Beam switching method and apparatus, network device, terminal, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a beam switching method and device, a network device, a terminal and a storage medium. The beam switching method comprises: a network device sending beam switching information to a terminal according to position information and channel measurement information of the terminal; the beam switching information comprising information of beam switching requirements and / or a target beam. The present disclosure ensures that the efficiency of beam switching is high, the success rate of switching is greatly improved, and the service in the switching process is not affected by switching.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to beam switching technology, and more particularly to a beam switching method and apparatus, network equipment, terminal and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Beam-based handover occurs on different carriers or bandwidth portions (BWP) before and after the handover. Therefore, after the handover, the terminal cannot perform beam measurements and report on the resources previously used for the handover. This is because, firstly, handover on different frequency resources takes time and consumes power; secondly, it cannot guarantee that the channel quality after the handover will meet communication requirements. Therefore, a corresponding handover mechanism needs to be designed to adapt to beam-based handover scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a beam switching method and apparatus, a network device, a terminal, and a storage medium.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a beam switching method is provided, comprising:

[0005] The network device sends beam switching information to the terminal based on the terminal's location information and channel measurement information; the beam switching information includes beam switching requirements and / or information about the target beam.

[0006] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0007] The network device receives the information sent by the terminal indicating that the target beam switching was successful, and releases the channel resources occupied by the terminal before switching to the target beam.

[0008] In one embodiment, the beam switching information further includes channel resource information reserved for the target beam.

[0009] In one embodiment, the network device receives information from the terminal indicating successful target beam switching, including:

[0010] The network device receives the information indicating successful target beam switching through reserved channel resources.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0012] The network device determines reserved channel resource information for the target beam based on at least one of the terminal's service information and the target beam's resource occupancy information.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0014] The network device broadcasts information of channel resources reserved for multiple beams supported by the network device respectively through a broadcast channel;

[0015] The network device receives information of success of the destination beam switching sent by the terminal, and the information includes:

[0016] The network device receives the information of success of the destination beam switching through the reserved channel resources.

[0017] In an embodiment, the network device receives the information of success of the destination beam switching sent by the terminal, and the information includes:

[0018] The network device receives the information of success of the destination beam switching through the channel resources reserved for the destination beam;

[0019] The information of multiple beams supported by the network device and the information of channel resources reserved for the multiple beams are configured in the terminal.

[0020] In an embodiment, the network device receives the information of success of the destination beam switching sent by the terminal, and the information includes:

[0021] The network device receives the information of success of the destination beam switching through the destination beam.

[0022] In an embodiment, the method further includes:

[0023] When the network device determines that no terminal switches again within a set time period after the terminal switches to the destination beam, the network device releases the channel resources reserved for the destination beam.

[0024] In an embodiment, when the information of the destination beam includes information of more than two destination beams, priorities are set for the more than two destination beams.

[0025] In an embodiment, the information of the destination beam includes at least one of the following:

[0026] Carrier information, BWP information, and identification information of the destination beam.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a beam switching method is provided, including:

[0028] The terminal receives beam switching information sent by the network device, and switches based on beam switching requirements and / or destination beam information in the beam switching information;

[0029] The terminal sends information of success of the destination beam switching to the network device through the switched destination beam or reserved resources of the destination beam.

[0030] In one embodiment, the reserved channel resource information is carried in the beam switching information.

[0031] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0032] The terminal receives information about the channel resources reserved for all beams supported by the network device through the network device's broadcast message.

[0033] In one embodiment, the terminal is configured with all beam information supported by the network device and channel resource information reserved for all beams.

[0034] In one embodiment, when the target beam information includes two or more target beam information, the switch is made to the target beam based on the priority of the two or more target beams, or the switch is made randomly to one of the two or more target beams.

[0035] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a beam switching device is provided, comprising:

[0036] The transmitting unit is configured to send beam switching information to the terminal based on the terminal's location information and channel measurement information; the beam switching information includes beam switching requirements and / or information about the target beam.

[0037] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes:

[0038] The receiving unit is configured to receive the information sent by the terminal indicating that the target beam switching was successful.

[0039] The release unit is configured to release the channel resources occupied by the terminal before it switches to the target beam.

[0040] In one embodiment, the beam switching information further includes channel resource information reserved for the target beam.

[0041] In one embodiment, the receiving unit is further configured to:

[0042] The information indicating successful switching of the target beam is received through the reserved channel resources.

[0043] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes:

[0044] The determining unit is configured to determine reserved channel resource information for the target beam based on at least one of the terminal's service information and the target beam's resource occupancy information.

[0045] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes:

[0046] The broadcast unit is configured to broadcast information about channel resources reserved for multiple beams supported by the device via a broadcast channel.

[0047] The receiving unit is also configured to receive the information indicating successful switching of the target beam through reserved channel resources.

[0048] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes: a configuration unit;

[0049] The receiving unit is further configured to:

[0050] The information indicating successful switching of the target beam is received by reserving channel resources for the target beam.

[0051] The device supports multiple beam information and the channel resource information reserved for multiple beams are configured in the terminal.

[0052] In one embodiment, the receiving unit is further configured to receive information indicating successful switching of the target beam via the target beam.

[0053] In one embodiment, the release unit is further configured to:

[0054] If no terminal switches to the target beam within a set time period after the terminal switches to the target beam, the channel resources reserved for the target beam are released.

[0055] In one embodiment, when the target beam information includes two or more target beam information, a priority is set for the two or more target beams.

[0056] In one embodiment, the information of the target beam includes at least one of the following:

[0057] Carrier information of the target beam, partial bandwidth BWP information, and identification information of the target beam.

[0058] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a beam switching device is provided, comprising:

[0059] The receiving unit is configured to receive beam switching information sent by the network device;

[0060] The switching unit is configured to switch based on the beam switching requirements and / or the target beam information in the beam switching information.

[0061] The transmitting unit is configured to send a message indicating that the target beam switching was successful to the network device via the switched target beam or the reserved resources of the target beam.

[0062] In one embodiment, the reserved channel resource information is carried in the beam switching information.

[0063] In one embodiment, the receiving unit receives information on channel resources reserved for all beams supported by the network device via a broadcast message from the network device.

[0064] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes:

[0065] The configuration unit is configured with all beam information supported by the network device and channel resource information reserved for all beams.

[0066] In one embodiment, when the target beam information includes two or more target beam information, the switch is made to the target beam based on the priority of the two or more target beams, or the switch is made randomly to one of the two or more target beams.

[0067] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor executes the steps of the beam switching method of the first aspect of the present disclosure when executing the executable program.

[0068] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor executes the steps of the beam switching method of the second aspect of the present disclosure when running the executable program.

[0069] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores an executable program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the beam switching method.

[0070] The beam switching method, apparatus, network device, terminal, and storage medium of this disclosure send beam switching information to the terminal, enabling the terminal to switch based on the target beam in the beam switching information. By reserving resource information for the target beam, the terminal and network device switch between whether the switch is successful or not, thereby ensuring high efficiency of beam switching, greatly improving the success rate of switching, and ensuring that services are not affected during the switching process. Attached Figure Description

[0071] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention.

[0072] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0073] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a beam switching method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0074] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a beam switching method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0075] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition of a beam switching device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0076] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition of a beam switching device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0077] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition structure of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0078] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with those of the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0079] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0080] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0081] Please refer to Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1As shown, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile communication technology. The wireless communication system may include: a number of terminals 11 and a number of base stations 12.

[0082] Terminal 11 can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. Terminal 11 can communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Terminal 11 can be an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone), and a computer with an IoT terminal. For example, it can be a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted device. Examples include a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment (UE). Alternatively, terminal 11 can also be a device from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Alternatively, terminal 11 can also be a vehicle-mounted device, such as a vehicle computer with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless communication device connected to an external vehicle computer. Alternatively, terminal 11 can also be a roadside device, such as a street light, traffic light, or other roadside device with wireless communication capabilities.

[0083] Base station 12 can be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. This wireless communication system can be a fourth-generation mobile communication (4G) system, also known as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system; or it can be a 5G system, also known as a New Radio (NR) system or a 5G NR system. Alternatively, it can be any generation of system. In a 5G system, the access network can be called NG-RAN (New Generation-Radio Access Network), or an MTC system.

[0084] In this embodiment, base station 12 can be an evolved NB (eNB) used in a 4G system. Alternatively, base station 12 can also be a gNB (gNB) using a centralized-distributed architecture in a 5G system. When base station 12 adopts a centralized-distributed architecture, it typically includes a Central Unit (CU) and at least two Distributed Units (DUs). The Central Unit is equipped with a protocol stack of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Media Access Control (MAC) layer; the Distributed Units are equipped with a Physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. This disclosure does not limit the specific implementation of base station 12.

[0085] Base station 12 and terminal 11 can establish a wireless connection via a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fourth-generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard; or, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fifth-generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, such as a new air interface; or, the wireless air interface can also be a wireless air interface based on a next-generation mobile communication network technology standard based on 5G.

[0086] In some embodiments, terminals 11 can also establish E2E (End to End) connections. Examples include V2V (vehicle to vehicle), V2I (vehicle to Infrastructure), and V2P (vehicle to Pedestrian) communication scenarios in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

[0087] In some embodiments, the wireless communication system described above may further include a network management device 13.

[0088] Several base stations 12 are connected to network management device 13. Network management device 13 can be a core network device in a wireless communication system, such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Alternatively, it can be other core network devices, such as a Serving Gateway (SGW), a Public Data Network Gateway (PGW), a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS). The implementation of network management device 13 is not limited in this embodiment.

[0089] The execution entities involved in the embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE) in a cellular mobile communication system and base stations in a cellular mobile communication system.

[0090] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a beam switching method according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the beam switching method of this disclosure includes the following processing steps:

[0091] Step 201: The network device sends beam switching information to the terminal based on the terminal's location information and channel measurement information. In another example, the network device may send switching information to the terminal based on other information.

[0092] The beam switching information includes beam switching requirements and / or target beam information. In this embodiment, when the beam switching information includes beam switching requirements but not target beam information, switching can be performed based on the frequency band information supported by the terminal or beam frequency band information obtained through measurement and detection. Of course, if the beam switching information includes target beam information, then switching directly to the target beam is performed.

[0093] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the network equipment includes base stations, relay stations, radio frequency remote units, etc., and may also include satellites as access sites or access relays, or the central control center in an unmanned aerial vehicle system.

[0094] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal's location information can be reported by the terminal to the network device, or the network device can determine the terminal's location based on the communication signals between the terminal and the network device, or the network device can determine the terminal's location based on the cell information accessed by the terminal and the reverse signal transmission.

[0095] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the network device receives information from the terminal indicating successful switching to the target beam, it releases the channel resources occupied by the terminal before switching to the target beam. Here, the channel resources occupied before switching to the target beam include the source beam resources used by the terminal for communication with the network device before the switch, as well as reserved communication resources related to the target beam specifically reserved for the terminal during the switch process. These reserved channel resources are used for switching information exchange between the terminal and the network device during the switch; for example, the terminal can use the reserved communication resources to send information to the network device regarding whether the switch was successful.

[0096] In this embodiment, the beam switching information further includes channel resource information reserved for the target beam. This allows the terminal to directly establish a connection with the network device based on the target beam's information, completing the beam switching. The channel resources reserved for the target beam can be used to transmit and receive resource information after beam switching.

[0097] When the target beam information includes two or more target beams, a priority is set for the two or more target beams so that the terminal switches to the highest priority beam first, and switches to the next lower priority beam if the switch fails, until the switch is successful or all target beams have been switched.

[0098] In this embodiment, the network device receives the information indicating successful target beam switching through reserved channel resources. As one implementation, the network device determines reserved channel resource information for the target beam based on at least one of the terminal's service information and the target beam's resource occupancy information. For example, based on the terminal's service bandwidth occupancy before switching, a suitable target beam for the terminal's current service is selected so that the current service is unaffected by the beam switching after the terminal completes the switch. When determining the target beam for the terminal, the occupancy status of the target beam must also be considered; that is, the remaining bandwidth of the target beam should be sufficient to support the terminal's service communication quality requirements.

[0099] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the network device can broadcast information about the reserved channel resources for each of the multiple beams supported by the network device via a broadcast channel. The terminal then receives this information via a broadcast message. In this way, the network device does not need to include the reserved channel resource information for the target beam in the beam switching information sent to the terminal. The terminal can determine the reserved channel resource information corresponding to the target beam based on the target beam. Thus, the network device receives the information indicating successful target beam switching through the reserved channel resources. Alternatively, the information about the multiple beams supported by the network device and the reserved channel resources for each beam can be pre-configured in the terminal, such as before the terminal leaves the factory. In this case, the beam and reserved channel resource information can be agreed upon in the protocol.

[0100] In one implementation of this disclosure, the network device can also receive the successful switching information of the target beam through the target beam. For example, the successful switching information can be received through the non-reserved channel resources of the target beam. That is, after the terminal successfully switches to the target beam, it can directly send the successful switching information of the target beam to the network device through the switched target beam; or, the network device confirms that the terminal has successfully switched to the target beam after receiving the service information sent by the terminal through the target beam.

[0101] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the network device determines that no terminal switches to the target beam within a set time period after the terminal switches to the target beam, it releases the channel resources reserved for the target beam.

[0102] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the information of the target beam includes at least one of the following: carrier information of the target beam, BWP information, and identification information of the target beam.

[0103] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a beam switching method according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the beam switching method of this disclosure includes the following processing steps:

[0104] Step 301: The terminal receives beam switching information sent by the network device and performs switching based on the beam switching requirements and / or target beam information in the beam switching information.

[0105] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the beam switching information includes beam switching requirement information but not the target beam information, switching can be performed based on the frequency band information supported by the terminal or the beam frequency band information obtained through measurement and detection. If the beam switching information includes the target beam information, then switching is performed directly to the target beam.

[0106] When the target beam information includes two or more target beam information, the switch is made to the target beam based on the priority of the two or more target beams, or the switch is made randomly to one of the two or more target beams.

[0107] Step 302: The terminal sends a message to the network device that the target beam has been successfully switched, either through the switched target beam or the reserved resources of the target beam.

[0108] In this embodiment, the reserved channel resource information is carried within the beam switching information. Alternatively, the terminal receives information on the reserved channel resources for all beams supported by the network device via a broadcast message from the network device. Alternatively, the terminal is pre-configured with information on all beams supported by the network device and the reserved channel resource information for all beams. For example, this information can be defined in a protocol.

[0109] The following specific examples further illustrate the essence of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0110] In traditional cellular networks, different beams occupy the same frequency resources. Terminals do not need to switch frequencies or bandwidth during measurements, meaning the base station does not need to allocate additional resources to the terminal for reporting. However, in densely populated areas, to ensure the base station can schedule more users, it employs frequency division multiplexing, where multiple beams use different frequency resources. Especially in satellite communication systems, because a single satellite has a very wide coverage area and schedules a large number of users simultaneously, different beams can utilize different frequency resources to achieve coverage while ensuring system performance.

[0111] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, the base station sends a beam handover request to the terminal based on the location information and channel measurement information reported by the terminal, and indicates the target beam information and the reserved transmit / receive resource information after the handover. Upon receiving the message from the base station, the terminal begins handover to the carrier or BWP of the target beam. If the channel state of the target beam is determined to be good, communication is performed on the reserved resources of the target beam, and the terminal indicates to the base station that the handover is complete. After receiving the handover success information on the new beam or after performing measurements, the base station releases the resources of the source beam occupied by the terminal.

[0112] In this embodiment, the beam information refers to the beam's carrier or BWP information. The base station can directly indicate the destination beam information to the terminal, enabling the terminal to directly switch to the destination beam; or the base station can directly send beamindex information to the terminal, and the terminal, based on the previously configured beam index and beam correspondence, determines the destination beam information indicated by the base station. The previously configured beam index and beam correspondence can be received through system broadcast messages or pre-configured in the terminal according to protocol specifications.

[0113] In one embodiment, dedicated resource information is reserved on the frequency resources corresponding to each beam for the terminal's post-handover transmission and reception of information. This resource information is known to the terminal in advance, for example, as specified in the standard or obtained through broadcast information from the base station. If no other terminal switches to the target beam within a certain period of time, i.e., no successful handover message is received from the target beam within the set time, the dedicated resource information reserved for the target beam is released. For example, a timer can be set; in one embodiment, the start time can be based on when the base station sends a handover request to the terminal. In another embodiment, the timer can start based on the terminal's transmitted handover request plus the BWP handover capability reported by the terminal, such as the time required to switch BWPs.

[0114] In this fast-track embodiment, determining whether the channel state of the target beam is good can be done in one embodiment by considering that the measured Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) is greater than a preset value, and then instructing the terminal to switch to that target beam. In another embodiment, if the RSRP of the target beam exceeds the RSRP value of the original beam by a set threshold, then the channel state of the target beam is considered good, and the terminal is instructed to switch to that target beam.

[0115] In another embodiment, when the base station indicates more than one destination beam, the priority can be indicated as needed, i.e., the order in which the destination beams are switched. Alternatively, the terminal can randomly select a destination beam for switching.

[0116] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural composition of a beam switching device according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure includes:

[0117] The transmitting unit 41 is configured to send beam switching information to the terminal based on the terminal's location information and channel measurement information; the beam switching information includes beam switching requirements and / or information about the target beam.

[0118] exist Figure 4 Based on the beam switching device shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure embodiment further includes:

[0119] Receiving unit ( Figure 4 (not shown in the image), configured to receive information from the terminal indicating successful switching of the target beam;

[0120] Release unit ( Figure 4 (not shown in the image), configured to release the channel resources occupied by the terminal before it switches to the target beam.

[0121] In one embodiment, the beam switching information further includes channel resource information reserved for the target beam.

[0122] In one embodiment, the receiving unit is further configured to:

[0123] The information indicating successful switching of the target beam is received through the reserved channel resources.

[0124] exist Figure 4 Based on the beam switching device shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure embodiment further includes:

[0125] Determine unit ( Figure 4 (Not shown in the image), configured to determine reserved channel resource information for the target beam based on at least one of the terminal's service information and the target beam's resource occupancy information.

[0126] exist Figure 4 Based on the beam switching device shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure embodiment further includes:

[0127] Broadcast unit ( Figure 4 (not shown in the image), configured to broadcast information about channel resources reserved for multiple beams supported by the device via a broadcast channel;

[0128] The receiving unit is also configured to receive the information indicating successful switching of the target beam through reserved channel resources.

[0129] exist Figure 4 Based on the beam switching device shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure embodiment further includes: a configuration unit ( Figure 4 (not shown in the image);

[0130] The receiving unit is further configured to:

[0131] The information indicating successful switching of the target beam is received by reserving channel resources for the target beam.

[0132] The device supports multiple beam information and the channel resource information reserved for multiple beams are configured in the terminal.

[0133] In one embodiment, the receiving unit is further configured to receive information indicating successful switching of the target beam via the target beam.

[0134] In one embodiment, the release unit is further configured to:

[0135] If no terminal switches to the target beam within a set time period after the terminal switches to the target beam, the channel resources reserved for the target beam are released.

[0136] In one embodiment, when the target beam information includes two or more target beam information, a priority is set for the two or more target beams.

[0137] In one embodiment, the information of the target beam includes at least one of the following:

[0138] Carrier information of the target beam, partial bandwidth BWP information, and identification information of the target beam.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmitting unit 41, receiving unit, releasing unit, broadcasting unit, configuration unit, etc., may be implemented by one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), baseband processors (BPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), general-purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors, or other electronic components. They may also be implemented in conjunction with one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas to execute the beam switching method of the foregoing embodiments.

[0140] In this embodiment of the disclosure,Figure 5 The specific manner in which each unit in the beam switching device performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0141] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural composition of a beam switching device according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure includes:

[0142] The receiving unit 51 is configured to receive beam switching information sent by the network device;

[0143] Switching unit 52 is configured to switch based on beam switching requirements and / or target beam information in the beam switching information;

[0144] The sending unit 53 is configured to send a message indicating that the target beam has been successfully switched to the network device via the switched target beam or the reserved resources of the target beam.

[0145] In one embodiment, the reserved channel resource information is carried in the beam switching information.

[0146] In one embodiment, the receiving unit 51 receives information on the channel resources reserved for all beams supported by the network device through the broadcast message of the network device.

[0147] exist Figure 5 Based on the beam switching device shown, the beam switching device of this disclosure embodiment further includes:

[0148] Configuration unit ( Figure 5 (Not shown in the image), it is configured with all beam information supported by the network device and channel resource information reserved for all beams.

[0149] When the target beam information includes two or more target beam information, the switch is made to the target beam based on the priority of the two or more target beams, or the switch is made randomly to one of the two or more target beams.

[0150] In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving unit 51, switching unit 52, transmitting unit 53, configuration unit, etc., may be implemented by one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), baseband processors (BPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), general-purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors, or other electronic components, or may be implemented in conjunction with one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas, for executing the beam switching method of the foregoing embodiments.

[0151] In this embodiment of the disclosure, Figure 6 The specific manner in which each unit in the beam switching device performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0152] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating a terminal 6000 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the terminal 6000 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcasting terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness device, personal digital assistant, etc.

[0153] Reference ​ The terminal 6000 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 6002, memory 6004, power supply component 6006, multimedia component 6008, audio component 6010, input / output (I / O) interface 6012, sensor component 6014, and communication component 6016.

[0154] Processing component 6002 typically controls the overall operation of terminal 6000, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operation, and recording. Processing component 6002 may include one or more processors 6020 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the methods described above. Furthermore, processing component 6002 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 6002 and other components. For example, processing component 6002 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 6008 and processing component 6002.

[0155] Memory 6004 is configured to store various types of data to support operation on terminal 6000. Examples of this data include instructions for any application or method operating on terminal 6000, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 6004 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0156] Power supply component 6006 provides power to various components of terminal 6000. Power supply component 6006 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to terminal 6000.

[0157] Multimedia component 6008 includes a screen that provides an output interface between terminal 6000 and user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of touch or swipe actions but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, multimedia component 6008 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When terminal 6000 is in an operating mode, such as shooting mode or video mode, the front-facing camera and / or rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0158] Audio component 6010 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 6010 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when terminal 6000 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 6004 or transmitted via communication component 6016. In some embodiments, audio component 6010 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0159] I / O interface 6012 provides an interface between processing component 6002 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, power buttons, and lock buttons.

[0160] Sensor assembly 6014 includes one or more sensors for providing state assessments of various aspects of terminal 6000. For example, sensor assembly 6014 can detect the on / off state of terminal 6000, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of terminal 6000, changes in position of terminal 6000 or one of its components, the presence or absence of user contact with terminal 6000, orientation or acceleration / deceleration of terminal 6000, and temperature changes of terminal 6000. Sensor assembly 6014 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 6014 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 6014 may also include an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, or temperature sensor.

[0161] Communication component 6016 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between terminal 6000 and other devices. Terminal 6000 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as Wi-Fi, 2G, or 3G, or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 6016 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 6016 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0162] In an exemplary embodiment, the terminal 6000 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the beam switching method described above.

[0163] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 6004 including instructions, which can be executed by a processor 6020 of a terminal 6000 to complete the beam switching method described above. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0164] This disclosure also describes a network device including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor runs the executable program, it performs the steps of the beam switching method described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0165] This disclosure also describes a terminal, including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and capable of being run by the processor. When the processor runs the executable program, it performs the steps of the beam switching method of the foregoing embodiments.

[0166] This disclosure also describes a storage medium storing an executable program that is executed by a processor to perform the steps of the beam switching method of the foregoing embodiments.

[0167] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the embodiments of the invention that follow the general principles of the embodiments of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed in this disclosure. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the embodiments of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0168] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from their scope. The scope of the embodiments of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A beam switching method, wherein, The method includes: The network device sends beam switching information to the terminal; the beam switching information includes information about the target beam and channel resource information reserved for the target beam; wherein, if the target beam information includes at least two target beams, a priority is set for the at least two target beams; the at least two target beams are switched based on the priority. The network device receives the information indicating successful switching of the target beam through the reserved channel resources; If the network device determines that no terminal switches to the target beam within a set time period after the terminal switches to the target beam, it releases the channel resources reserved for the target beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The network device receives the information sent by the terminal indicating that the target beam switching was successful, and releases the channel resources occupied by the terminal before switching to the target beam.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The network device determines the channel resource information reserved for the target beam based on at least one of the terminal's service information and the target beam's resource occupancy information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The network device broadcasts information about the channel resources reserved for at least two beams supported by the network device via a broadcast channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The network device receives the information indicating successful target beam switching through reserved channel resources, including: The network device receives the information that the target beam has been successfully switched through the channel resources reserved for the target beam; The network device supports at least two beam information and / or the channel resource information reserved for at least two beams is configured in the terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The network device receives the information indicating successful target beam switching through reserved channel resources, including: The network device receives information indicating that the target beam has been successfully switched via the target beam.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The information of the target beam includes at least one of the following: Carrier information, partial bandwidth BWP information, and identification information.

8. A beam switching method, wherein, The method includes: The terminal receives beam switching information sent by the network device and performs switching based on the target beam information in the beam switching information; wherein, the beam switching information also includes reserved channel resource information of the target beam; the target beam information includes at least two target beam information; wherein, the switching based on the target beam information includes: switching to the target beam based on the priority of the at least two target beams; The terminal sends a message indicating that the destination beam switching was successful to the network device through the reserved channel resources; Wherein, the channel resources reserved for the target beam are released by the network function if no terminal switches again within a predetermined time period after the network function determines that the terminal has switched to the target beam.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The method further includes: The terminal receives channel resource information reserved for at least two beams supported by the network device via the network device's broadcast message.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The terminal is configured with at least two beam information supported by the network device and / or channel resource information reserved for the at least two beams.

11. A beam switching device, wherein, The device includes: The transmitting unit is configured to transmit beam switching information to the terminal; the beam switching information includes information about the target beam and channel resource information reserved for the target beam; wherein, when the target beam information includes at least two target beams, a priority is set for the at least two target beams; the at least two target beams are switched based on the priority. The receiving unit is configured to receive the information indicating successful switching of the target beam through reserved channel resources; The release unit is further configured to: release the channel resources reserved for the target beam when it is determined that no terminal switches to the target beam within a set time period after the terminal switches to the target beam.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The release unit is configured to release the channel resources occupied by the terminal before it switches to the target beam.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The device further includes: The determining unit is configured to determine reserved channel resource information for the target beam based on at least one of the terminal's service information and the target beam's resource occupancy information.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The device further includes: The broadcast unit is configured to broadcast information about channel resources reserved for at least two beams supported by the device via a broadcast channel. The receiving unit is also configured to receive the information indicating successful switching of the target beam through reserved channel resources.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The device supports at least two beam information and the channel resource information reserved for at least two beams are configured in the terminal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The receiving unit is further configured to receive information indicating successful switching of the target beam via the target beam.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein, The information of the target beam includes at least one of the following: Carrier information of the target beam, partial bandwidth BWP information, and identification information of the target beam.

18. A beam switching device, wherein, The device includes: The receiving unit is configured to receive beam switching information sent by the network device; The switching unit is configured to switch based on the target beam information in the beam switching information; wherein, the beam switching information further includes reserved channel resource information of the target beam; the target beam information includes at least two target beam information; the switching unit is specifically configured to switch to the target beam based on the priority of the at least two target beams. The transmitting unit is configured to send a message indicating that the destination beam switching was successful to the network device via reserved channel resources; Wherein, the channel resources reserved for the target beam are released by the network function if no terminal switches to the target beam within a predetermined time period after the network function determines that the terminal has switched to the target beam.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The receiving unit receives information on the channel resources reserved for all beams supported by the network device through the broadcast message of the network device.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The device further includes: The configuration unit is configured with all beam information supported by the network device and channel resource information reserved for all beams.

21. A network device comprising a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the executable program, performs the steps of the beam switching method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

22. A terminal comprising a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the executable program, performs the steps of the beam switching method as described in any one of claims 8 to 10.

23. A storage medium storing an executable program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the beam switching method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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