A method and device for monitoring a signal

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a method and device for monitoring signals, which relate to the field of communications, and are used to determine whether the timing for monitoring a power saving signal is in the active time, so as to determine whether a terminal device needs to monitor the power saving signal at the corresponding timing. The method is as follows: if the terminal device determines that the terminal device is not in the active period of DRX in the second time unit based on a message received or sent in the first time unit, the terminal device monitors the power saving signal in the second time unit; the terminal device determines whether to monitor PDCCH in the first time interval based on the power saving signal; wherein the first time unit is located before the second time unit, and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The embodiments of the present application are applied to mobile communication systems such as 5G NR.

Description

[0001] This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on September 29, 2019, with application number 201910933384.5 and application name “A method and device for monitoring signals”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a method and device for monitoring signals. Background Art

[0003] In the long term evolution (LTE) and fifth generation (5 th In the new radio (NR) of the 5G generation mobile communication system, a discontinuous reception cycle (DRX cycle) is defined. Figure 1As shown, the DRX cycle consists of "On Duration" and "Opportunity for DRX". Among them, On Duration can be called the start duration, and Opportunity for DRX can be called the DRX opportunity. At the start time of On Duration (or the start time of DRX Cycle), the DRX on duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer, also called onDurationTimer) can be started. The duration of drx-onDurationTimer is the duration of OnDuration. The terminal device can be in the awake state during the operation of drx-onDurationTimer, that is, monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). When the drx-onDurationTimer times out, it means that the "on Duration" time is over. At this time, the terminal device can enter the "Opportunity for DRX" time. During the "Opportunity for DRX" period, the terminal device is in a dormant period (sleep state) and does not receive PDCCH to reduce power consumption. However, if the terminal device receives a PDCCH that schedules a new transmission during the drx-onDurationTimer period, the terminal device may start (or restart) the inactivity timer (drx-InactivityTimer) because the terminal device is likely to continue to be scheduled by the base station in the following period. The terminal device may continue to monitor the PDCCH during the drx-InactivityTimer period until the drx-InactivityTimer times out. In general, during the drx-onDurationTimer and / or drx-InactivityTimer period, the terminal device may be considered to be in an active time, i.e., it is necessary to monitor the PDCCH.

[0004] In order to further achieve the purpose of saving power, a method based on power saving signal / power saving signal is proposed in the standardization discussion of NR release 16 (Rel-16): Figure 2 As shown, before the DRX cycle starts (i.e. before OnDuration), the network device can send a power saving signal to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to enter a sleep state within one or more DRX cycles. Of course, the terminal device in the sleep state can also be awakened by the power saving signal.

[0005] Usually, the time (opportunity) to monitor the power saving signal is before the On Duration, but if the terminal device is still in the active time, for example, the drx-InactivityTimer is still running, the terminal device does not need to monitor (listen) the power saving signal to save power. Therefore, how to determine whether the terminal device is in the active time, and thus determine whether it is necessary to monitor the power saving signal, becomes an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a method and apparatus for monitoring signals, which are used to determine whether a terminal device is in active time, thereby determining whether it is necessary to monitor a power saving signal.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for monitoring a signal, comprising: if the terminal device determines, based on a message received or sent in a first time unit, that the terminal device is not in an activation period of DRX in a second time unit, the terminal device monitors a power saving signal in the second time unit; the terminal device determines, based on the power saving signal, whether to monitor PDCCH within a first time interval; wherein the first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0008] Based on the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can determine whether the second time unit (the timing for monitoring the power saving signal) is in the activation period based on the message received or sent in the first time unit. If it is determined that the terminal device is not in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, the terminal device needs to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit, thereby solving the problems in the prior art.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, if the terminal device determines that the terminal device is not in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, it specifically includes: if the first condition is met, the terminal device is not in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit, and the first condition includes at least one of the following: the terminal device receives a DRX-related medium access control control element (MAC CE) in the first time unit; or, the terminal device does not receive an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit; or, the terminal device does not send a scheduling request (scheduling request, SR) in the first time unit.

[0010] Based on the above conditions, the terminal device can accurately determine whether it is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, eliminating the ambiguity period of short-time alignment between the network device side and the terminal device side, so that the terminal device can accurately judge whether it needs to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit.

[0011] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for monitoring signals, comprising: if the terminal device determines that the terminal device is in a DRX activation period in a second time unit based on a message received or sent in a first time unit, the terminal device does not monitor a power saving signal in the second time unit, and the power saving signal is used to indicate whether the terminal device monitors PDCCH within a first time interval; wherein the first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0012] Based on the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can determine whether the second time unit (the timing for monitoring the power saving signal) is in the activation period based on the message received or sent in the first time unit. If it is determined that the terminal device is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, the terminal device does not need to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit, thereby saving the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0013] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, if the terminal device determines that the terminal device is in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, it specifically includes: if the second condition is met, the terminal device is in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit, and the second condition includes at least one of the following: the terminal device has not received the DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit; or, the terminal device receives the uplink authorization or the downlink allocation in the first time unit; or, the terminal device sends the SR in the first time unit.

[0014] Based on the above conditions, the terminal device can accurately determine whether it is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, eliminating the ambiguity period of short-time alignment between the network device side and the terminal device side, so that the terminal device can accurately judge whether it needs to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device starts a duration timer corresponding to a next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the first aspect and the second aspect, the second time unit is one of N (discrete) time units configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, or the second time unit is a time unit in a (continuous) time interval configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect and the second aspect, the unit of the third time unit is milliseconds, and M is any integer from 1 to 7.

[0018] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for transmitting a signal, including: a network device sends or receives a message in a first time unit, the message sent by the network device includes a DRX-related MAC CE, at least one of an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation, and the message received by the network device includes an SR.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, comprising: a processing unit, for monitoring a power consumption saving signal in the second time unit if it is determined that the terminal device is not in an activation period of DRX in a second time unit based on a message received or sent by a transceiver unit in a first time unit; the processing unit is further used to determine whether to monitor PDCCH within a first time interval based on the power consumption saving signal; wherein the first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0020] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the processing unit is used to: if a first condition is met, determine that the terminal device is not in a DRX activation period in a second time unit, and the first condition includes at least one of the following: a DRX-related MAC CE is received through the transceiver unit in the first time unit; or, an uplink authorization or downlink allocation is not received through the transceiver unit in the first time unit; or, an SR is not sent through the transceiver unit in the first time unit.

[0021] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, comprising: a processing unit, for determining that the terminal device is in an activation period of DRX in a second time unit based on a message received or sent by a transceiver unit in a first time unit, and not monitoring a power saving signal in the second time unit, wherein the power saving signal is used to indicate whether the terminal device monitors PDCCH within a first time interval; wherein the first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0022] In a possible implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is used to: if a second condition is met, determine that the terminal device is in a DRX activation period in a second time unit, and the second condition includes at least one of the following: the DRX-related MAC CE is not received through the transceiver unit in the first time unit; or, the uplink authorization or the downlink allocation is received through the transceiver unit in the first time unit; or, the SR is sent through the transceiver unit in the first time unit.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is further used to: start a duration timer corresponding to a next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located.

[0024] In a possible implementation of the fourth and fifth aspects, the second time unit is one of N time units configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, or the second time unit is a time unit in a time interval configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal.

[0025] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect and the fifth aspect, the unit of the third time unit is milliseconds, and M is any integer from 1 to 7.

[0026] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network device, including: a transceiver unit, used to send or receive a message in a first time unit; wherein the sent message includes a DRX-related MAC CE, at least one of an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation, and the received message includes an SR.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the methods provided in any one of the above aspects.

[0028] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the methods provided in any one of the above aspects.

[0029] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing any of the methods provided in any of the above aspects. The chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0030] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device, which may be a terminal device or a network device or a chip. The device includes a processor for implementing any one of the methods provided in any of the above aspects. The communication device may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data, and the memory may be a memory integrated in the device, or an off-chip memory provided outside the device. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor may call and execute program instructions stored in the memory to implement any one of the methods provided in any of the above aspects. The communication device may also include a communication interface, which is used for the device to communicate with other devices.

[0031] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a system, which includes the terminal device in the fourth aspect or the fifth aspect, and the network device in the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a DRX cycle in the prior art;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of sending a power saving signal in the prior art;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an architecture of a method for monitoring signals provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 A signal interaction diagram of a method for monitoring signals provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of another terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the description of the following embodiments clear and concise, a brief introduction to the relevant concepts or technologies is first given:

[0041] DRX cycle: Figure 1As shown, a DRX cycle includes On Duration and Opportunity for DRX. The drx-onDurationTimer can be started at the start time of On Duration, and when the drx-onDurationTimer times out, it means that the "on Duration" time is over. If during the operation of drx-onDurationTimer, the terminal device (for example, user equipment (UE)) receives a PDCCH that schedules the initial transmission (new transmission) of uplink (uplink, UL) or downlink (downlink, DL), the UE can start (or restart) drx-InactivityTimer, and the duration of drx-InactivityTimer includes a duration after the UE receives the initial transmission PDCCH, for example, it can be a duration after the subframe where the initial transmission PDCCH is located, or it can be a duration after the PDCCH opportunity where the PDCCH is located. Among them, the PDCCH opportunity is a period of time (for example, one or more symbols) used by the terminal device to monitor the PDCCH, and the PDCCH opportunity can also be called a PDCCH monitoring opportunity. The UE may continue to monitor the PDCCH during the drx-InactivityTimer until the drx-InactivityTimer expires.

[0042] In addition, for the uplink and downlink HARQ processes, the system defines a time window respectively, allowing the UE to start monitoring the uplink or downlink PDCCH after the time window starts from the last uplink or downlink transmission. The time window can be implemented by a timer. Each uplink HARQ process and each downlink HARQ process can correspond to a timer. For example, the timer corresponding to the downlink HARQ process is HARQ RTT Timer or drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL, and the timer corresponding to the uplink HARQ process is UL HARQ RTT Timer or drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL. Among them, RTT is the abbreviation of round trip time.

[0043] For the uplink HARQ process, when the corresponding timer times out, the corresponding uplink retransmission timer (drx-RetransmissionTimerUL, also referred to as drx-ULRetransmissionTimer) is started. For the downlink HARQ process, when the corresponding timer times out, the corresponding downlink retransmission timer (drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, also referred to as drx-RetransmissionTimer) is started. When drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or drx-RetransmissionTimerDL is running, the UE can monitor the PDCCH.

[0044] When the DRX cycle is configured, the UE can wake up to monitor the PDCCH during the active period (Active time); otherwise, the UE does not need to monitor the PDCCH, that is, the UE can sleep, and the power consumption of the UE in the "sleep period" is lower than the power consumption in the DRX "active period". Among them, whether the terminal device is in the active period can be determined based on at least one of the following conditions:

[0045] 1) The activation period includes at least one of the following timers that is running: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or contention resolution timer (ra-ContentionResolutionTimer or mac-ContentionResolutionTimer). Among them, the contention resolution timer can be used to determine the length of time that the terminal device monitors the PDCCH used to indicate message 4 after sending message 3 during the random access process.

[0046] 2) During the time period when the SR is sent and is pending, the terminal device is in the active period. When an SR is triggered, the SR is pending until it is canceled. The time period when the SR is pending is the time period between the time when the SR is sent and the time when the SR is canceled.

[0047] 3) The terminal device is in an active period during a period of time during which the terminal device has not received a PDCCH indicating a new transmission after successfully receiving a random access response (RAR), wherein the PDCCH is scrambled by the C-RNTI and the RAR is not the RAR of the random access preamble selected by the UE from the contention-based random access preamble.

[0048] It should be noted that in other functions outside the DRX mechanism, it may be required that the UE be in "activation time" or "sleep time" in certain cases. These functional limitations do not conflict with the DRX mechanism, but are a union relationship. Therefore, whether the UE is actually in "activation time" or "sleep time" needs to be determined from the overall functions of the UE, and this application does not make specific limitations.

[0049] In addition, in a set of DRX configurations, the base station can configure two cycles for the UE, namely a short DRX cycle (shortDRX) and a long DRX cycle (long DRX), with different cycle lengths, and the UE can switch between the two cycles. Among them, the cycle length of the short DRX cycle ranges from 2ms to 640ms, and the cycle length of the long DRX cycle ranges from 10ms to 10240ms. The long DRX cycle must be configured by default, and the short DRX cycle is an optional configuration. If the UE is configured with a short DRX cycle, the UE can turn on the drx-ShortCycleTimer at the beginning of the short DRX cycle. When the drx-ShortCycleTimer times out, the terminal device can implicitly convert to a long DRX cycle. Among them, the length of the drx-ShortCycleTimer is the duration of the short DRX cycle.

[0050] Power saving signal: also known as power saving signal, or wake up signal (WUS) or PDCCH-WUS, hereinafter collectively referred to as power saving signal. The power saving signal may be carried in physical downlink control information (DCI).

[0051] The indication method of the power saving signal can be: (1) as a wake-up signal: if the terminal device receives the power saving signal, it needs to wake up; if it does not receive the power saving signal, it can sleep by default; (2) clearly indicate whether the terminal device needs to wake up or go into sleep in the subsequent state, for example, clearly indicate that the terminal device is in sleep state within one or more DRX cycles (or, within the On Duration time of one or more DRX cycles), that is, do not monitor PDCCH within one or more DRX cycles (or, within the On Duration time of one or more DRX cycles) to save the power consumption of the terminal device, or clearly indicate that the terminal device monitors PDCCH within one or more DRX cycles to wake up the terminal device in sleep state.

[0052] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various wireless communication systems such as LTE systems, 5G NR systems, and next-generation wireless local area network systems.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to a signal transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system may include a network device 100 (such as a base station) and one or more terminal devices 200 (such as a base station) connected to the network device 100. Figure 3 Only one is shown). The terminal device 200 may receive a message sent by the network device 100 in the first time unit or send a message to the network device 100. If the terminal device 200 determines that the terminal device 200 is not in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, the terminal device 200 monitors the power saving signal in the second time unit; and determines whether to monitor the PDCCH in the first time interval based on the power saving signal. The first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0054] The technical scheme in the embodiment of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present application. Wherein, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "a plurality of" refers to two or more than two. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical scheme of the embodiment of the present application, in the embodiment of the present application, the words "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that the words "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words "first", "second" and the like do not limit necessarily different.

[0055] For ease of understanding, the method for monitoring signals provided in an embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for monitoring a signal, comprising:

[0057] 401. Optionally, the network device sends a message to the terminal device and / or receives a message sent by the terminal device in the first time unit.

[0058] The message sent by the network device may include at least one of DRX-related MAC CE, uplink grants or downlink assignments, and the message sent by the terminal device may be SR.

[0059] Among them, the DRX-related MAC CE can be a DRX Command MAC CE or a Long DRX Command MAC CE. When the terminal device receives the DRX Command MAC CE or the Long DRX Command MAC CE, the terminal device needs to stop the drx-onDurationTimer and the drx-InactivityTimer. In addition, when the terminal device receives the DRX Command MAC CE, if the current terminal device is configured with a short DRX cycle, the terminal device needs to use the short DRX cycle. If the current terminal device is not configured with a short DRX cycle, the terminal device uses the long DRX cycle. When the terminal device receives the Long DRX Command MAC CE, the terminal device needs to stop the drx-ShortCycleTimer and use the long DRX cycle.

[0060] Among them, uplink authorization or downlink allocation can be carried in DCI. If the DCI indicates a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) for transmitting uplink data, then the DCI is a DCI carrying uplink authorization, and if the DCI indicates a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for transmitting downlink data, then the DCI is a DCI carrying downlink allocation.

[0061] 402. The terminal device determines whether the terminal device is in an activation period of DRX in a second time unit based on a message received or sent in a first time unit.

[0062] The message received by the terminal device may include at least one of a DRX-related MAC CE, an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation. The message sent by the terminal device may be an SR.

[0063] It should be noted that the first time unit is located before the second time unit, and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Among them, the M third time units may represent the time interval between the end time of the first time unit and the start time of the second time unit, or the time interval between the start time of the first time unit and the start time of the second time unit, or the time interval between the end time of the first time unit and the end time of the second time unit, and this application does not limit this.

[0064] The first time unit may include one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or radio frames; or, the first time unit may include a period of (absolute) time, such as 1 millisecond (ms), that is, the unit of the first time unit is ms. Similarly, the second time unit may include one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or frames; or, the second time unit may include a period of (absolute) time, such as 2ms. Each of the M third time units may include one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or frames; or, the third time unit may include a period of (absolute) time, such as 4ms.

[0065] Exemplarily, assuming that the second time unit is symbol n, the unit of the third time unit is milliseconds, and the first time unit may be an absolute time (a time interval) of M milliseconds before symbol n, where M may be any integer from 1 to 7. For example, if M=4, the first time unit is located before symbol n and is 4ms apart from symbol n, that is, the first time unit is located 4ms before symbol n.

[0066] In a possible design, the second time unit may be one of N (discrete) time units (opportunities) configured by the network device for monitoring power saving signals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, or the second time unit is a time unit in a time interval (including multiple consecutive time units) configured by the network device for monitoring power saving signals. The second time unit is usually located before OnDuration.

[0067] If the terminal device determines that the terminal device is not in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, the terminal device executes steps 403 and 404; if the terminal device determines that the terminal device is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, the terminal device executes step 405.

[0068] 403. If the terminal device determines, based on a message received or sent in the first time unit, that the terminal device is not in an activation period of DRX in the second time unit, the terminal device monitors a power saving signal in the second time unit.

[0069] In some embodiments, if the first condition is met, the terminal device is not in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, and the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0070] 1) The terminal device receives the DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit.

[0071] When the terminal device receives the DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit, it can stop onDurationTimer and drx-InactivityTimer. This is because when the base station finds that there is no data to be transmitted, it can send a DRXCommand MAC CE to notify the terminal device to enter the sleep period immediately, thereby achieving the purpose of saving more power. Since the second time unit is after the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is also in the sleep period in the second time unit, that is, not in the active period.

[0072] 2) The terminal device does not receive an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit.

[0073] If the terminal device receives an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation, since the terminal device is likely to continue to be scheduled by the base station in the following time, the terminal device can start (or restart) the drx-InactivityTimer to send the corresponding uplink data or receive the corresponding downlink data, that is, the terminal device is in the activation period in the first time unit; if the terminal device does not receive the uplink authorization or the downlink allocation in the first time unit, the terminal device does not need to start (or restart) the drx-InactivityTimer, and it can be considered that the terminal device is not in the activation period in the first time unit. Since the second time unit is located after the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is not in the activation period in the second time unit.

[0074] 3) The terminal device does not send an SR in the first time unit.

[0075] When a terminal device needs to perform uplink transmission to a base station, it can send an SR to the base station. The SR is used to request the base station to allocate uplink transmission resources to the terminal device. After receiving the SR sent by the terminal device, the base station can configure specific frequency domain resources for the terminal device to send uplink data. Since the terminal device will be scheduled by the base station in the following time, the terminal device needs to be in an active period and monitor the PDCCH in order to send the corresponding uplink data. If the terminal device does not send an SR in the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is not in an active period in the first time unit. Since the second time unit is located after the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is not in an active period in the second time unit.

[0076] It should be noted that the first condition may also include other situations, for example, the terminal device does not initiate a random access channel (RACH) process in the first time unit (for example, does not send a preamble or MsgA), or the terminal device does not receive a RAR in the first time unit, etc. This application does not make specific limitations.

[0077] It should be noted that, for the following multiple situations, the terminal device determines whether the terminal device is in the activation period in the second time unit based on the latest situation: 1. The terminal device receives a DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit; 2. The terminal device receives an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit; 3. The terminal device sends an SR in the first time unit; 4. The terminal device initiates a RACH process in the first time unit; 5. The terminal device receives a RAR in the first time unit. Of course, other situations for determining whether the terminal device is in the activation period in the second time unit may also be included, and this application does not limit this.

[0078] For example, if the terminal device receives an uplink authorization or downlink allocation at the first moment in the first time unit, and receives a DRX-related MAC CE at the second moment in the first time unit, and the second moment is later than the first moment, the terminal device determines that it is not in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the fact that the DRX-related MAC CE is received. For another example, if the terminal device receives a DRX-related MAC CE at the third moment in the first time unit, and sends an SR at the fourth moment in the first time unit, and the fourth moment is later than the third moment, the terminal device determines that it is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the fact that the SR is sent.

[0079] In this way, the terminal device can accurately determine whether it is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, eliminating the ambiguity period of short-time alignment between the network device side and the terminal device side, so that the terminal device can accurately judge whether it needs to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit.

[0080] If the terminal device determines that it is not in the active period of DRX in the second time unit, the terminal device can monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit. For example, assuming that the second time unit is symbol n, the unit of the third time unit is ms, and the second time unit is 4 ms apart from the first time unit, then for the current symbol n, considering the grant / assignments / (normal) DRX Command MAC CE / Long DRX Command MAC CE received by the terminal device 4 ms before symbol n or the SR sent, if the terminal device (MAC entity) is not in the active period, the terminal device monitors the power saving signal in the second time unit (i.e., in current symbol n, if the MAC entity would not be in Active Time considering grants / assignments / DRXCommand MAC CE received and Scheduling Request sent until 4 ms prior to symbol n when evaluating all DRX Active Time conditions as specified in this clause, monitoring power saving signal in the specific monitoring occasion(s)).

[0081] If the terminal device detects the power saving signal in the second time unit, step 404 may be executed:

[0082] 404. The terminal device determines whether to monitor the PDCCH within the first time interval according to the power saving signal.

[0083] The first time interval may include one or more DRX cycles (one or more On Duration times). The power saving signal may indicate whether the terminal device monitors the PDCCH in one or more DRX cycles (one or more On Duration times) after the DRX cycle where the second time unit is located.

[0084] Exemplarily, if the power saving signal indicates that the terminal device is in an awake state within a DRX cycle after the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located (or within an On Duration time), the terminal device starts a duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer) corresponding to the next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located, so as to monitor the PDCCH within the DRX cycle (or within the On Duration time of the DRX cycle). If the power saving signal indicates that the terminal device is in a sleep state within a DRX cycle after the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located, the terminal device does not start the duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer) corresponding to the next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located, and the terminal device may not monitor the PDCCH to save power consumption.

[0085] 405. If the terminal device determines that the terminal device is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, the terminal device does not monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit.

[0086] In some embodiments, if the second condition is met, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, and the second condition includes at least one of the following:

[0087] 1) The terminal device does not receive the DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit.

[0088] When the terminal device receives a DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit, onDurationTimer and drx-InactivityTimer may be stopped. If the terminal device does not receive a DRX-related MAC CE, onDurationTimer and / or drx-InactivityTimer may continue to run, that is, the terminal device is in the active period in the first time unit. Since the second time unit is after the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is also in the active period in the second time unit.

[0089] 2) The terminal device receives an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit.

[0090] If the terminal device receives an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit, since the terminal device is likely to continue to be scheduled by the base station in the following time, the terminal device can start (or restart) the drx-InactivityTimer to send the corresponding uplink data or receive the corresponding downlink data, that is, the terminal device is in the activation period in the first time unit. Since the second time unit is after the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is also in the activation period in the second time unit.

[0091] 3) The terminal device sends the SR in the first time unit.

[0092] After the terminal device sends an SR to the base station, since the terminal device will be scheduled by the base station in the following period, the terminal device needs to be in an activation period and monitor the PDCCH in order to send the corresponding uplink data. That is, the terminal device is in an activation period in the first time unit. Since the second time unit is after the first time unit, it can be considered that the terminal device is also in an activation period in the second time unit.

[0093] It should be noted that the second condition may also include other situations, for example, the terminal device initiates the RACH process in the first time unit (for example, sends a preamble or MsgA), or the terminal device receives the RAR in the first time unit, etc. This application does not make specific limitations.

[0094] It should be noted that, for the following multiple situations, the terminal device determines whether the terminal device is in the activation period in the second time unit based on the latest situation: 1. The terminal device receives a DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit; 2. The terminal device receives an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit; 3. The terminal device sends an SR in the first time unit; 4. The terminal device initiates a RACH process in the first time unit; 5. The terminal device receives a RAR in the first time unit. Of course, other situations for determining whether the terminal device is in the activation period in the second time unit may also be included, and this application does not limit this.

[0095] For example, if the terminal device receives an uplink authorization or downlink allocation at the first moment in the first time unit, and receives a DRX-related MAC CE at the second moment in the first time unit, and the second moment is later than the first moment, the terminal device determines that it is not in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the fact that the DRX-related MAC CE is received. For another example, if the terminal device receives a DRX-related MAC CE at the third moment in the first time unit, and sends an SR at the fourth moment in the first time unit, and the fourth moment is later than the third moment, the terminal device determines that it is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit based on the fact that the SR is sent.

[0096] In this way, the terminal device can accurately determine whether it is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, eliminating the ambiguity period of short-time alignment between the network device side and the terminal device side. The terminal device can accurately judge whether it needs to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit.

[0097] If the terminal device determines that it is in the active period of DRX in the second time unit, the terminal device does not need to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit. For example, assuming that the second time unit is symbol n, the unit of the third time unit is ms, and the second time unit is 4 ms apart from the first time unit, then for the current symbol n, considering the grant / assignments / (normal) DRX Command MAC CE / Long DRX Command MAC CE received by the terminal device 4 ms before symbol n or the SR sent, if the terminal device (its MAC entity) is in the active period, the terminal device does not monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit (that is, in current symbol n, if the MAC entity would be in Active Time considering grants / assignments / DRX Command MAC CE / Long DRX Command MAC CE received and Scheduling Request sent until 4 ms prior to symbol n when evaluating all DRX Active Time conditions as specified in this clause, not monitoring PDCCH-WUS in the specific monitoring occasion(s)).

[0098] Furthermore, the terminal device may start a duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer) corresponding to the next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located, so as to be in an awake state within the next onDuration, ie, monitor the PDCCH.

[0099] It should be noted that there is no necessary execution order between steps 401 to 405, and not all of them need to be executed. This embodiment does not specifically limit the execution order and execution necessity between the steps.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can determine whether the terminal device is in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit based on the message received or sent in the first time unit. If it is determined that the terminal device is not in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit, the terminal device monitors the power saving signal in the second time unit. If it is determined that the terminal device is not in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit, the terminal device monitors the power saving signal in the second time unit. That is, the terminal device can determine whether the second time unit (the timing of monitoring the power saving signal) is in the activation period based on the message received or sent in the first time unit, thereby determining whether the terminal device needs to monitor the power saving signal at the corresponding time, which solves the problems existing in the prior art.

[0101] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of terminal equipment and network equipment. It is understandable that, in order to realize the above functions, the terminal equipment and the network equipment include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, 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 the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware 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 the present application.

[0102] The embodiment of the present application can divide the terminal device and the network device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according 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 function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0103] In the case of dividing each functional module into corresponding functional modules, Figure 5 A possible structural diagram of the terminal device 5 involved in the above embodiment is shown, and the terminal device 5 includes: a processing unit 501 and a transceiver unit 502. In the embodiment of the present application, the processing unit 501 is used to monitor the power saving signal in the second time unit if it is determined that the terminal device is not in the activation period of DRX in the second time unit according to the message received or sent by the transceiver unit 502 in the first time unit; the processing unit 501 is also used to determine whether to monitor PDCCH in the first time interval according to the power saving signal; wherein the first time unit is located before the second time unit, and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0104] exist Figure 4 In the method embodiment shown, the processing unit 501 is used to support the terminal device to execute Figure 4 The transceiver unit 502 is used to support the terminal device to execute Figure 4 Process 402.

[0105] In one possible design, the terminal device can Figure 6 It is implemented by the structure (device or system) in.

[0106] Figure 6 The structure 600 includes at least one processor 601 , a communication bus 602 , a memory 603 and at least one communication interface 604 .

[0107] The processor 601 may be a CPU, a microprocessing unit, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0108] Communication bus 602 may include a pathway for transmitting information between the above-mentioned components.

[0109] The communication interface 604 uses any transceiver or other device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc.

[0110] The memory 603 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via a bus. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0111] The memory 603 is used to store the application code for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 601. The processor 601 is used to execute the application code stored in the memory 603, so as to realize the functions in the method of the present application.

[0112] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 601 may include one or more CPUs, such as Figure 6 CPU0 and CPU1 in.

[0113] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the structure 600 may include multiple processors, such as Figure 6 601 and processor 607 in FIG. Each of these processors may be a single-CPU processor or a multi-CPU processor. A processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0114] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the structure 600 may also include an output device 605 and an input device 606. The output device 605 communicates with the processor 601 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 605 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 606 communicates with the processor 601 and can accept user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 606 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0115] In a specific implementation, the structure 600 can be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, a communication device, an embedded device, or a Figure 6 The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of structure 600.

[0116] In the case of dividing each functional module into corresponding functional modules, Figure 7A possible structural diagram of the network device 7 involved in the above embodiment is shown, and the network device 7 includes: a transceiver unit 701. In the embodiment of the present application, the transceiver unit 701 is used to send or receive a message in a first time unit, and the sent message includes at least one of a DRX-related MACCE, an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation, and the received message includes an SR.

[0117] exist Figure 4 In the method embodiment shown, the transceiver unit 701 is used to support the network device to execute Figure 4 Process 401 in.

[0118] In one possible design, network devices can be Figure 8 It is implemented by the base station in.

[0119] like Figure 8 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station provided in an embodiment of the present application, including part 801 and part 802. Part 801 of the base station is mainly used for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals; part 802 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the base station, etc. Part 801 can be generally referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, etc. Part 802 is generally the control center of the base station, which can be generally referred to as a processing unit, and is used to control the base station to execute the above Figure 4 For details, please refer to the description of the above related parts.

[0120] The transceiver unit of part 801 may also be referred to as a transceiver, or a transceiver, etc., which includes an antenna and a radio frequency unit, wherein the radio frequency unit is mainly used for radio frequency processing. Optionally, the device used to implement the receiving function in part 801 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 801 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.

[0121] Part 802 may include one or more single boards, each of which may include one or more processors and one or more memories, and the processor is used to read and execute the program in the memory to realize the baseband processing function and the control of the base station. If there are multiple single boards, the single boards can be interconnected to increase the processing capacity. As an optional implementation, multiple single boards may share one or more processors, or multiple single boards may share one or more memories, or multiple single boards may share one or more processors at the same time. Among them, the memory and the processor may be integrated together or independently set. In some embodiments, part 801 and part 802 may be integrated together or independently set. In addition, all the functions in part 802 may be integrated in one chip, or some functions may be integrated in one chip and other functions may be integrated in one or more other chips, which is not limited in this application.

[0122] Those skilled in the art should be aware that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a general or special-purpose computer can access.

[0123] The specific implementation methods described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only the specific implementation methods of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made on the basis of the technical solutions of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

[0124] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application may adopt the form of complete hardware embodiments, complete software embodiments, or embodiments in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the embodiments of the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0125] The embodiments of the present application are described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0126] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0127] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a signal, characterized in that: include: If it is determined based on the message received and / or sent in the first time unit that the terminal device is in the activation period of discontinuous reception DRX in the second time unit, start the duration timer corresponding to the next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located; The first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

2. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A power saving signal is not monitored in the second time unit, and the power saving signal is used to indicate whether the terminal device monitors a physical downlink control channel PDCCH in the first time interval.

3. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The message received in the first time unit includes at least one of a DRX control medium access control control element MAC CE, a long DRX control medium access control control element MAC CE, an uplink grant or a downlink allocation; and / or, The message sent in the first time unit includes a scheduling request SR.

4. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The unit of the third time unit is milliseconds, and M is 4.

5. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first time interval includes the duration of a DRX cycle.

6. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first time interval includes durations of multiple DRX cycles.

7. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first time unit includes one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or radio frames, or the first time unit includes t milliseconds, where t is greater than 0.

8. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second time unit includes one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or frames, or the second time unit includes q milliseconds, where q is greater than 0.

9. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: If, according to the message received and / or sent in the first time unit, it is determined that the terminal device is in the activation period of discontinuous reception DRX in the second time unit specifically includes: If the second condition is met, it is determined that the terminal device is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, and the second condition includes at least one of the following: No DRX-related MAC CE is received in the first time unit; or receiving an uplink grant or a downlink allocation in the first time unit; or The SR is sent in the first time unit.

10. The method for monitoring a signal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second time unit is one of N time units configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, or The second time unit is a time unit in a time interval configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal.

11. A terminal device, characterized in that: include: A processing unit, configured to determine, based on the message received and sent by the transceiver unit in the first time unit, that the terminal device is in an activation period of discontinuous reception DRX in the second time unit; The processing unit is further configured to start a duration timer corresponding to a next DRX cycle of the DRX cycle in which the second time unit is located; The first time unit is located before the second time unit and is separated from the second time unit by M third time units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

12. The terminal device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The processing unit is also used for: A power saving signal is not monitored in the second time unit, and the power saving signal is used to indicate whether the terminal device monitors a physical downlink control channel PDCCH in the first time interval.

13. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The message received by the terminal device in the first time unit includes at least one of a DRX control medium access control control element MAC CE, a long DRX control medium access control control element MAC CE, an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation; and / or, The message sent by the terminal device in the first time unit includes a scheduling request SR.

14. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The unit of the third time unit is milliseconds, and M is 4.

15. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The first time interval includes the duration of a DRX cycle.

16. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The first time interval includes durations of multiple DRX cycles.

17. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The first time unit includes one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or radio frames, or the first time unit includes t milliseconds, where t is greater than 0.

18. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The second time unit includes one or more symbols, time slots, subframes or frames, or the second time unit includes q milliseconds, where q is greater than 0.

19. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The processing unit is used for: If the second condition is met, it is determined that the terminal device is in the DRX activation period in the second time unit, and the second condition includes at least one of the following: The terminal device does not receive a DRX-related MAC CE in the first time unit; or The terminal device receives an uplink authorization or a downlink allocation in the first time unit; or The terminal device sends the SR in the first time unit.

20. The terminal device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The second time unit is one of N time units configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, or The second time unit is a time unit in a time interval configured by the network device for monitoring the power saving signal.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: A method for monitoring a signal configured to perform any one of claims 1-10.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method for monitoring a signal according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product is executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method for monitoring a signal according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

24. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes a processor for implementing the method for monitoring signals described in any one of claims 1-10.

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