Beam switching method and apparatus

A beam switching method applied to a network side, comprising:

• sending to a terminal a beam switching command for instructing a terminal to perform beam switching, wherein the beam switching command comprises a target beam identifier and a Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH, resource indication;
• receiving a PRACH signal indicating that the beam switching is completed sent by the terminal on a time-frequency resource of a target beam indicated by a PRACH resource indication;
• wherein the beam switching command is a BWP switching command, and different beams correspond to different BWPs in a one-to-one manner, when downlink control information, DCI, signaling used for switching of adjacent BWPs comprises a resource indication for the terminal to perform beam indication in a switched BWP, and each BWP comprises one Beam specific Reference Signal, BRS, symbol for downlink synchronization and beam capture to help the terminal to establish the downlink time and frequency synchronization;
• or
• the beam switching command is a dynamic carrier switching command, when an adjacent beam is regarded as a new carrier and the adjacent beam is frequency division multiplexed.

A beam switching apparatus, wherein, the apparatus comprises:

• a processor, a memory and a transceiver;
• the processor is configured to read computer instructions in the memory and perform following steps:
• determining that beam switching needs to be performed upon receiving a beam switching command sent by a network equipment, and obtaining a beam identifier of a target beam and a Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH, resource indication from the beam switching command;
• sending a PRACH signal for indicating that beam switching is completed to the network equipment on time-frequency resources of the target beam indicated by a PRACH resource indication after the beam switching is completed;
• wherein, the beam switching command is a Bandwidth Part, BWP, switching command, when downlink control information, DCI, signaling used for switching of adjacent BWPs comprises a resource indication for the terminal to perform beam indication in a switched BWP, different beams correspond to different BWPs in a one-to-one manner, and each BWP comprises one Beam specific Reference Signal, BRS, symbol for downlink synchronization and beam capture to help the terminal to establish the downlink time and frequency synchronization;
• wherein after obtaining the beam identifier of the switched beam and the PRACH resource indication, and before sending the PRACH signal for indicating that beam switching is completed to the network equipment on time-frequency resources of the switched beam indicated by the PRACH resource indication, the processor is configured to perform:
• detecting a BRS on a BWP comprised in the BWP switching command, obtaining a downlink synchronization signal and beam capture, and performing the downlink synchronization with the BWP comprised in the BWP switching command;
• or
• the beam switching command is a dynamic Carrier Aggregation, CA, switching command, when an adjacent beam is regarded as a new carrier and the adjacent beam is frequency division multiplexed.

A beam switching apparatus, wherein, the apparatus comprises:

• a processor, a memory and a transceiver;
• the processor is configured to read computer instructions in the memory and perform the process of:
• sending a beam switching command for instructing a terminal to perform beam switching to the terminal, wherein the beam switching command comprises a target beam identifier and a Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH, resource indication;
• receiving a PRACH signal for indicating that the beam switching is completed sent by the terminal on time-frequency resources of a target beam indicated by a PRACH resource indication;
• wherein the beam switching command is a Bandwidth Part, BWP switching command, and different beams correspond to different BWPs in a one-to-one manner, when downlink control information, DCI, signaling used for switching of adjacent BWPs comprises a resource indication for the terminal to perform beam indication in a switched BWP, and each BWP comprises one Beam specific Reference Signal, BRS, symbol for downlink synchronization and beam capture to help the terminal to establish the downlink time and frequency synchronization;
• or
• the beam switching command is a dynamic carrier switching command, when an adjacent beam is regarded as a new carrier and the adjacent beam is frequency division multiplexed.