Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of communications. In the method, a terminal can acquire, on the basis of first information, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of N carriers scheduled within a first time unit, and can thus send or receive one or more transmission units on the basis of the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. The one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers; the total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is M; and the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M, such that the values of the number of HARQ processes corresponding to the respective carriers are more diversified, thereby improving the flexibility of HARQ process allocation and adapting to the requirements of actual transmission.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510476804.7, filed on April 14, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In communication technology, to improve data transmission reliability, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) mechanism has been proposed. HARQ is a technique that combines forward error correction (FEC) and automatic repeat request (ARQ). For example, the transmitter can use a HARQ process to send data, and if the receiver fails to decode the data, it can save the received data and request the transmitter to retransmit it. The receiver can then merge the retransmitted data with the previously received data before decoding. A HARQ entity can manage one or more HARQ processes. For example, in a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, each carrier corresponds to an independent HARQ entity, and different carrier-specific HARQ entities independently manage one or more HARQ processes. This flexibility in HARQ process allocation has a certain impact. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can improve the flexibility of HARQ process allocation.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first communication device. The first communication device can be a terminal or a component applied in the terminal (e.g., a module, communication module, circuit responsible for communication functions, processor, chip, or chip system; the chip can be a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-a-chip, etc.), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: the terminal receiving first information, the first information indicating one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of N carriers scheduled within a first time unit, and the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers being associated with one or more transmission units. Thus, the terminal can send or receive one or more transmission units according to the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. In this system, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is M. The number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. N, L and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

[0006] In the above implementation, the terminal can obtain one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled within the first time unit through the first information. This allows the terminal to send or receive one or more transmission units based on these HARQ processes, reducing the problem of transmission unit transmission failure caused by the terminal's incorrect use of HARQ processes. Furthermore, the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by these entities is M, and the number of HARQ processes managed by each entity is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. This allows for a more diverse range of values ​​for the number of HARQ processes corresponding to each carrier, thereby increasing the flexibility of HARQ process allocation and better adapting to actual transmission needs. Furthermore, if the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M, it can be considered that the HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers are jointly managed, or in other words, HARQ capabilities are shared among the L carriers.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the terminal may also send a second message indicating the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0008] In the above implementation, the terminal can indicate the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal to the network device through the second information. This helps the network device determine the total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, and reduces the problem of HARQ process allocation errors caused by the network device determining that the total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers exceeds the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the terminal may further receive third information indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. For example, indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers may include: indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers. Alternatively, the third information may indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

[0010] In the above implementation, the terminal can obtain the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in one or more HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers through the third information. Alternatively, the terminal can obtain the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers through the third information. This helps the terminal and network devices to maintain a consistent understanding of the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity, reducing the problem of transmission unit transmission failure due to inconsistent understanding.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the terminal may also receive a fourth message indicating the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

[0012] In the above implementation, the terminal can learn the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers through the fourth information. This helps the terminal and network devices to have a consistent understanding of the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each carrier, reducing the problem of transmission unit transmission failure due to inconsistent understanding.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the terminal may also send a fifth message indicating the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0014] In the above implementation, the terminal can indicate the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal to the network device through the fifth information. This helps the network device determine the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each carrier and reduces the problem of HARQ process allocation errors caused by the network device determining that the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each carrier exceeds the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the terminal may also receive a sixth message, which is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0016] In the above implementation, the terminal can update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers through the sixth information. For example, the number of HARQ processes can change with the actual transmission requirements. This can reduce the problem of transmission unit transmission failure caused by the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entities not meeting the actual transmission requirements.

[0017] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a second communication device. As an example, the second communication device may be a terminal or a component applied in a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. As another example, the second communication device may be a network device or a component applied in a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, the method includes: the network device sending first information, the first information indicating one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of N carriers scheduled within a first time unit, wherein the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are associated with one or more transmission units. Thus, the network device can send or receive one or more transmission units according to the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. In this system, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is M. The number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. N, L and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

[0018] In the above implementation, the network device can send first information, enabling the terminal to obtain one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled within the first time unit. This allows the terminal to send or receive one or more transmission units based on the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers, reducing the problem of transmission unit failures caused by the terminal's incorrect use of HARQ processes. Furthermore, the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is M. The number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity associated with L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. This allows for a more diverse range of values ​​for the number of HARQ processes corresponding to each carrier, thereby improving the flexibility of HARQ process allocation and better adapting to actual transmission needs. Furthermore, if the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M, it can be considered that the HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers are jointly managed, or in other words, HARQ capabilities are shared among the L carriers.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the network device may also receive second information indicating the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0020] In the above implementation, the network device can obtain the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal through the second information, which helps the network device determine the total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, and reduces the problem of HARQ process allocation errors caused by the network device determining that the total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers exceeds the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the network device may further send third information indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. For example, indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers may include: indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers. Alternatively, the third information may indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

[0022] In the above embodiments, the network device can send third information, enabling the terminal to know the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in one or more HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers. Alternatively, the terminal can know the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers through the third information. This helps the terminal and the network device maintain a consistent understanding of the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity, reducing the problem of transmission unit transmission failure due to inconsistent understanding.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the network device may also send a fourth message indicating the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

[0024] In the above implementation, the network device can send a fourth message, which enables the terminal to know the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers. This helps the terminal and the network device to have a consistent understanding of the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each carrier, reducing the problem of transmission unit transmission failure due to inconsistent understanding.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the network device may also receive a fifth message indicating the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0026] In the above implementation, the network device can obtain the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal through the fifth information, which helps the network device determine the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each carrier and reduces the problem of HARQ process allocation errors caused by the network device determining that the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each carrier exceeds the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the network device may also send a sixth message, which is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0028] In the above implementation, the network device can send a sixth message, which enables the terminal to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. For example, the number of HARQ processes can change with the actual transmission requirements. This can reduce the problem of transmission unit transmission failure caused by the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entities not meeting the actual transmission requirements.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the larger the bandwidth of the frequency domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. Alternatively, the larger the number of spatial streams corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. Alternatively, the larger the number of transmission unit transmissions on the time domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0030] In the above implementation, several allocation principles for the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity are provided, which can reduce the problem of transmission unit transmission failure caused by the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity not meeting the actual transmission requirements.

[0031] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising units, modules, or means for implementing the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication apparatus may be a terminal or a component applied in a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions, or a network device or a component applied in a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions.

[0032] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device may be a terminal or a component applied in a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions, or a network device or a component applied in a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. The at least one processor may execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the communication device or located externally to the communication device. Furthermore, the communication device may also include an interface.

[0033] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0034] Sixthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program or program that, when run by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0035] A seventh aspect provides a chip including at least one processor for executing computer instructions or programs, which, when run, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The processor may execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the chip or located externally. Furthermore, the chip may include an interface.

[0036] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal for performing the method as described in any one of the first aspects and / or a network device for performing the method as described in any one of the second aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 shows the basic architecture of a communication system;

[0038] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between a carrier and a HARQ entity provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the number of HARQ processes managed by a HARQ entity associated with each carrier, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in a plurality of HARQ entities associated with each carrier, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by various carriers, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or multiple. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0046] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0047] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the following are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0048] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0049] The method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new communication systems emerging in future communication development. Among these, IoT networks may include, but are not limited to, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. The communication methods in V2X systems can be collectively referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X), where X can represent anything. For example, V2X can include: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc. The method provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems, or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial network (TN) are integrated. The NTN system can be an NTN system integrated with 4G, 5G, or any future generation of communication systems, such as NR NTN, IoT NTN, etc. The NTN communication system can be, for example, a satellite communication system, or it can include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other aerial access network equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0050] The method provided in this application can be applied between two entities in a communication system, such as one entity sending information to or receiving information sent by the other entity. The wireless communication system includes communication devices, which can communicate wirelessly using air interface resources. Air interface resources may include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, code-domain resources, and spatial resources; this application does not limit this. For example, the aforementioned two entities may include a network device and a terminal, or may include a chip that can be placed in a network device and a chip that can be placed in a terminal, etc. Of course, as standards advance, other types of entities may emerge subsequently; this application does not limit this.

[0051] The basic architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application is described below. The communication system provided in this application may include one or more network devices and one or more terminals.

[0052] The system architecture shown in Figure 1 will be used as an example for explanation below. In Figure 1, the communication system includes a network device 10 and a terminal 20 communicating with the network device 10. The number of network devices and terminals in Figure 1 is merely illustrative and should not be considered as a specific limitation of this application. The terminals and network devices involved in the system architecture will be described in detail below.

[0053] I. Terminal

[0054] A terminal is an entity on the user side used to receive signals, or transmit signals, or both. Terminals are used to provide users with one or more of the following: voice services and data connectivity services. A terminal can be a device that includes wireless transceiver capabilities and can cooperate with network equipment to provide communication services to users. Specifically, a terminal can refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication equipment, user agent, user equipment, or roadside unit (RSU). Terminal equipment can also be a communication module with satellite communication capabilities, a satellite phone or its components, or a satellite communication terminal, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) (commonly referred to as a VSAT terminal), a portable station, a fixed station, a vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminal, etc. It should be understood that a satellite communication terminal can act as a micro base station to further provide a data interface to the accessed user equipment.Terminals can also be drones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, stations (STs) in wireless local area networks (WLANs), cellular phones, smartphones, cordless phones, wireless data cards, tablets, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, laptop computers, machine type communication (MTC) terminals, handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices (also known as wearable smart devices), virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in smart grids, and transportation security devices. Wireless terminals in smart cities, smart homes, etc., can be used in various contexts such as safety, security, and safety. The terminal can also be a terminal in a 5G system or a terminal in a next-generation communication system; this application does not limit the specific application to these possibilities.

[0055] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal can be a complete machine; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete components.

[0056] II. Network Equipment

[0057] A network device is an entity on the network side used to transmit signals, or receive signals, or both. A network device can be a means deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functionality to terminals.

[0058] In one possible scenario, network equipment can be devices with base station functions, such as evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), base stations in future mobile communication systems, and integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes. Network equipment can also be transmission reception points (TRPs), base stations, and various forms of control nodes, such as network controllers and wireless controllers. Specifically, network equipment can be various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells) in heterogeneous network (HetNet) scenarios, relay stations, access points (APs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs, or home node Bs (HNBs)), baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs) in distributed base station scenarios, transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, etc., or even base station antenna panels. Control nodes can connect to multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminals covered by multiple base stations. Network equipment can also be satellites (or satellite base stations) or high altitude platform stations (HAPS), or base station equipment mounted on satellites / HAPSs. The satellite may include at least one of the following: a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite (or geosynchronous orbit satellite) or a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO).Non-geostationary orbit satellites may include at least one of the following: medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites or low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. No limitation is made here. Network equipment may also be a gateway station (or ground station, earth station, signaling station, gateway, or gateway station), etc. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the name of equipment with base station functions may vary. For example, it could be a gNB in ​​5G, or a network device in a network after 5G, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) network, or a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. This application does not limit the specific name of the network equipment. Network equipment may also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a baseband pool (BBU pool) and RRU under a cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc.

[0059] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with each network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, network devices may include a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs may be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that network devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices comprising both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, CUs can be classified as network devices in the access network (RAN) or in the core network (CN), without limitation.

[0060] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0061] In this embodiment, the form of the network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a complete machine; or it can be a device that supports the network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0062] To facilitate understanding of the content of this solution, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained below, so that those skilled in the art can understand them. This part is only for the purpose of understanding and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0063] I. Transmission Unit

[0064] In this application, the transmission unit may be a transport block (TB) or a sub-data block within a TB.

[0065] As an example, a sub-data block is a code block (CB). For instance, a TB includes at least one CB, and a transmission unit can be a CB within the TB.

[0066] As another example, a sub-data block is a code block group (CBG). For example, a TB includes at least one CBG, and a transmission unit can be a CBG within the TB. A CBG can include at least one CB.

[0067] II. CA

[0068] To improve data transmission efficiency and reduce latency, CA (Carrier Aggregation) technology was proposed. CA refers to aggregating multiple continuous or non-contiguous carriers into a larger bandwidth. In CA technology, a terminal can communicate simultaneously on multiple cells, thereby supporting high-speed data transmission. These multiple cells can include a primary cell and at least one secondary cell.

[0069] In this context, the primary cell is the cell where the terminal and network equipment establish an initial connection, or the cell where the terminal re-establishes a radio resource control (RRC) connection, or the primary cell used during handover. The primary cell is responsible for RRC communication with the terminal. Compared to the primary cell, secondary cells can provide additional radio resources.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the carrier in the primary cell is called the primary component carrier (PCC), and the carrier in the secondary cell is called the secondary component carrier (PCC).

[0071] To make it easier to understand, the relationship between cells and carriers will be illustrated with examples below.

[0072] As an example, one cell can correspond to one carrier. In this case, carrier and cell can be considered equivalent concepts, and one carrier can be equivalent to one cell.

[0073] As another example, a cell can correspond to multiple carriers.

[0074] III. Time Unit

[0075] The time unit mentioned in this application (such as the first time unit, etc.) refers to the duration (or time length, or simply duration) in the time domain, such as at least one frame, at least one subframe, at least one time slot, at least one symbol, at least one segment, or at least one mini-slot or sub-slot, etc. In one possible implementation, the symbol mentioned in this application may be an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

[0076] IV. Protocol Layer Between Network Devices and Terminals

[0077] The protocol layer can include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer can include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or PHY layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer can include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc. For detailed descriptions of each protocol layer, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications; they will not be elaborated upon here.

[0078] The MAC layer can include one or more MAC entities. A MAC entity can manage one or more HARQ entities, and a HARQ entity can manage one or more HARQ processes. Each HARQ process corresponds to a HARQ buffer register. For example, for the sending end, the HARQ buffer register is used to store transmission units to be sent, such as transmission units for which an acknowledgment (ACK) has not been received. For the receiving end, the HARQ buffer register is used to store decoding soft information for the transmission units.

[0079] In one possible implementation, different HARQ processes can be distinguished by their process IDs. Feedback can be provided to the HARQ process regardless of whether the data is received correctly. For example, after receiving data, the receiving end can send feedback information to the sending end based on the data decoding result. The sending end can then determine whether data retransmission is necessary based on the feedback information from the receiving end. For instance, if the receiving end successfully decodes the data, it can send an ACK to the sending end. Upon receiving the ACK, the sending end determines that data retransmission is not necessary. Conversely, if the receiving end fails to decode the data, it can send a negative acknowledgment (NACK) to the sending end. Upon receiving the NACK, the sending end sends a request to the receiving end to retransmit the data.

[0080] In one possible implementation, in a stop-and-wait protocol, data transmission through a HARQ process can be paused until the sending end receives feedback from that HARQ process. That is, the HARQ process is occupied and cannot be used to send data until the sending end receives feedback. However, while waiting for feedback from the HARQ process, the sending end can send data through other unoccupied HARQ processes.

[0081] In one possible implementation, one HARQ process can correspond to one or more transmission units. For example, within one time unit, one HARQ process is used to send or receive one transmission unit. Within different time units, one HARQ process is used to send or receive different transmission units. That is, one HARQ process can be used for multiple uplink data transmissions. For example, HARQ process #0 is used to send transmission unit #0 in time unit #0, and HARQ process #0 is used to send transmission unit #1 in time unit #1, and so on.

[0082] In one possible implementation, in spatial division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing, a time unit may transmit or receive multiple transmission units in parallel. Each transmission unit has its own independent HARQ feedback information and uses different HARQ processes for processing. The number of HARQ processes used to transmit or receive multiple transmission units in parallel within a time unit can be called the concurrent HARQ process count. For example, in time unit #0, four transmission units can be transmitted in parallel, and these four transmission units can use four HARQ processes, resulting in a concurrent HARQ process count of four. Currently, in CA scenarios, each carrier corresponds to an independent HARQ entity, and different carrier-corresponding HARQ entities independently manage multiple HARQ processes. In the uplink direction, the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity corresponding to a carrier is less than the maximum number of HARQ processes supported in the uplink direction, such as 16. In the downlink direction, the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity corresponding to a carrier is less than the maximum number of HARQ processes supported in the downlink direction, such as 16 or 32. This method of independent management of HARQ processes by HARQ entities may affect the flexibility of HARQ process allocation. To improve the flexibility of HARQ process allocation, this scheme can configure one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers to manage a total of M HARQ processes. Each HARQ entity among the L carriers associated with one or more HARQ entities manages a number of HARQ processes greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. This allows for a wider variety of HARQ process values ​​corresponding to each carrier, thereby increasing the flexibility of HARQ process allocation and better adapting to actual transmission needs. The embodiments of this application are described in detail below.

[0083] The execution entities involved in the embodiments of this application can be a first communication device and a second communication device, which can be any two devices in FIG1 capable of communication. The specific names of the first and second communication devices are not limited in the embodiments of this application. As an example, the first communication device can be a terminal or a component of a terminal, and the second communication device can be a network device or a component of a network device. As another example, the first communication device can be a network device or a component of a network device, and the second communication device can be a terminal or a component of a terminal. As yet another example, the first and second communication devices can be different terminals or network devices. Specific forms of the first and second communication devices will not be listed here.

[0084] Referring to Figure 2, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0085] 201. The second communication device sends first information, which is used to indicate one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled in the first time unit. The one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are associated with one or more transmission units. The one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is M. The number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. N, L and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

[0086] Accordingly, the first communication device receives the first information.

[0087] In one possible implementation, the first information may be carried in downlink control information (DCI), sidelink control information (SCI), media access control-control element (MAC CE), radio resource control (RRC) messages, or other messages, without limitation. When the first communication device and the second communication device perform uplink and / or downlink communication, the first information is carried in DCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages. In this case, the first communication device is a terminal or a component of a terminal, and the second communication device is a network device or a component of a network device. When the first communication device and the second communication device perform sidelink communication, the first information is carried in SCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages. In this case, the first communication device is a terminal or a component of a terminal, and the second communication device is a terminal or a component of a terminal. DCI can be interpreted in several ways:

[0088] 1. DCI can be downlink (DL) DCI.

[0089] DL DCI is used to schedule downlink data transmission or downlink channels, such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). In this case, the DCI format can be DCI format 1_1 or other formats, such as any one of DCI format 1_0, DCI format 1_2, and DCI format 1_3. In one possible implementation, when the DCI is DL DCI, all N carriers scheduled within the first time unit are in the downlink direction. That is, all N carriers are used for downlink transmission. The downlink transmission unit can be carried in the PDSCH.

[0090] 2. DCI can be uplink (UL) DCI.

[0091] UL DCI is used to schedule uplink data transmission or uplink channels, such as the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). In this case, the DCI format is DCI format 0_1 ​​or other formats, such as any one of DCI format 0_0, DCI format 0_2, and DCI format 0_3. In one possible implementation, when the DCI is UL DCI, all N carriers scheduled within the first time unit are in the uplink direction. That is, all N carriers are used for uplink transmission. The uplink transmission unit can be carried within the PUSCH.

[0092] In one possible implementation, in this application, the above-mentioned PUSCH is an example of an uplink data channel, and the above-mentioned PDSCH is an example of a downlink data channel. In different systems and different scenarios, the data channel may have different names, and this application does not limit them.

[0093] In one possible implementation, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled within the first time unit can be indicated by the second communication device directly or indirectly. For example, the first information may include the process number of one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. For instance, the first information is carried in the DCI, and the process number of the HARQ process is indicated by the HARQ process ID field in the DCI. In this case, the number of bits in the HARQ process ID field can be N log₂M. For example, if N = 6 and M = 32, the number of bits in the HARQ process ID field is 6 * log₂32 = 30 bits.

[0094] In this context, each of the N carriers can be associated with one or more HARQ processes, which can be linked to one or more transmission units. For example, each HARQ process associated with each of the N carriers can be linked to one or more transmission units. For instance, if N is 1, assuming carrier #0 corresponds to HARQ process #0 and HARQ process #1, then HARQ process #0 associated with carrier #0 is linked to one or more transmission units, and HARQ process #1 associated with carrier #0 is linked to one or more transmission units.

[0095] In one possible implementation, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. The N carriers belong to the L carriers. The association of the L carriers with one or more HARQ entities can mean: each of the L carriers is associated with one HARQ entity. For example, in Figure 3-1, carrier #0 is associated with one HARQ entity, and carrier #1 is associated with one HARQ entity. Alternatively, each of the L carriers is associated with multiple HARQ entities. For example, in Figure 3-2, carrier #0 is associated with two HARQ entities, and carrier #1 is associated with three HARQ entities. Or, the L carriers share a single HARQ entity. For example, in Figure 3-3, carrier #0 and carrier #1 are both associated with the same HARQ entity.

[0096] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with a HARQ entity, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier out of the N carriers are managed by a HARQ entity associated with the nth carrier, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N.

[0097] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with multiple HARQ entities, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier out of the N carriers are managed by one or more of the multiple HARQ entities associated with the nth carrier. For instance, suppose the nth carrier is associated with two HARQ entities, such as HARQ entity #0 and HARQ entity #1. The one or more HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier can all be managed by HARQ entity #0. Alternatively, the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier can all be managed by HARQ entity #1. Or, some of the multiple HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier can be managed by HARQ entity #0, and another portion of the multiple HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier can be managed by HARQ entity #1.

[0098] For example, when L carriers share a single HARQ entity, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to the nth carrier out of N carriers are managed by the single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the total number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers can be M. M can be predefined, or it can be related to the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. For example, M is the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. Alternatively, M can be less than the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device; this application does not limit this.

[0100] When M is related to the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device, the first communication device can proactively report the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. For example, the first communication device can proactively send second information, which indicates the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. For example, the second information may include the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device or the index value corresponding to the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device, etc., without limitation. Alternatively, the first communication device can report the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device based on the instruction of the second communication device. For example, if the second communication device instructs the first communication device to report the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the first communication device, the first communication device can send the second information.

[0101] In one possible implementation, the second information may be carried in uplink control information (UCI), SCI, RRC messages, or other messages, without limitation. When the first and second communication devices perform uplink and / or downlink communication, the second information is carried in the UCI, RRC messages, or other messages. In this case, the second information may be capability information. When the first and second communication devices perform sidelink communication, the second information is carried in the SCI, RRC messages, or other messages.

[0102] In one possible implementation, one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers can manage one or more HARQ processes. The number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers can be predefined, or indicated to the first communication device by the second communication device directly or indirectly. For example, the first communication device can receive third information indicating the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0103] The number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers can refer to: the number of HARQ processes managed by one HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers, or the number of HARQ processes managed by each of the multiple HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers, or the number of HARQ processes managed by one HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

[0104] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with a HARQ entity, the third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers. For instance, the third information may include the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers, or the index value corresponding to the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers.

[0105] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with multiple HARQ entities, the third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the multiple HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. For instance, the third information may include the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the multiple HARQ entities associated with the L carriers, or an index value corresponding to the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the multiple HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

[0106] For example, when L carriers share a single HARQ entity, the third information can be used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by the single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the third information may be carried in DCI, SCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages, without limitation. When the first and second communication devices perform uplink and / or downlink communication, the third information is carried in DCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages. When the first and second communication devices perform sidelink communication, the third information is carried in SCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M.

[0109] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with a HARQ entity, the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than M. For instance, with M = 32, the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with carrier #0 can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than M, and the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with carrier #1 can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than M. For example, in Figure 4-1, the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with carrier #0 can be 16, and the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with carrier #1 can be 16. Alternatively, in Figure 4-2, the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with carrier #0 can be 8, and the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with carrier #1 can be 24. Alternatively, in Figure 4-3, the number of HARQ processes managed by a HARQ entity associated with carrier #0 can be 20, and the number of HARQ processes managed by a HARQ entity associated with carrier #1 can be 12.

[0110] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with multiple HARQ entities, the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than M. For instance, taking M as 32, the number of HARQ processes managed by each of the 4 HARQ entities associated with carrier #0 can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than M, and the number of HARQ processes managed by each of the 2 HARQ entities associated with carrier #1 can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than M. For example, in Figure 5, the number of HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #0 associated with carrier #0 can be 6, the number of HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #1 associated with carrier #0 can be 2, the number of HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #2 associated with carrier #0 can be 4, and the number of HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #3 associated with carrier #0 can be 4. The number of HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #0 associated with carrier #1 can be 6, and the number of HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #1 associated with carrier #1 can be 10.

[0111] For example, when L carriers share a single HARQ entity, the number of HARQ processes managed by that single entity can be equal to M. For instance, with M equal to 32, in Figure 6, the number of HARQ processes managed by the single HARQ entity shared by carrier #0 and carrier #1 can be equal to 32.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is related to at least one of the following:

[0113] 1. The bandwidth of the frequency domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. For example, the larger the bandwidth of the frequency domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by those entities. Conversely, the smaller the bandwidth of the frequency domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the smaller the number of HARQ processes managed by those entities.

[0114] 2. The number of spatial streams corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. For example, the larger the number of spatial streams corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. Conversely, the smaller the number of spatial streams corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the smaller the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0115] 3. The number of transmissions of the transmission units on the time-domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. For example, the greater the number of transmissions of the transmission units on the time-domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the greater the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers. Conversely, the smaller the number of transmissions of the transmission units on the time-domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the smaller the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the first communication device may also update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. For example, the first communication device may receive sixth information for updating the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

[0117] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with a HARQ entity, the sixth information is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers. For instance, the sixth information may include the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers, or the index value corresponding to the number of HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity associated with each of the L carriers.

[0118] For example, when each of the L carriers is associated with multiple HARQ entities, the sixth information is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the multiple HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers. For instance, the sixth information may include the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the multiple HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers, or the index value corresponding to the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the multiple HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers.

[0119] For example, when L carriers share a single HARQ entity, the sixth information can be used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by the single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the sixth information may be carried in DCI, SCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages, without limitation. When the first and second communication devices perform uplink and / or downlink communication, the sixth information is carried in DCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages. When the first and second communication devices perform sidelink communication, the sixth information is carried in SCI, MAC CE, RRC messages, or other messages.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the first communication device can transmit or receive multiple transmission units in parallel within the same time unit. The number of HARQ processes used to transmit or receive multiple transmission units in parallel within one time unit can be called the concurrent HARQ process number. For example, in Figure 4-4-1, Figure 5, or Figure 6, the maximum concurrent HARQ process number supported by carrier #0 is 4, that is, the number of transmission units transmitted or received in parallel within the same time unit on carrier #0 is 4, such as transmission units #0 to #3. The maximum concurrent HARQ process number supported by carrier #1 is 2, that is, the number of transmission units transmitted or received in parallel within the same time unit on carrier #1 is 2, such as transmission units #0 to #1. Figure 4-4-2 or Figure 4-3 are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0122] In one possible implementation, when each of the L carriers is associated with a HARQ entity, for each transmission unit on each of the L carriers, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the L carriers, thereby using the selected HARQ process to send or receive the transmission unit. For example, in Figure 4-1, for any one of the transmission units #0 to #3 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from 16 HARQ processes managed by a HARQ entity associated with carrier #0. For transmission unit #0 or transmission unit #2 on carrier #1, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from 16 HARQ processes managed by a HARQ entity associated with carrier #1. Figures 4-2 and 4-3 are similar and will not be described in detail here. In this case, for different transmission units that are sent or received simultaneously, the second communication device can select different HARQ processes. For example, in Figure 4-1, for transmission unit #0 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select HARQ process #0. For transmission unit #1 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select HARQ process #1. For transmission unit #2 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select HARQ process #2. For transmission unit #3 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select HARQ process #3.

[0123] In one possible implementation, when each of the L carriers is associated with multiple HARQ entities, each transmission unit on each of the L carriers can correspond to one HARQ entity. For each transmission unit on each of the L carriers, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from one or more HARQ processes managed by the HARQ entity corresponding to the transmission unit, thereby using the selected HARQ process to send or receive the transmission unit. For example, in Figure 5, for transmission unit #0 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from the 6 HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #0 associated with carrier #0. For transmission unit #1 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from the 2 HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #1 associated with carrier #0. For transmission unit #2 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from the 4 HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #2 associated with carrier #0. For transmission unit #3 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select one HARQ process from the four HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #3 associated with carrier #0. For transmission unit #0 on carrier #1, the second communication device can select one HARQ process from the six HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #0 associated with carrier #1. For transmission unit #1 on carrier #1, the second communication device can select one HARQ process from the ten HARQ processes managed by HARQ entity #1 associated with carrier #1. In this case, in one possible implementation, the multiple transmission units on each of the L carriers can correspond one-to-one with the multiple HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers according to the frequency of the frequency domain resources occupied by the transmission units, either from high to low or from low to high. This application does not limit this.

[0124] In one possible implementation, when L carriers share a single HARQ entity, for each transmission unit on each of the L carriers, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from one or more HARQ processes managed by the shared HARQ entity, thereby using the selected HARQ process to transmit or receive the transmission unit. For example, in Figure 6, for any one of transmission units #0 to #3 on carrier #0, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from 32 HARQ processes managed by the shared HARQ entity. For any one of transmission units #0 to #1 on carrier #1, the second communication device can select a HARQ process from 32 HARQ processes managed by the shared HARQ entity. In this case, for different transmission units that are transmitted or received simultaneously, the second communication device can select different HARQ processes.

[0125] In one possible implementation, to reduce transmission unit failures, the second communication device may indicate to the first communication device the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers, or the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers may be predefined. For example, the first communication device may receive fourth information indicating the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers. For instance, the fourth information may include the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers or an index value indicating the corresponding maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

[0126] In one possible implementation, the third and fourth information described above may be carried in the same message or different messages, without limitation. The message here may be a DCI, SCI, MAC CE, RRC message, or other message. When the first and second communication devices are performing uplink and / or downlink communication, the message here is a DCI, MAC CE, RRC message, or other message. When the first and second communication devices are performing sidelink communication, the message here is an SCI, MAC CE, RRC message, or other message.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers is related to the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. For example, the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers is less than or equal to the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device.

[0128] In one possible implementation, when the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers is related to the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device, the first communication device can proactively report the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. For example, the first communication device can proactively send fifth information, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device. For example, the fifth information may include the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device or an index value corresponding to the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device, etc., without limitation. Alternatively, the first communication device can report the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device based on an instruction from the second communication device. For example, if the second communication device instructs the first communication device to report the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the first communication device, the first communication device can send the fifth information.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the second and fifth pieces of information described above may be carried in the same message or in different messages, without limitation. The message here may be a UCI, SCI, MAC CE, RRC message, or other message. When the first and second communication devices are performing uplink and / or downlink communication, the message here is a UCI, MAC CE, RRC message, or other message. When the first and second communication devices are performing sidelink communication, the message here is an SCI, MAC CE, RRC message, or other message.

[0130] 202. The first communication device sends or receives one or more transmission units according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers.

[0131] Accordingly, the second communication device sends or receives one or more transmission units according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. For example, the first communication device sends one or more transmission units according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers, and the second communication device receives one or more transmission units according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. Alternatively, the second communication device sends one or more transmission units according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers, and the first communication device receives one or more transmission units according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to achieve the aforementioned functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0133] This application embodiment can divide the first communication device or the second communication device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0134] Referring to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device 700 can be applied to the method shown in the embodiment of Figure 2 above. As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 700 includes a processing module 701 and a transceiver module 702. The processing module 701 may be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 702 may be a transceiver or a communication interface. The communication device can be used to implement the first or second communication device involved in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the functions of network elements involved in any of the above method embodiments. The network element or network function may be a network element in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualization function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). In one possible implementation, the communication device 700 may further include a storage module 703 for storing the program code and data of the communication device 700. It should be understood that regardless of whether these functional modules are subdivided or combined, the general flow performed by the communication device 700 in implementing any of the above method embodiments is the same. For example, the transceiver module 702 in the aforementioned communication device 700 may include a receiving module and / or a transmitting module. Of course, the transceiver module may also be called a communication module. In one implementation, each module may have its own program code (or program instructions). When the program code corresponding to each module is run on the processor, it causes the unit to execute the corresponding process to achieve the corresponding function.

[0135] In one example, the communication device functions as a first communication device or as a component applied within a first communication device, and performs the steps performed by the first communication device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 702 is used to specifically perform the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG2, for example, supporting the first communication device in performing other processes of the technology described herein. The processing module 701 can be used to support the communication device 700 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the first communication device in performing other processes of the technology described herein.

[0136] For example, the transceiver module 702 is configured to: receive first information, which indicates one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled within a first time unit, wherein the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are associated with one or more transmission units; and send or receive one or more transmission units according to the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. Wherein, the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is M, the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M, N, L, and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is also configured to send a second message indicating the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0138] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to receive third information, which indicates the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to receive fourth information, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is also used to send a fifth message, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to receive sixth information, which is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0142] In one example, the communication device functions as a second communication device or as a component applied within a second communication device, and performs the steps performed by the second communication device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 702 is used to specifically perform the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG2, for example, supporting the second communication device in performing other processes of the technology described herein. The processing module 701 can be used to support the communication device 700 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the second communication device in performing other processes of the technology described herein.

[0143] For example, the transceiver module 702 is configured to: transmit first information, which indicates one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled within a first time unit, wherein the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are associated with one or more transmission units; and transmit or receive one or more transmission units according to the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers. Wherein, the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers, the total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is M, the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M, N, L, and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to receive second information, which indicates the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to transmit third information, which indicates the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0146] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to transmit fourth information, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

[0147] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to receive fifth information, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to send a sixth message, which is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with L carriers.

[0149] In one possible implementation, when the aforementioned device is a chip, such as a modem chip or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, or when the aforementioned device is a communication module, the transceiver module 702 can be a communication interface, pins, or circuits. The communication interface can be used to input data to be processed to the processor and can output the processor's processing results. Specifically, the communication interface can be a general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, which can connect to multiple peripheral devices (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), camera, radio frequency (RF) module, antenna, etc.). The communication interface is connected to the processor via a bus.

[0150] The processing module 701 can be a processing circuit, which can be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used for control and / or processing. The processing circuit or processor can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to cause the chip to execute the method involved in the embodiment shown in FIG2. Further, the processor can include a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers. For example, the controller is mainly responsible for instruction decoding and issuing control signals for the operations corresponding to the instructions. The ALU is mainly responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and can also perform address operations and conversions. The registers are mainly responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In specific implementations, the processor's hardware architecture can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS) architecture, an advanced reduced instruction set machine (RISC) machine (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, etc. The processor can be single-core or multi-core. The storage module can be an internal storage module of the chip, such as a register or cache. Alternatively, the storage module can be an external storage module, such as read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, or random access memory (RAM).

[0151] Optionally, the functions of the processor and interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software; no restrictions are imposed here.

[0152] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. It is understood that the communication device 810 includes necessary means such as modules, units, components, circuits, or interfaces, appropriately configured together to execute this solution. The communication device 810 can be the first or second communication device described above, or a component (e.g., a chip) in these devices, used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The communication device 810 includes one or more processors 811. The processor 811 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0153] In one possible implementation, in one design, processor 811 may include program 813 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on processor 811 to cause communication device 810 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. In another possible design, communication device 810 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG8) for implementing the functions of the first communication device, second communication device, etc., in the above embodiments. In one possible implementation, communication device 810 may include one or more memories 812 storing program 814 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on memory 812 to cause communication device 810 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0154] In one possible implementation, data may also be stored in the processor 811 and / or the memory 812. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0155] In one possible implementation, if the communication device 810 is a first communication device or a second communication device, it may further include a transceiver 815 and / or an antenna 816. The processor 811, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device. The transceiver 815, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 816. In one possible implementation, the transceiver 815 may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiving unit, receiver, or receiving circuit. The transmitter may be referred to as a transmitting unit, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0156] In one possible implementation, if the communication device 810 is a chip used in a first or second communication device, the transceiver 815 may be a transceiver circuit, such as an input / output interface or a transceiver interface.

[0157] This application also provides a communication device, which includes at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG2.

[0158] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG2.

[0159] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run, it causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG2.

[0160] This application also provides a chip, which includes at least one processor and an interface. The processor is used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory. When the instructions are executed, the chip causes the chip to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG2.

[0161] Optionally, the processing performed by a single execution entity (terminal or network device) shown in any of the above embodiments can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, and RU.

[0162] Furthermore, the various embodiments of this application are merely illustrative examples of executing all the steps included, and should not be considered as specific limitations on this application. For example, the order of steps in various embodiments can be simply changed according to their function and internal logic; or, for example, all steps in various embodiments can be executed, or only a portion of them can be executed, as long as the same function as in the embodiments of this application can be achieved.

[0163] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to a network device" can be understood as the destination of the information being the network device, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from a network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which can include direct reception from the network device via the air interface or indirect reception from the network device via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0164] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminals; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0165] In the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," "if," and "in the case of" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0166] In this application, the words “example,” “exemplarily,” “for example,” or “such as” are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as “example,” “exemplarily,” “for example,” or “such as” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words “example,” “exemplarily,” “for example,” or “such as” is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0167] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled within the first time unit, wherein the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are associated with one or more transmission units; The one or more transmission units are sent or received according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers; In this context, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is M. The number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. N, L, and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Send a second message, which indicates the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information, which is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers, including: The third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in one or more HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers; or, The third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information, which is used to indicate the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further includes: Send a fifth message, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive sixth information, which is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

8. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Send first information, which is used to indicate one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers scheduled in the first time unit, wherein the one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are associated with one or more transmission units. The one or more transmission units are sent or received according to one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers; In this context, one or more HARQ processes corresponding to each of the N carriers are managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. The total number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is M. The number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity among the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. N, L, and M are all positive integers, and L is greater than or equal to N.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The method further includes: Receive second information, which indicates the maximum number of HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third message is sent, which indicates the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers, including: The third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by each HARQ entity in one or more HARQ entities associated with each of the L carriers; or, The third information is used to indicate the number of HARQ processes managed by a single HARQ entity shared by the L carriers.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fourth message, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by each of the L carriers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The method further includes: Receive fifth information, which indicates the maximum number of concurrent HARQ processes supported by the terminal.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: A sixth message is sent, which is used to update the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

15. The method according to any one of claims 8-14, characterized in that, The larger the bandwidth of the frequency domain resources corresponding to the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by the one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. or, The larger the number of spatial streams corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers, the larger the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers. or, The greater the number of transmissions of the transmission unit on the time-domain resources corresponding to one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers, the greater the number of HARQ processes managed by one or more HARQ entities associated with the L carriers.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 8-15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1-7, or the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 8-15.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The communication device further includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8-15.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8-15.

21. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute computer instructions or programs that, when the computer instructions or programs are executed, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8-15.

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