN node discovers a configuration error, it can be reconfigured subsequently without restriction.

[0177] 5) In the first time unit, if the downlink of the SBFD in this carrier carries a synchronization signal block (SSB) for transmission, and the uplink of the SBFD in this carrier carries uplink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter, or uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, then SSB takes priority.

[0178] In other words, in scenario 5), within the first time unit, the RAN node can transmit SSB on the downlink subband of the SBFD, and the first terminal can receive SSB on the downlink subband of the SBFD. Furthermore, within the first time unit, the RAN node can choose to perform uplink reception on the uplink subband of the SBFD, or it can choose not to perform uplink reception; there are no restrictions.

[0179] 6) If, within the first time unit, the SBFD downlink subcarrier of the carrier carries downlink transmission with DCI scheduling, and the SBFD uplink subcarrier of the carrier carries PRACH with DCI scheduling, it is considered an error situation.

[0180] 7) In the first time unit, if the downlink transmission of the SBFD downlink subband in the carrier is configured with the third higher layer parameter, and the uplink transmission of the SBFD uplink subband in the carrier is configured with DCI PRACH, the downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband is discarded, or in other words, the PRACH on the SBFD uplink subband is given priority.

[0181] For example, for the first terminal, within the first time unit, the first terminal discards downlink transmissions on the SBFD downlink subband and can perform random access on the SBFD uplink subband. For the RAN node, within the first time unit, the RAN node can perform uplink reception on the SBFD subband, and on the SBFD downlink subband, the RAN node can perform downlink transmission or not, without restriction.

[0182] 8) In the first time unit, if the SBFD downlink subcarrier in the carrier carries downlink transmission with third higher layer parameter configuration, or DCI-scheduled downlink transmission, and the SBFD uplink subcarrier in the carrier carries PRACH with third higher layer parameter configuration, it depends on the implementation of the first terminal.

[0183] In other words, in this scenario, within the first time unit, the first terminal can perform downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband or PRACH transmission on the SBFD uplink subband, depending on the implementation of the first terminal. For the RAN node, within the first time unit, the RAN node can perform both downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband and uplink reception on the SBFD uplink subband.

[0184] As one possible implementation, the aforementioned uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0185] In one possible implementation, for any of the X carriers excluding the Y carriers, or for any of the X carriers that are not SBFD carriers, the first criterion includes at least one of the following:

[0186] A) If, within the first time unit, the carrier is configured as downlink (denoted as Semi-D) by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, and is also configured as uplink (denoted as Any-U), it is considered an error situation.

[0187] For example, the first higher-layer parameter is used to configure the cell-wide common TDD uplink and downlink configuration, and the second higher-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink configuration. For instance, the first higher-layer parameter is tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, and the second higher-layer parameter is tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationDedicated.

[0188] For example, the carrier may be configured for uplink by a first higher layer parameter or a second higher layer parameter, or it may be configured for uplink transmission by a third higher layer parameter, or it may be scheduled for uplink transmission by DCI, without limitation.

[0189] B) If, within the first time unit, the carrier is configured as uplink (denoted as Semi-U) by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, and is also configured as downlink (denoted as Any-U), it is considered an error situation.

[0190] The first and second higher-layer parameters can be found in the relevant descriptions in scenario A). Furthermore, the carrier is configured for downlink transmission, which can be achieved by either the first or second higher-layer parameters, by the third higher-layer parameter, or by DCI scheduling; there are no restrictions.

[0191] C) In the first time unit, if the carrier has downlink transmission scheduled by DCI (denoted as DG-D) and uplink transmission configured by the third higher layer parameter (denoted as RRC-U), the uplink transmission is discarded, or in other words, downlink transmission takes priority.

[0192] For example, in the embodiments of this application, the carrier (on) has downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and the carrier (on) has uplink transmission scheduled by DCI. This can also be understood as: the carrier (on) has downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and the carrier (on) has uplink transmission scheduled by DCI. This is explained uniformly here, and will not be repeated in subsequent embodiments.

[0193] The carrier (on) has downlink transmission configured with third higher layer parameters, or the carrier (on) has uplink transmission configured with third higher layer parameters. This can also be understood as: the carrier (on) is configured with downlink transmission by third higher layer parameters, or the carrier (on) is configured with uplink transmission by third higher layer parameters. This is explained uniformly here, and will not be repeated in subsequent embodiments.

[0194] For example, for the first terminal, within the first time unit, the first terminal discards the uplink transmission on the carrier and can perform downlink reception on the carrier. For the RAN node, within the first time unit, the RAN node can perform downlink transmission on the carrier, and on the carrier, the RAN node can perform uplink reception or not, without restriction.

[0195] D) In ​​the first time unit, if there is a downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter (denoted as RRC-D) on the carrier and an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI (denoted as DG-U), the downlink transmission is discarded, or in other words, the uplink transmission is given priority.

[0196] For example, for the first terminal, within the first time unit, the first terminal discards downlink transmissions on the carrier and can perform uplink transmissions on the carrier. For the RAN node, within the first time unit, the RAN node can perform uplink receptions on the carrier. Furthermore, on this carrier, the RAN node can perform downlink transmissions or not, without restriction.

[0197] E) If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter (denoted as RRC-D) and an uplink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter (denoted as RRC-U) on the carrier, it is considered an error situation.

[0198] F) If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission (denoted as DG-D) scheduled by DCI and an uplink transmission (denoted as DG-U) scheduled by DCI on the carrier, it is considered an error situation.

[0199] G) In the first time unit, if there is an SSB (denoted as SSB) transmission on the carrier and there is an uplink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on the carrier, or an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI (denoted as DG / RRC-U), then SSB takes priority.

[0200] H) If, within the first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission (denoted as DG-D) on the carrier and a DCI-scheduled PRACH (denoted as DG-PRACH) on the carrier, it is considered an error situation.

[0201] I) In the first time unit, if there is a downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter (denoted as RRC-D) on the carrier and a PRACH scheduled by DCI (denoted as DG-PRACH) on the carrier, the downlink transmission is discarded, or in other words, PRACH takes priority.

[0202] J) In the first time unit, if there is a downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on the carrier, or a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI (denoted as DG / RRC-D), and there is a PRACH configured with the third higher layer parameter on the carrier (denoted as RRC-PRACH), the downlink transmission takes priority.

[0203] Based on the description of scenarios A)-J) above, for any one of the X carriers excluding the Y carriers, the first criterion may include at least one of the criteria shown in Table 3.

[0204] Table 3

[0205] In one possible implementation, the second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between any two carriers among the X carriers. This can be understood as follows: the second criterion is used to handle uplink / downlink conflicts between at least one reference cell among the X carriers and a non-reference cell among the X carriers. Here, a non-reference cell refers to any cell among the X carriers other than the at least one reference cell.

[0206] For example, when resolving uplink and downlink conflicts between carriers, it is necessary to determine one or more reference cells from X carriers. For example, if the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or if the X carriers belong to multiple frequency bands but the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, one reference cell needs to be determined; if the X carriers belong to multiple frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, multiple reference cells need to be determined, with each reference cell corresponding to one frequency band, that is, a separate reference cell is determined for each frequency band.

[0207] For example, the above-mentioned at least one reference cell can be discussed based on the following cases one through six respectively.

[0208] Scenario 1: Among the X carriers mentioned above, there is only one SBFD carrier, and these X carriers belong to the same frequency band. Alternatively, among the X carriers mentioned above, there is only one SBFD carrier, these X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0209] For example, if there is only one SBFD carrier among X carriers, it can be understood as: Y equals 1 above, or only one SBFD carrier among X carriers is configured with SBFD downlink subband and / or SBFD uplink subband in the first time unit.

[0210] In this scenario, the number of reference cells is 1, and the at least one reference cell is the first reference cell, which is the SBFD carrier. For example, taking X carriers configured in the RAN node as CC#1, CC#2, and CC#3, if CC#1 and CC#2 are not configured with SBFD downlink and SBFD uplink subbands in the first time unit, and CC#3 is configured with SBFD downlink and / or SBFD uplink subbands in the first time unit, then the first reference cell is CC#3.

[0211] Optionally, the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. That is, the first reference cell is an SBFD carrier, and further, the SBFD carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. The uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0212] Optionally, the link direction of an SBFD carrier in the first time unit (i.e., whether it is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters) can be the result of intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict resolution for the SBFD carrier. For example, assuming that both the SBFD uplink subband and the SBFD downlink subband of the SBFD carrier are configured for transmission in the first time unit, the first terminal can perform intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict resolution on the SBFD carrier. After conflict resolution, in the first time unit, the SBFD uplink subband of the SBFD carrier is configured for uplink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters, or the SBFD downlink subband of the SBFD carrier is configured for downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters.

[0213] Scenario 2: Among the X carriers mentioned above, there is only one SBFD carrier. These X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0214] In this second scenario, the number of reference cells is N. For example, each of the N reference cells corresponds one-to-one with one of the N frequency bands to which the X carriers belong. These N frequency bands may include one first frequency band and at least N-1 second frequency bands. The first frequency band is the frequency band to which the SBFD carrier among the X carriers belongs, and any one of the at least one second frequency band is a frequency band other than the first frequency band among the N frequency bands.

[0215] The N reference cells include a first reference cell and at least one (N-1) second reference cells. The first reference cell is one of the X carriers that uses an SBFD carrier, and this SBFD carrier belongs to the first frequency band among the N frequency bands. One of the at least one second reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers.

[0216] For example, taking the frequency bands to which the X carriers belong as shown in Table 4, the first frequency band is frequency band #1, the first reference cell is CC#2, and at least one second frequency band is frequency band #2 and frequency band #3. If the cell index of CC#7 is the smallest among CC#4, CC#5, CC#6, and CC#7, then the second reference cell corresponding to frequency band #2 is CC#7; if the cell index of CC#10 is the smallest among CC#8, CC#9, and CC#10, then the second reference cell corresponding to frequency band #3 is CC#10.

[0217] Table 4

[0218] Optionally, the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit. The link direction of the SBFD carrier in the first time unit can be the result of in-carrier uplink / downlink conflict resolution for the SBFD carrier. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case 1 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0219] Optionally, any one of the at least one second reference cell is configured for downlink or uplink by a first higher-layer parameter or a second higher-layer parameter in the first time cell. The first higher-layer parameter and the second higher-layer parameter can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0220] For example, for any second reference cell, when the second reference cell is configured for downlink or uplink by the first higher-layer parameter or the second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit, the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. This can be understood as: the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the first type of carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. Wherein, the first type of carrier is configured for downlink or uplink by the first higher-layer parameter or the second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit.

[0221] For example, based on the example shown in Table 4 above, for carriers in frequency band #2, assuming that CC#4, CC#5, and CC#6 are first-class carriers and CC#7 is not a first-class carrier, that is, CC#4, CC#5, and CC#6 are configured for downlink or uplink by the first higher-layer parameter or the second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit, while CC#7 is scheduled for downlink or uplink transmission by the third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit, then the second reference cell corresponding to frequency band #2 is the cell with the smallest index among CC#4, CC#5, and CC#6.

[0222] Alternatively, the first time unit in any of the at least one second reference cell is a flexible time unit, and the second reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. The uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0223] For example, the first time unit on the second reference cell is a flexible time unit, which can also be understood as: the first time unit is a flexible time unit on the second reference cell.

[0224] For example, for any second reference cell, where the first time unit is a flexible time unit and the second reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit, the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. This can be understood as: the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the second type of carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. Wherein, the first time unit on the second type of carrier is a flexible time unit, and the second type of carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit.

[0225] For example, based on the example shown in Table 4 above, for carriers in frequency band #3, assuming that CC#8 and CC#9 are second-class carriers and CC#10 is not a second-class carrier, that is, the first time unit on CC#8 and CC#9 is a flexible time unit, and CC#8 and CC#9 are configured with uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, then the second reference cell corresponding to frequency band #3 is the cell with the smallest index among CC#8 and CC#9.

[0226] For example, the link direction of the carriers belonging to the second frequency band among the X carriers in the first time unit (e.g., configured as downlink or uplink by the first or second higher-layer parameters, or configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters) can be the result of intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling for that carrier. Refer to the relevant explanation of the link direction of the SBFD carrier in Case 1 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0227] Scenario 3: The aforementioned X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers, and these X carriers belong to the same frequency band. Alternatively, the aforementioned X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers, and these X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0228] For example, the X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers, which can be understood as: the above Y is greater than 1, or there are multiple SBFD carriers among the X carriers that are configured with SBFD downlink subbands and / or SBFD uplink subbands in the first time unit.

[0229] In case three, the number of reference cells is 1, and the at least one reference cell is the first reference cell, which is the SBFD carrier with the smallest cell index among the multiple SBFD carriers included in the X carriers.

[0230] For example, if the X carriers configured in the RAN node are CC#1, CC#2, CC#3 and CC#4, and CC#1, CC#2 and CC#4 are SBFD carriers, and CC#3 is a non-SBFD carrier, then the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among CC#1, CC#2 and CC#4.

[0231] Optionally, the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. The uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0232] For example, when the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit, the first reference cell is the smallest SBFD carrier among the multiple SBFD carriers included in the X carriers. This can be understood as: the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the third type of carriers among the multiple SBFD carriers. Wherein, the third type of carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit.

[0233] For example, if the X carriers configured in the RAN node are CC#1, CC#2, CC#3, and CC#4, and CC#1, CC#2, and CC#4 are SBFD carriers, CC#3 is a non-SBFD carrier, and CC#1 and CC#4 are configured to have uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, then the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among CC#1 and CC#4.

[0234] For example, the link direction of any one of the multiple SBFD carriers included in the X carriers in the first time unit can be the result of in-carrier uplink and downlink conflict processing for the SBFD carrier. Please refer to the relevant description in Case 1 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0235] Case 4: The above X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers, which belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0236] In this fourth scenario, the number of reference cells is N. For example, each of the N reference cells corresponds one-to-one with one of the N frequency bands to which the X carriers belong. These N frequency bands may include at least one first frequency band and at least one second frequency band. The first frequency band includes at least one SBFD carrier from the X carriers. The second frequency band does not include the SBFD carriers from the X carriers, but includes at least one non-SBFD carrier from the X carriers.

[0237] The N reference cells include at least one first reference cell and at least one second reference cell. Each of the at least one first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band included in the X carriers. Each of the at least one second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers.

[0238] For example, taking the frequency bands to which the X carriers belong as shown in Table 5, at least one first frequency band is frequency band #1 and frequency band #2, and at least one second frequency band is frequency band #3 and frequency band #4. The first reference cell corresponding to frequency band #1 is the CC with the smallest index among CC#2 and CC#3; the first reference cell corresponding to frequency band #2 is the CC with the smallest index among CC#5, CC#6, and CC#7; the second reference cell corresponding to frequency band #3 is the CC with the smallest index among CC#8, CC#9, and CC#10; and the second reference cell corresponding to frequency band #4 is the CC with the smallest index among CC#11, CC#12, and CC#13.

[0239] Table 5

[0240] Optionally, any one of the at least one first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit.

[0241] For example, for any first reference cell, if the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit, the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band included in the X carriers. This can be understood as: the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the third type of SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band. Wherein, the third type of carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit.

[0242] For example, based on the example shown in Table 5 above, if in frequency band #1, CC#2 is a third-type carrier and CC#3 is not a third-type carrier, then the first reference cell corresponding to frequency band #1 is CC#2. If in frequency band #2, CC#5 and CC#7 are third-type carriers and CC#6 is not a third-type carrier, then the first reference cell corresponding to frequency band #2 is the CC with the smallest index among CC#5 and CC#7.

[0243] For example, the link direction (e.g., configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters) of the SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band among the X carriers in the first time unit can be the result of intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling for the SBFD carrier. Refer to the relevant explanation of the link direction of the SBFD carrier in Case 1 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0244] Optionally, any one of the at least one second reference cell is configured for downlink or uplink by a first higher-layer parameter or a second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. For example, in this case, for any second reference cell, the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. This can be understood as: the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the first type of carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. The first type of carrier is configured for downlink or uplink by the first higher-layer parameter or the second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case Two above; it will not be repeated here.

[0245] Alternatively, optionally, the first time unit on any of the at least one second reference cell is a flexible time unit, and the second reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. For example, in this case, for any second reference cell, the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. This can be understood as: the second reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the second type of carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. Wherein, the first time unit on the second type of carrier is a flexible time unit, and the second type of carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case Two above; it will not be repeated here.

[0246] For example, the link direction of the carriers belonging to the second frequency band among the X carriers in the first time unit (e.g., configured as downlink or uplink by the first or second higher-layer parameters, or configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters) can be the result of intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict handling for that carrier. Refer to the relevant explanation of the link direction of the SBFD carrier in Case 1 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0247] In cases one through four above, the reference cell may include the SBFD carrier among X carriers. Since the transmission on the reference cell usually has a higher priority, determining the SBFD carrier as the reference cell can make the transmission on the SBFD carrier have a higher priority, thereby maximizing the gain of SBFD and minimizing the loss of SBFD gain.

[0248] Case 5: The X carriers belong to the same frequency band. Alternatively, the X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0249] In this fifth scenario, the number of reference cells is 1, which is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers. For example, if the X carriers configured in the RAN node are CC#1, CC#2, and CC#3, then the reference cell is the CC with the smallest index among CC#1, CC#2, and CC#3.

[0250] Optionally, taking the reference cell as the first reference cell as an example, the first reference cell belongs to Y carriers out of X carriers (i.e., Y SBFD carriers). That is, when the first reference cell is an SBFD carrier, the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit. Among them, uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

[0251] For example, if the first reference cell belongs to carrier Y out of X carriers, and the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit, then the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers. This can be understood as: the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the third type of carriers in the X carriers. Wherein, the third type of carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameters in the first time unit; this can be referred to the relevant description in Case 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0252] Optionally, taking the reference cell as the first reference cell as an example, if the first reference cell belongs to one of the X carriers other than the aforementioned Y carriers, the first reference cell is configured as downlink or uplink by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter in the first time unit.

[0253] For example, in this scenario, the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers. This can be understood as: the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the first type of carriers in the X carriers. The first type of carrier is configured for downlink or uplink by the first higher-layer parameter or the second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case 2 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0254] Alternatively, if the first reference cell is a carrier other than the aforementioned Y carriers among X carriers, the first time unit on the first reference cell is a flexible time unit, and the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher layer parameters in the first time unit.

[0255] For example, in this scenario, the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers. This can be understood as: the first reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the second type of carriers in the X carriers. Here, the first time unit on the second type of carrier is a flexible time unit, and the second type of carrier is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case 2 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0256] For example, among X carriers, if there are carriers with intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts, the link direction in the first time unit (e.g., configured for uplink or downlink transmission by third-layer signaling) can be the result of intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflict processing for that carrier. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case 1 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0257] Case 6: The X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0258] In this sixth scenario, the number of reference cells is N. For example, the N reference cells correspond one-to-one with the N frequency bands to which the X carriers belong.

[0259] Among the N reference cells, the nth reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the nth frequency band of the N carriers, where n = 1, ..., N.

[0260] Optionally, if any of the N reference cells (denoted as the first reference cell) belongs to Y carriers out of X carriers, the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. If the first reference cell belongs to a carrier other than the aforementioned Y carriers out of X carriers, the first reference cell is configured for downlink or uplink transmission by the first higher-layer parameter or the second higher-layer parameter in the first time unit; or, the first time unit for the first reference cell is a flexible time unit, and the first reference cell is configured for uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher-layer parameter in the first time unit. Refer to the relevant explanation in Case 5 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0261] The method for determining at least one reference cell has been explained above. The second criterion will now be introduced. In one possible implementation, the second criterion can be implemented using two methods: Method 1 and Method 2.

[0262] Method 1 and the second criterion reuse the inter-carrier link conflict handling mechanism in HD TDD CA. The inter-carrier link conflict handling mechanism is shown in Table 1. Please refer to the relevant explanations in Table 1 above.

[0263] As one possible implementation, this method can be applied to at least one reference cell determined under conditions one through four above. In this case, since the transmission on the reference cell usually has a higher priority in the conflict handling criteria shown in Table 1, determining the SBFD carrier as the reference cell under conditions one through four above can make the transmission on the SBFD carrier have a higher priority, thereby maximizing the gain of SBFD and minimizing SBFD gain loss.

[0264] Of course, this method can also be applied to at least one reference cell determined under the above-mentioned situations five to six. This application does not limit the applicable scenarios of method one.

[0265] As one possible implementation, when reusing the inter-carrier link conflict handling mechanism in HD TDD CA, for any SBFD carrier among X carriers, within the first time unit, regardless of whether it is configured as downlink or flexible time unit by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, the first time unit on that SBFD carrier should be treated as a flexible time unit, and should no longer be considered as downlink (i.e., Semi-D) configured by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter.

[0266] For example, in this scenario, when reusing the inter-carrier link conflict handling mechanism in HD TDD CA, if the SBFD carrier is a reference cell, the second criterion does not include the criterion in Table 1 that the reference cell is configured as Semi-D; if the SBFD carrier is another cell (i.e., a non-reference cell), the second criterion does not include the criterion in Table 1 that other cells are configured as Semi-D.

[0267] Method 2: When the non-reference cell is an SBFD carrier among X carriers, the second criterion includes at least one of the following:

[0268] a) In the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by the first high-level parameter or the second high-level parameter, and there is uplink transmission configured for the third high-level parameter on the non-reference cell, the first time unit is considered a flexible time unit.

[0269] b) In the case where the reference cell is configured for downlink by the first high-layer parameter or the second high-layer parameter, and there is uplink transmission scheduled by the uplink DCI on the non-reference cell within the first time unit, the first time unit is regarded as a flexible time unit.

[0270] For example, in the case where the first time unit is regarded as a flexible time unit in the above criteria a) and criterion b), uplink and downlink conflicts between reference cells and non-reference cells within the first time unit can be handled in accordance with the current flexible symbol conflict handling criteria.

[0271] c) If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on the reference cell and an uplink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on a non-reference cell, the downlink transmission on the reference cell is discarded, or in other words, the uplink transmission on the non-reference cell is given priority.

[0272] d) In the first time unit, if there is a downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on the reference cell and an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI on the non-reference cell, the downlink transmission on the reference cell is discarded, or in other words, the uplink transmission on the non-reference cell is given priority.

[0273] For example, in criteria c) and d) above, for the first terminal, within the first time unit, the first terminal discards downlink transmissions on the reference cell and can perform uplink transmissions on non-reference cells. For the RAN node, within the first time unit, the RAN node can perform uplink reception on non-reference cells, and on the reference cell, the RAN node can perform downlink transmissions or not, without restriction.

[0274] e) If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI in the reference cell and an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI in a non-reference cell, it is considered an error.

[0275] As one possible implementation, this second method can be applied to at least one reference cell determined under cases five and six above. Since the second criterion prioritizes transmission on non-reference cells as much as possible, such as criteria a) and b) treating the first time unit as a flexible time unit, or criteria c) and d) prioritizing transmission on non-reference cells, it can also maximize the transmission priority on SBFD carriers when the non-reference cell is a cell with an SBFD carrier, thereby maximizing SBFD gain and minimizing SBFD gain loss.

[0276] Of course, this method two can also be applied to at least one reference cell determined under the above-mentioned situations one to four. This application does not limit the applicable scenarios of method two.

[0277] In one possible implementation, if there are both intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts and inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts among the X carriers, the first terminal first processes the intra-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts of at least one carrier among the X carriers according to a first criterion, and then processes the inter-carrier uplink and downlink conflicts of at least two carriers among the X carriers according to a second criterion, thereby determining the link direction in the first time unit.

[0278] As one possible implementation, the first terminal can handle uplink / downlink conflicts between at least two of the X carriers based on the uplink / downlink conflict handling results within at least one of the X carriers and a second criterion.

[0279] For example, the first terminal can determine at least one reference cell based on the uplink / downlink conflict resolution result within at least one of the X carriers, as described in the relevant explanations for at least one reference cell in Situations 1 to 6 above. Furthermore, when using the second criterion for inter-carrier uplink / downlink conflict resolution, for a carrier among the X carriers that has intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict, the link direction of that carrier can be the result of the intra-carrier uplink / downlink conflict resolution.

[0280] For example, taking criterion c) above as an example, if uplink and downlink conflicts exist within the SBFD carrier of a non-reference cell, the first terminal first performs uplink and downlink conflict processing within that non-reference cell. The result of this processing is that the non-reference cell is scheduled for uplink transmission by DCI. Then, criterion c) in the second criterion is used to process the uplink and downlink conflict processing results between the reference cell and the non-reference cell.

[0281] As one possible implementation, the link direction determined by the first terminal in the first time unit can be uplink, downlink, or no transmission. For example, if the uplink / downlink conflict within a carrier is handled first according to the first criterion, and then the uplink / downlink conflict between carriers is handled according to the second criterion, if the corresponding handling is determined to be discarding uplink based on the link states of the reference cell and non-reference cells, then the link direction in the first time unit is downlink; if the corresponding handling is determined to be discarding downlink, then the link direction in the first time unit is uplink; if the corresponding handling is determined to be an error, then the link direction in the first time unit is no transmission.

[0282] In one possible implementation, where the aforementioned X carriers belong to multiple frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, the first terminal can determine the link direction of the first time unit in each frequency band based on the first criterion and the second criterion, using frequency bands as the granularity.

[0283] In one possible implementation, after configuring X carriers for the first terminal, the RAN node can send indication or configuration information to the first terminal to instruct or configure the first terminal to perform uplink transmission or downlink reception on Z carriers out of the X carriers. Accordingly, the first terminal receives the indication or configuration information. In this case, the scope of conflict handling by the first terminal can be the Z carriers; that is, the X carriers related to conflict handling in the above scheme can be replaced with these Z carriers. Refer to the relevant descriptions above; further details will not be repeated here.

[0284] In one possible implementation, for the above method embodiments, in a traditional network architecture, the RAN node can be an access network device, such as a base station. In the ORAN system, the function of interaction between the RAN node and the first terminal can be implemented by the DU. The function of interaction between RAN nodes can be implemented by the CU, and there is an interface (such as an XN interface) between CUs. The information sent by the RAN node to the first terminal can be generated by the DU or by the CU. The processing function of the RAN node can be implemented by the CU, or by the DU, or by a combination of the CU and DU, without limitation.

[0285] For example, the first configuration information mentioned above can be generated by the CU, specifically by the CU-CP. The DU can process the first configuration information generated by the CU through RLC layer, MAC layer, high physical layer, etc., and the RU can further process the first configuration information generated by the CU through low physical layer and RF, etc., and send the first configuration information to the first terminal through the air interface.

[0286] Alternatively, the first configuration information can be generated by the DU, and the RU can perform low physical layer and RF processing on the first configuration information generated by the DU, and send the first configuration information to the first terminal through the air interface.

[0287] For example, the CU can also receive uplink signals sent by the first terminal through the DU and RU, or the DU can receive uplink signals sent by the first terminal through the RU. For example, the RU can receive PUSCH, PUCCH, etc. sent by the first terminal, and the DU can process the received PUSCH and PUCCH.

[0288] The method provided in this application has been described above. In addition, this application also provides a communication device for implementing the functions described in the above method embodiments.

[0289] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes 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 algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, 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 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.

[0290] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0291] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of another communication device 100. This communication device 100 includes a processing module 1001 and a transceiver module 1002. This communication device 100 can be used to implement the functions of the aforementioned first terminal or RAN node.

[0292] In some embodiments, the communication device 100 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG10) for storing program instructions and data.

[0293] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1002, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1002 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0294] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1002 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively configured to perform the receiving and sending steps performed by the first terminal or RAN node in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1001 may be configured to perform the processing steps performed by the first terminal or RAN node in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0295] When the communication device 100 is used to implement the functions of the first terminal:

[0296] The transceiver module 1002 is used to receive first configuration information, which configures X carriers, Y of which are sub-band full-duplex SBFD carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink sub-band and / or an SBFD uplink sub-band in the first time unit, where X is a positive integer greater than 1 and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; the processing module 1001 is used to determine the link direction in the first time unit according to a first criterion and a second criterion, wherein the first criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts within any carrier of the X carriers, and the second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between any two carriers of the X carriers.

[0297] The processing module 1001 is used to determine the link direction on the first time unit according to the first criterion and the second criterion, including: the processing module 1001 is used to first process uplink and downlink conflicts within at least one carrier of X carriers according to the first criterion, and then process uplink and downlink conflicts between at least two carriers of X carriers according to the second criterion.

[0298] When the communication device 100 is used to implement the functions of a RAN node:

[0299] The transceiver module 1002 is used to send first configuration information, which configures X carriers, Y of which are sub-band full-duplex SBFD carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink sub-band and / or an SBFD uplink sub-band in the first time unit, where X is a positive integer greater than 1 and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X; the processing module 1001 is used to determine the link direction for transmission with the first terminal in the first time unit according to a first criterion and a second criterion, wherein the first criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts within any one of the X carriers, and the second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between any two of the X carriers.

[0300] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0301] In this application, the communication device 100 can be presented in an integrated manner by dividing it into various functional modules. Here, "module" can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0302] In some embodiments, when the communication device 100 in FIG10 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1002 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1001 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0303] Since the communication device 100 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0304] As a possible product form, the first terminal or RAN node described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0305] As another possible product form, the first terminal or RAN node described in this application embodiment can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to FIG11, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1100 includes a processor 1101 and a transceiver 1102. The communication device 1100 can be a first terminal, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1100 can be a RAN node, or a chip or module therein. FIG11 only shows the main components of the communication device 1100. In addition to the processor 1101 and transceiver 1102, the communication device may further include a memory 1103 and input / output devices (not shown in FIG11).

[0306] Optionally, the processor 1101 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs, thereby implementing the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments. The memory 1103 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1102 may include a radio frequency (RF) circuit and an antenna. The RF circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0307] Optionally, the processor 1101, transceiver 1102, and memory 1103 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0308] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1101 can read the software program in the memory 1103, execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1101 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1101. The processor 1101 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0309] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0310] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described communication device 100 can take the form of the communication device 1100 shown in FIG11 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0311] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1001 in Figure 10 can be implemented by the processor 1101 in the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1103. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1002 in Figure 10 can be implemented by the transceiver 1102 in the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11.

[0312] As another possible product form, the first terminal or RAN node in this application may adopt the composition structure shown in FIG12, or include the components shown in FIG12. FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 1200 provided in this application. The communication device 1200 may be a first terminal or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the first terminal; or, it may be a RAN node or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the RAN node.

[0313] As shown in FIG12, the communication device 1200 includes at least one processor 1201 and at least one communication interface (FIG12 is merely an example illustrating the inclusion of a communication interface 1204 and a processor 1201). Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include at least one of a communication bus 1202, a memory 1203, and a computer-readable storage medium 1207.

[0314] Processor 1201 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor (e.g., x86, ARM), a microcontroller, an FPGA, a GPU, a PLD, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware circuitry, other suitable hardware configured to perform various functions, or any combination thereof. Processor 1201 may also be other devices with processing capabilities, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0315] The communication bus 1202 is used to connect different components in the communication device 1200, enabling these components to communicate. For example, the communication bus 1202 communicatively couples various circuits together. The communication bus 1202 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 12, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus. For example, the communication bus 1202 can include any number of interconnect buses and bridges, depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the communication device. Furthermore, the communication bus 1202 can also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits.

[0316] As one possible implementation, the communication interface 1204 is used for communication with other devices or communication networks. Exemplarily, the communication interface 1204 can be a transceiver module, interface, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication. The transceiver can be coupled to an antenna array, and the transceiver and antenna array can be used together to communicate with the appropriate network type. The transceiver module is capable of both transmitting and receiving functions. When the transceiver module performs the transmitting function, it can be called a transmitting module (sometimes also called a transmitting unit), and when the transceiver module performs the receiving function, it can be called a receiving module (sometimes also called a receiving unit). The transmitting module and the receiving module can be the same functional module, called the transceiver module, which performs both transmitting and receiving functions; or, the transmitting module and the receiving module can be different functional modules, with "transceiver module" being a collective term for these functional modules.

[0317] As another possible implementation, the communication interface 1204 can also be an input / output interface located within the processor 1201, used to implement signal input and signal output of the processor.

[0318] As another possible implementation, communication interface 1204 can also be understood as a bus interface. It provides an interface between the communication bus and the transceiver. The transceiver can provide an interface or device for communicating with various other devices via wireless / wired transmission media. The transceiver can be coupled to an antenna array, and the transceiver and antenna array can be used together for communication with the appropriate type of network.

[0319] The memory 1203 can be a device with storage function for storing instructions and / or data. The instructions can be computer programs. For example, the memory 1203 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it can also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it can also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0320] It should be noted that the memory 1203 can exist independently of the processor 1201, or it can be integrated with the processor 1201. The memory 1203 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1200, without limitation.

[0321] The processor 1201 can be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 1203, or to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium 1207, to implement the methods provided in the above embodiments of this application.

[0322] For example, the processor 1201 may also implement at least one of the following functions, or the processor 1201 executes instructions or computer programs stored in the memory 1203 or computer-readable storage medium 1207 to implement at least one of the following functions: encoding, decoding, rate matching, rate matching de-scrambling, scrambling, modulation, demodulation, layer mapping, fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), inverse discrete fourier transform (IDFT), precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, channel equalization, RE de-mapping, digital beamforming (BF), adding cyclic prefix (CP), removing CP, etc.

[0323] Optionally, the processor 1201 and / or memory 1203 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) module, which is used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio network intelligent controller (RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module can be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0324] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1200 may also include an output device 1205 and an input device 1206 (neither shown in Figure 12). The output device 1205 communicates with the processor 1201 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 1205 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. The input device 1206 communicates with the processor 1201 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 1206 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc.

[0325] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 100 shown in FIG10 can take the form of the communication device 1200 shown in FIG12 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0326] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1001 in Figure 10 can be implemented by the processor 1201 in the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1203. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1002 in Figure 10 can be implemented by the communication interface 1204 in the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0327] It should be noted that the structure shown in Figure 12 does not constitute a specific limitation on the first terminal or RAN node. For example, in other embodiments of this application, the first terminal or RAN node may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0328] In one possible implementation, the processor in this application embodiment may include communication and processing circuitry. The communication and processing circuitry may include one or more hardware components that provide a physical structure that performs various processes related to wireless communication or sensing (such as signal reception and / or signal transmission). The communication and processing circuitry may include two or more transmit / receive chains. The functions implemented by the communication and processing circuitry may also be processed on a computer-readable medium.

[0329] Optionally, the processor can also process the received signaling, such as demodulating and decoding, to obtain the configuration or indication carried by the signaling, such as first configuration information carried by higher-layer signaling or the SIB. The processor can also determine the link direction on the first time unit based on the first configuration information, according to a first criterion and a second criterion.

[0330] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0331] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs and data. The computer program may include instructions, which a processor can invoke to instruct the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may not be present in the communication device.

[0332] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0333] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0334] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0335] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0336] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0337] Those skilled in the art will 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.

[0338] It is understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application can also 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 couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0339] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0340] 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.

[0341] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive (SSD)). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0342] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0343] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive first configuration information, which is used to configure X carriers, Y of the X carriers are sub-band full-duplex SBFD carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink sub-band and / or an SBFD uplink sub-band in the first time unit, where X is a positive integer greater than 1 and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X. The link direction on the first time unit is determined according to the first criterion and the second criterion, wherein the first criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts within any one of the X carriers, and the second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between any two of the X carriers.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between any two carriers among the X carriers, including: The second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between at least one reference cell among the X carriers and non-reference cells among the X carriers.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Of the X carriers, only one SBFD carrier exists; When the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or when the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell is the first reference cell, and the first reference cell is the one SBFD carrier.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Of the X carriers, only one SBFD carrier exists; When the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception in different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell includes a first reference cell and at least one second reference cell, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Wherein, the first reference cell is the one SBFD carrier, and the one SBFD carrier belongs to the first frequency band among the N frequency bands; One of the at least one second reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers, and the second frequency band is a frequency band other than the first frequency band among the N frequency bands.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers; When the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or when the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell is the first reference cell. The first reference cell is the SBFD carrier with the smallest cell index among the plurality of SBFD carriers, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers; When the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception in different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell includes at least one first reference cell and at least one second reference cell, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Wherein, one of the at least first reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band included in the X carriers, and one of the at least second reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. The first frequency band and the second frequency band belong to the N frequency bands. The first frequency band includes at least one SBFD carrier among the X carriers, and the second frequency band does not include the SBFD carrier among the X carriers.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3-6, characterized in that, The first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher layer parameter in the first time unit. The uplink transmission includes at least one of the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), or Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The downlink transmission includes at least one of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

8. The method according to claim 4 or 6, characterized in that, In the first time unit, one of the at least two second reference cells is configured as downlink or uplink by a first higher layer parameter or a second higher layer parameter, wherein the first higher layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common time division duplex (TDD) uplink / downlink configuration, and the second higher layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink / downlink configuration. or, In one of the at least one second reference cells, the first time unit is a flexible time unit, and the first second reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

9. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or if the X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, then the at least one reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

10. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception in different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell includes N reference cells, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Wherein, the nth reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the nth frequency band included in the X carriers, n = 1, ..., N.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, When the first reference cell in at least one reference cell belongs to the Y carriers. The first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, If the first reference cell in the at least one reference cell belongs to a carrier other than the Y carriers among the X carriers, The first reference cell is configured as downlink or uplink by a first high-layer parameter or a second high-layer parameter in the first time unit. The first high-layer parameter is used to configure the cell's common time division duplex (TDD) uplink and downlink configuration, and the second high-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink and downlink configuration. or, In the first reference cell, the first time unit is a flexible time unit, and the first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The non-reference cell is an SBFD carrier among the X carriers; the second criterion includes at least one of the following: In the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by the first high-layer parameter or the second high-layer parameter, and the non-reference cell has uplink transmission configured by the third high-layer parameter, the first time unit is considered as a flexible time unit. or, In the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, and the non-reference cell has uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information (DCI), the first time unit is considered a flexible time unit. or, If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the reference cell, and uplink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters is present on the non-reference cell, then the downlink transmission on the reference cell is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter on the reference cell, and there is uplink transmission scheduled by DCI on the non-reference cell, then the downlink transmission on the reference cell is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI in the reference cell and an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI in the non-reference cell, it is considered an error situation. The uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS. The first higher-layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common time-division duplex (TDD) uplink and downlink configuration, and the second higher-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink and downlink configuration.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, For any one of the Y carriers, the first criterion includes at least one of the following: If, within the first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and an uplink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, the uplink transmission on the SBFD uplink subband is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and there is uplink transmission scheduled by DCI on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, then the downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and there is uplink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, this is considered an error; or... If, within the first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and a DCI-scheduled uplink transmission on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, this is considered an error; or... In the first time unit, if there is a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and there is an uplink transmission configured with a third higher layer parameter on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, or an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, the SSB takes priority. If, within the first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and a DCI-scheduled PRACH transmission on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, this is considered an error; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, and there is DCI-scheduled PRACH on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, the downlink transmission on the SBFD downlink subband is discarded; or... Within the first time unit, if there is downlink transmission configured with third higher layer parameters on the SBFD downlink subband of the carrier, or downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and if there is PRACH configured with third higher layer parameters on the SBFD uplink subband of the carrier, it depends on the implementation of the first terminal.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, For any carrier among the X carriers other than the Y carriers, the first criterion includes at least one of the following: If, within the first time unit, the carrier is configured as downlink by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, and is also configured as uplink, this is considered an error situation. or, If, within the first time unit, the carrier is configured as uplink by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, and is also configured as downlink, this is considered an error situation. or, If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI on the carrier and an uplink transmission configured by the third higher-layer parameters, the uplink transmission is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the carrier and uplink transmission scheduled by DCI, the downlink transmission is discarded. If, within the first time unit, there is both downlink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters and uplink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the carrier, it is considered an error; or, If, within the first time unit, there is both a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission and a DCI-scheduled uplink transmission on the carrier, this is considered an error; or... In the first time unit, if there is SSB transmission on the carrier and uplink transmission configured with the third higher layer parameter or uplink transmission scheduled by DCI on the carrier, the SSB takes priority. If, within the first time unit, there is a DCI-scheduled downlink transmission on the carrier and a DCI-scheduled PRACH on the carrier, this is considered an error; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission with a third higher-layer parameter configuration on the carrier, and there is DCI-scheduled PRACH on the carrier, the downlink transmission is discarded; or... In the first time unit, if there is a downlink transmission configured with a third higher layer parameter on the carrier, or a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI, and if there is a PRACH configured with a third higher layer parameter on the carrier, the downlink transmission takes priority.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1-15, characterized in that, Determining the link direction in the first time unit according to the first criterion and the second criterion includes: First, handle uplink / downlink conflicts within at least one of the X carriers according to the first criterion, and then handle uplink / downlink conflicts between at least two of the X carriers according to the second criterion.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send first configuration information, which is used to configure X carriers, Y of the X carriers are sub-band full-duplex SBFD carriers, and each of the Y SBFD carriers is configured with an SBFD downlink sub-band and / or an SBFD uplink sub-band in the first time unit, where X is a positive integer greater than 1 and Y is a positive integer less than or equal to X. Based on the first criterion and the second criterion, the link direction for transmission with the first terminal in the first time unit is determined, wherein the first criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts within any one of the X carriers, and the second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between any two of the X carriers.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between any two carriers among the X carriers, including: The second criterion is used to handle uplink and downlink conflicts between at least one reference cell among the X carriers and non-reference cells among the X carriers.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, Of the X carriers, only one SBFD carrier exists; When the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or when the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell is the first reference cell, and the first reference cell is the one SBFD carrier.

20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, Of the X carriers, only one SBFD carrier exists; When the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception in different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell includes a first reference cell and at least one second reference cell, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Wherein, the first reference cell is the one SBFD carrier, and the one SBFD carrier belongs to the first frequency band among the N frequency bands; One of the at least one second reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers, and the second frequency band is a frequency band other than the first frequency band among the N frequency bands.

21. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers; When the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or when the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell is the first reference cell. The first reference cell is the SBFD carrier with the smallest cell index among the plurality of SBFD carriers, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

22. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The X carriers include multiple SBFD carriers; When the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception in different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell includes at least one first reference cell and at least one second reference cell, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Wherein, one of the at least first reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the SBFD carriers belonging to the first frequency band included in the X carriers, and one of the at least second reference cells is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the second frequency band included in the X carriers. The first frequency band and the second frequency band belong to the N frequency bands. The first frequency band includes at least one SBFD carrier among the X carriers, and the second frequency band does not include the SBFD carrier among the X carriers.

23. The method according to any one of claims 19-22, characterized in that, The first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by the third higher layer parameter in the first time unit. The uplink transmission includes at least one of the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), or Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The downlink transmission includes at least one of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

24. The method according to claim 20 or 22, characterized in that, In the first time unit, one of the at least two second reference cells is configured as downlink or uplink by a first higher layer parameter or a second higher layer parameter, wherein the first higher layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common time division duplex (TDD) uplink / downlink configuration, and the second higher layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink / downlink configuration. or, In one of the at least one second reference cells, the first time unit is a flexible time unit, and the first second reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

25. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, If the X carriers belong to the same frequency band, or if the X carriers belong to N frequency bands, and the first terminal does not support simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, then the at least one reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the X carriers, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. or, When the X carriers belong to N frequency bands and the first terminal supports simultaneous transmission and reception between different frequency bands, the at least one reference cell includes N reference cells, wherein the nth reference cell is the cell with the smallest cell index among the carriers belonging to the nth frequency band included in the X carriers, n = 1, ..., N, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that, When the first reference cell in at least one reference cell belongs to the Y carriers. The first reference cell is configured with uplink or downlink transmission by a third higher layer parameter in the first time unit, wherein the uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS.

27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, The non-reference cell is an SBFD carrier among the X carriers; the second criterion includes at least one of the following: In the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by the first high-layer parameter or the second high-layer parameter, and the non-reference cell has uplink transmission configured by the third high-layer parameter, the first time unit is considered as a flexible time unit. or, In the first time unit, if the reference cell is configured for downlink by the first higher layer parameter or the second higher layer parameter, and the non-reference cell has uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information (DCI), the first time unit is considered a flexible time unit. or, If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters on the reference cell, and uplink transmission configured with third higher-layer parameters is present on the non-reference cell, then the downlink transmission on the reference cell is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is downlink transmission configured with the third higher-layer parameter on the reference cell, and there is uplink transmission scheduled by DCI on the non-reference cell, then the downlink transmission on the reference cell is discarded; or... If, within the first time unit, there is a downlink transmission scheduled by DCI in the reference cell and an uplink transmission scheduled by DCI in the non-reference cell, it is considered an error situation. The uplink transmission includes at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH, and the downlink transmission includes at least one of PDSCH, PDCCH, or CSI-RS. The first higher-layer parameter is used to configure the cell-common time-division duplex (TDD) uplink and downlink configuration, and the second higher-layer parameter is used to configure the terminal-specific TDD uplink and downlink configuration.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 17-27.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-16 to be performed, or cause the method described in any one of claims 17-27 to be performed.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, they cause the method of any one of claims 1-16 to be performed, or cause the method of any one of claims 17-27 to be performed.

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