Indication methods, communication device, communication system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to indication methods, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. A method comprises: receiving first information transmitted by a network device, the first information being used for instructing a terminal to execute repeated transmission of random access information, and the repeated transmission of random access information comprising: respectively transmitting random access information on different random access occasions (ROs) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index. The terminal receives the first information transmitted by the network device, so as to subsequently transmit, on the basis of the first information, the random access information on the different ROs associated with the same SSB index, thereby improving the probability that the random access information is accurately received by the network device in an NTN narrow-wide beam scenario, improving uplink reception performance, and further improving the success rate of random access.

Description

Indication methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media and program products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to indication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] In non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), terminals can connect to terrestrial base stations via satellite. Satellites can improve their coverage by using beam hopping. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In NTN, downlink coverage can be enhanced by using beam skipping, but uplink receive gain still needs improvement.

[0004] This disclosure provides an indication method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide an instruction method executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0006] The terminal receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information.

[0007] The repeated transmission of random access information includes: transmitting random access information on different random access occupancy (RO) associated with the same Synchronization Signal Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SSB) index.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an indication method executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0009] Send a first message to the terminal, the first message being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information;

[0010] The repeated transmission of random access information includes: transmitting random access information at different random access times (RO) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

[0011] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0012] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including a terminal and a network device, wherein,

[0013] The terminal is configured to implement the method as described in the first aspect;

[0014] The network device is configured to implement the method as described in the second aspect.

[0015] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions, wherein...

[0016] When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0017] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0018] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal receives first information sent by the network device so that, based on the first information, random access information can be sent on different ROs associated with the same SSB index respectively. This increases the probability that the random access information is accurately received by the network device in the NTN wide and narrow beam scenario, improves uplink reception performance, and thus improves the success rate of random access. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0020] Figures 1A and 1B are exemplary schematic diagrams of the architecture of a communication system provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2 is an exemplary interactive diagram of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figures 3A and 3B are exemplary interactive schematic diagrams of the method provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] This disclosure provides instructions, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products.

[0028] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide an instruction method executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0029] The terminal receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information.

[0030] The repeated transmission of random access information includes: transmitting random access information on different ROs associated with the same SSB index.

[0031] In the above embodiments, the terminal receives the first information sent by the network device so that it can subsequently send random access information on different ROs associated with the same SSB index according to the first information. This increases the probability that the random access information is accurately received by the network device in the NTN wide and narrow beam scenario, improves uplink reception performance, and thus improves the success rate of random access.

[0032] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0033] The terminal performs the number of times it repeatedly sends random access information;

[0034] The measurement threshold corresponding to the repeated transmission of random access information;

[0035] The measurement threshold is used to determine whether the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information.

[0036] In the above embodiments, the terminal can learn the number of times to repeatedly send random access information and / or the measurement threshold through the instructions of the network device, so that the terminal can reasonably repeat the random access information according to the instructions of the network device, thereby improving the success rate of random access.

[0037] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the number of times the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information is defined by a protocol.

[0038] In the above embodiments, the protocol defines the number of times the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information. Based on this, the terminal can accurately perform repeated transmission of random access information, thereby improving the success rate of random access.

[0039] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement threshold is a specific value greater than a threshold.

[0040] In the above embodiments, by configuring the measurement threshold to a specific value, the terminal can repeatedly send random access information multiple times in an implicit manner, saving configuration resources and reusing related configuration signaling or protocol fields.

[0041] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, different SSB indices in the same cell correspond to the same number of occurrences; or,

[0042] Each SSB index in different SSB indices of the same cell has a corresponding number of occurrences.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the number of times the network device configuration or protocol definition is based on the cell or the SSB index, so that the terminal can repeatedly send random access information a suitable number of times according to the random access requirements in different scenarios, thereby improving uplink reception performance.

[0044] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0045] Determine the first SSB for random access;

[0046] Based on the first information, random access information is sent to the network device from multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the terminal sends random access information on multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB according to the first information, thereby improving the success rate of uplink reception of the network device, thereby improving uplink reception performance and increasing the success rate of random access.

[0048] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least some of the ROs associated with the first SSB are temporally adjacent.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the multiple ROs associated with the first SSB are adjacent in the time domain, and the RO resources used for random access are relatively concentrated in the time domain, thereby improving resource utilization and reducing the waste of RO resources.

[0050] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0051] Determine the preamble in the random access information corresponding to the multiple ROs.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the terminal can repeatedly send random access information and determine the same or different preambles to improve processing efficiency or reduce the probability of uplink transmission collisions and improve uplink reception performance.

[0053] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are at least partially the same or different.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are at least partially different, which can reduce the probability of uplink collisions and thus improve the success rate of random access.

[0055] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0056] The network device receives a second message indicating that the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are at least partially the same or different.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the terminal obtains the preamble code through network device instructions. Based on these instructions, the terminal can repeatedly send random access information, improving access efficiency. Furthermore, with different preamble codes, the probability of uplink collisions can be reduced, thereby improving access success rate and uplink reception performance.

[0058] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal supports a first capability, which is the ability to repeatedly send random access information.

[0059] In the above embodiments, the terminal can support the ability to repeatedly send random access information, thereby improving the uplink reception performance of the network device by repeatedly sending random access information.

[0060] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is sent via first system information (SI), which is used to configure the parameters of the terminal's uplink transmission, or...

[0061] The first information is sent through the second SI, which is used to configure the non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication parameters.

[0062] In the above embodiments, different SIs can be reused to send the first information, thereby saving signaling resources.

[0063] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the random access information includes at least one of the following:

[0064] The information carried by the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH);

[0065] MSG1 during the random access process;

[0066] Preamble.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the terminal repeatedly transmits data during the random access process, which can effectively improve the uplink reception performance of the network device.

[0068] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an instruction method executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0069] Send a first message to the terminal, the first message being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information;

[0070] The repeated transmission of random access information includes: transmitting random access information at different random access times (RO) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

[0071] In the above embodiments, the network device sends first information to the terminal so that the terminal can subsequently send random access information on different ROs associated with the same SSB index according to the first information. This increases the probability that the random access information is accurately received by the network device in NTN wide and narrow beam scenarios, improves uplink reception performance, and thus improves the success rate of random access.

[0072] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0073] The terminal performs the number of times it repeatedly sends random access information;

[0074] The measurement threshold corresponding to the repeated transmission of random access information;

[0075] The measurement threshold is used to determine whether the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information.

[0076] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0077] The number of times the terminal repeatedly sends random access information is defined by the protocol.

[0078] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0079] The measurement threshold is a specific value that is greater than a threshold value.

[0080] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0081] Different SSB indices within the same cell correspond to the same number of occurrences; or,

[0082] Each SSB index in different SSB indices of the same cell has a corresponding number of occurrences.

[0083] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0084] On multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB, random access information sent by the terminal is received respectively, wherein the first SSB is used for random access, and the random access information is sent according to the first information.

[0085] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0086] At least some of the ROs associated with the first SSB are adjacent in the time domain.

[0087] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0088] The preamble in the random access information corresponding to the multiple ROs is determined by the terminal.

[0089] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0090] The preambles in the random access information corresponding to the multiple ROs are at least partially the same or different.

[0091] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0092] Send a second message to the terminal, the second message indicating that the preambles in the random access information corresponding to the plurality of ROs are at least partially the same or different.

[0093] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0094] The terminal supports a first capability, which is the ability to repeatedly send random access information.

[0095] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments,

[0096] The first information is sent via first system information (SI), which is used to configure the uplink transmission parameters of the terminal, or...

[0097] The first information is sent through the second SI, which is used to configure the non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication parameters.

[0098] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the random access information includes at least one of the following:

[0099] Information carried by the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH);

[0100] MSG1 during the random access process;

[0101] Preamble.

[0102] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0103] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including a terminal and a network device, wherein,

[0104] The terminal is configured to implement the method as described in the first aspect;

[0105] The network device is configured to implement the method as described in the second aspect.

[0106] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions, wherein...

[0107] When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0108] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0109] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0110] This disclosure provides indication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. In some embodiments, the terms indication method, communication method, information processing method, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0111] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0112] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0113] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0114] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0115] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0116] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0117] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0118] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0119] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0120] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0121] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0122] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0123] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0124] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0125] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0126] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0127] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0128] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0129] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0130] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0131] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0132] Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of the architecture of a communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0133] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0134] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0135] In some embodiments, network device 102 may be a network device in a TN or NTN.

[0136] For example, as shown in Figure 1B, in the NTN communication system 100, network device 102 may include a satellite and a ground station, and terminal 101 can communicate with the ground station via the satellite. The satellite may also be referred to as a satellite station or satellite base station, and the ground station may also be referred to as a ground base station.

[0137] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device and core network device. In an NTN, the access network device may include a terrestrial base station, or a satellite base station or a base station on a satellite.

[0138] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0139] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0140] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0141] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the aforementioned one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the following: Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0142] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0143] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 or some of the main bodies shown in FIG1A or FIG1B, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A or FIG1B are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A or FIG1B, or may include other main bodies other than those in FIG1A or FIG1B. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0144] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0145] In some implementations, NTNs use a beam-hopping scheme to achieve wide-area coverage. In this scheme, due to satellite altitude, there is a significant difference in slant range between the beam generated directly below the satellite and the beam generated at the edge of the coverage area (i.e., the low-elevation beam). This imbalance leads to uneven cell signal power between beams, with the radio cells of the edge beams having longer transmission distances than the beam directly below, potentially causing coverage discrepancies. To compensate for this difference, different power levels can be used to cover different areas, thus saving downlink power for the beam directly below and allocating more power to cover edge cells.

[0146] However, while the aforementioned beam skipping method can enhance the downlink coverage of the satellite, it cannot improve the uplink reception gain.

[0147] In some implementations, PRACH coverage enhancement was implemented in Release 18 (R18). The terminal can determine the number of PRACH retransmissions based on the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) measurement and the RSRP threshold corresponding to different PRACH repetition numbers. While this retransmission scheme allows the terminal to repeatedly transmit PRACH for the same SSB, whether the terminal retransmits PRACH is determined based on the RSRP measurement results.

[0148] In some implementations, in NTN, the repeated transmission of PRACH is not determined by RSRP measurements, but may be due to the satellite using a narrower uplink receive beam.

[0149] One potential enhancement in NTN could be supporting dual-beam operation. A wide beam is used for transmitting the SSB and downlink (DL) common channels, such as the wide downlink beam in a hopping beam configuration. A narrow beam, covering the wide beam, is used for data transmission on dedicated DL and / or uplink (UL) channels (including PRACH). During initial or random access, the terminal switches from the wider DL beam to the narrower UL beam to leverage the receiving advantages of the narrow beam as early as possible from the start of PRACH transmission. Using a narrow beam for uplink reception enhances uplink gain; in other words, uplink reception gain requires a narrow beam to maintain gain, which is particularly important for signals like PRACH.

[0150] Therefore, wide downlink beams or high-power transmissions in hopping beams can ensure downlink coverage. However, if narrow beams are used to improve uplink reception gain, new PRACH repetition or MSG1 repetition schemes suitable for NTN wide and narrow beam scenarios need to be determined to prevent the satellite from missing a narrow beam during uplink reception, which would lead to uplink reception failure.

[0151] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating an indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, an indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0152] In step S2101, terminal 101 sends capability information to network device 102.

[0153] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives capability information.

[0154] Optionally, the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability.

[0155] Optionally, network device 102 may be a satellite, a base station, or a satellite carrying a base station.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first capability is the ability to repeatedly send random access information.

[0157] Optionally, if terminal 101 supports the first capability, then terminal 101 may repeatedly send random access information; if terminal 101 does not support the first capability, then terminal 101 may not repeatedly send random access information.

[0158] In one example, if terminal 101 supports the first capability, the terminal can indicate that it supports the first capability through this capability information, such as indicating that terminal 101 supports the first capability by using a 1-bit value in the capability information as the first value; if terminal 101 does not support the first capability, the terminal can indicate that it does not support the first capability through this capability information, such as indicating that terminal 101 does not support the first capability by using a 1-bit value in the capability information as the second value. The first value can be 0 and the second value can be 1; or the first value can be 1 and the second value can be 0.

[0159] In some embodiments, random access information includes at least one of the following:

[0160] The information carried by PRACH (or simply referred to as PRACH);

[0161] MSG1 during the random access process;

[0162] Preamble.

[0163] Optionally, the repeated transmission of random access information can be called repeated transmission of PRACH or PRACH repetition. PRACH includes MSG1.

[0164] Optionally, retransmitting random access information can be called retransmitting MSG1 or retransmitting MSG1 (msg1 repetition).

[0165] Optionally, MSG1 contains a preamble, and repeatedly sending PRACH or MSG1 may include repeatedly sending the preamble by repeatedly sending MSG1 (preamble repeated transmission).

[0166] Optionally, the first capability may be the ability to repeatedly transmit PRACH, the ability to repeatedly transmit MSG1, or the ability to repeatedly transmit preambles.

[0167] In some embodiments, step S2101 is optional, for example, if the terminal supports the first capability by default, then it is not necessary to report capability information.

[0168] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0169] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0170] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0171] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0172] In step S2102, network device 102 sends first information to terminal 101.

[0173] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives first information sent by network device 102.

[0174] Optionally, the first information may be instruction information or configuration information.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first information is used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information, which includes sending random access information on different ROs (or RO resources) associated with the same SSB index.

[0176] Optionally, one SSB can be associated with multiple ROs, or one SSB index can be associated with multiple ROs. The association between SSBs and ROs can be determined by the terminal based on network configuration information or parameters.

[0177] Optionally, an SSB index can correspond to a wide beam (or wide downlink beam), and among the different ROs associated with the SSB index, each RO corresponds to a narrow beam covered by the wide beam. The narrow beam is used for uplink reception, such as receiving random access information from the receiving terminal.

[0178] Optionally, the first information is used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information, which includes sending random access information to different narrow beams in the same wide beam.

[0179] Optionally, repeatedly sending random access information can be done by repeatedly sending PRACH, such as sending PRACH on different ROs associated with the same SSB index. Alternatively, repeatedly sending random access information can be done by repeatedly sending MSG1, such as sending MSG1 on different ROs associated with the same SSB index. Alternatively, repeatedly sending random access information can be done by repeatedly sending a preamble, such as sending a preamble on different ROs associated with the same SSB index.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0181] The number of times the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information (or the number of repetitions), where the number can be represented by N, and the value of N can be 4, 6 or other values;

[0182] The measurement threshold corresponding to the repeated transmission of random access information is used to determine whether the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information.

[0183] Optionally, the first information may include only the number of times, only the measurement threshold, or both the number of times and the measurement threshold.

[0184] Optionally, when the random access information includes PRACH, the number of times the terminal performs repeated transmission of the random access information includes the number of times PRACH is repeatedly transmitted in the NTN or the number of repetitions N. For example, the first information indicates the number of times using an Information Element (IE) or the field PRACH-repetition-N-NTN, where N in the IE or field represents the number of times. Alternatively, when the random access information includes MSG1 in the random access process, the number of times the terminal performs repeated transmission of the random access information includes the number of times MSG1 is repeatedly transmitted in the NTN or the number of repetitions N. For example, the first information indicates the number of times using an IE or the field msg1-repetition-N-NTN, where N in the IE or field represents the number of times.

[0185] Optionally, the number of times or repetitions corresponds to the number of narrow beams included in a wide beam in the beam implementation of network device 102. For example, referring to the descriptions in Tables 2-1 and 2-2 below, if an SSB index corresponds to a wide beam that includes two narrow beams for uplink reception, then the wide beam corresponds to two ROs, and N can satisfy: N = 2.

[0186] Optionally, the measurement threshold is used by terminal 101 to determine whether to perform N repetitions based on the measurement results of the reference signal. When the random access information includes PRACH, the first information indicates the measurement threshold corresponding to N repetitions using IE or the field PRACH-repetition-N-RSRP threshold. Alternatively, when the random access information includes MSG1, the first information indicates the measurement threshold corresponding to N repetitions using IE or the field msg1-repetition-N-RSRP threshold.

[0187] In one example, terminal 101 measures a reference signal, such as SSB, sent by network device 102, obtains a measurement result, and determines whether the terminal should repeatedly send random access information based on this measurement result and a measurement threshold. The measurement result can be RSRP, and the measurement threshold can be the RSRP threshold corresponding to N times. If the measurement result measured by terminal 101 is lower than the measurement threshold, then terminal 101 needs to repeatedly send random access information N times. In this example, the measurement threshold can be used to determine when the terminal should repeatedly send random access information.

[0188] In some embodiments, the measurement threshold can be a specific value greater than a threshold.

[0189] Optionally, the threshold can be a sufficiently large value, such as greater than any measurement result value that a terminal might obtain. For example, this specific value can be positive infinity or a special value, such as the maximum value of the measurement result, like the maximum RSRP value. In this case, regardless of whether terminal 101 performs a measurement, or regardless of the measurement result obtained, the measurement result will be less than the measurement threshold, thus terminal 101 will always need to repeatedly send random access information N times. Optionally, in this embodiment, the measurement threshold can be used to determine the necessity and / or the number of repetitions for the terminal to repeatedly send random access information.

[0190] Optionally, if the measurement threshold is a specific value, it implicitly instructs all terminals to repeatedly send random access information N times.

[0191] Optionally, the measurement threshold can be configured to a specific value through the first information. In this case, the indicator IE or field corresponding to the measurement threshold can reuse the IE or field in the original configuration, thereby saving signaling resources and maximizing the reuse of existing requirements.

[0192] Optionally, the measurement threshold is defined as a specific value based on the protocol, in which case the measurement threshold may not be included in the first information.

[0193] In some embodiments, the number of times a terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information is defined by a protocol.

[0194] Optionally, the first information may only indicate or configure the measurement threshold to a specific value. The terminal may then repeatedly send random access information N times based on the number of times defined in the protocol and the measurement threshold configured in the first information.

[0195] Optionally, step S2102 is optional; for example, the protocol defines a measurement threshold as a specific value and can define the number of times. The terminal can then repeatedly send random access information N times based on the number of times and the measurement threshold predefined in the protocol.

[0196] In some embodiments, the number of times can be configured or defined per cell; or it can be configured or defined per SSB index or per beam. In these two different cases, the relationship between different SSB indices and the number of times differs.

[0197] Optionally, when the number of occurrences is configured or defined on a cell-by-cell basis, different SSB indices within the same cell correspond to the same number of occurrences. For example, the value of N applies to all SSB indices within the same cell, or they are all the same. For instance, SSB#1 and SSB#2 both correspond to 2 occurrences, or SSB#1 and SSB#2 both correspond to 4 occurrences. In this case, when configuring the number of occurrences through the first information, one N value can be configured for each cell; when defining the number of occurrences through the protocol, one N value can be defined for each cell.

[0198] In one example, as shown in Table 2-1, it is assumed that one SSB index corresponds to one downlink wide beam (i.e., downlink transmit beam (DL Tx beam)), and one downlink wide beam corresponds to two uplink narrow beams (i.e., uplink receive beams (UL Rx beam)). The number of occurrences corresponding to different downlink wide beams is the same. For example, SSB#1 corresponds to narrow beam#1 and narrow beam#2, SSB#2 corresponds to narrow beam#3 and narrow beam#4, and the number of occurrences N for SSB#1 and SSB#2 is 2.

[0199] Table 2-1

[0200] Optionally, when the number of occurrences is configured or defined on a beam-by-beam basis, each SSB index within the same cell has a corresponding number of occurrences. For example, different SSB indices can have different values ​​for N. For instance, SSB#1 can have 2 occurrences, and SSB#2 can have 4 occurrences. In this case, when configuring the number of occurrences using the first information, the first information needs to configure a corresponding N value for each SSB index; when defining the number of occurrences using the protocol, an N value needs to be defined for each SSB index. Optionally, SSB indices in different cells can also correspond to their own number of occurrences.

[0201] In one example, as shown in Table 2-2, SSB#1 corresponds to narrow beam#1 and narrow beam#2, and SSB#2 corresponds to narrow beam#3, narrow beam#4, beam#5, and narrow beam#6; among them, the number of times corresponding to SSB#1 is 2, and the number of times corresponding to SSB#2 is 4.

[0202] Table 2-2

[0203] In some embodiments, the first information may be transmitted via SI, or in other words, the first information may be included in broadcast signaling. For example, the first information may be included in a System Information Block (SIB).

[0204] Optionally, the first information can be sent through different SIs, or in other words, the first information can be contained in different broadcast signaling.

[0205] In the first embodiment, the first information is sent through the first SI, which is used to configure the parameters of the uplink transmission of the terminal 101.

[0206] Optionally, the first SI can be in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling SIB1, such as the first information being sent through SIB1.

[0207] For example, the first information is contained in IE BWP-UplinkCommon, which is related to the uplink common bandwidth portion.

[0208] For example, the first information is contained in the information element (IE UplinkConfigCommonSIB) related to the uplink configuration common part in the system information block.

[0209] In the second embodiment, the first information is sent through the second SI, which is used to configure NTN communication parameters.

[0210] Optionally, the first information is contained in RRC signaling SIB19 or other dedicated SIBs (SIB-NTN specific) for NTN. For example, the first information is contained in the NTN configuration (NTN-config).

[0211] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send the first information to terminal 101 only after terminal 101 supports the first capability. For example, if network device 102 knows that terminal 101 supports the first capability based on capability information, network device 102 sends the first information. Alternatively, network device 102 assumes that terminals 101 under its coverage support the first capability and sends the first information to all terminals 101 under its coverage.

[0212] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0213] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0214] In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal (SS)," "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0215] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0216] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0217] In some embodiments, the terms "precoding", "precoder", "weight", "precoding weight", "quasi-co-location (QCL)", "transmission configuration indication (TCI) status", "spatial relation", "spatial domain filter", "transmission power", "phase rotation", "antenna port", "antenna port group", "layer", "the number of layers", "rank", "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "beam", "beam width", "beam angular degree", "antenna", "antenna element", and "panel" can be used interchangeably.

[0218] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0219] In step S2103, terminal 101 determines the preamble in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs.

[0220] In some embodiments, after receiving the first information, the terminal 101 can determine the preamble that needs to be used in the process of repeatedly sending random access information so as to perform subsequent sending.

[0221] In some embodiments, the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are at least partially the same or at least partially different. In this embodiment, if the preambles are at least partially different during repeated transmission of MGS1, such as the preambles being different in N repeated transmissions of MSG1, or the preambles being different in half or more of the N transmissions of MSG1, the probability of uplink collisions can be reduced, and the random access success rate and uplink reception performance can be improved.

[0222] In some embodiments, the preambles of random access information corresponding to multiple ROs may be at least partially the same, such as all of them being the same, and MSG1s of repeatedly transmitted identical preambles may be merged during the processing.

[0223] In some embodiments, the preamble in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs can be determined by terminal 101 or indicated by network device 102.

[0224] In the first embodiment, the network device 102 indicates whether the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are the same.

[0225] In this embodiment, network device 102 sends second information to terminal 101, and terminal 101 receives the second information. The second information indicates that the terminal uses the same or different preambles during the repeated transmission of random access information; or, the second information indicates that the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are at least partially the same or different.

[0226] Optionally, the second information is the first value, indicating that the preamble used by the terminal in repeatedly sending random access information is the same, such as all being the same; the second information is the second value, indicating that the preamble used by the terminal in repeatedly sending random access information is different, such as all being different (each being different). Wherein, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0, or the first value is 0 and the second value is 1.

[0227] Optionally, when the second information occupies more than one bit, it can also indicate whether the preamble portions of the repeated transmissions are the same or different. The terminal can, based on instructions from the network device, choose, for example, to randomly select N repeated transmissions to use either the same preamble or different preamble portions.

[0228] In the second embodiment, terminal 101 determines whether the preambles in the random access information corresponding to multiple ROs are the same.

[0229] In the third embodiment, terminal 101 randomly selects preambles corresponding to multiple ROs.

[0230] In step S2104, terminal 101 determines the first SSB for random access.

[0231] In some embodiments, the first SSB represents the SSB selected by terminal 101 for random access. Optionally, there may be one or more first SSBs.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first SSB for random access may be a random access based on the RO associated with the first SSB.

[0233] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine or select the first SSB based on a variety of methods.

[0234] For example, network device 102 sends multiple SSBs to terminal 101, and terminal 101 can randomly select the first SSB from the received SSBs. For example, if SSB index#1-4 are received, one of SSB index#1-4 can be determined as the first SSB for random access, such as determining SSB index#1 as the first SSB for random access.

[0235] For example, network device 102 sends multiple SSBs to terminal 101. Terminal 101 can measure each received SSB, obtain the measurement result of each SSB, and determine the SSB whose measurement result is greater than a first threshold as the first SSB. Optionally, the measurement result can be RSRP or other results representing the signal quality of the SSB, and the first threshold can be the RSRP threshold.

[0236] In some embodiments, at least some of the ROs associated with the first SSB may be adjacent in the time domain, or in other words, at least some of the ROs associated with the first SSB may be consecutive in the time domain.

[0237] Optionally, an RO that is at least partially adjacent or continuous in the time domain means that there are no other ROs between these ROs, where other ROs are ROs not associated with the first SSB; rather than requiring that these ROs be in adjacent time slots or symbols. For example, in Table 2-1, ROs #a and #b associated with SSB#1 can be separated by time slots or symbols, but there are no other ROs between them.

[0238] Optionally, among the multiple ROs associated with the first SSB, all ROs can be adjacent in the time domain. For example, RO#c, RO#d, RO#e, and RO#f corresponding to SSB#2 in Table 2-2, where RO#c, RO#d, RO#e, and RO#f are sequentially adjacent in the time domain, meaning that no other RO is interspersed between any two adjacent ROs. This approach is preferred in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0239] Optionally, some of the multiple ROs are adjacent in the time domain. For example, RO#c, RO#d, and RO#e are sequentially adjacent in the time domain, while RO#e and RO#f are not adjacent and are interspersed with other ROs.

[0240] In step S2105, terminal 101 sends random access information to network device 102 on multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB according to the first information.

[0241] In some embodiments, network device 102 receives random access information sent by terminal 101 on multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB, so as to prevent network device 102 from missing random access information on a certain narrow beam during the narrow beam hopping process.

[0242] In some embodiments, if terminal 101 determines that it needs to repeatedly send random access information based on the first information, such as the number of times the terminal repeatedly sends random access information is N, then terminal 101 can send random access information to network device 102 on the first SSB or the N ROs associated with its SSB index.

[0243] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may repeatedly send PRACH or MSG1 according to the first information, such as sending PRACH, MSG1, or preamble on multiple ROs at different time-domain locations associated with the first SSB.

[0244] In one example, when different SSB indices in the same cell correspond to the same number of times, as shown in Table 2-1 above, SSB#1 corresponds to narrow beam#1 and narrow beam#2, and SSB#2 corresponds to narrow beam#3 and narrow beam#4. For a terminal whose first SSB is SSB#1, when performing repeated PRACH transmission, terminal 101 transmits PRACH at RO#a and RO#b respectively, i.e., performs 2 repeated transmissions; for a terminal whose first SSB is SSB#2, when performing repeated PRACH transmission, terminal 101 transmits PRACH at RO#c and RO#d respectively, i.e., performs 2 repeated transmissions; thus ensuring that the base station does not miss any random access information on any narrow beam when performing beam sweeping.

[0245] In one example, with each SSB index having a corresponding number of occurrences in different SSB indices, as shown in Table 2-2 above, assuming SSB#1 has 2 occurrences and SSB#2 has 4 occurrences, SSB#1 corresponds to narrow beam#1 and narrow beam#2, and SSB#2 corresponds to narrow beam#3, narrow beam#4, beam#5, and narrow beam#6. For terminal 1 (UE#1) whose first SSB is SSB#1, when performing repeated PRACH transmission, terminal 101 transmits random access information (such as PRACH) on RO#a and RO#b associated with (or bound to) SSB#1, i.e., performs 2 repeated transmissions; for terminal 2 (UE#2) whose first SSB is SSB#2, when performing repeated PRACH transmission, terminal 101 transmits random access information (such as PRACH) on RO#c, RO#d, RO#e, and RO#f associated with SSB#1, i.e., performs 4 repeated transmissions.

[0246] In some embodiments, during repeated transmission, terminal 101 selects different preambles to transmit on different ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB. For example, during the repeated transmission of PRACH in Table 2-1 or 2-2, the preamble contained in MSG1 transmitted on RO#a corresponding to SSB#1 is different from the preamble contained in MSG1 transmitted on RO#b corresponding to SSB#1.

[0247] In some embodiments, the multiple ROs associated with an SSB can be adjacent in the time domain. For example, the first SSB is SSB#1, and its associated ROs#a and RO#b are adjacent in the time domain or are consecutive ROs in the time domain. The terminal 101 sends a preamble on N consecutive ROs in the time domain, so that the terminal can complete the repeated transmission as soon as possible within a certain RO range, improve the efficiency of repeated transmission and the efficiency of successful random access, and improve the uplink reception performance of the network device.

[0248] In this embodiment, the preamble can be randomly selected by the terminal 101, such as selecting different preambles.

[0249] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, step S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, steps S2102 and S2103 may be implemented as standalone embodiments, steps S2102, S2104 and S2105 may be implemented as standalone embodiments, and steps S2102 and S2105 may be implemented as standalone embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0250] In some embodiments, steps S2101, S2103 to S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0251] In some embodiments, steps S2104 and S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0252] In some embodiments, step S2103 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0253] In some embodiments, steps S2103 and S2104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0254] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating an indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, an indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0256] In step S3101, network device 102 sends first information to terminal 101.

[0257] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3101 can be referred to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG2.

[0258] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0259] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating an indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, an indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0260] In step S3201, network device 102 sends first information to terminal 101.

[0261] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3201 can be referred to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG2.

[0262] In step S3202, terminal 101 determines the first SSB for random access.

[0263] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3202 can be referred to the implementation of step S2104 in FIG2.

[0264] In step S3203, terminal 101 sends random access information to network device 102 on multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB according to the first information.

[0265] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3203 can be referred to the implementation of step S2105 in FIG2.

[0266] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0267] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a method for indicating the number of PRACH repetitions is provided. After selecting an SSB, the terminal sends a preamble multiple times on the RO at different time-domain locations corresponding to the SSB to ensure that the base station does not miss any when performing narrow beam sweeping reception.

[0268] In some embodiments, PRACH repetition corresponds to the repeated transmission of random access information in the foregoing embodiments, the base station corresponds to the network device in the foregoing embodiments, and the selected SSB corresponds to the first SSB in the foregoing embodiments.

[0269] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure, some embodiments are listed below:

[0270] Example 1: The base station sends first information to instruct the terminal to perform a PRACH repetition. The terminal performs the PRACH repetition based on the first information.

[0271] In some embodiments, the base station sends a first message to instruct the terminal to perform a PRACH repetition. The UE with PRACH repetition and / or msg1 repetition capabilities performs the PRACH repetition based on the first message.

[0272] Example 2: The first information is included in the broadcast signaling, such as in the SIB.

[0273] Example 2-1: The first information is contained in the RRC signaling, such as SIB1.

[0274] Example 1: The first information is contained in IE BWP-UplinkCommon.

[0275] Example 2: The first information is contained in IE UplinkConfigCommonSIB.

[0276] Example 2-2: The first information is contained in RRC signaling SIB19 or other SIB-NTN specific.

[0277] Example 1: The first information is contained in NTN-config.

[0278] Example 3: The first message is PRACH-repetition-N-NTN or msg1-repetition-N-NTN, where N is the number of retransmissions, for example, N=4.

[0279] In some embodiments, the value of N is the number of uplink narrow beams corresponding to one downlink wide beam in the wide and narrow beam implementation process of the base station.

[0280] Example 4: The first information is PRACH-repetition-N-RSRP threshold or msg1-repetition-N-RSRP threshold, where N is the number of retransmissions, for example, N=4.

[0281] In some embodiments, the value of N is the number of uplink narrow beams corresponding to one downlink wide beam in the wide and narrow beam implementation process of the base station.

[0282] In some embodiments, if the RSRP measured by the terminal is lower than this value, then the terminal performs N PRACH repetitions. By configuring the PRACH-repetition-N-RSRP threshold to the maximum RSRP value or a positive infinity / special value, it implicitly requires all users to perform N RSRP repetitions.

[0283] Example 5: The first information is per cell, that is, the value of N is applicable / the same for different SSB indices.

[0284] Example 6: The first information is per beam, that is, different N values ​​can be used for different SSB indexes.

[0285] In some embodiments, as shown in Table 2-2, assuming SSB#1 corresponds to narrow beam#1 and narrow beam#2, that is, SSB#2 corresponds to narrow beam#3, narrow beam#4, beam#5, and narrow beam#6, then UE#1, which has selected SSB#1, should send PRACH in both RO#a and RO#b bound to SSB#1, and UE#2, which has selected SSB#2, should send PRACH in both RO#c, RO#d, RO#e, and RO#f bound to SSB#1.

[0286] Example 7: The preamble used for N PRACH transmissions is different.

[0287] In some embodiments, the terminal selects different preambles to send on different RO resources.

[0288] Example 8: Whether the preamble used in N PRACH transmissions is the same or different is indicated by the second information.

[0289] In some embodiments, the second information is 1, indicating that the same preamble is used; the second information is 0, indicating that different preambles are used.

[0290] Example 9: Whether the preamble used for N PRACH transmissions is the same or different is determined by the UE implementation.

[0291] Example 10: The RO resources used by N PRACH transmissions are adjacent in the time domain.

[0292] In some embodiments, the terminal sends a preamble on N consecutive RO resources in the time domain, and the preamble is randomly selected by the terminal.

[0293] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0294] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0295] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0296] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Terminal 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, terminal 4100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4101, a processing module 4102, etc. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information; wherein, the repeated sending of random access information includes: sending random access information on different random access times (RO) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index. Optionally, the above-mentioned transceiver module 4101 is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (such as sending and / or receiving) performed by terminal 101 in any of the above methods (but not limited to these), which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the above-mentioned processing module 4102 is used to execute at least one of the other steps performed by terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0297] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The network device 4200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4B, the network device 4200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4201, a processing module 4202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4201 is used to send first information to a terminal, the first information being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information; wherein, the repeated sending of random access information includes: sending random access information on different random access times (RO) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index. Optionally, the transceiver module 4201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device 4200 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module 4202 is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device 4200 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0298] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0299] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0300] In some embodiments, the processing module can be interchanged with the processor, and the transceiver module can be interchanged with the transceiver.

[0301] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0302] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0303] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5102. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5102, the transceiver 5102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method, and the processor 5101 performs at least one of the other steps. In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0304] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 5103 to cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 5103 may also be located outside the communication device 5100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5102 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 5102 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 5102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 5102 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5101.

[0305] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection having one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0306] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 5200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0307] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0308] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0309] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method. For example, the interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 5202 performs data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, the chip 5200, the memory 5203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0310] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0311] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0312] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0313] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods. Industrial applicability

[0314] The terminal receives the first information sent by the network device so that it can subsequently send random access information on different ROs associated with the same SSB index according to the first information. This increases the probability that the random access information is accurately received by the network device in NTN wide and narrow beam scenarios, improves uplink reception performance, and thus improves the success rate of random access.

Claims

1. A method of instruction, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: The terminal receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information. The repeated transmission of random access information includes: transmitting random access information at different random access times (RO) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: The terminal performs the number of times it repeatedly sends random access information; The measurement threshold corresponding to the repeated transmission of random access information; The measurement threshold is used to determine whether the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein, The measurement threshold is a specific value that is greater than a threshold value.

4. The method as described in any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein, Different SSB indices within the same cell correspond to the same number of occurrences; or, Each SSB index in different SSB indices of the same cell has a corresponding number of occurrences.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: Determine the first SSB for random access; Based on the first information, random access information is sent to the network device from multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, At least some of the ROs associated with the first SSB are adjacent in the time domain.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein, The method further includes: Determine the preamble in the random access information corresponding to the plurality of ROs; wherein, The preambles in the random access information corresponding to the multiple ROs are at least partially the same or different; Alternatively, the network device may receive second information indicating that the preambles in the random access information corresponding to the plurality of ROs are at least partially the same or different.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The first information is sent via first system information (SI), which is used to configure the uplink transmission parameters of the terminal, or... The first information is sent through the second SI, which is used to configure the non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication parameters.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The random access information includes at least one of the following: Information carried by the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH); MSG1 during the random access process; Preamble.

10. A method of instruction, performed by a network device, the method comprising: Send a first message to the terminal, the first message being used to instruct the terminal to repeatedly send random access information; The repeated transmission of random access information includes: transmitting random access information at different random access times (RO) associated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: The terminal performs the number of times it repeatedly sends random access information; The measurement threshold corresponding to the repeated transmission of random access information; The measurement threshold is used to determine whether the terminal performs repeated transmission of random access information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The measurement threshold is a specific value that is greater than a threshold value.

13. The method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 12, wherein, Different SSB indices within the same cell correspond to the same number of occurrences; or, Each SSB index in different SSB indices of the same cell has a corresponding number of occurrences.

14. The method of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The method further includes: On multiple ROs associated with the SSB index of the first SSB, random access information sent by the terminal is received respectively, wherein the first SSB is used for random access, and the random access information is sent according to the first information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, At least some of the ROs associated with the first SSB are adjacent in the time domain.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein, The preamble in the random access information corresponding to the plurality of ROs is determined by the terminal; wherein the preambles in the random access information corresponding to the plurality of ROs are at least partially the same or different; Alternatively, the method may further include: Send a second message to the terminal, the second message indicating that the preambles in the random access information corresponding to the plurality of ROs are at least partially the same or different.

17. The method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein, The first information is sent via first system information (SI), which is used to configure the uplink transmission parameters of the terminal, or... The first information is sent through the second SI, which is used to configure the non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication parameters.

18. The method of any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein, The random access information includes at least one of the following: Information carried by the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH); MSG1 during the random access process; Preamble.

19. A communication device, wherein, The communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or any one of claims 10 to 18.

20. A communication system comprising a terminal and network equipment, wherein, The terminal is configured to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; The network device is configured to implement the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18.

21. A storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 or any one of claims 10 to 18.

22. A program product comprising at least one of a program, instructions, wherein, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the communication device, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 or any one of claims 10 to 18.

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