Patent Description:
In a New Radio (NR) system such as 5th-Generation (<NUM>), uplink channels or uplink signals with various time lengths may be supported between a terminal and a base station. For example, the terminal may transmit an uplink channel or an uplink signal by using a time domain symbol in a first time slot.

In the NR system, the base station generally reserves resources for transmitting a certain uplink channel or uplink signal for the terminal, resulting in that a great number of resource fragments exist in the NR system. Moreover, in the reserved resources, it is possible that only a small amount of resources are actually used for transmitting the original uplink channel or the original uplink signal.

If these resource fragments cannot be used by other channels or signals, the resources will be wasted, resulting in a low utilization rate of the resources.

<CIT> describes a network node for scheduling of uplink, UL, resources in multiple time instances and transmitting in accordance with the scheduled UL resources. By including an indicator in an UL grant comprising an UL resource allocation, the indicator indicates that, for at least one UL time instance of the multiple time instances, at least one UL resource is excluded from, or added to, the UL resource allocation of the UL grant.

<CIT> describes a method and an apparatus for aperiodic SRS improvement. The method comprises configuring a UE (User Equipment) with aperiodic SRS. The method also comprises transmitting a PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) on a last SC-FDMA (Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access) symbol in a UE-specific aperiodic SRS subframe if a Msg3 in the subframe is transmitted on the PUSCH. Furthermore, the method comprises not transmitting a PUSCH on a last SC-FDMA symbol in a UE-specific aperiodic SRS subframe if a Msg3 in the subframe is not transmitted on the PUSCH.

Any embodiment in the description that does not fall within the scope of the claims shall be regarded as an example for understanding the present invention.

In order to understand conveniently, an exemplary architecture diagram of a communication system capable of implementing a communication method according to an example of the disclosure is described overall first. It should be understood that the examples of the disclosure are not limited to the system architecture illustrated in <FIG>. In addition, the apparatuses in <FIG> may be hardware devices, or may be software components divided from the perspective of functions, or may be a combination thereof.

The communication system illustrated in <FIG> includes a terminal <NUM> and a network device <NUM>. The terminal <NUM> and the network device <NUM> may communicate with each other.

In this example of the disclosure, the terminal <NUM> may also be called a User Equipment (UE). The UE may communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). The UE may also be called as an access terminal, a terminal device, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile platform, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a wireless communication device and a user proxy or user apparatus. The UE may be a cellular phone, a cordless telephone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device having a wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing devices, vehicle-amounted devices or wearable devices connected to a wireless modulator-demodulator, a terminal device in a future <NUM> network or the like.

In this example of the disclosure, the network device <NUM> may be a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) system or a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, or may be a NodeB in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, or may be an Evolutional Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system or a base station device, a small base station device or the like in the future <NUM> network, all of which are not defined by the disclosure.

The terminal <NUM> and the network device <NUM> may transmit an uplink signal or an uplink channel by using one or more time domain symbols in a time slot, e.g., transmit a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

Generally, the network device <NUM> reserves a resource for transmitting a certain uplink signal or uplink channel for the terminal <NUM>, e.g., reserves the resource for transmitting the PUCCH as illustrated in <FIG>. As a result, a great number of resource fragments exist in the communication system. If these resource fragments cannot be used by other channels, the resources will be wasted, resulting in a low utilization rate of the resources.

In the communication system, resource reservation for a certain uplink signal or the uplink channel may cause all resources in time domain symbols included in the resource reserved for the uplink signal or the uplink channel unavailable to other uplink signals or uplink channels, and thus resource fragments in the time domain symbols included in the reserved resource are wasted, resulting in a low utilization rate of the resources.

Therefore, the disclosure proposes a new communication method, with which the terminal can utilize resource fragments to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal adequately and reasonably according to an indication of the network device, to improve the utilization rate of the resources.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an example of the disclosure. It should be understood that, actions or operations of the communication method illustrated in <FIG> are merely examples. Other operations or variations of each operation in <FIG> may also be executed in this example of the disclosure.

At S310, a network device transmits first indication information to a terminal. The first indication information is used to indicate a first resource.

At S320, the network device receives an uplink channel or an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on a third resource within a second resource according to the first indication information. The third resource is a resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

In the communication method of this example of the disclosure, the network device transmits the first indication information indicating the first resource to the terminal, so that the terminal may transmit, according to the indication of the first indication information, the uplink channel or the uplink signal on the third resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource. Therefore, the terminal may adequately utilize the resource within the second resource while avoiding using the first resource, and thus the utilization rate of the resource is improved.

Correspondingly, <FIG> illustrates the schematic flowchart of the communication method executed by the terminal in the disclosure. It should be understood that, other operations or variations of each operation in <FIG> may also be executed in the disclosure.

At S410, a terminal receives first indication information transmitted by a network device. The first indication information is used to indicate a first resource.

At S420, the terminal transmits, according to the first indication information, an uplink channel or an uplink signal to the network device on a third resource within a second resource. The third resource is a resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

In the communication method of the disclosure, the terminal receives the first indication information transmitted by the network device and indicating the first resource, so that the terminal may transmit, according to the indication of the first indication information, the uplink channel or the uplink signal on the third resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource. Therefore, the terminal may adequately utilize the resource within the second resource while avoiding using the first resource, and thus the utilization rate of the resource is improved.

In the communication method illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first resource may be a resource reserved by the network device for the terminal or other terminals to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel to the network device.

The first resource may be a resource reserved by the network device for the terminal or other terminals to transmit an uplink control channel, an uplink sounding signal, or a random access channel to the network device. In other words, the first resource may be a resource used by the terminal or other terminals to transmit the uplink control channel, the uplink sounding signal, or the random access channel. The first resource is a resource used by the terminal or other terminals to transmit the PUCCH. , the first resource may be a resource used by the terminal or other terminals to transmit the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), or Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

A specific example of the uplink channel in action S320 and action S420 is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

The second resource may be a resource that may be used by the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal, or a resource allocated for the terminal by the network device in advance and used for transmitting the uplink channel or the uplink signal.

The first indication information may be specifically used to indicate time domain symbols included in the first resource, or the first indication information may be specifically used to indicate a time domain position of the first resource and/or a frequency domain position of the first resource.

The first indication information is used to indicate positions of the time domain symbols included in the first resource. More specifically, the first indication information may be specifically used to indicate the number of the time domain symbols included in the first resource, or positions of the time domain symbols included in the first resource and the number of the time domain symbols included in the first resource.

If the terminal and the network device determine or set the positions of the time domain symbols included in the first resource in advance, e.g., the time domain symbols included in the first resource are last one or more time domain symbols in a time slot, to which the first resource belongs, the first indication information may only indicate the number of the time domain symbols included in the first resource. In this way, the terminal may also determine the positions of the time domain symbols included in the first resource according to the indication of the first indication information.

If the first indication information is used to indicate N time domain symbols included in the first resource, N is a nonnegative integer, generally, the network device may transmit the first indication information to the terminal in the following manner: the network device transmits downlink control information to the terminal, where the downlink control information carries the first indication information.

Correspondingly, the terminal may receive the first indication information transmitted by the network device in the following manner: the terminal receives the downlink control information transmitted by the network device, where the downlink control information carries the first indication information.

The downlink control information may specifically be Downlink Control Information (DCI).

Alternatively, the downlink control information may further carry second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal.

In other words, the network device may transmit the downlink control information to the terminal, where the downlink control information carries the second indication information, and the second indication information is used for scheduling the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal. Meanwhile, the downlink control information further carries the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate N time domain symbols included in the first resource. In this way, when the terminal receives the downlink control information, and transmits the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the scheduling of the second indication information, the terminal may also determine, according to the indication of the first indication information, a resource that should be used for transmitting the uplink signal or the uplink channel, i.e., the third resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

If N is equal to <NUM>, it indicates that the terminal may use all resources within the second resource, i.e., the third resource may be the second resource.

Hereinafter, with the PUCCH and the PUSCH as an example, a schematic diagram of resource utilization in the communication method according to this example of the disclosure is described in combination with <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, if the first resource reserved by the network device for the PUCCH is really used by a corresponding terminal to transmit the PUCCH, the network device may transmit the first indication information to this terminal and/or other terminal to indicate N time domain symbols included in the first resource. In this way, after these terminals receive the first indication information, the third resource may be used to transmit the PUSCH, where the third resource includes time domain symbols other than the N time domain symbols.

As illustrated in <FIG>, if the resource reserved by the network device for the PUCCH is not really used by the corresponding terminal to transmit the PUCCH, although the resource reserved for the PUCCH includes N time domain symbols, the network device may also transmit the first indication information to this terminal and/or other terminals to indicate that the first resource includes no time domain symbol. In this way, after these terminals receive the first indication information, the third resource may be used to transmit the PUSCH, where the third resource may include the N time domain symbols included in the resource reserved for the PUCCH.

As can be seen directly from <FIG>, in the communication method of this example of the disclosure, the network device may transmit the indication information used to indicate the first resource, so that the terminal may utilize the resource reserved by the network device flexibly, reasonably and adequately, to transmit the uplink resource or the uplink channel, thus improving the utilization rate of the resource.

If the first indication information is specifically used to indicate the time domain position and/or the frequency domain position of the first resource, generally, the network device may transmit the first indication information to the terminal in the following manner: the network device transmits high-level signaling to the terminal, where the high-level signaling carries the first indication information.

At this moment, in the action S420, the uplink channel or the uplink signal transmitted by the terminal may be an uplink channel or an uplink signal scheduled by the network device via the downlink control information such as a PUSCH, or may be a semi-static uplink channel or an uplink signal such as a semi-static PUSCH, or may be an uplink channel or an uplink signal not scheduled.

Alternatively, if the first indication information is used to indicate the N time domain symbols included in the first resource, in the action S420 of the communication method illustrated in <FIG>, the action that the terminal transmits, according to the first indication information, the uplink channel or the uplink signal to the network device on the third resource within the second resource, the third resource being a resource non-overlapped with the first resource within the second resource may include that, the terminal transmits, according to the first indication information, the uplink channel or the uplink signal to the network device on the third resource within the second resource, where M time domain symbols included in the third resource exclude the N time domain symbols, M is a positive integer.

Correspondingly, in the action S320 of the communication method illustrated in <FIG>, the action that the network device receives an uplink channel or an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on a third resource within a second resource according to the first indication information may include that, the network device receives the uplink channel or the uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on the third resource within the second resource according to the first indication information, where M time domain symbols included in the third resource exclude the N time domain symbols, M is a positive integer.

In other words, the network device may indicate the N time domain symbols included in the first resource of the terminal via the first indication information. In this way, the terminal may use, according to the indication of the first indication information, the third resource except for the N time domain symbols, to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel. Therefore, the method may avoid the terminal from using the first resource to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel, and thus avoid affecting other transmissions of the uplink signal or the uplink channel using the first resource.

Alternatively, if the first indication information is used to indicate the time domain position and/or the frequency domain position of the first resource, in the action S420 of the communication method illustrated in <FIG>, the action that the terminal transmits, according to the first indication information, an uplink channel or an uplink signal to the network device on a third resource within a second resource, the third resource being a resource non-overlapped with the first resource within the second resource may include that, the terminal determines a first number of resource units in the second resource; the terminal performs rate matching for the uplink channel or the uplink signal according to the first number, to obtain an output sequence having a length of a first bit number, the first bit number being determined by the terminal according to the first number; the terminal modulates the output sequence, to obtain a first number of modulated symbols; and the terminal maps the first number of modulated symbols to the resource units in the second resource, where the terminal drops modulated symbols mapped to first resource units in the first number of modulated symbols, and the first resource units are resource units in the second resource overlapped with those in the first resource.

Correspondingly, in the action S320 of the communication method illustrated in <FIG>, the action that the network device receives an uplink channel or an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on a third resource within a second resource according to the first indication information may include that, the network device acquires modulated symbols corresponding to the uplink channel or the uplink signal in resource units included in the second resource, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the resource units included in the second resource, the network device drops modulated symbols acquired on first resource units, and the first resource units are resource units in the second resource overlapped with those in the first resource.

The first number of the resource units in the second resource is the number of the resource units in the second resource.

Specifically, the terminal may firstly determine the number of resource units which are included in the second resource and used for transmitting the uplink signal or the uplink channel. Then, the terminal performs the rate matching for the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the number of the resource units included in the second resource, to obtain the output sequence. The bit number of the output sequence is relevant to the number of the resource units included in the second resource, or the bit number of the output sequence is determined by the terminal according to the number of the resource units included in the second resource. The terminal modulates the output sequence to obtain a certain number of modulated symbols, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the resource units included in the second resource.

In other words, if the number of the resource units included in the second resource is the first number and the bit number of the output sequence is a first bit number, the first bit number is determined by the terminal according to the first number and the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the first number.

Then, the terminal maps the first number of modulated symbols to the resource units included in the second resource. The specific mapping process is as follows: the terminal maps any one of the first number of modulated symbols to a resource unit in the second resource. If the resource unit, to which the modulated symbol is to be mapped, is a resource unit in a resource within the second resource overlapped with the first resource, the terminal drops the modulated symbol, i.e., the modulated symbol is not mapped to the resource unit. When a resource unit, to which the modulated symbol is to be mapped, is a resource the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource, the modulated symbol is mapped to this corresponding resource unit.

In this way, although the first number of modulated symbols for the uplink signal or the uplink channel are mapped to the first number of resource units in the second resource, as a matter of fact, the modulated symbols for the uplink signal or the uplink channel are not mapped to the resource units that are overlapped in the second resource and the first resource, and the modulated symbols for the uplink signal or the uplink channel are only mapped to the resource units in the second resource that are non-overlapped with the first resource. At this moment, the resource units in the second resource that are non-overlapped with the first resource form the third resource. Such a resource mapping process may also be called punching.

Assuming that the first number of resource units in the second resource is k and the number of the resource units in the second resource that are overlapped with the first resource is s, when the k modulated symbols for the uplink signal or the uplink channel are mapped to the k resource units, the modulated symbols for the uplink signal or the uplink channel are not mapped to the s resource units in the k resource units in fact.

According to the resource mapping process in the method for transmitting the uplink signal or the uplink channel with the first resource indicated by the first indication information, when the terminal transmits the uplink signal or the uplink channel, resource fragments related to the first resource may be adequately utilized, while the first resource is not taken up, thus transmission of other uplink signals or uplink channels would not be affected.

It is to be noted that, the action that the network device drops the modulated symbols acquired on the first resource units includes that, the network device drops, when acquiring modulation sequence numbers carried on resource units of the second resource to obtain corresponding uplink channels or uplink signals, the modulated symbols acquired on the first resource units. However, the modulated symbols actually carried on the first resource units may be used for acquiring other uplink signals or uplink channels.

If the first indication information is used to indicate the time domain position and/or the frequency domain position of the first resource, in the action S420 of the communication method illustrated in <FIG>, the action that the terminal transmits, according to the first indication information, an uplink channel or an uplink signal to the network device on a third resource within a second resource, the third resource being a resource non-overlapped with the first resource within the second resource may include that the following. The terminal determines a second number of first resource units in the second resource, the first resource units being resource units in the second resource non-overlapped with those in the first resource. The terminal performs rate matching for the uplink channel or the uplink signal according to the second number to obtain an output sequence having a length of a second bit number, the second bit number being determined by the terminal according to the second number. The terminal modulates the output sequence to obtain a second number of modulated symbols. The terminal maps the second number of modulated symbols to the second number of first resource units.

Correspondingly, in the action S320 of the communication method illustrated in <FIG>, the action that the network device receives an uplink channel or an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on a third resource within a second resource according to the first indication information may include that, the network device acquires modulated symbols corresponding to the uplink channel or the uplink signal on first resource units in resource units included in the second resource, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the first resource units included in the second resource, and the first resource units are resource units in the second resource non-overlapped with those in the first resource.

The second number of first resource units in the second resource is the number of the first resource units in the second resource.

Specifically, the terminal may firstly determine the number (for the convenience of subsequent description, this number is called the second number) of resource units in the second resource, which are non-overlapped with the first resource and used for transmitting the uplink signal or the uplink channel (for the convenience of subsequent description, the non-overlapped resource units are called the first resource units). Then, the terminal performs the rate matching for the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the second number, to obtain the output sequence. The bit number (for the convenience of subsequent description, this bit number is called a first bit number) of the output sequence is relevant to the second number, or the first bit number is determined by the terminal according to the second number. The terminal modulates the output sequence to obtain a certain number of modulated symbols, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the second number.

In other words, if the number of the first resource units in the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource is the second number, the first bit number is a bit number determined by the terminal according to the second number, and the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the second number.

Then, the terminal maps the second number of the modulated symbols to the second number of the first resource units included in the second resource. The specific mapping process is as follows: when the terminal is to map any one of the second number of the modulated symbols to a resource unit included in the second resource, if the resource unit, to which the modulated symbol is to be mapped, is a resource unit in a resource within the second resource overlapped with the first resource, the terminal skips over this resource unit and turns to determine whether the next resource unit is a resource unit in a resource within the second resource overlapped with the first resource. If the resource unit is determined to be a resource unit in the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource, i.e., a first resource unit, the terminal maps the modulated symbol to this corresponding resource unit.

In this way, the modulated symbols of the uplink signal or the uplink channel are only mapped to the first resource units in the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource. The resource units in the second resource that are non-overlapped with the first resource form the third resource.

Assuming the second number of the second resource units in the second resource is k, k modulated symbols of the uplink signal or the uplink channel may be mapped to the k first resource units.

Through the resource mapping process in the method for transmitting the uplink signal or the uplink channel with the first resource indicated by the first indication information, when the terminal transmits the uplink signal or the uplink channel, resource fragments related to the first resource may be adequately utilized, while the first resource is not taken up, thus transmission of other uplink signals or uplink channels would not be affected.

The communication method in the examples of the disclosure has been described above. Hereinafter, the terminal, the network device and the communication system in the examples of the disclosure will be described below.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a terminal <NUM> according to the disclosure. It should be understood that the terminal in the disclosure may further include other modules or units, or may include modules similar to the respective modules in <FIG> in terms of functions.

A receiving module <NUM> is configured to receive first indication information transmitted by a network device. The first indication information is used to indicate a first resource.

A transmitting module <NUM> is configured to transmit, according to the first indication information, an uplink channel or an uplink signal to the network device on a third resource within a second resource. The third resource is a resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

In the disclosure, the terminal may transmit, according to the first indication information transmitted by the network device, the uplink signal or the uplink channel on the third resource non-overlapped with the first resource within the second resource indicated by the first indication information, and thus the terminal may flexibly use a resource within the second resource to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the indication information of the network device, to improve the utilization rate of the resource within the second resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: a time domain position of the first resource, or a frequency domain position of the first resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the transmitting module is specifically configured to: determine a first number of resource units in the second resource; perform rate matching for the uplink channel or the uplink signal according to the first number, to obtain an output sequence having a length of a first bit number, the first bit number being determined by the terminal according to the first number; modulate the output sequence, to obtain a first number of modulated symbols; and map the first number of modulated symbols to the resource units in the second resource, drop modulated symbols mapped to first resource units in the first number of modulated symbols, the first resource units being resource units in the second resource overlapped with those in the first resource.

The transmitting module is specifically configured to: determine a second number of first resource units in the second resource, the first resource units being resource units in the second resource non-overlapped with those in the first resource; perform rate matching for the uplink channel or the uplink signal according to the second number, to obtain an output sequence having a length of a second bit number, the second bit number being determined by the terminal according to the second number; modulate the output sequence to obtain a second number of modulated symbols; and map the second number of modulated symbols to the second number of first resource units.

Alternatively, in an example, the first indication information is used to indicate N time domain symbols included in the first resource, where the N is a nonnegative integer. The transmitting module is specifically configured to: transmit, according to the first indication information, the uplink channel or the uplink signal to the network device on the third resource within the second resource, where M time domain symbols included in the third resource exclude the N time domain symbols, M is a positive integer.

Alternatively, in an example, the receiving module is specifically configured to: receive downlink control information transmitted by the network device, where the downlink control information carries the first indication information, the downlink control information further carries second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal.

Alternatively, in an example, the first resource is a resource used by the terminal or other terminals to transmit an uplink control channel, an uplink sounding signal or a random access channel, and the uplink channel includes an uplink shared channel.

It should be understood that, the above and other operations and/or functions of each unit of the terminal <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> in this example of the disclosure respectively implement corresponding processes of the communication method in <FIG>, and will not be repeated here for the brief description.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a network device <NUM> according to the disclosure. It should be understood that, the network device in the disclosure may further include other modules or units, or include modules similar to the respective modules in <FIG> in terms of functions.

A transmitting module <NUM> is configured to transmit first indication information to a terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate a first resource.

A receiving module <NUM> is configured to receive an uplink channel or an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on a third resource within a second resource according to the first indication information, the third resource being a resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

In the disclosure, the network device transmits the first indication information to the terminal, so that the terminal may transmit, according to the first indication information, the uplink signal or the uplink channel on the third resource, which is non-overlapped with the first resource and is indicated by the first indication information, in the second resource. Therefore, the terminal may flexibly use a resource within the second resource to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the indication information of the network device, thus improving the utilization rate of the resource within the second resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the receiving module is specifically configured to acquire modulated symbols corresponding to the uplink channel or the uplink signal in resource units included in the second resource, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the resource units included in the second resource. The receiving module is further configured to drop modulated symbols acquired on first resource units, where the first resource units are resource units in the second resource overlapped with the first resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the receiving module is specifically configured to acquire modulated symbols corresponding to the uplink channel or the uplink signal in resource units included in the second resource, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the resource units included in the second resource, and the first resource units are resource units in the second resource overlapped with the first resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the first indication information is used to indicate N time domain symbols included in the first resource, where the N is a nonnegative integer. The receiving module is specifically configured to receive the uplink channel or the uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on the third resource within the second resource according to the first indication information, where M time domain symbols included in the third resource exclude the N time domain symbols, M is a positive integer.

Alternatively, in an example, the transmitting module is specifically configured to transmit downlink control information to the terminal, where the downlink control information carries the first indication information, the downlink control information further carries second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal.

Alternatively, in an example, the first resource is a resource used by the terminal or other terminals to transmit an uplink control channel, an uplink sounding signal, or a random access channel, and the uplink channel includes an uplink shared channel.

It should be understood that, the above and other operations and/or functions of each unit of the network device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> in this example of the disclosure respectively implement corresponding processes of the communication method in <FIG>, and will not be repeated here for the brief description.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a terminal <NUM> according to an example of the disclosure. The terminal <NUM> may include a memory <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a receiver <NUM> and a transmitter <NUM>.

The memory <NUM> is configured to store a program.

The processor <NUM> is configured to execute the program stored by the memory <NUM>.

The receiver <NUM> is called by the processor to receive first indication information transmitted by a network device, the first indication information being used to indicate a first resource.

The transmitter <NUM> is called by the processor <NUM> to transmit according to the first indication information, an uplink channel or an uplink signal to the network device on a third resource within a second resource, the third resource within the second resource being a resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

In this example of the disclosure, the terminal may transmit, according to the first indication information transmitted by the network device, the uplink signal or the uplink channel on the third resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource indicated by the first indication information. Therefore, the terminal may flexibly use a resource within the second resource to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the indication information of the network device, thus improving the utilization rate of the resource within the second resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the transmitter is specifically configured to: determine a first number of resource units in the second resource; perform rate matching for the uplink channel or the uplink signal according to the first number, to obtain an output sequence having a length of a first bit number, the first bit number being determined by the terminal according to the first number; modulate the output sequence, to obtain a first number of modulated symbols; map the first number of the modulated symbols to the resource units in the second resource, and drop modulated symbols mapped to first resource units in the first number of the modulated symbols, where the first resource units in the second resource are resource units overlapped with the first resource.

The transmitter is specifically configured to: determine a second number of first resource units in the second resource, the first resource units being resource units in the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource; perform rate matching for the uplink channel or the uplink signal according to the second number, to obtain an output sequence having a length of a second bit number, the second bit number being determined by the terminal according to the second number; modulate the output sequence to obtain a second number of modulated symbols; and map the second number of modulated symbols to the second number of first resource units.

Alternatively, in an example, the first indication information is used to indicate N time domain symbols included in the first resource, where the N is a nonnegative integer. The transmitter is specifically configured to: transmit, according to the first indication information, the uplink channel or the uplink signal to the network device on the third resource within the second resource, where M time domain symbols included in the third resource exclude the N time domain symbols, M is a positive integer.

Alternatively, in an example, the receiver is specifically configured to: receive downlink control information transmitted by the network device, where the downlink control information carries the first indication information, the downlink control information further carries second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal.

It should be understood that, the terminal illustrated in <FIG> in this example of the disclosure may correspond to the terminal illustrated in <FIG>; and the above and other operations and/or functions of each unit of the terminal in this example of the disclosure respectively implement corresponding processes of the communication method in <FIG>, and will not be repeated here for the brief description.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a network device <NUM> according to an example of the disclosure. The network device <NUM> may include a memory <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a receiver <NUM> and a transmitter <NUM>.

The transmitter <NUM> is called by the processor to transmit first indication information to the terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate a first resource.

The receiver <NUM> is called by the processor to receive an uplink channel or an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal on a third resource within a second resource according to the first indication information, the third resource being a resource within the second resource non-overlapped with the first resource.

In this example of the disclosure, the network device transmits the first indication information to the terminal, so that the terminal may transmit, according to the first indication information, the uplink signal or the uplink channel on the third resource, which is non-overlapped with the first resource and is indicated by the first indication information, in the second resource. Therefore, the terminal may flexibly use a resource within the second resource to transmit the uplink signal or the uplink channel according to the indication information of the network device, thus improving the utilization rate of the resource within the second resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the receiver is specifically configured to acquire modulated symbols corresponding to the uplink channel or the uplink signal in resource units included in the second resource, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the resource units included in the second resource, drop modulated symbols acquired on first resource units, where the first resource units are resource units in the second resource overlapped with those in the first resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the receiver is specifically configured to: acquire modulated symbols corresponding to the uplink channel or the uplink signal in resource units included in the second resource, where the number of the modulated symbols is equal to the number of the resource units included in the second resource, and the first resource units are resource units in the second resource overlapped with the first resource.

Alternatively, in an example, the transmitter is specifically configured to transmit downlink control information to the terminal, where the downlink control information carries the first indication information, the downlink control information further carries second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to transmit the uplink channel or the uplink signal.

It should be understood that, the network device illustrated in <FIG> in this example of the disclosure may correspond to the network device illustrated in <FIG>; and the above and other operations and/or functions of each unit of the terminal in this example of the disclosure respectively implement corresponding processes of the communication method in <FIG>, and will not be repeated here for the brief description.

It may be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that units and actions of algorithms in each example described in combination with examples disclosed in the disclosure may be implemented by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed via a hardware manner or a software manner is determined by a specific application and a designed constraint condition of the technical solutions. A person skilled in the art may be implemented the described function by using different methods for each specific application. However, such implementation should not be considered as being beyond the scope of the disclosure.

The person skilled in the art may clearly understand that, for the convenience and briefness of description, the above-described specific working process of the system, the apparatus and the unit may be referred to the corresponding process of the foregoing method example and will not be repeated here.

In some examples provided by the application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method may be implemented in other manners. For example, the apparatus example described above is only schematic, and for example, division of the units is only logic function division, and other division manners may be adopted during practical implementation. In addition, coupling, or direct coupling or communication connection between each displayed or discussed component may be indirect coupling or communication connection, implemented through some interfaces, of the apparatus or the units, and may be electrical and mechanical or adopt other forms.

Part or all of the units may be selected to achieve the purpose of the solutions of the examples according to a practical requirement.

In addition, each function unit in each example of the disclosure may be integrated into a processing unit, each unit may also exist independently, and two or more than two unit may also be integrated into a unit. The integrated unit may be implemented in a hardware form, and may also be implemented in form of hardware and software function unit.

When being implemented in form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product, the functions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solutions of the examples of the disclosure substantially or parts making contributions to the conventional art may be embodied in form of software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a plurality of instructions configured to enable a piece of computer equipment (which may be a personal computer, a server, network equipment or the like) to execute all or part of the method in each example of the disclosure. The above-mentioned storage medium includes: various media capable of storing program codes such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claim 1:
A communication method, characterized by comprising:
receiving (S410), by a terminal, first indication information transmitted by a network device, the first indication information being used to indicate positions of time domain symbols included in a first resource for transmitting a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH;
transmitting (S420), by the terminal, according to the first indication information, an uplink channel to the network device on a third resource, the third resource being a resource within a second resource comprising a plurality of resource units, where the third resource is formed by the resource units in the second resource that are non-overlapped with the first resource;
wherein the transmitting (S420), by the terminal, according to the first indication information, the uplink channel to the network device on the third resource comprises:
determining, by the terminal, a second number of first resource units in the second resource, the first resource units being resource units in the second resource and non-overlapped with the first resource;
performing, by the terminal, rate matching for the uplink channel according to the second number, to obtain an output sequence having a length of a second bit number, the second bit number being determined by the terminal according to the second number;
modulating, by the terminal, the output sequence, to obtain a second number of modulated symbols; and
mapping, by the terminal, the second number of modulated symbols to the second number of first resource units.