Optionally, the first random access resource includes a random access occasion (RO), and the first random access parameter further includes third indication information configured to indicate whether the RO supports the 2-step random access.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes two sets of sub-parameters, and the two sets of sub-parameters correspond to different capabilities and/types of the first terminal.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes a first uplink initial access bandwidth, the second random access parameter includes a second uplink initial access bandwidth, and the first uplink initial access bandwidth does not overlap the second uplink initial access bandwidth in a frequency domain.

Optionally, sending the configuration information includes sending the configuration information through a first message, in which the first message is a system message or a radio resource configuration message.

Optionally, the configuration information is sent through a first message, the first uplink initial access bandwidth overlaps the second uplink initial access bandwidth in the frequency domain, and the first uplink initial access bandwidth and the second uplink initial access bandwidth are indicated by a same filed in the first message.

It should be noted that the above steps in blocks 201-202 may be combined arbitrarily with the above optional steps.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method for random access according to an embodiment of the disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the method includes the followings.

In block 301, a terminal receives configuration information. The configuration information includes a first random access parameter of a first terminal and a second random access parameter of a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal have different capabilities and/or types, and the first random access parameter is at least partially different from the second random access parameter.

In block 302, the terminal determines a target random access parameter a capability and/or type of the terminal, the first random access parameter, and the second random access parameter.

Optionally, the capabilities and/or types of the first terminal and the second terminal are determined based on a maximum transmission bandwidth supported by each of the first terminal and the second terminal, and the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the first terminal is smaller than the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the second terminal.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes a first uplink initial access bandwidth, the second random access parameter includes a second uplink initial access bandwidth, and the first uplink initial access bandwidth at least partially overlaps the second uplink initial access bandwidth in a frequency domain.

Optionally, the first random access parameter further includes at least one of the followings: first indication information, configured to indicate whether the first terminal supports a 2-step random access; and a first random access resource.

Optionally, the first indication information indicates that the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first random access resource includes a resource for the 2-step random access and a resource for a 4-step random access; or the first indication information indicates that the first terminal does not support the 2-step random access, the first random access resource includes a resource for a 4-step random access.

Optionally, the first indication information indicates that the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first random access parameter further includes second indication information configured to indicate a modulation and demodulation scheme for transmitting a message B.

Optionally, the second random access parameter further includes a second random access resource, and the second random access resource is different from the first random access resource.

Optionally, the first random access resource includes a random access occasion (RO) and/or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource for transmitting a message A.

Optionally, the second random access parameter further includes a second random access resource, the second random access resource includes a random access occasion (RO) and/or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource for transmitting the message A. The RO included in the first random access resource is different from the RO included in the second random access resource, and/or the PUSCH resource included in the first random access resource is different from the PUSCH resource included in the second random access resource.

Optionally, the random access resource includes a random access occasion (RO), and the first random access parameter further includes third indication information configured to indicate whether the RO supports the 2-step random access.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes two sets of sub-parameters, and the two sets of sub-parameters correspond to different capabilities and/types of the first terminal.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes a first uplink initial access bandwidth, the second random access parameter includes a second uplink initial access bandwidth, and the first uplink initial access bandwidth does not overlap the second uplink initial access bandwidth in a frequency domain.

Optionally, receiving the configuration information includes receiving the configuration information sent through a first message, in which the first message is a system message or a radio resource configuration message.

Optionally, the terminal receives the configuration information sent through a first message, the first uplink initial access bandwidth overlaps the second uplink initial access bandwidth in the frequency domain, and the first uplink initial access bandwidth and the second uplink initial access bandwidth are indicated by a same filed in the first message.

Optionally, the terminal is the first terminal, the first indication information indicates that the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, and the method further includes determining a random access mode; using a resource for the 2-step random access to send a message A, in response to determining that the random access mode is the 2-step random access; or using a resource for the 4-step random access to send a message 1, in response to determining that the random access mode is the 4-step random access.

Optionally, determining the random access mode includes determining a path loss value between the terminal and an access network device; and determining the random access mode based on a magnitude relation between the path loss value and a path loss threshold, in which the first terminal and the second terminal correspond to different path loss thresholds.

It should be noted that the above steps in blocks 301-302 may be combined arbitrarily with the above optional steps.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method for random access according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The method may be collectively performed by an access network device and a terminal. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the method includes the followings.

In block 401, the access network device generates configuration information.

The configuration information includes a first random access parameter of a first terminal and a second random access parameter of a second terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal have different capabilities and/or types.

In some embodiments of the disclosure, the capabilities and/types of the first terminal and the second terminal are determined based on a maximum transmission bandwidth supported by each of the first terminal and the second terminal, and the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the first terminal is smaller than the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the second terminal.

For example, the first terminal is a reduced capability device, while the second terminal is an eMBB device. For a certain frequency band, the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the first terminal is 20 M, and the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the second terminal is 100 M.

The first random access parameter is partially different form the second random access parameter.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes a first uplink initial access bandwidth, the second random access parameter includes a second uplink initial access bandwidth.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the disclosure, the initial access bandwidth may also be referred to as initial bandwidth part (initial BWP). The uplink refers to a transmission link from the terminal to the access network device. The downlink refers to a transmission link from the access network device to the terminal. For a random access procedure of the initial access, the uplink initial access bandwidth is used to send Msg1 or MsgA, so as to initiate the random access.

In a possible implementation, the first uplink initial access bandwidth at least partially overlaps the second uplink initial access bandwidth in a frequency domain. The first uplink initial access bandwidth and the second uplink initial access bandwidth may completely overlap each other in the frequency domain and occupy the same frequency domain resource. In other words, the first uplink initial access bandwidth and the second uplink initial access bandwidth may share an initial access bandwidth. The first uplink initial access bandwidth and the second uplink initial access bandwidth may partially overlap each other in the frequency domain. For example, the frequency domain resource of the first uplink initial access bandwidth may be a subset of the frequency domain resource of the second uplink initial access bandwidth. In another example, a part of the frequency domain resource of the first uplink initial access bandwidth may overlap a part of the frequency domain resource of the second uplink initial access bandwidth.

In another possible implementation, the first uplink initial access bandwidth does not overlap the second uplink initial access bandwidth in a frequency domain. In other words, the first terminal and the second terminal use different initial access bandwidths. By distinguishing the initial access bandwidths of terminals with different capabilities and/or terminals of different types, the random access resources of the terminals with different capabilities and/or terminals of different types may be distinguished in the frequency domain, such that a collision probability when the terminals with different capabilities and/or terminals of different types perform the random access is decreased, and a random access latency of the terminal is reduced. Meanwhile, an effect on the second terminal by the first terminal can be reduced, thus ensuring an access performance of the second terminal.

For example, in a case that the first terminal and the second terminal use respective initial access bandwidths, a field parallel to the existing filed “BWP-UplinkCommon (initialUplinkBWP)” is added to configure the first random access parameter corresponding to the first terminal.

Optionally, the first random access parameter further includes at least one of the followings, first indication information, configured to indicate whether the first terminal supports a 2-step random access; and a first random access resource. In the related art, the access network device may inform to all terminals in the network whether the access network device supports the 2-step random access through indication information. For example, when the access network device configures the indication information, it indicates the access network device supports the 2-step random access. If the access network device configures the indication information, it indicates that the indication information does not exist. If the access network device supports the 2-step random access, the terminal has the capability of supporting the 2-step random access may support the 2-step random access or the 4-step random access based on actual requirements. In the embodiment of the disclosure, through first indication information, the access network device may configure whether the first terminal in the network supports the 2-step random access, i.e., separate indication can be made for the terminal with a certain capability and/or the terminal of a certain type in the network, such that the random access procedure of the first terminal can be controlled without affecting the second terminal.

Optionally, the first indication information indicates that the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first random access resource includes a resource for the 2-step random access and a resource for a 4-step random access; or the first indication information indicates that the first terminal does not support the 2-step random access, the first random access resource includes a resource for a 4-step random access.

Optionally, if the first indication information indicates that the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first random access parameter further includes second indication information configured to indicate a modulation and demodulation scheme for transmitting a message B, to ensure a normal implementation of the 2-step random access.

Optionally, the second random access parameter may further include first indication information configured to indicate whether the second terminal supports the 2-step random access, and a second random access resource.

Optionally, the second random access resource is different from the first random access resource.

Optionally, the first random access resource includes a random access occasion (RO) and/or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource for transmitting a message A. For example, the RO may be indicated by an index of the PRACH resource. The PUSCH resource may be indicated by a time-frequency position. The RO included in the first random access resource is different from the RO included in the second random access resource, and/or the PUSCH resource included in the first random access resource is different from the PUSCH resource included in the second random access resource. That is, the first random access resource is different from the second random access resource. By distinguishing the random access resources of the terminals with different capabilities and/or terminals of different types in the frequency domain and/or time domain, a collision probability when different terminals perform the random access is decreased, and a random access latency of the terminal is reduced. Meanwhile, an effect on the second terminal by the first terminal can be reduced, thus ensuring an access performance of the second terminal.

Optionally, the first random access parameter may further include third indication information configured to indicate whether the RO supports the 2-step random access. For the RO available to the first terminal, it is configured whether the 2-step random access is supported, thus the implementation is more flexible.

Optionally, the first random access parameter includes two sets of sub-parameters, and the two sets of sub-parameters correspond to different capabilities and/types of the first terminal.

For example, the first terminals may be classified into two kinds based on the maximum transmission bandwidths supported by the first terminals. For example, the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the first kind of first terminal is 20 M, and the maximum transmission bandwidth supported by the second kind of first terminal is 10 M. One parameter can be used to express the parameter shared by the two kinds of first terminals, such as the first uplink initial access bandwidth. The parameters different for the two kinds of first terminals may be indicated respectively, for example, the two kinds of first terminals respectively correspond to first indication information, the first indication information corresponding to the first kind of first terminal indicates that the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first indication information corresponding to the second kind of first terminal indicates that the first terminal does not support the 2-step random access. By classifying the first terminals, the network resources may be configured pointedly, thus facilitating improving usage of the network resources and refining control on the first terminals.

In block 402, the access network device sends the configuration information.

For example, the access network device may send the configuration information through a first message. The first message may be a system message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

The same parameter in the first random access parameter and the second random access parameter may be indicated by the same field in the first message, so as to save amount of data to be transmitted. For example, if the first uplink initial access bandwidth overlaps the second uplink initial access bandwidth in the frequency domain, the first uplink initial access bandwidth and the second uplink initial access bandwidth are indicated by the same field in the first message.

In another possible implementation, a field may be added to an existing message, to indicate the first uplink initial access bandwidth. For example, a filed parallel to an existing filed “BWP-UplinkCommon (initialUplinkBWP)” may be added to the system information block (SIB), to carry the first random access parameter. Here, the first random access parameter at least includes the first uplink initial access bandwidth, and may further include at least one of the followings: the first indication information configured to indicate whether the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first random access resource. In this case, the added field may include at least one subfield, configured to carry the first random access parameter other than the initial access bandwidth, such as the first indication information configured to indicate whether the first terminal supports the 2-step random access, the first random access resource, and so on.

It should be noted that, the subfield in the added filed may be identical to the parameter type of the original subfield in the field, or may be partially same to the parameter type of the original subfield in the field, which is not limited herein, as long as the subfield can carry the required parameter.

Different parameters in the first random access parameter and the second random access parameter may be indicated by different fields in the first message. Take the first message being SIB as an example. If related parameters for the 2-step random access are different, a filed parallel to an existing filed “rach-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA-r16” may be added to the existing information, to carry the related parameters for the 2-step random access of the first terminal, such as the first indication information. For another example, if related parameters for the PUSCH resource of MsgA are different, a filed parallel to an existing filed “msgA-PUSCH-Config-r16” may be added to the existing information, to indicate the PUSCH resource in the first random access resource.

In block 403, the terminal receives the configuration information.

In the step of the block 403, the terminal receives the configuration information sent through a first message.

In block 404, the terminal determines a target random access parameter based on a capability and/or type of the terminal, the first random access parameter and the second random access parameter.

Optionally, the block 404 may include: if the capability and/or type of the terminal indicates that the terminal is the first terminal, the first random access parameter is determined as the target random access parameter; or if the capability and/or type of the terminal indicates that the terminal is the second terminal, the second random access parameter is determined as the target random access parameter.

Optionally, if the terminal needs to initiate an initial random access, the method may further includes blocks 405-406.

In block 405, the terminal determines a random access mode.

For example, the block 405 may include determining by the terminal a path loss value between the terminal and the access network device, and determining by the terminal the random access mode based on a magnitude relation between the path loss value and a path loss threshold.

For example, if the path loss value is greater than the path loss threshold, the 4-step random access is determined as the random access mode. Or, if the path loss value is less than the path loss threshold, the 2-step random access is determined as the random access mode.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, the first terminal and the second terminal correspond to different path loss thresholds.

In block 406, the terminal sends MsgA or Msg1 to the access network device based on the determined random access mode.

The block 406 may include: in responding to the determined random access mode is the 2-step random access, the terminal using the resource for the 2-step random access to send the MsgA; or in response to the determined random access mode is the 4-step random access, the terminal using the resource for the 4-step random access to send the Msg1.

It should be noted that, regarding the process after the terminal uses the resource for the 2-step random access to send the MsgA, reference can be made to related contents described with reference to FIG. 3. With regard to the process after the terminal uses the resource for the 4-step random access to send the Msg1, reference can be made to related contents described with reference to FIG. 2, which are not described here.

According to the embodiment of the disclosure, by configuring different random access parameters for the terminals with different capabilities and/or the terminals of different types, different terminals may use respective appropriate random access parameters to perform the random access, thus ensuring random access performance of the terminal.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a communication apparatus for random access according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The apparatus has a function to implement the access network device described in the above method embodiments, the function may be implemented by a hardware, or by a software executed by a hardware. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the apparatus includes a generating module 501 and a sending module 502.

The generating module 501 is configured to generate configuration information, in which the configuration information includes a first random access parameter of a first terminal and a second random access parameter of a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal have different capabilities and/or types, and the first random access parameter is at least partially different from the second random access parameter.

The sending module 502 is configured to send the configuration information.