Method for determining coverage enhancement level and apparatus

1 . A method of determining a coverage enhancement level, comprising:

obtaining, by a terminal device, a plurality of measurement results respectively corresponding to a plurality of reference signals; and

determining, by the terminal device, a coverage enhancement level (CEL) of the terminal device based on the plurality of measurement results and at least one of N thresholds, wherein

N is a positive integer, and the N thresholds are a threshold 0, a threshold 1, . . . , and a threshold (N−1) in descending order; and

in said determining,

in response to the plurality of measurement results including a measurement result greater than or equal to the threshold 0, the CEL of the terminal device is a CEL 0;

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than a threshold i, and the plurality of measurement results including a measurement result greater than or equal to a threshold (i+1), the CEL of the terminal device is a CEL (i+1), where i is an integer from 0 to (N−2); and

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than the threshold (N−1), randomly selecting, by the terminal device and from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to any one of the plurality of measurement results.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

in said determining,

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than the threshold (N−1), the CEL of the terminal device is a CEL N.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

selecting, by the terminal device and from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to, among the plurality of measurement results, a measurement result that is greater than or equal to a minimum threshold corresponding to the CEL of the terminal device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

in a process of a K th random access attempt or a K th grant-free transmission attempt, wherein K is a positive integer,

updating, by the terminal device, the CEL of the terminal device;

determining, by the terminal device, a power ramp amount based on at least one of:

a power ramp step corresponding to the updated CEL, or

a power ramp counter corresponding to the updated CEL; and

using, by the terminal device, the determined power ramp amount for the K th random access attempt or the K th grant-free transmission attempt.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein

the CEL 0 to a CEL (N−1) are respectively in a one-to-one correspondence with N power ramp steps, and the CEL 0 to the CEL (N−1) are respectively in a one-to-one correspondence with N power ramp counters; or

the CEL 0 to a CEL (N−1) correspond to a same power ramp step, and the CEL 0 to the CEL (N−1) correspond to a same power ramp counter.

6 . A non-transitory computer storage medium, storing computer instructions that are executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform:

obtaining a plurality of measurement results respectively corresponding to a plurality of reference signals; and

determining a coverage enhancement level (CEL) based on the plurality of measurement results and at least one of N thresholds, wherein

N is a positive integer, and the N thresholds are a threshold 0, a threshold 1, . . . , and a threshold (N−1) in descending order; and

in said determining,

in response to the plurality of measurement results including a measurement result greater than or equal to the threshold 0, the CEL is a CEL 0;

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than a threshold i, and the plurality of measurement results including a measurement result greater than or equal to a threshold (i+1), the CEL is a CEL (i+1), where i is an integer from 0 to (N−2); and

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than the threshold (N−1), selecting, from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to the largest measurement result in the plurality of measurement results.

7 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to claim 6 , wherein

in said determining,

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than the threshold (N−1), the CEL is a CEL N.

8 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to claim 6 , wherein the computer instructions are executable to further cause the apparatus to perform:

selecting, from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to, among the plurality of measurement results, a measurement result that is greater than or equal to a minimum threshold corresponding to the CEL.

9 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to claim 6 , wherein the computer instructions are executable to further cause the apparatus to perform:

in a process of a K th grant-free transmission attempt, wherein K is a positive integer, updating the CEL;

determining a power ramp amount based on at least one of:

a power ramp step corresponding to the updated CEL, or

a power ramp counter corresponding to the updated CEL; and

using the determined power ramp amount for the K th grant-free transmission attempt.

10 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein

the CEL 0 to a CEL (N−1) are respectively in a one-to-one correspondence with N power ramp steps, and the CEL 0 to the CEL (N−1) are respectively in a one-to-one correspondence with N power ramp counters; or

the CEL 0 to a CEL (N−1) correspond to a same power ramp step, and the CEL 0 to the CEL (N−1) correspond to a same power ramp counter.

11 . An apparatus, comprising a communication interface and a processor, wherein

the communication interface is configured to communicate the apparatus with another device; and

the processor is configured to invoke a group of programs, instructions, or data to perform a method of:

obtaining a plurality of measurement results respectively corresponding to a plurality of reference signals; and

determining a coverage enhancement level (CEL) based on the plurality of measurement results and at least one of N thresholds, wherein

N is a positive integer, and the N thresholds are a threshold 0, a threshold 1, . . . , and a threshold (N−1) in descending order; and

in said determining,

in response to the plurality of measurement results including a measurement result greater than or equal to the threshold 0, the CEL is a CEL 0;

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than a threshold i, and the plurality of measurement results including a measurement result greater than or equal to a threshold (i+1), the CEL is a CEL (i+1), where i is an integer from 0 to (N−2); and

in response to the plurality of measurement results including multiple measurement results greater than the threshold 0, randomly selecting, by the terminal device and from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to any one of the multiple measurement results greater than the threshold 0.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

in said determining,

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than the threshold (N−1), the CEL is a CEL N.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

selecting, from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to, among the plurality of measurement results, a measurement result that is greater than or equal to a minimum threshold corresponding to the CEL.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

in a process of a K th random access attempt or a K th grant-free transmission attempt, wherein K is a positive integer,

updating the CEL;

determining a power ramp amount based on at least one of:

a power ramp step corresponding to the updated CEL, or

a power ramp counter corresponding to the updated CEL; and

using the determined power ramp amount for the K th random access attempt or the K th grant-free transmission attempt.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein

the CEL 0 to a CEL (N−1) are respectively in a one-to-one correspondence with N power ramp steps, and the CEL 0 to the CEL (N−1) are respectively in a one-to-one correspondence with N power ramp counters; or

the CEL 0 to a CEL (N−1) correspond to a same power ramp step, and the CEL 0 to the CEL (N−1) correspond to a same power ramp counter.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the plurality of measurement results all being less than the threshold (N−1),

skipping, by the terminal device, performing random access or grant-free transmission this time.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the plurality of measurement results including multiple measurement results greater than the threshold 0,

randomly selecting, by the terminal device and from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to any one of the multiple measurement results greater than the threshold 0.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the plurality of measurement results including multiple measurement results greater than the threshold 0,

selecting, by the terminal device and from the plurality of reference signals, a reference signal corresponding to the largest measurement result in the multiple measurement results greater than the threshold 0.