Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method may include: a cell within a first frequency range determines to enter an energy-saving state, a terminal device selects to access a cell within a second frequency range through the cell, and when the terminal device needs to enter a cell within the first frequency range, the cell within the second frequency range assists the terminal device to access the cell within the first frequency range. In the present application, energy saving can be achieved through the assistance between multiple cells, such as the cell within the first frequency range can enter an energy-saving state; and communication performance can be guaranteed, such as the cell within the second frequency range can assist the terminal device to access the cell within the first frequency range that is in an energy-saving state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for communications. Background Art

[0002] During the communication process, the power consumption of the base station is mainly composed of the power amplifier power consumption, the radio frequency power consumption and the power consumption of the indoor baseband processing unit. As the number of transceiver links increases, the total power consumption of the base station increases exponentially. Therefore, the power consumption can be reduced by symbol shutdown to achieve energy saving.

[0003] However, in some scenarios, such as the new radio (NR) system, considering that synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block) messages, system information blocks, paging messages, etc. need to be transmitted all the time, occupying a large number of downlink transmission time slots, the base station cannot save energy by symbol shutoff. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method and device, which can reduce the number of system broadcast messages sent through the cooperation of multiple cells with different frequency bands with the same coverage, and reserve more downlink time slots to achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: a cell within a first frequency range determines to enter an energy-saving state; when a terminal device needs to access a cell within the first frequency range, a cell within a second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range, so that the terminal device accesses.

[0006] For example, after a cell within the first frequency range enters a power-saving state, it stops sending RMSI / OSI / Paging messages and / or only sends SSB messages.

[0007] For example, cells within the first frequency range may represent cells of a capacity layer; and cells within the second frequency range may represent cells of a coverage layer.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, in the energy-saving state of the cell within the first frequency range, the terminal device can access the cell within the first frequency range with the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range. Therefore, the cell within the first frequency range can enter the energy-saving state, and can also achieve the effect of collaborative energy saving without losing normal communication capabilities with the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the cells within the first frequency range enter an energy-saving state, including: the cells within the first frequency range do not support a residency and initial access function.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, when the resident and initial access functions are separated from the cells within the first frequency range, the opportunities for sending some messages (such as RMSI / OSI / Paging) can be reduced. Therefore, the number of system broadcast messages sent can be reduced, and more downlink time slots can be reserved for symbol shutdown energy saving, such as allowing the cells within the first frequency range to enter an energy-saving state. In addition, the resident and initial access functions can be loaded by the cells within the second frequency range. After the terminal device accesses the cells within the second frequency range, it can access the cells within the first frequency range with the assistance of the cells within the second frequency range.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the cell within the second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range to enable the terminal device to access, including: the cell within the second frequency range sends a switching indication to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to switch to the cell within the first frequency range.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the cell within the second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range to enable the terminal device to access, including: the cell within the second frequency range adds the cell within the first frequency range as a secondary cell or secondary carrier.

[0013] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: a cell within a first frequency range determines to enter an energy-saving state; when a terminal device needs to access a cell within the first frequency range, the cell within the first frequency range assists the terminal device to access the cell through a cell within a second frequency range.

[0014] For example, after the terminal device accesses a cell within the first frequency range, the cell within the first frequency range turns off the energy saving state.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the resident and initial access functions can be carried by the cell in the second frequency range. After the terminal device accesses the cell in the second frequency range, it can access the cell in the first frequency range with the assistance of the cell in the second frequency range. Therefore, the cell in the first frequency range can enter the energy-saving state, and can also achieve the effect of collaborative energy saving without losing normal communication capabilities with the assistance of the cell in the second frequency range.

[0016] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the cells within the first frequency range enter an energy-saving state, including: the cells within the first frequency range do not support residence and initial access functions.

[0017] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: a terminal device accesses a cell within a second frequency range; when the terminal device needs to access a cell within a first frequency range and the cell within the first frequency range is in an energy-saving state, the terminal device accesses the cell within the first frequency range with the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range; wherein, when the cell within the first frequency range is in an energy-saving state, the cell within the first frequency range does not support residence and initial access functions.

[0018] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the terminal device accesses the cell within the first frequency range with the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range, including: the terminal device receives a switching indication from the cell within the second frequency range, and according to the switching indication, the terminal device switches to the cell within the first frequency range.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, and the communication device is used to execute the communication methods provided in the first to third aspects. Specifically, the communication device may include a module for executing the communication methods provided in the first to third aspects.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the communication method in the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect. Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device also includes a communication interface, the processor is coupled to the communication interface, and the communication interface is used to input and / or output information. The information includes at least one of an instruction and data.

[0021] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device. When the communication device is a terminal device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0022] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip or a chip system, the communication interface may be an input / output interface, an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or a related circuit on the chip or the chip system. The processor may also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0023] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system configured in a terminal device.

[0024] Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0025] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the communication method in any possible implementation of the first aspect to the second aspect and the first aspect or the second aspect. Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device also includes a communication interface, the processor is coupled to the communication interface, and the communication interface is used to input and / or output information. The information includes at least one of an instruction and data.

[0026] In one implementation, the communication device is a network device, such as a cell within the first frequency range and / or a cell within the second frequency range, or a network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs and / or a network device to which the cell within the second frequency range belongs. When the communication device is a network device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0027] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip or a chip system, the communication interface may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or a related circuit on the chip or the chip system. The processor may also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0028] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system configured in a network device.

[0029] Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0030] In the seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a communication device, the communication device implements the communication method in the first aspect to the third aspect, and any possible implementation method of the first aspect to the third aspect.

[0031] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, wherein when the instructions are executed by a computer, a communication device enables the communication method provided in the first to third aspects.

[0032] In the ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the aforementioned cell within the first frequency range (or the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs) and a terminal device; or, comprising the aforementioned cell within the first frequency range (or the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs) and the cell within the second frequency range (or the network device to which the cell within the second frequency range belongs); or, comprising the aforementioned cell within the first frequency range (or the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs), the cell within the second frequency range (or the network device to which the cell within the second frequency range belongs) and a terminal device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0034] Figure 2 Another schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0035] Figure 3 A system architecture diagram suitable for the present application is shown.

[0036] Figure 4 A mobile communication system framework diagram suitable for the present application is shown.

[0037] Figure 5 A diagram showing time domain resources occupied by PSS / SSS and PBCH is shown.

[0038] Figure 6 A diagram showing a transmission mechanism of PSS / SSS and PBCH is shown.

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a symbolic switch-off principle is shown.

[0040] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0041] Fig. 9 A schematic flowchart of a communication method applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0042] Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a communication method applicable to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0043] Fig.11 A schematic block diagram of a communication device applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0044] Fig.12A schematic architecture diagram of a communication device applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0045] Fig.13 A schematic structural diagram of a communication device applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0046] Fig.14 A schematic architecture diagram of a communication device applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or NR system, long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), etc.

[0049] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the wireless communication system 100 may include at least one network device, such as Figure 1 The wireless communication system 100 may also include at least one terminal device, such as the network device 111 shown. Figure 1 The terminal devices 121 to 123 are shown. Both the network device and the terminal device may be configured with multiple antennas, and the network device and the terminal device may communicate using multiple antenna technology.

[0050] When the network device and the terminal device communicate, the network device can manage one or more cells, and there can be an integer number of terminal devices in a cell. Optionally, the network device 111 and the terminal devices 121 to 123 form a single-cell communication system, and without loss of generality, the cell is recorded as cell #1. The network device 111 can be a network device in cell #1, or the network device 111 can serve the terminal device (such as terminal device 121) in cell #1.

[0051] It should be noted that a cell can be understood as an area within the coverage range of wireless signals of network equipment.

[0052] Figure 2FIG. 2 is another schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 200 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the wireless communication system 200 may include a terminal device, such as Figure 2 The wireless communication system 200 may also include multiple network devices, such as Figure 2 The network device 211 and the network device 212 in the embodiment. Figure 2 The terminal device 221 in the embodiment can communicate with the network device 221 and the network device 212 at the same time; in other words, the network device 211 and the network device 212 can jointly provide services for the terminal device 221.

[0053] Figure 3 is a system architecture diagram applicable to the present application, wherein the architecture may include, for example, a building base band unit (BBU) and an active antenna unit (AAU).

[0054] Figure 4 It is a framework diagram of a mobile communication system applicable to the present application. As shown in the figure, in a mobile communication system, the power consumption of network equipment, such as base station power consumption, is composed of power amplifier (PA) power consumption, radio frequency (RF) power consumption and BBU power consumption, and as the transceiver (TRX) link increases, the total power consumption of the base station increases exponentially. For example, the more antenna units a massive MIMO has, each antenna unit has a PA and RF unit, the more TRX links there are, and the computing power consumption of the BBU also increases with the increase in TRX links, so the total power consumption of the base station increases accordingly. The above problems can be solved by the symbol shutdown principle, which is explained in detail below.

[0055] It should be understood that the above Figures 1 to 4 This is only an exemplary description, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to random access scenarios (such as 5G NR random access process).

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, the cells within the first frequency range and the cells within the second frequency range may both be cells in one network device, for example, both are Figure 1 Alternatively, the cell in the first frequency range and the cell in the second frequency range may be cells in different network devices, for example, the cell in the first frequency range is Figure 2 In the network device 112, the cell in the second frequency range is Figure 2 The cell of the network device 113.

[0057] It should be understood that the network device in the wireless communication system can be any device with wireless transceiver function. The device includes but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), Radio Network Controller (RNC), Node B (NB), Base Station Controller (BSC), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Home Base Station (e.g., Home evolved NodeB, or Home Node B, HNB), Base Band Unit (BBU), Access Point (AP) in Wireless Fidelity (WIFI) system, Wireless Relay Node, Wireless Backhaul Node, Transmission Point (TP) or Transmission and Reception Point (TRP), etc. It can also be a gNB in ​​a 5G, such as NR, system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of (including multiple antenna panels) antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system, or it can also be a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU), or a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0058] In some deployments, the gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a DU. The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some functions of the gNB, and the DU implements some functions of the gNB. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and related functions of active antennas. Since the information of the RRC layer will eventually become the information of the PHY layer, or be converted from the information of the PHY layer, under this architecture, high-level signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by the DU, or by the DU+AAU. It can be understood that the network device can be a device including one or more of a CU node, a DU node, and an AAU node. In addition, the CU may be divided into a network device in an access network (radio access network, RAN), or the CU may be divided into a network device in a core network (core network, CN), and this application does not limit this.

[0059] It should also be understood that the terminal device in the wireless communication system can also be called user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the application scenario.

[0060] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, several terms involved in the present application are briefly introduced below.

[0061] The downlink common channels in the 5th-Generation (5G) new radio (NR) system can be divided into: Synchronization Signal and PBCHblock (SSB), paging information and system information block (SIB). SIB can include remaining minimum system information (RMSI) and other system information (OSI).

[0062] 1. SSB

[0063] In NR, the primary synchronization signal (PSS) / secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and PBCH are combined together, occupying 4 consecutive symbols in the time domain and 20 RBs in the frequency domain to form an SSB. The same SSB uses the same beam transmission method. It can be understood that in the time domain, an SSB can be composed of, for example, 4 OFDM symbols, and in the frequency domain, an SSB can be composed of, for example, 240 consecutive subcarriers, that is, 20 consecutive RBs.

[0064] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the time domain resources occupied by PSS / SSS and PBCH. As shown in the figure, compared with the LTE system, the positions of the synchronization sequences PSS, SSS and PBCH on the time and frequency resources are relatively discrete. NR has redesigned the positions of PSS, SSS and PBCH time and frequency resources to make them more compact and form a whole, called SSB. It occupies 4 OFDM symbols in the time domain and 240 subcarriers in the frequency domain. This compact structure allows debroadcasting once the synchronization sequence is detected, which speeds up terminal access and reduces the system's network latency.

[0065] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism of PSS / SSS and PBCH is shown. As shown in the figure, it is assumed that a PBCH period is 80ms and an SS burst set Tx window is 5ms, that is, 10 time slots. Figure 4 It can be seen that the positions of the time domain resources occupied by PSS, PBCH, SSS, etc. A slot includes the corresponding control resource set of the remaining minimum system message, SSB, the corresponding RMSI PDCCH, and the free filling time domain resources. The PSS, SSS, and PBCH time domain resources are compactly connected to form an SSB.

[0066] 2. Cell

[0067] The cell is described at a high level from the perspective of resource management or mobility management or service unit. The coverage of each network device can be divided into one or more cells, and the cell can be regarded as consisting of certain frequency domain resources. The cell can be an area within the coverage of the wireless network of the network device. In an embodiment of the present application, different cells can correspond to different network devices. For example, the network device in cell #1 and the network device in cell #2 can be different network devices, such as a base station. That is to say, cell #1 and cell #2 can be managed by different base stations, in which case, cell #1 and cell #2 can be called co-stations, or co-stations. The network device in cell #1 and the network device in cell #2 can also be different radio frequency processing units of the same base station, for example, a radio remote unit (RRU), that is, cell #1 and cell #2 can be managed by the same base station, have the same baseband processing unit and intermediate frequency processing unit, but have different radio frequency processing units. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0068] In this embodiment of the present application, cell #1 may be a cell within a first frequency range, and cell #2 may be a cell within a second frequency range.

[0069] 3. Dual-connectivity (DC)

[0070] Dual-connectivity (DC): The terminal device can have a communication connection with two network devices at the same time and can send and receive data, which can be called dual connection. Among the two network devices (such as base stations), one network device can be responsible for interacting with the terminal device with radio resource control messages and interacting with the core network control plane entity. Then, the network device can be called a master node (MN). For example, the master node can be a MeNB or a MgNB, but is not limited to this; the other network device can be called a secondary node (SN). For example, the secondary node can be a SeNB or a SgNB, but is not limited to this. Among them, the master node is a control plane anchor point, that is, the terminal device establishes an RRC connection with the master node, and a control plane connection is established between the master node and the core network. In DC, multiple service cells in the master node form a master cell group (MCG), including a primary cell (PCell) and optionally one or more secondary cells (PCell). Multiple serving cells in the secondary node form a secondary cell group (SCG), including a primary secondary cell (PSCell, or special cell) and one or more optional SCells. A serving cell is a cell that the network configures for a terminal device to perform uplink and downlink transmission.

[0071] In an embodiment of the present application, cells within the first frequency range and cells within the second frequency range can serve the terminal device in a DC manner.

[0072] 4. Carrier aggregation (CA)

[0073] Carrier aggregation (CA): In order to efficiently utilize fragmented spectrum, the system supports aggregation between different carrier units. The technology of aggregating two or more carriers together to support a larger transmission bandwidth can be called carrier aggregation.

[0074] In carrier aggregation technology, a terminal device can be configured with multiple carrier units (component carrier, CC, or component carrier, component carrier, carrier, etc.), and each CC can correspond to an independent cell. A CC can be equated with a cell. For example, the primary cell corresponds to the primary CC (or primary carrier), which can be the cell for initial connection establishment for the terminal, or the cell for RRC connection reconstruction, or the primary cell designated during the handover process. The secondary cell corresponds to the secondary CC (or secondary carrier), which can be a cell added during RRC reconfiguration to provide additional wireless resources.

[0075] For a terminal device in a connected state, if carrier aggregation is not configured, the terminal device has one serving cell; if carrier aggregation is configured, the terminal device can have multiple serving cells, which can be called a serving cell set. For example, the primary cell and the secondary cell described above constitute the serving cell set of the terminal device. In other words, in the scenario where carrier aggregation is configured, the serving cell set includes at least one primary cell and at least one secondary cell. In other words, a terminal device configured with carrier aggregation can transmit data with one PCell and multiple SCells.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present application, cells within the first frequency range and cells within the second frequency range can serve the terminal device in a CA manner.

[0077] 5. Symbol shutdown principle

[0078] When there is no valid data transmission, the power amplifier power is turned off to achieve energy saving. In the actual communication process, the base station is not always in the state of maximum traffic, so the symbols in the subframe are not filled with valid information at all times. After turning on the symbol shutdown, the power amplifier power can be turned off during the remaining symbol time without valid information transmission to achieve energy saving.

[0079] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a symbol shutoff principle. As shown in the figure, in the high-load working mode, when the base station performs downlink transmission of reference symbols and data symbols, the PA remains on; in the low-load working mode, when the base station performs downlink transmission of reference symbols, the PA is on, and when it is an idle symbol, the PA is off. Therefore, an important means of energy saving for base stations is to reserve more idle time without downlink transmission, which can obtain greater energy saving benefits.

[0080] Then, in a low-load scenario, the SSB, SIB, and Paging message transmission of the base station occupies a large number of downlink transmission time slots, resulting in the base station being unable to save energy by symbol shutoff.

[0081] The master information block (MIB) transmitted in the broadcast channel (BCH) contains only very limited system information, while more system information is told to the terminal equipment (UE) through the SIB message transmitted in the downlink shared channel (DL-SCH). For various SIBs, the information in the radio resource control (RRC) message is all the information it wants to tell the UE.

[0082] SIB1 and system information (SI) are both transmitted on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the RB (position in the frequency domain) of PDSCH occupied by SIB1 and SI messages and their transmission format are dynamically scheduled and indicated by the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scrambled by the system information-radio network temporary identity (SI-RNTI) of the system message. The pdcch-ConfigSIB1 field in the MIB message is used to indicate the PDCCH time-frequency resources of SIB1. In other words, the UE needs to first use SI-RNTI scrambling to perform blind detection on the PDCCH on the pdcch-ConfigSIB1 indication subframe to know whether there is an SI message in the subframe. Table 1 compares the content of NR and long term evolution (LTE) system messages:

[0083] Table 1

[0084]

[0085] 6. Paging message

[0086] When downlink data needs to be sent to an idle UE, the mobility management entity (MME) sends a paging message (MME to eNB) to all evolved node Bs (eNBs) in all tracking areas (TAs) registered by the UE, and then the eNB sends a paging message over the air interface to page the UE. After receiving the paging message, the idle UE may initiate an RRC connection establishment process to receive a call. The paging function is described as follows:

[0087] (1) Send a call request to the UE in the RRC_IDLE state, which is triggered by the MME. The UE will then initiate a random access to obtain uplink time synchronization.

[0088] (2) Notify all UEs of system message changes, triggered by the eNB. The UE does not parse the system message all the time, but re-interprets the system message when it receives the system message change information;

[0089] (3) Notify UE to receive ETWS (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System) notification (SIB10, SIB11);

[0090] (4) Notify UE to receive CMAS (Commercial Mobile Alert System) notification (SIB12);

[0091] The content of the Paging message is sent to the UE through the PDSCH resource location, and the PDSCH resource is indicated by the Paging-radio network temporary identity (P-RNTI) of the paging message scrambled by the PDCCH. That is, to obtain the Paging message, the UE must first wake up periodically to monitor the PDCCH channel scrambled by the P-RNTI, and then parse the downlink control information (DCI) to further obtain the time-frequency location of the PDSCH channel. Finally, the UE parses the content of the Paging at the location of the corresponding PDSCH channel.

[0092] It should be understood that the contents of the various messages listed above are merely illustrative and are not limiting upon the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] As can be seen from the above, the SSB, SIB, and Paging messages sent by the network device occupy a large number of downlink transmission time slots, resulting in the network device being unable to save energy by shutting down symbols.

[0094] In view of this, the present application provides a solution, which reduces the number of system broadcast messages sent through the collaboration of multiple cells with different frequency bands with the same coverage, and reserves more downlink time slots for symbol shutdown energy saving.

[0095] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of a communication method applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 800. The method 800 may include the following steps.

[0096] S801, a cell within a first frequency range determines to enter an energy-saving state;

[0097] S802, the terminal device accesses a cell within a second frequency range;

[0098] S803, the cell within the second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range to enable the terminal device to access.

[0099] Based on the embodiment of the present application, a cell within the first frequency range can enter an energy-saving state. When the cell accesses a terminal device or provides services for the terminal device, the terminal device can access the cell within the first frequency range based on the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range. Therefore, not only can energy saving be achieved, but also communication performance can be guaranteed and user experience can be improved.

[0100] In the following embodiments, for distinction and without loss of generality, cell A is used to represent a cell within the first frequency range, and cell B is used to represent a cell within the second frequency range. It should be understood that cell A in the following can be replaced by a network device to which cell A belongs, and cell B can be replaced by a network device to which cell B belongs.

[0101] In one example, the cells within the first frequency range may represent cells of the capacity layer, that is, cell A represents a cell of the capacity layer; the cells within the second frequency range may represent cells of the coverage layer, that is, cell B represents a cell of the coverage layer.

[0102] The current base station networking structure is a multi-band networking, and the networking mode can be LTE and NR co-coverage networking or new radio-time division duplexing (NR-TDD) and new radio-frequency division duplex (NR-FDD) co-coverage networking. Usually, when there are multi-band / multi-frequency carriers co-covering networking, one or more frequency bands (usually low frequency) are set as the capacity layer, and the remaining frequency bands are the coverage layer. Or it can be understood that cell A can represent the cell in the low frequency band, and cell B is the cell in the remaining frequency bands.

[0103] In another example, cell A is a cell in gNB TDD and cell B is a cell in gNB FDD.

[0104] In another example, cell A is a cell in gNB SA / NSA, and cell B is a cell in eNB.

[0105] It should be understood that cell A and cell B may have other forms, which are not limited here.

[0106] Optionally, after cell A enters the energy-saving state, it stops sending RMSI / OSI / Paging messages; and / or, after cell A enters the energy-saving state, it only sends SSB messages.

[0107] In the downlink common channel of NR, the purpose of system messages is shown in Table 2:

[0108] Table 2

[0109] information Residency Initial access Switch Connected SSB √ √ √ √ RMSI √ √ System message update OSI √ System message update Paging √ Only PDCCH is sent

[0110] As shown in Table 2, SSB has the functions of resident, initial access, switching and connected state, RMSI has the functions of resident, initial access and system message update in connected state, OSI has the function of system message update in initial access connected state, and Paging has the function of only sending PDCCH in resident and connected state. When the resident and initial access functions are separated from cell A, the sending opportunities of RMSI / OSI / Paging can be reduced, and even the above messages do not need to be sent.

[0111] Therefore, through the embodiments of the present application, the number of system broadcast messages sent can be reduced, and more downlink time slots can be reserved for symbol shutdown energy saving.

[0112] In addition, the resident and initial access functions can be carried by cell B (such as a coverage layer cell), and after the terminal device accesses cell B, it can access cell A with the assistance of cell B. It should be understood that assistance is mentioned many times in the embodiments of the present application, and assistance means that if cell A entering the energy-saving state wants to access the terminal device, it can access the terminal device to the cell A with the assistance of other cells (i.e., cell B, such as a coverage layer cell).

[0113] Optionally, cell A may enter an energy-saving state in any of the following situations: the load of the network equipment (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is less than a preset first threshold, or the number of users accessing cell A or the network equipment (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is less than a preset second threshold.

[0114] The preset first threshold and second threshold may be pre-defined, such as defined by a protocol, or may be configured by a network device; or may be empirical values ​​determined based on historical communication conditions.

[0115] Combine the following Fig. 9 and Fig.10 , introduces two possible processes applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0116] Fig. 9 A schematic flow chart of a communication method applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 900. The method 900 may include the following steps.

[0117] S901. Cell A enters energy-saving state.

[0118] In one example, cell A represents a cell in the capacity layer, and cell B represents a cell in the coverage layer. In another example, cell A is a cell in gNB TDD, and cell B is a cell in gNB FDD.

[0119] For the description of cell A and cell B, please refer to the description in method 800, which will not be repeated here.

[0120] For example, cell A may enter an energy-saving state in any of the following situations: the load of the network equipment (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is less than a preset first threshold, or the number of users accessing cell A or the network equipment (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is less than a preset second threshold.

[0121] The preset first threshold and second threshold may be pre-defined, such as defined by a protocol, or may be configured by a network device; or may be empirical values ​​determined based on historical communication conditions.

[0122] Optionally, after cell A enters the energy-saving state, it stops sending RMSI / OSI / Paging messages; and / or, after cell A enters the energy-saving state, it only sends SSB messages. When the resident and initial access functions are separated from cell A, the chances of sending RMSI / OSI / Paging can be reduced, and the above messages may not even need to be sent.

[0123] Therefore, through the embodiments of the present application, the number of system broadcast messages sent can be reduced, and more downlink time slots can be reserved for symbol shutdown energy saving.

[0124] Among them, the residence and initial access functions can be carried by cell B (such as a coverage layer cell). After the terminal device accesses cell B, it can access cell A with the assistance of cell B.

[0125] S902: The terminal device selects a cell.

[0126] For example, the terminal device selects a cell for access in an idle state. Cell A is in an energy-saving state, so the terminal device reads the SSB message of the network device where cell A is located and finds that cell A cannot be resident.

[0127] S903. The terminal device accesses cell B.

[0128] As mentioned above, cell A enters the energy-saving state. If a terminal device wants to access cell A, the terminal device can access cell A with the assistance of cell B.

[0129] S904. Cell B sends inter-frequency measurement indication information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the inter-frequency measurement indication information.

[0130] The terminal device can perform inter-frequency measurement according to the instruction of cell B.

[0131] S905. The terminal device performs inter-frequency measurement and sends the inter-frequency measurement result to cell B.

[0132] S906. Cell B sends switching information to the terminal device.

[0133] Cell B can determine whether the terminal device should switch to cell A based on the inter-frequency measurement results reported by the terminal device.

[0134] When cell B determines that the terminal device can be switched to cell A based on the inter-frequency measurement result reported by the terminal device, cell B can send a switching instruction to the terminal device, such as inter-frequency switching or adding a secondary carrier.

[0135] It should be understood that the above is only an exemplary description and is not intended to limit this. For example, cell B may also determine whether to send switching information to the terminal device according to the amount of data to be transmitted by the terminal device. For example, when the amount of data of the terminal device is greater than a preset threshold, cell B may send a switching indication to the terminal device, such as inter-frequency switching or adding an auxiliary carrier.

[0136] From the above, it can be seen that in an embodiment of the present application, if the terminal device wants to access cell A, it can obtain assistance from the service cell of the terminal device (i.e., cell B), such as receiving a switching instruction from cell B, and then accessing cell A according to the switching instruction from cell B.

[0137] S907. The terminal device switches to cell A.

[0138] For example, the terminal device may switch to cell A by activating the secondary carrier. That is, both cell A and cell B may provide services for the terminal device.

[0139] S908. Cell A exits the energy-saving state.

[0140] After receiving the terminal device, cell A may exit the energy-saving state. Alternatively, cell A may also determine whether to exit the energy-saving state based on the actual communication situation. For example, cell A may exit the energy-saving state in any of the following situations: the load of the network device (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is greater than the preset third threshold, or the number of users accessing cell A or the network device (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is greater than the preset fourth threshold.

[0141] The preset third threshold and fourth threshold may be pre-determined, such as defined by a protocol, or may be configured by a network device; or may be empirical values ​​determined based on historical communication conditions.

[0142] Optionally, after cell A exits the energy-saving state, it resumes sending RMSI / OSI / Paging messages, and the terminal device can access the cell.

[0143] In a low-load scenario, the SSB, SIB, and Paging message transmission of cell A occupies a large number of downlink transmission time slots, resulting in the base station being unable to save energy by symbol switching. Through the implementation of method 900, the SSB, SIB, and Paging message transmission of cell A can be turned off, and the symbol switching principle can be used to achieve collaborative energy saving in cooperation with cell B.

[0144] Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a communication method applicable to an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 1000. The method 1000 includes the following steps.

[0145] S1001. Cell A enters energy-saving state.

[0146] In one example, cell A represents a cell in the capacity layer, and cell B represents a cell in the coverage layer. In another example, cell A is a cell in gNB SA / NSA, and cell B is a cell in eNB.

[0147] For the description of cell A and cell B, please refer to the description in method 800, which will not be repeated here.

[0148] For example, cell A may enter an energy-saving state in any of the following situations: the load of the network equipment (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is less than a preset first threshold, or the number of users accessing cell A or the network equipment (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is less than a preset second threshold.

[0149] The preset first threshold and second threshold may be pre-defined, such as defined by a protocol, or may be configured by a network device; or may be empirical values ​​determined based on historical communication conditions.

[0150] Optionally, after cell A enters the energy-saving state, it stops sending RMSI / OSI / Paging messages; and / or, after cell A enters the energy-saving state, it only sends SSB messages. The SSB message cycle is lengthened and the beam is halved.

[0151] Among them, the residence and initial access functions can be carried by cell B (such as a coverage layer cell). After the terminal device accesses cell B, it can access cell A with the assistance of cell B.

[0152] S1002. The terminal device selects a cell.

[0153] For example, when the terminal device is in an idle state, it selects a cell to access, and cell A is in an energy-saving state. Therefore, after the terminal device reads the SSB message of the network device where cell A is located, it finds that cell A cannot be retained.

[0154] S1003. The terminal device accesses cell B.

[0155] As mentioned above, cell A enters the energy-saving state. If a terminal device wants to access cell A, the terminal device can access cell A with the assistance of cell B.

[0156] S1004. Cell B sends inter-system measurement indication information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the inter-system measurement indication information.

[0157] The terminal device can perform cross-system measurements according to the instructions of cell B.

[0158] S1005. The terminal device performs inter-system measurement and sends the inter-system measurement result to cell B.

[0159] S1006. Cell B sends switching information to the terminal device.

[0160] Cell B can determine whether the terminal device should switch to cell A based on the inter-system measurement results reported by the terminal device.

[0161] When cell B determines that the terminal device can be switched to cell A based on the inter-system measurement result reported by the terminal device, cell B can send a switching instruction to the terminal device, such as inter-system switching or adding an auxiliary station.

[0162] It should be understood that the above is only an exemplary description and is not limited to this. For example, cell B may also determine whether to send switching information to the terminal device according to the amount of data to be transmitted by the terminal device. For example, when the amount of data of the terminal device is greater than a preset threshold, cell B may send a switching indication to the terminal device, such as switching to a different system or adding an auxiliary station.

[0163] From the above, it can be seen that in an embodiment of the present application, if the terminal device wants to access cell A, it can obtain assistance from the service cell of the terminal device (i.e., cell B), such as receiving a switching instruction from cell B, and then accessing cell A according to the switching instruction from cell B.

[0164] S1007. The terminal device switches to cell A.

[0165] For example, the terminal device may switch to cell A by activating the secondary station. That is, both cell A and cell B may provide services for the terminal device.

[0166] S1008. Cell A exits the energy-saving state.

[0167] After receiving the terminal device, cell A may exit the energy-saving state. Alternatively, cell A may also determine whether to exit the energy-saving state based on the actual communication situation. For example, cell A may exit the energy-saving state in any of the following situations: the load of the network device (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is greater than the preset seventh threshold, or the number of users accessing cell A or the network device (such as a base station) to which cell A belongs is greater than the preset eighth threshold.

[0168] The preset seventh threshold and eighth threshold may be pre-specified, such as defined by a protocol, or may be configured by a network device; or may be empirical values ​​determined based on historical communication conditions.

[0169] Optionally, after cell A exits the energy-saving state, it resumes sending RMSI / OSI / Paging messages, and the terminal device can access the cell.

[0170] In a low-load scenario, the SSB, SIB, and Paging message transmissions of cell A occupy a large number of downlink transmission time slots, resulting in the base station being unable to save energy by symbol switching. By implementing method 1000, the SSB, SIB, and Paging message transmissions of cell A can be turned off, and the symbol switching principle can be used to achieve collaborative energy saving in cooperation with cell B.

[0171] The various embodiments described herein may be independent solutions or may be combined according to internal logic, and all of these solutions fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0172] It should be understood that each step in the above embodiments is only a possible implementation method, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit it. For example, there is no strict order between step 801 and step 802. For another example, there is no strict order between step 901 and step 902, or between step 1001 and step 1002.

[0173] It can be understood that in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the terminal device can also be implemented by components that can be used for the terminal device (such as chips or circuits), and the methods and operations implemented by the network device (such as cell A or the network device to which cell A belongs) can also be implemented by components that can be used for the network device (such as chips or circuits).

[0174] The above mainly introduces the scheme provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of various interactions. It can be understood that each network element, such as a transmitting device or a receiving device, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to each function in order to implement the above functions. Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this document, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of this application.

[0175] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the transmitting end device or the receiving end device according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of using each functional module divided according to each function to illustrate.

[0176] Above, combined Figures 8 to 10 The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. Figures 11 to 14 The device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment, so the contents not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiment above, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0177] Fig.11 1 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1100 includes a transceiver unit 1110 and a processing unit 1120. The transceiver unit 1110 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 1110 is used to perform data processing. The transceiver unit 1110 can also be called a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0178] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 1120 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the communication device implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0179] The communication device 1100 can be used to execute the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment. In this case, the communication device 1100 can be a terminal device or a component that can be configured in the terminal device. The transceiver unit 1110 is used to execute the transceiver-related operations on the terminal device side in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1120 is used to execute the processing-related operations on the terminal device side in the above method embodiment.

[0180] Alternatively, the communication device 1100 can be used to execute the actions performed by cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) in the above method embodiment. In this case, the communication device 1100 can be cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) or a component that can be configured in cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs), the transceiver unit 1110 is used to execute the transceiver-related operations on the cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) side in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1120 is used to execute the processing-related operations on the cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) side in the above method embodiment.

[0181] Alternatively, the communication device 1100 can be used to execute the actions performed by cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) and cell B (or the network device to which cell B belongs) in the above method embodiments, the transceiver unit 1110 is used to execute the transceiver-related operations on the cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) and cell B (or the network device to which cell B belongs) in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1120 is used to execute the processing-related operations on the cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) and cell B (or the network device to which cell B belongs) in the above method embodiments.

[0182] As a design, the communication device 1100 is used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment. In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1120 is used to enable the communication device 1100 to access a cell within the second frequency range; when the communication device 1100 needs to access a cell within the first frequency range, and the cell within the first frequency range is in an energy-saving state, the processing unit 1120 is used to enable the communication device 1100 to access the cell within the first frequency range based on the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range; wherein, when the cell within the first frequency range is in an energy-saving state, the cell within the first frequency range does not support the resident and initial access functions.

[0183] In one example, the transceiver unit 1110 is used to: receive a switching indication from a cell within the second frequency range, and the processing unit 1120 is used to switch to a cell within the first frequency range according to the switching indication.

[0184] The communication device 1100 can implement the steps or processes executed by the terminal device in the method 800, the method 900 and the method 1000 according to the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1100 may include a method for executing Figure 8 Method 800, Fig. 9 Method 900 and Fig.10 The units of the method performed by the terminal device in the method 1000 in the communication device 1100 are respectively for implementing Figure 8 Method 800, Fig. 9 Method 900 and Fig.10 The corresponding process of method 1000 in .

[0185] Wherein, when the communication device 1100 is used to execute Figure 8 When the method 800 is performed, the transceiver unit 1110 can be used to execute step S803 in the method 800, and the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute step S802 in the method 800.

[0186] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform Fig. 9 When the method 900 is performed, the transceiver unit 1110 can be used to execute steps S904-S906 in the method 900, and the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S902, S903, and S907 in the method 900.

[0187] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform Fig.10 When the method 1000 is performed, the transceiver unit 1110 can be used to execute steps S1004-S1006 in the method 1000, and the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S1002, S1003, and S1107 in the method 1000.

[0188] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0189] As another design, the communication device 1100 is used to execute the action performed by the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) in the above method embodiment. In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1120 is used to determine to enter the energy-saving state; when the terminal device needs to access the communication device 1100, the communication device 1100 assists the terminal device to access through the cell within the second frequency range.

[0190] As an example, after the communication device 1100 enters the energy-saving state, the communication device 1100 does not support the resident and initial access functions.

[0191] The communication device 1100 can implement the steps or processes executed by the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) in the methods 800, 900 and 1100 according to the embodiments of the present application. The communication device 1100 may include a method for executing Figure 8 Method 800, Fig. 9 Method 900 and Fig.10 The method 1000 in the method 1000 is performed by the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs). In addition, the units in the communication device 1100 and the above-mentioned other operations and / or functions are respectively implemented Figure 8 Method 800, Fig. 9 Method 900 and Fig.10 The corresponding process of method 1000 in .

[0192] Wherein, when the communication device 1100 is used to execute Figure 8 When the method 800 is performed, the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S801 and S803 in the method 800.

[0193] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform Fig. 9 When the method 900 is performed, the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S901, S907, and S908 in the method 900.

[0194] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform Fig.10 When the method 1000 is performed, the processing unit 1020 can be used to execute steps S1001, S1007, and S1008 in the method 1000.

[0195] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0196] As another design, the communication device 1100 is used to execute the actions performed by the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) and the cell B (or the network device to which the cell B belongs) in the above method embodiment. In a possible implementation, the processing unit 1120 is used to determine that the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) enters the energy-saving state; when the terminal device needs to access the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs), the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) assists the terminal device to access through the cell B (or the network device to which the cell B belongs).

[0197] In one example, the processing unit 1120 determines that the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) enters the energy-saving state, including: the cell A (or the network device to which the cell A belongs) does not support the resident and initial access functions.

[0198] In another example, the transceiver unit 1110 is used to: send a switching indication to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to switch to a cell within the first frequency range.

[0199] In another example, a cell in the second frequency range adds a cell in the first frequency range as a secondary cell or a secondary carrier.

[0200] Wherein, when the communication device 1100 is used to execute Figure 8 When the method 800 is performed, the transceiver unit 1110 can be used to execute step S803 in the method 800, and the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S801 and S802 in the method 1100.

[0201] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform Fig. 9 When the method 900 is performed, the transceiver unit 1110 can be used to execute steps S904-S906 in the method 900, and the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S901, S903, S907, and S908 in the method 900.

[0202] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform Fig.10 When the method 1000 is performed, the transceiver unit 1110 can be used to execute steps S1004-S1006 in the method 1100, and the processing unit 1120 can be used to execute steps S1001, S1003, S1007, and S1008 in the method 1000.

[0203] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0204] The processing unit 1120 in the above embodiment may be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuit. The transceiver unit 1110 may be implemented by a transceiver or a transceiver-related circuit. The transceiver unit 1110 may also be referred to as a communication unit or a communication interface. The storage unit may be implemented by at least one memory.

[0205] like Fig.12 As shown, the embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1200. The communication device 1200 includes a processor 1210, the processor 1210 is coupled to a memory 1220, the memory 1220 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, and the processor 1210 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 1220, so that the method in the above method embodiment is executed.

[0206] Optionally, the communication device 1200 includes one or more processors 1210.

[0207] Alternatively, if Fig.12 As shown, the communication device 1200 may further include a memory 1220 .

[0208] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may include one or more memories 1220 .

[0209] Optionally, the memory 1220 may be integrated with the processor 1210 or provided separately.

[0210] Alternatively, if Fig.12 As shown, the communication device 1200 may further include a transceiver 1230, and the transceiver 1230 is used for receiving and / or sending signals. For example, the processor 1210 is used to control the transceiver 1230 to receive and / or send signals.

[0211] As a solution, the communication device 1200 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0212] For example, the processor 1210 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver 1230 is used to implement the sending and receiving-related operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0213] As another solution, the communication device 1200 is used to implement the operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0214] For example, the processor 1210 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver 1230 is used to implement the sending and receiving-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0215] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1300, which can be a terminal device or a chip. The communication device 1300 can be used to execute the operations executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0216] When the communication device 1300 is a terminal device, Fig.13 FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device. Fig.13As shown, the terminal device includes a processor, a memory, a radio frequency circuit, an antenna, and an input-output device. The processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as to control the terminal device, execute software programs, process software program data, etc. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and processing of radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used to send and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input-output devices, such as touch screens, display screens, keyboards, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by users and output data to users. It should be noted that some types of terminal devices may not have input-output devices.

[0217] When data needs to be sent, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit performs RF processing on the baseband signal and then sends the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data. For ease of explanation, Fig.13 Only one memory and processor are shown in the figure. In an actual terminal device product, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device. The memory may be set independently of the processor or integrated with the processor, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0218] In the embodiment of the present application, the antenna and the radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit of the terminal device, and the processor with processing function can be regarded as the processing unit of the terminal device.

[0219] like Fig.13 As shown, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit 1310 and a processing unit 1320. The transceiver unit 1310 may also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. The processing unit 1320 may also be referred to as a processor, a processing board, a processing module, a processing device, etc.

[0220] Optionally, the device used to implement the receiving function in the transceiver unit 1310 may be regarded as a receiving unit, and the device used to implement the sending function in the transceiver unit 1310 may be regarded as a sending unit, that is, the transceiver unit 1310 includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The transceiver unit may sometimes be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit. The receiving unit may sometimes be referred to as a receiver, a receiver, or a receiving circuit. The sending unit may sometimes be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit.

[0221] For example, in one implementation, the processing unit 1320 is used to execute Figure 8For example, the processing unit 1320 is used to perform Figure 8 The processing steps in step S802 in the above; the transceiver unit 1310 is used to execute Figure 8 The sending and receiving operations in step S803.

[0222] For example, in one implementation, the processing unit 1320 is used to execute Fig. 9 The processing steps in steps S902, S903, and S907 in the above embodiment; the transceiver unit 1310 is used to execute Fig. 9 The sending and receiving operations in steps S904-S906.

[0223] For example, in one implementation, the processing unit 1320 is used to execute Fig.10 The processing steps in steps S1002, S1003, and S1007 in the above embodiment; the transceiver unit 1310 is used to execute Fig.11 The sending and receiving operations in steps S1004-S1006.

[0224] It should be understood that Fig.13 This is only an example and not a limitation. The terminal device including the transceiver unit and the processing unit may not rely on Fig.13 The structure shown.

[0225] When the communication device 1300 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, wherein the transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be a processor or a microprocessor or an integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0226] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1400, which can be a network device (cell A (or the network device to which cell A belongs) or cell B (or the network device to which cell B belongs)) or a chip. The communication device 1400 can be used to perform the operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0227] When the communication device 1400 is a network device, for example, it is a base station. Fig.14 A simplified schematic diagram of a base station architecture is shown. The base station includes a portion 1410 and a portion 1420. The portion 1410 is mainly used for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals; the portion 1420 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the base station, etc. The portion 1410 can generally be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, etc. The portion 1420 is generally the control center of the base station, and can generally be referred to as a processing unit, which is used to control the base station to perform the processing operations on the network device side in the above method embodiment.

[0228] The transceiver unit of part 1410 may also be referred to as a transceiver or a transceiver, etc., and includes an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, wherein the radio frequency circuit is mainly used for radio frequency processing. Optionally, the device used to implement the receiving function in part 1410 may be regarded as a receiving unit, and the device used to implement the sending function may be regarded as a sending unit, that is, part 1410 includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, a receiver, or a receiving circuit, etc., and the sending unit may be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0229] Part 1420 may include one or more boards, each of which may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor is used to read and execute programs in the memory to implement baseband processing functions and control of the base station. If there are multiple boards, each board can be interconnected to enhance processing capabilities. As an optional implementation, multiple boards may share one or more processors, or multiple boards may share one or more memories, or multiple boards may share one or more processors at the same time.

[0230] For example, in one implementation, the transceiver unit of part 1410 is used to execute Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, the steps related to sending and receiving are performed by the network device; part 1420 is used to perform Figure 8 The illustrated embodiment relates to processing steps performed by a network device.

[0231] For example, in another implementation, the transceiver unit of part 1410 is used to execute Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown, the steps related to sending and receiving are performed by the network device; part 1420 is used to perform Fig. 9 The illustrated embodiment relates to processing steps performed by a network device.

[0232] For example, in another implementation, the transceiver unit of part 1410 is used to execute Fig.10 In the embodiment shown, the steps related to sending and receiving are performed by the network device; part 1420 is used to perform Fig.10 The illustrated embodiment relates to processing steps performed by a network device.

[0233] It should be understood that Fig.14 This is only an example and not a limitation. The network device including the transceiver unit and the processing unit may not rely on Fig.14 The structure shown.

[0234] When the communication device 1400 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, wherein the transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be a processor or a microprocessor or an integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0235] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions for implementing the method executed by a terminal device or a method executed by a network device in the above method embodiment are stored.

[0236] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method executed by the terminal device or the method executed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0237] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to implement the method executed by a terminal device or a method executed by a network device in the above method embodiment.

[0238] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes the network device and the terminal device in the above embodiment.

[0239] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity of description, the explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects in any of the communication devices provided above can refer to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] In an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device or a network device may include a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. Among them, the hardware layer may include hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and a memory (also called main memory). The operating system of the operating system layer may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as Linux operating system, Unix operating system, Android operating system, iOS operating system, or Windows operating system. The application layer may include applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software.

[0241] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, as long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application may be a terminal device or a network device, or a functional module in the terminal device or the network device that can call and execute a program.

[0242] Various aspects or features of the present application may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein may encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or media.

[0243] The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more available media. Available media (or computer-readable media) may include, but are not limited to: magnetic media or magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks (such as mobile hard disks), magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., optical disks, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), cards, sticks or key drives, etc.), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid state disks (SSDs), etc.), USB flash drives, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), and other media that can store program codes.

[0244] The various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0245] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0246] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM may include the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0247] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0248] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0249] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the above units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0250] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to implement the solution provided by this application.

[0251] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0252] In the above embodiments, all or part of them may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof.

[0253] When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loading and executing computer program instructions on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network or other programmable devices. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instruction can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from a computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instruction can be transmitted from a website site, a computer, a server or a data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. About computer-readable storage medium, it can be described with reference to the above.

[0254] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims and the specification.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: When the load of the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs is less than a preset first threshold, or, When the number of users of the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs is less than a preset second threshold, the cell within the first frequency range determines to enter a power saving state; When the terminal device needs to access a cell within the first frequency range, the cell within the second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range so that the terminal device accesses; After the cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, it stops sending the remaining minimum system information, paging information or other system information; and / or, after the cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, it only sends SSB messages.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, including: The cells within the first frequency range do not support the camping and initial access functions.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The cell within the second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range so that the terminal device accesses the cell, including: The cell within the second frequency range sends a switching indication to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to switch to the cell within the first frequency range.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The cell within the second frequency range assists the cell within the first frequency range so that the terminal device accesses the cell, including: The cell within the second frequency range is added with the cell within the first frequency range as a secondary cell or a secondary carrier.

5. A communication method, characterized in that: include: When the load of the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs is less than a preset first threshold, or, When the number of users of the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs is less than a preset second threshold, the cell within the first frequency range determines to enter a power saving state; When a terminal device needs to access a cell within the first frequency range, the cell within the first frequency range assists the terminal device in accessing the cell through the cell within the second frequency range; After the cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, it stops sending the remaining minimum system information, paging information or other system information; and / or, after the cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, it only sends SSB messages.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, including: The cells within the first frequency range do not support the camping and initial access functions.

7. A communication method, characterized in that: include: When the load of the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs is less than a preset first threshold, or, When the number of users of the network device to which the cell within the first frequency range belongs is less than a preset second threshold, the cell within the first frequency range determines to enter a power saving state; The terminal device accesses a cell within the second frequency range; When the terminal device needs to access a cell within the first frequency range and the cell within the first frequency range is in an energy-saving state, the terminal device accesses the cell within the first frequency range according to the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range; Wherein, when the cell within the first frequency range is in an energy-saving state, the cell within the first frequency range does not support a resident and initial access function; After the cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, it stops sending the remaining minimum system information, paging information or other system information; and / or, after the cell within the first frequency range enters the energy-saving state, it only sends SSB messages.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The terminal device accesses the cell within the first frequency range according to the assistance of the cell within the second frequency range, including: The terminal device receives a switching indication from a cell within the second frequency range, and according to the switching indication, the terminal device switches to a cell within the first frequency range.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: include: Memory, for storing computer instructions; A processor, configured to execute computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A computer program is stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that When the instructions are executed by a computer, the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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