Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, which are applied to the field of wireless communication technologies. The communication method includes: when a first radio link fails, switching the primary path of a split bearer from a first radio link control (RLC) bearer to a second RLC bearer; when performing radio resource control (RRC) connection re-establishment, switching the primary path to the first RLC bearer. After the terminal fails in MCG fast recovery, the terminal automatically or with the assistance of the MN switches the primary path to the MCG RLC bearer, aligning the configuration on the terminal side with the configuration on the base station side, so that the terminal can normally send and receive RRC messages for separating SRB1 during the RRC re-establishment process, thereby completing the RRC re-establishment process, maintaining normal dual-connection communication of the terminal, and improving communication quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and particularly to a communication method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] In dual connectivity (DC), a terminal can obtain communication services from a master node (MN) and a secondary node (SN) simultaneously. The bearer established between the terminal and the MN is called a master cell group (MCG) bearer, and the bearer established between the terminal and the SN is called a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. When the terminal detects that the MCG bearer cannot perform data transmission, it indicates that the MCG link fails. The terminal can send an MCG failure message to the MN through the SCG bearer, so as to perform fast recovery of the MCG. In order to be able to send the MCG failure message to the MN through the SCG bearer, a terminal without configured duplication transmission needs to switch the primary path from the MCG RLC bearer to the SCG RLC bearer.

[0003] However, the process of fast recovery of the MCG may also fail. At this time, the terminal needs to perform re-establishment of the radio resource control (RRC) connection. Since the primary path has been switched to the SCG RLC bearer before, if the terminal performs re-establishment of the RRC connection, it will cause the RRC re-establishment to fail. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus for completing the RRC re-establishment process when fast recovery of the MCG fails.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method for a terminal supporting dual connectivity, where the terminal has a first radio link with a first base station and a second radio link with a second base station, and the terminal is configured with split bearers. The method includes:

[0006] When the first radio link fails, switch the primary path of the split bearer from the first radio link control RLC bearer to the second RLC bearer, where the split bearer includes the first RLC bearer and the second RLC bearer, the first RLC bearer corresponds to the first radio link, and the second RLC bearer corresponds to the second radio link; when performing radio resource control (RRC) connection re-establishment, switch the primary path to the first RLC bearer.

[0007] After the MCG fast recovery fails on the terminal in this application, the terminal automatically or with the assistance of the MN switches the primary path to the MCG RLC bearer, aligning the terminal-side configuration with the base station-side configuration, so that the terminal can normally send and receive RRC messages for separating SRB1 during the RRC reestablishment process, thus completing the RRC reestablishment process, maintaining the normal dual-connection communication of the terminal, and improving the communication quality.

[0008] In another possible implementation, when performing RRC connection reestablishment, switching the primary path to the first RLC bearer includes:

[0009] Determine whether the primary path of the separated bearer is the second RLC bearer; when the primary path is the second RLC bearer, switch the primary path to the first RLC bearer.

[0010] For different terminals, when detecting an MCG link failure, some terminals first perform MCG fast recovery and then perform RRC connection reestablishment, while some terminals directly perform RRC connection reestablishment. Therefore, for different terminals, when performing RRC connection reestablishment, it is necessary to detect whether the current primary path is the MCG RLC bearer or the SCG RLC bearer.

[0011] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: when the RRC reconfiguration message or the RRC release message from the first base station is not received within a preset time, determine that the first radio link recovery fails, and perform the RRC connection reestablishment. This avoids the terminal waiting indefinitely for the MN to perform MCG fast recovery, thereby shortening the terminal response time.

[0012] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: during the process of recovering from the failure of the first radio link, when the second radio link fails, determine that the first radio link recovery fails, and perform the RRC connection reestablishment. This eliminates the need to wait for a timeout before performing the RRC connection reestablishment, thereby further shortening the terminal response time.

[0013] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: sending the first link recovery failure cause value to the first base station, where the first link recovery failure cause value is used to trigger the first base station to generate indication information for instructing to switch the primary path to the first RLC bearer; receiving the indication information from the first base station, and switching the primary path to the first RLC bearer.

[0014] If the terminal cannot actively switch the primary path to the MCG RLC bearer, a re-establishment cause value of "MCG fast recovery failure" can be added to the re-establishment request message for initiating an RRC connection to the first base station, so that the first base station configures the indication information for separating the primary path of SRB1 to the MCG RLC bearer to assist the terminal in switching the primary path.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a first base station and includes:

[0016] Sending a first request message to a second base station; the first request message is used to request whether the second base station supports the first base station to perform a first radio link failure recovery through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) between the second base station and a terminal, and the first radio link is the radio link between the first base station and the terminal; receiving a first feedback message in response to the first request message from the second base station; and instructing the terminal to perform the recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB according to the first feedback message.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present application, when the MN requests the SN to support MCG fast recovery through SRB3, after querying whether the SN supports MCG fast recovery, it then requests the terminal to configure the bearer for MCG fast recovery through SRB3, avoiding the problem of too long service interruption time caused by the situation in the prior art that the SN does not support MCG fast recovery after the MN requests the terminal to configure the bearer for MCG fast recovery through SRB3.

[0018] In another possible implementation, before sending the first request message to the second base station, it includes: sending a query message to the second base station, where the query message is used to query whether the second base station supports the SRB; receiving a response message from the second base station; and the response message is used to indicate that the second base station supports the SRB.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present application, when the MN requests the SN to support MCG fast recovery through SRB3, before querying whether the SN supports MCG fast recovery, it is also necessary to query whether the SN supports SRB3 to avoid the problem of too long service interruption time.

[0020] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a second request message to the second base station; the second request message is used to request whether to release the resources for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB; receiving a second feedback message in response to the second request message from the second base station; and requesting the terminal to release the configuration for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB in the second base station.

[0021] After the embodiment of the present application completes the process of MCG fast recovery through SRB3 at the MN, the previous configurations of the SN and the terminal are cancelled, thereby avoiding resource occupation of the SN and the terminal.

[0022] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a second base station and includes:

[0023] Receiving first request information sent by a first base station, where the first request information is used to request whether the second base station supports the first base station to perform first radio link failure recovery through a signaling radio bearer SRB between the second base station and a terminal, and the first radio link is a radio link between the first base station and the terminal; sending first feedback information to the first base station, where the first feedback information is used to trigger the first base station to instruct the terminal to perform recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB.

[0024] In another possible implementation, the receiving the first request information sent by the first base station includes: receiving query information sent by the first base station, where the query information is used to query whether the second base station supports the SRB; sending response information to the first base station; the response information is used to indicate that the second base station supports the SRB.

[0025] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving second request information sent by the first base station; the second request information is used to request whether to release the resources for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB; sending second feedback information to the first base station; the second feedback information is used to trigger the first base station to request the terminal to release the configuration for performing the first radio link failure recovery in the second base station.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, and the device has a function of implementing the behavior of the terminal in the communication method shown in the above first aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or means corresponding to the above functions.

[0027] In a possible design, the device includes a processor, and the processor is configured to support the device to execute the corresponding functions of the terminal in the communication method shown above. The device may further include a memory, and the memory can be coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data of the device. Optionally, the device further includes a transceiver, and the transceiver is used to support communication between the device and network elements such as relay devices and access network devices. Among them, the transceiver can be an independent receiver, an independent transmitter, or a transceiver integrating transceiver functions.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the communication device may be a terminal, or a component applicable to a terminal, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit.

[0029] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has a function of implementing the behavior of the first base station in the resource allocation method for restoring a bearer restoration as shown in the second aspect above. The function may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or means corresponding to the above functions.

[0030] In a possible design, the device includes a processor configured to support the device in executing the corresponding functions of the access network device in the communication method shown above. The device may further include a memory, which may be coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data of the device.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the resource allocation device for restoring a bearer restoration may be a first base station, or a component applicable to a base station, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit.

[0032] Optionally, the device further includes a transceiver, which may be used to support communication between the access network device and the terminal, and send the information or instructions involved in the above communication method to the terminal. The transceiver may be an independent receiver, an independent transmitter, or a transceiver integrating transceiver functions.

[0033] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, including a first base station as a master node and a second base station as a secondary node. Optionally, the communication system may further include a terminal, which may access the first base station and the second base station simultaneously.

[0034] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which instructions are stored. When the instructions run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method described in any of the above aspects.

[0035] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product including instructions. When the instructions run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method described in any of the above aspects. Description of the Drawings

[0036] The following briefly introduces the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art.

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG. 2(a) is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG. 2(b) is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG. 2(c) is a schematic diagram of an LTE-NR dual-connection scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG. 2(d) is a schematic diagram of an LTE-NR dual-connection scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram of a radio protocol architecture of a first type of dual connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG. 3(b) is a schematic diagram of a radio protocol architecture of a second type of dual connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a base station provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0052] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0053] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 1As shown, the terminal 130 supports DC. The access network devices 110 and 120 jointly provide data transmission services for the terminal 130. Among them, the access network device 110 is the MN, and the access network device 110 is the SN. There is a control plane connection between the MN 110 and the core network (CN) 140, and there may also be a user plane connection; there may or may not be a user plane connection between the SN 120 and the core network 140. Here, S1-U represents the user plane connection, and S1-C represents the control plane connection. It can be understood that the user plane connection between the MN 110 and the core network 140 and the user plane connection between the SN 120 and the core network 140 may exist simultaneously, or only any one of them may exist. When there is no user plane connection between the SN 120 and the core network 140, the data of the terminal 130 can be split by the MN 110 to the SN 120 at the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. When there is no user plane connection between the MN 110 and the core network 140, the data of the terminal 130 can be split by the SN 120 to the MN 110 at the PDCP layer. The above MN can also be called the main base station or the main access network device, and the SN can also be called the secondary base station or the secondary access network device.

[0054] In this application, the terminal 130 can be various devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. For example, it can be a handheld device with wireless connection capabilities, or a processing device connected to a wireless modem. The terminal can communicate with the core network via an access network, such as a radio access network (RAN), and exchange voice and / or data with the RAN. The terminal can refer to user equipment (UE), wireless terminal, mobile terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile, remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, or user device, etc. For example, it can include mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers with mobile terminals, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-integrated or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, smart wearable devices, etc. For example, personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDA), smart bracelets, smart watches, etc. It also includes restricted devices, such as devices with lower power consumption, or limited storage capacity, or limited computing capacity, etc. For example, it includes information sensing devices such as barcodes, radio frequency identification (RFID), sensors, global positioning system (GPS), laser scanners, etc. In addition, the terminal 130 can also be a drone device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip applied to the above devices can also be referred to as a terminal.

[0055] The communication system in this application can be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communication system, or a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system such as a New Radio (NR) system, or other next generation (NG) communication systems, etc. This application does not make any limitations.

[0056] In this application, the access network devices 110 and 120 can be base stations defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, they can be base station devices in an LTE system, namely evolved Node B (eNB / eNodeB); they can also be access network side devices in an NR system, including gNB, transmission / reception point (TRP), etc. The above access network device 110 or access network device 120 can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). Among them, the CU can also be called a control unit (CU). Adopting the CU-DU structure can split the protocol layers of the base station. The functions of some protocol layers are centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all protocol layers are distributed in the DU. The CU centrally controls the DU. For example, the Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layers can be deployed in the CU, and the remaining Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical layer are deployed in the DU. The CU and the DU are connected through the F1 interface. The CU represents the gNB and is connected to the core network through the NG interface. Optionally, the CU can also adopt a structure with separation of the control plane entity and the user plane (UP) entity, and one control plane entity manages multiple user plane entities. In an example, one gNB can have one gNB-CU-CP, multiple gNB-CU-UPs, and multiple gNB-DUs. One gNB-CU-CP is connected to multiple gNB-CU-UPs through the E1 interface. One gNB-CU-CP can be connected to multiple gNB-DUs through the F1-C interface. One gNB-DU can be connected to multiple gNB-CU-UPs through the F1-U interface.

[0057] In addition, when the eNB accesses the core network of NR, which is also known as the Next Generation Core (NGC) or the 5th Generation Core Network (5GC), the LTE eNB can also be referred to as an eLTE eNB. Specifically, the eLTE eNB is an LTE base station device evolved from the LTE eNB, which can be directly connected to the 5G CN, and the eLTE eNB also belongs to the base station devices in NR. The access network device 101 or the access network device 102 can also be a wireless terminal (WT), such as an access point (AP) or an access controller (AC), or other network devices with the ability to communicate with the terminal and the core network. For example, relay devices, in-vehicle devices, smart wearable devices, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the network device.

[0058] Dual connectivity can be achieved between access network devices of the same radio access technology. As shown in Figure 2(a), it is a schematic diagram of an NR-NR dual connectivity (NR-DC) network of the 5G core network. In the scenario of NR standalone networking, both MN110 and SN120 are NR gNBs, and there is an Xn interface between MN110 and SN120. There is an NG interface between MN110 and the NGC, with at least a control plane connection, and there may also be a user plane connection; there is an NG-U interface between SN120 and the 5GC, that is, there can only be a user plane connection. Among them, the NGC may include functional entities such as a core access and mobility management function (AMF) network element and a user plane function (UPF) network element.

[0059] Dual connectivity can also be implemented between heterogeneous access network devices, which can be referred to as Multi-RAT DC (MR-DC). Here, the MN and SN use different radio access technologies (RATs). The multi-RAT DC architecture supports multiple bearer types. Different types of bearers can be distinguished by whether the PDCP layer uses the MN or the SN as the anchor point, and the bearer types can be switched. For example, dual connectivity can be implemented in the scenario of joint networking of LTE and NR, so that the terminal can obtain radio resources from both the LTE and NR air interfaces for data transmission and gain in transmission rate. The dual connectivity between LTE and NR can include the following three architectures, which will be described below with reference to Figures 2(b), 2(c), and 2(d) respectively.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 2(b), which is a schematic diagram of an E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) network. As shown in Figure 2(b), the LTE eNB serves as the MN, and the NR gNB serves as the SN. There is an X2 interface between the LTE eNB and the NR gNB. There is an S1 interface between the LTE eNB and the evolved Packet Core (EPC) of the LTE system, with at least a control plane connection and possibly also a user plane connection; there is an S1-U interface between the NR gNB and the EPC, that is, only a user plane connection can be available. It can be seen that in the scenario shown in Figure 2(b), the LTE eNB is used as the anchor point, and this LTE eNB is connected to the core network of LTE.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 2(c), which is a schematic diagram of an NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (NE-DC) network. The difference from Figure 2(b) is that the NR gNB is used as the anchor point, and this NR gNB is connected to the NGC. The NR gNB serves as the MN and there is an NG interface between it and the NGC, which can establish a control plane connection and a user plane connection for the terminal; the LTE eNB serves as the SN and there is an NG-U interface between it and the NGC, which only establishes a user plane connection for the terminal.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 2(d), which is a schematic diagram of a 5G core network LTE-NR dual connectivity (Next Generation E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity, NGEN-DC) network. It also uses the LTE eNB as the anchor point as in Figure 2(b), but the difference is that this LTE eNB is connected to the NGC. That is, the LTE eNB acts as the MN and there is an NG interface between it and the NGC, which can establish a control plane connection and a user plane connection for the terminal; the NR gNB acts as the SN and there is an NG-U interface between it and the NGC, which only establishes a user plane connection for the terminal.

[0063] In the above four scenarios, a user plane connection may not be established between the SN and the core network, and the data may be transmitted via the MN instead. For example, in the downlink direction, the terminal's data first reaches the MN, and the MN splits the terminal's data to the SN at the PDCP layer. The form of the split data is, for example, a PDCP protocol data unit (Protocol Data Unit, PDU). When there is no user plane connection between the MN and the core network but there is a user plane connection between the SN and the core network, the terminal's data can also be transmitted from the core network to the SN and split by the SN to the MN, which will not be elaborated here.

[0064] In dual connectivity, the DRBs and SRBs established by the terminal with the access network side can be provided independently by the MN or the SN, or can be provided simultaneously by the MN and the SN. The bearer provided by the MN is called the MCG bearer. Among them, the MCG includes at least one cell managed by the MN for providing radio interface transmission resources for the terminal; the bearer provided by the SN is called the SCG bearer. Among them, the SCG includes at least one cell managed by the SN for providing radio interface transmission resources for the terminal. In addition, the bearer provided simultaneously by the MN and the SN is called a split bearer.

[0065] When there is only one cell in the MCG, this cell is the primary cell (PCell) of the terminal. When there is only one cell in the SCG, this cell is the primary secondary cell (PSCell) of the terminal. The PCell and the PSCell can be collectively referred to as the special cell (SpCell). When there are multiple cells in the MCG or the SCG respectively, all cells except the SpCell can be called the secondary cell (SCell). At this time, the SCell in each cell group performs carrier aggregation (CA) with the SpCell to jointly provide transmission resources for the terminal. Among them, in the PSCell which belongs to the SCG cells, it is the cell where the terminal is instructed to perform random access or initial PUSCH transmission. The SCell is a cell operating on a secondary carrier, and once the RRC connection is established, the SCell may be configured to provide additional radio resources.

[0066] The following is described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are respectively schematic diagrams of the radio protocol architecture of dual connectivity provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), when the bearer is provided only by the MN, that is, the data stream only flows from the core network to the MN, this bearer is the MCG bearer. When the bearer is provided only by the SN, that is, the data stream only flows from the core network to the SN, this bearer is the SCG bearer. When the bearer is provided by both the MN and the SN, that is, the data stream is split at the MN or the SN, this bearer is the split bearer. For the sake of distinction, the one split at the MN can be called the MCG split bearer (as shown in FIG. 3(a)), and the one split at the SN can be called the SCG split bearer (as shown in FIG. 3(b)). As can be seen from FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), each bearer type has corresponding PDCP layer processing and RLC layer processing. For example, the SCG bearer / SCG split bearer corresponds to the SCG RLC bearer and the SN terminated PDCP bearer.

[0067] According to whether the PDCP entity is established on the MN or the SN, the bearers in DC can be further classified into the following types: MCG bearer terminated at the MN (MN terminated MCG bearer), SCG bearer terminated at the MN (MN terminated SCG bearer), split bearer terminated at the MN (MN terminated split bearer), MCG bearer terminated at the SN (SN terminated MCG bearer), SCG bearer terminated at the SN (SN terminated SCG bearer), split bearer terminated at the SN (SN terminated split bearer). Among them, for the bearers terminated at the MN, the PDCP entity is established on the MN, and the user plane connection with the core network terminates at the MN, that is, the MN is used as the anchor; for the bearers terminated at the SN, the PDCP entity is established on the SN, and the user plane connection with the core network terminates at the SN, that is, the SN is used as the anchor. It can be understood that whether the bearer terminates at the MN or the SN indicates whether the data transmission with the core network is carried out through the MN or the SN. As for the radio interface transmission resources, they are provided by the MCG or the SCG. For example, if the MN terminated SCG bearer is adopted, the uplink data sent by the terminal is processed by the MAC layer and RLC layer of the SN and then all transferred to the PDCP layer of the MN for processing and sent to the core network device through the interface between the MN and the core network. Correspondingly, the downlink data sent by the core network is processed by the PDCP layer of the MN and then all transferred to the RLC layer and MAC layer of the SN for further processing and sent to the terminal through the SCG. If the MN terminated split bearer is adopted, a part of the uplink data sent by the terminal is sent to the MN through the MCG, and the other part is sent to the SN through the SCG. The two parts of the data are aggregated at the PDCP layer of the MN for processing and sent to the core network device through the interface between the MN and the core network. Correspondingly, the downlink data sent by the core network is processed by the PDCP layer of the MN, and a part of the data is transferred to the SN and sent to the terminal through the SCG, and the remaining part is still sent to the terminal by the MN through the MCG.

[0068] In the process of control plane information interaction between the terminal and the base station, signaling information is transmitted between the terminal and the base station through the SRB. Taking Figure 3(a) as an example, for the MN, the MN sends signaling information to the terminal through the SRB1. When the RLC layer under the PDCP layer of the MN is separated, a part of the signaling information is transmitted to the terminal through the RLC layer of the MN, and the other part is transmitted to the terminal through the RLC layer of the SN. This transmission method is called the separated SRB1. For the SN, the SN sends signaling information to the terminal through the SRB3. The SRB3 is a signaling radio bearer directly established between the terminal and the SN.

[0069] When the terminal sends uplink data to the MN by splitting the SRB1, if the terminal configuration for duplicate transmission is activated, the uplink data can be directly sent to the PDCP layer of the MN through the MCG bearer, or the uplink data can be sent to the PDCP layer of the MN through the SCG bearer; if the terminal configuration for duplicate transmission is not activated, the terminal can only select one bearer from the MCG bearer and the SCG bearer for data transmission, and at this time, this bearer is called the primary path. Among them, the primary path is configured by the base station side, and the primary path is used for the terminal to send uplink data packets.

[0070] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 4 shown, in order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application proposes a communication method, which can be executed by a terminal or by a device for a terminal, such as a chip or a chip system, and the terminal supports DC communication. The method includes:

[0071] Step S401, when the first radio link fails, switch the primary path of the split bearer from the first radio link control RLC bearer to the second RLC bearer.

[0072] For the convenience of subsequent description of this solution, an embodiment of the present application takes the primary path as the MCG bearer as an example. Among them, the first radio link refers to the MCG link between the terminal and the MN, and the bearer for data transmission through the MCG link is the MCG bearer; the second radio link refers to the SCG link between the terminal and the SN, and the bearer for data transmission through the SCG link is the SCG bearer.

[0073] The split bearer may be a split SRB1 bearer. The split bearer includes two RLC bearers. The first RLC belongs to the MCG, and the first RLC bearer is the bearer for data transmission through the first RLC, which can also be expressed as the MCG RLC bearer; the second RLC belongs to the SCG, and the second RLC bearer is the bearer for data transmission through the second RLC, which can also be expressed as the SCG RLC bearer.

[0074] When the terminal detects that the MCG bearer cannot perform data transmission, it indicates that the MCG link has failed. At this time, the terminal sends an MCG failure message to the MN to notify the MN that the current MCG link has failed. After receiving it, the MN can switch the MN to re - establish the MCG link for data transmission, or the MN sends an RRC connection release message after receiving it, and the UE enters the RRC idle state (RRC_IDLE state) or the RRC inactive state (RRC_INACTIVE state). Among them, the MCG link failure can be a radio link failure (RLF), etc.

[0075] During the process of the terminal sending the MCG failure message to the MN, due to detecting the failure of the primary path, the terminal autonomously switches the primary path of the split bearer from the MCG RLC bearer to the SCG RLC bearer, and sends the MCG failure message to the MN through the SCG bearer to perform fast recovery of the MCG bearer. However, the process of the MN performing MCG fast recovery may also fail, and at this time, the terminal performs RRC connection re - establishment.

[0076] In a possible implementation, during the process of the MN performing MCG fast recovery, when the terminal sends the MCG failure message, it starts timing. If the terminal does not receive feedback messages such as the RRC re - configuration message or the RRC release message sent by the MN within the specified time, the terminal defaults that the MCG fast recovery by the MN has failed, and at this time, the terminal performs RRC connection re - establishment. This avoids the terminal waiting indefinitely for the MN to perform MCG fast recovery, thereby shortening the terminal response time. Of course, if the terminal receives the RRC re - configuration message or the RRC release message sent by the MN within the specified time, it indicates that the MCG fast recovery by the MN is successful, and at this time, the terminal does not need to perform RRC connection re - establishment. The specified time can be implemented by a pre - set timer.

[0077] In a possible implementation, during the process of the MN performing MCG fast recovery, when the terminal detects that the SCG bearer also cannot perform data transmission, it indicates that the SCG link has failed. At this time, the terminal cannot send the MCG failure message to the MN. In this case, the MN cannot receive the MCG failure message and cannot perform MCG fast recovery. Therefore, when the terminal detects that the SCG bearer cannot perform data transmission, the terminal immediately performs RRC connection re - establishment. This does not require waiting for a timeout to perform RRC connection re - establishment, thereby further shortening the terminal response time.

[0078] Step S403, when performing RRC connection re - establishment, switch the primary path to the first RLC bearer.

[0079] During the re-establishment of the RRC connection by the terminal, since the main path has been switched to the SCG RLC bearer to send the MCG failure information, if the terminal does not switch the main path to the MCG RLC bearer when re-establishing the RRC connection, the terminal will not be able to send and receive RRC messages through SRB1. Therefore, when re-establishing the RRC connection, the terminal needs to switch the main path to the MCG RLC bearer.

[0080] Optionally, for the implementation method of the terminal switching the main path to the MCG RLC bearer, the terminal may actively switch the main path to the MCG RLC bearer when re-establishing the RRC connection.

[0081] In a possible implementation, after step S401, the method further includes:

[0082] Step S402: determine whether the primary path of the separated bearer is the second RLC bearer.

[0083] When the terminal determines that the current primary path is the SCG RLC bearer, step S403 is executed;

[0084] When the terminal determines that the current main path is the MCG RLC bearer, it means that the main path does not need to be switched.

[0085] For different terminals, when detecting MCG link failure, some terminals first perform MCG fast recovery and then re-establish the RRC connection, while some terminals directly re-establish the RRC connection. Therefore, for different terminals, when re-establishing the RRC connection, it is necessary to detect whether the current main path is the MCG RLC bearer or the SCG RLC bearer. If the current main path is detected to be the MCG RLC bearer, the terminal does not need to switch the main path; if the current main path is detected to be the SCG RLC bearer, the terminal must switch the main path to the MCG RLC bearer.

[0086] In a possible implementation, the network side (eg, MN) may assist the terminal in switching the primary path. In this implementation, after step S403, the method further includes:

[0087] Step S404: Send a first link recovery failure reason value to the first base station.

[0088] The first base station is MN, and the first link recovery failure message can be an MCG fast recovery failure message. When the terminal initiates a reestablishment request for the RRC connection to the MN, the terminal adds a reestablishment cause value (reestablishment cause) of "MCG fast recovery failure" in the reestablishment request message of "MCG fast recovery failure message", and then sends it to the MN.

[0089] For MN, after receiving a reestablishment request message with the reestablishment cause being "MCG fast recovery failed", MN determines that the terminal has switched the main path of the split SRB1 to the SCG RLC bearer due to performing MCG fast recovery. Therefore, in order for MN to be able to send and receive RRC messages through SRB1 after the terminal completes the RRC connection reestablishment, an indication information is added to the RRC reestablishment message, which is used to indicate the UE to reconfigure the main path of the split SRB1 to the MCG RLC bearer.

[0090] Step S405: Receive indication information from the first base station and switch the main path to the first RLC bearer.

[0091] When MN sends a reestablishment message to the terminal, the indication information is sent to the terminal together. The terminal switches the main path to the MCG RLC bearer according to the indication information.

[0092] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the method further includes step S406: Send and / or receive RRC messages through the first radio link.

[0093] It can be understood that the communication method described in the embodiments of the present application can be used in various dual-connection scenarios, such as EN-DC, NR DC, NGEN-DC, NE-DC, etc. The present application does not limit this here.

[0094] During the process of the terminal performing RRC connection reestablishment, for various DC scenarios, the essence of the terminal triggering RRC reestablishment is to reestablish the PDCP layer. And only certain variables and stored data packets are operated on during this process, as well as the security configuration is updated, and the main path is not operated on. If the main path is not switched to the MCG RLC bearer after the terminal fails in MCG fast recovery, it will cause the configuration on the terminal side and the MN side to be misaligned when the terminal and MN perform RRC reestablishment, and thus the RRC reestablishment process cannot be completed.

[0095] Therefore, after the terminal fails in MCG fast recovery in the present application, the main path is automatically switched to the MCG RLC bearer by the terminal or with the assistance of MN, so that the configuration on the terminal side is aligned with the configuration on the base station side, thereby enabling the normal sending and receiving of RRC messages of the split SRB1 during the RRC reestablishment process, completing the RRC reconstruction process, maintaining the normal dual-connection communication of the terminal, and improving the communication quality.

[0096] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, for the RRC re - establishment process in other cases, that is, including triggering reasons such as MCG failure recovery and other failure cases, such as radio link failure (RLF), re - configuration failure, handover (HO) failure, integrity protection verification failure, etc., if the current primary path of the terminal is the SCG, where the primary path of the terminal can be configured by the network to be the SCG, or the terminal autonomously switches the primary path to the SCG, then the UE autonomously switches the primary path to the MCG. Or the UE can also delete the moreThanOneRLC configuration, where the moreThanOneRLC configuration includes the setting of the primary path.

[0097] During the MCG fast recovery process, when the terminal sends uplink data to the MN by detaching SRB1, when the terminal detects that the MCG bearer cannot perform data transmission, if the SN configures SRB3, the terminal can also perform MCG fast recovery through SRB3.

[0098] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 5 shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by the first base station or a device for the first base station, such as a chip or a chip system. The method includes:

[0099] Step S503: Send a first request message to the second base station.

[0100] The bearer recovery method provided by the present application can be based on Figure 4 the described solution. Hereinafter, the first base station is taken as the MN and the second base station is taken as the SN for illustration.

[0101] Among them, the first request message is used to request whether the SN supports the MCG fast recovery between the MN and the terminal through SRB3.

[0102] Step S504: Receive a first feedback message in response to the first request message from the second base station.

[0103] Among them, the first feedback message refers to that the SN feeds back to the MN whether it supports the MCG fast recovery between the MN and the terminal through SRB3 according to the first request message. Or rather, the first feedback message is used to indicate whether the SN accepts / supports the MCG fast recovery through SRB3. SRB3 can refer to the SRB directly established between the SN and the terminal.

[0104] Step S505: According to the first feedback message, instruct the terminal to perform the recovery of the first radio link failure through SRB3.

[0105] Among them, indicating that the terminal recovers from the first radio link failure through SRB3 may include sending configurations for the MCG fast recovery by the second base station through SRB3 to the terminal, and these configurations may include timer information.

[0106] After the MN receives the first feedback information, if the first feedback information indicates that the SN does not support the MCG fast recovery between the MN and the terminal through SRB3, at this time, the MN either performs MCG fast recovery by detaching SRB1 or triggers the terminal to perform RRC connection re-establishment; if the first feedback information indicates that the SN supports the MCG fast recovery between the MN and the terminal through SRB3, the MN sends the relevant configurations of the SN's SRB3 to the terminal for MCG fast recovery. Optionally, the relevant configurations of the SN's SRB3 may be determined in whole or in part by the MN.

[0107] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, before step S503, that is, before the MN performs MCG fast recovery through SRB3, the MN may determine whether the SN supports sending signaling to the terminal through SRB3. The method further includes:

[0108] Step S501, sending query information to the second base station.

[0109] Among them, the query information may also be referred to as request information. The query information sent by the MN to the SN is used to query whether the SN supports SRB3. Sending the query message is a prerequisite for whether the SN supports MCG fast recovery for the MN.

[0110] Correspondingly, the SN receives the query information and sends a response message in response to the query information to the MN.

[0111] Step S502, receiving the response information sent by the second base station.

[0112] After the MN receives the response information, if the query result is that the SN does not support SRB3, it indicates that the SN cannot transmit signaling with the terminal, that is, the SN does not support the MN to perform MCG fast recovery; if the query result is that the SN supports SRB3, steps S503 - S505 are executed.

[0113] When the embodiment of the present application requests the SN to support MCG fast recovery through SRB3 at the MN, after querying whether the SN supports SRB3 and whether it supports MCG fast recovery through SRB3, and then requests the terminal to configure resources for MCG fast recovery through SRB3, avoiding the problem of too long service interruption time caused by the fact that the SN does not support MCG fast recovery through SRB3 after the MN requests the terminal to configure a bearer for MCG fast recovery through SRB3 in the prior art, so as to be able to quickly resume service transmission and improve communication quality.

[0114] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, after the MN performs MCG fast recovery through SRB3, it further includes:

[0115] Step S506, sending second request information to the second base station.

[0116] Wherein, the second request information is used to request the SN to release resources for MCG fast recovery through SRB3.

[0117] Correspondingly, the SN receives the request information and sends second feedback information in response to the request information to the MN.

[0118] After the MN successfully performs MCG fast recovery through SRB3 or fails in MCG fast recovery, in order to avoid this process continuously occupying the resources of the terminal, the MN needs to let the terminal release the configured resources for MCG fast recovery through SRB3.

[0119] Step S507, receiving second feedback information in response to the second request information from the second base station.

[0120] Step S508, requesting the terminal to release the configuration for the first radio link failure recovery through SRB3.

[0121] After the MN receives the feedback information sent by the SN, if the feedback information indicates that the SN releases / cancels the configuration for MCG fast recovery through SRB3, the MN requests the terminal to release / cancel the corresponding configuration in the SN; if the feedback information indicates that the SN does not release / cancel the configuration for MCG fast recovery through SRB3, the MN will not request the terminal to release / cancel the configuration for MCG fast recovery.

[0122] After the embodiment of the present application completes the process of MCG fast recovery through SRB3, it cancels the previous configuration of the terminal, thereby avoiding occupying the resources of the terminal.

[0123] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 6As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a second base station or a device for the second base station, such as a chip or a chip system. The method includes:

[0124] Step S601: Receive query information sent by a first base station.

[0125] The method for bearer recovery provided by the present application may be based on Figure 4 the described solution. Hereinafter, taking the first base station as the MN and the second base station as the SN as an example for illustration.

[0126] Among them, the query information is used to query whether the SN supports SRB3.

[0127] Step S602: Send response information to the first base station.

[0128] Among them, the response information may be that the SN does not support SRB3, indicating that the SN cannot transmit signaling information with the terminal; or it may be that the SN supports SRB3, indicating that the SN can transmit signaling information with the terminal.

[0129] Step S603: Receive first request information sent by the first base station.

[0130] Among them, the first request information is used to request whether the SN supports SRB3 for fast recovery of the MCG.

[0131] Step S604: Send first feedback information in response to the first request information to the first base station.

[0132] Among them, the first feedback information is used to trigger the MN to instruct the terminal to configure fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3.

[0133] Step S605: Receive second request information sent by the first base station.

[0134] Among them, the second request information is used to request whether the SN releases resources for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3.

[0135] Step S606: Send second feedback information to the first base station.

[0136] Among them, the second feedback information is used to trigger the MN to instruct the terminal to perform fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3.

[0137] When the SN in the embodiment of the present application receives a request from the MN to support fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3, after querying whether the SN supports SRB3 and whether it supports fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3, it tells the MN, and then the MN requests the terminal to configure resources for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3, so as to achieve fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3.

[0138] The above has introduced in detail an example of a communication method and a communication method provided by the present application. It can be understood that in order for a communication device to implement the above functions, it includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example 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 certain function is executed in the way of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians 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.

[0139] The present application can divide the functional units of a communication device according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into each functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing unit. The above integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional unit. It should be noted that the division of units in the present application is illustrative, only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0140] For example, Figure 7 the communication device 700 shown includes a transceiver unit 701 and a processing unit 702.

[0141] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device 700 is used to support a terminal device to implement the functions of the terminal in the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. For example, the processing unit 702 can be used to switch the main path of the split bearer from the first radio link control (RLC) bearer to the second RLC bearer when the first radio link fails; and switch the main path to the first RLC bearer when performing RRC connection re-establishment. Among them, the first radio link refers to the MCG link between the terminal and the MN, and the bearer for data transmission through the MCG link is the MCG bearer; the second radio link refers to the SCG link between the terminal and the SN, and the bearer for data transmission through the SCG link is the SCG bearer. The transceiver unit 701 is used for the terminal to perform data / signaling transmission with other communication devices, such as other terminals or access network devices.

[0142] The terminal can detect and learn that the MCG link fails, and then initiate the MCG fast recovery process. When the MCG fast recovery is not successful, the terminal further performs the RRC re-establishment process. For a detailed description of this series of processes, reference can be made to the embodiments in the method part of the present application, such as Figure 4 the relevant content in the embodiments shown, which will not be elaborated here.

[0143] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 702 is configured to determine that the MCG fast recovery fails and perform RRC connection re-establishment when it does not receive the RRC reconfiguration message or the RRC release message of the MN within a preset time. For the specific method of determining the failure of the MCG fast recovery within the preset time, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method part of this application. For example Figure 4 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiment will not be elaborated

[0144] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 702 is further configured to determine that the MCG fast recovery fails and perform RRC connection re-establishment when the SCG bearer fails during the MCG fast recovery process. For the specific method of determining the SCG bearer failure, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method part of this application. For example Figure 4 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiment will not be elaborated

[0145] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 702 is configured to determine whether the primary path of the split bearer is the second RLC bearer. When the processing unit 702 determines that the current primary path is the SCG RLC bearer, it switches the primary path to the MCG RLC bearer; when the processing unit 702 determines that the current primary path is the MCG RLC bearer, it means that the primary path does not need to be switched

[0146] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 702 and the transceiver unit 701 are configured to send a first link recovery failure cause value to the first base station

[0147] Wherein, the first base station is the MN, and the first link recovery failure message may be an MCG fast recovery failure message

[0148] For the specific description of the first link recovery failure cause value, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method part of this application. For example Figure 4 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiment will not be elaborated

[0149] The transceiver unit 701 is further configured to receive indication information from the first base station and switch the primary path to the first RLC bearer

[0150] When the MN sends a re-establishment message to the terminal, the indication information is sent to the terminal together. The terminal switches the primary path to the MCG RLC bearer according to the indication information

[0151] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 702 is configured to control the transceiver unit 701 to send and / or receive RRC messages through the first radio link

[0152] For the detailed description of the operations performed by each functional unit of the communication device 700 above, for example, reference may be made to the behavior of the terminal in the embodiments of the communication method provided in this application. For exampleFigure 4 The relevant content in the illustrated embodiment will not be elaborated.

[0153] In another embodiment of the present application, in terms of hardware implementation, the functions of the processing unit 702 can be executed by a processor, and the functions of the transceiver (transmitter / receiver) and / or communication interface can be executed by the transceiver unit 701. Among them, the processing unit 702 can be embedded in the processor of the terminal in hardware form or be independent of it, or can be stored in the memory of the terminal or base station in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each of the above functional units.

[0154] After the MCG fast recovery fails in the terminal in the embodiment of the present application, the main path is automatically or with the assistance of the MN switched to the MCG RLC bearer, aligning the terminal-side configuration with the base station-side configuration, so that the RRC messages of the separated SRB1 can be normally sent and received during the RRC reestablishment process, thereby completing the RRC reestablishment process, maintaining the normal dual-connection communication of the terminal, and improving the communication quality.

[0155] For example, Figure 8 The illustrated communication device 800 includes a transceiver unit 801 and a processing unit 802.

[0156] In one embodiment of the present application, the communication device 800 is used to support the base station to implement the functions of the first base station in the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application. For example, the transceiver unit 801 is used to send a first request message to the second base station; the transceiver unit 801 is also used to receive a first feedback message from the second base station in response to the first request message; the processing unit 802 is used to request the terminal to configure resources for the second base station to perform the first radio link failure recovery through SRB3. Among them, the first base station can be the MN of the terminal during the DC communication process, and the second base station can be the SN of the terminal during the DC communication process.

[0157] Among them, the first request message is used to request the result of whether the SN supports the MCG fast recovery between the MN and the terminal through SRB3. The first feedback message refers to the SN feeding back to the MN whether it supports the MCG fast recovery between the MN and the terminal through SRB3. Or rather, the first feedback message is used to indicate whether the SN accepts / supports the MCG fast recovery through SRB3. Regarding the specific implementation manner of how to implement the MCG fast recovery of the terminal through SRB3, reference can be made to the embodiments in the method part of the present application, for example Figure 5 The relevant content in the illustrated embodiment will not be elaborated.

[0158] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 801 is configured to send query information to a second base station; the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to receive response information sent by the second base station in response to the query information. The query information may also be referred to as request information. The query information sent by the MN to the SN is used to query whether the SN supports SRB3. For the specific implementation of how the MN queries whether the SN supports SRB3, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method section of this application, for example Figure 5 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments will not be elaborated.

[0159] In a possible implementation, after the MCG fast recovery is performed by the MN through SRB3, the transceiver unit 801 is configured to send second request information to the second base station; the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to receive second feedback information sent by the second base station in response to the second request information; the processing unit 802 is configured to request the terminal to release the configuration for the first radio link failure recovery through SRB3. For the specific implementation of how to request the terminal to release the resources for the MCG fast recovery through SRB3, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method section of this application, for example Figure 5 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments will not be elaborated.

[0160] In another embodiment of the present application, the communication device 800 is configured to support the base station to implement the functions of the second base station in the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the transceiver unit 801 is configured to receive first request information sent by the first base station; the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to send first feedback information to the first base station. The second base station may be the SN during the DC communication process of the terminal.

[0161] The first request information is used to request whether the SN supports the MCG fast recovery through SRB3, and the first feedback information is used to trigger the MN to indicate the terminal to perform the MCG fast recovery through SRB3. For the specific implementation of how to implement whether the SN supports the MCG fast recovery through SRB3, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method section of this application, for example Figure 5-6 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments will not be elaborated.

[0162] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 801 is configured to receive query information sent by the first base station; the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to send response information to the first base station. The query information is used to query whether the SN supports SRB3. The response information may be that the SN does not support SRB3, indicating that the SN cannot transmit signaling information with the terminal; or the SN supports SRB3, indicating that the SN can transmit signaling information with the terminal. For the specific implementation of how to implement the query of whether the SN supports SRB3, reference may be made to the embodiments in the method section of this application, for example Figure 5-6Details of the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments are not elaborated herein.

[0163] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 801 is configured to receive second request information sent by a first base station; the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to send second feedback information to the first base station. The second request information is used to request whether the SN releases resources for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3, and the second feedback information is used to trigger the MN to instruct the terminal to release the configuration for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3. For the specific implementation of how the SN determines whether to release resources for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3, reference can be made to the embodiments in the method part of this application, for example Figure 5-6 Details of the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments are not elaborated herein.

[0164] For a detailed description of the operations performed by each functional unit of the above communication device 800, reference can be made to the behavior of the access network device (master node / slave node) in the embodiments of the communication method provided in this application, for example Figure 5-Figure 6 Details of the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments are not elaborated herein.

[0165] In another embodiment of this application, in terms of hardware implementation, the function of the processing unit 802 can be executed by a processor, and the function of the transceiver unit 801 can be executed by a transceiver (transmitter / receiver) and / or a communication interface. Among them, the processing unit 802 can be embedded in or independent of the processor of the terminal in hardware form, or stored in the memory of the terminal or the base station in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each of the above functional units.

[0166] When the embodiment of this application requests the SN to support fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3 at the MN, after querying whether the SN supports SRB3 and whether it supports fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3, it then requests the terminal to configure resources for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3 for the SN, avoiding the problem of too long service interruption time caused by the fact that the SN does not support fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3 after the MN requests the terminal to configure a bearer for fast recovery of the MCG through SRB3 in the prior art.

[0167] Figure 9 FIG. shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 900 provided in this application. The communication device 900 can be used to implement the communication method and communication method described in the above method embodiments. The communication device 800 can be a chip, a terminal, a base station, or other wireless communication devices, etc.

[0168] The communication device 900 includes one or more processors 901, and the one or more processors 901 can support the communication device 700 to implement the communication method executed by the terminal (UE) described in the embodiments of the present application. For example Figure 4 the method executed by the terminal in the illustrated embodiment; or, the one or more processors 901 can support the communication device 800 to implement the communication method executed by the base station described in the embodiments of the present application. For example Figure 5-6 the method executed by the base station (the first base station or the second base station) in the illustrated embodiment.

[0169] The processor 901 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, the processor 901 can include a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a baseband processor. Among them, the baseband processor can be used to process communication data (for example, the first message described above), and the CPU can be used to implement corresponding control and processing functions, execute software programs, and process data of software programs.

[0170] Furthermore, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver unit 905 for implementing signal input (reception) and output (transmission).

[0171] For example, the communication device 900 can be a chip, and the transceiver unit 905 can be the input and / or output circuit of the chip, or the transceiver unit 905 can be the interface circuit of the chip, and the chip can be a component of a UE, a base station, or other wireless communication devices.

[0172] Again, for example, the communication device 900 can be a UE or a base station. The transceiver unit 905 can include a transceiver or a radio frequency chip. The transceiver unit 905 can also include a communication interface.

[0173] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include an antenna 906, which can be used to support the transceiver unit 905 to implement the transceiver function of the communication device 900.

[0174] Optionally, the communication device 900 may include one or more memories 902, on which there is a program (which can also be an instruction or code) 903, and the program 903 can be run by the processor 901, so that the processor 901 executes the method described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, data can also be stored in the memory 902. Optionally, the processor 901 can also read the data stored in the memory 902 (for example, predefined information), and the data can be stored at the same storage address as the program 903, or the data can be stored at a different storage address from the program 903.

[0175] The processor 901 and the memory 902 can be separately provided or integrated together. For example, they can be integrated on a single board or a system on chip (SOC).

[0176] In a possible design, the communication device 900 is a terminal or a chip applicable to a terminal. The terminal has the function of DC communication. The processor 901 is configured to, when a first radio link fails, switch the primary path of a split bearer from a first radio link control (RLC) bearer to a second RLC bearer; and when performing radio resource control (RRC) connection re - establishment, switch the primary path to the first RLC bearer. The terminal has a first radio link with a first base station and a second radio link with a second base station. The terminal is configured with a split bearer, and the split bearer includes a first RLC bearer and a second RLC bearer. The first RLC bearer corresponds to the first radio link, and the second RLC bearer corresponds to the second radio link.

[0177] In a possible design, the communication device 900 is a base station or a chip applicable to an access network device. The base station can be used as a master node in DC communication. For example, the transceiver unit 905 is configured to send a first request message to a second base station to request whether it supports the base station to perform MCG fast recovery through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) between the second base station and the terminal; and receive a first feedback message in response to the first request message from the second base station. The processor 901 is configured to request the terminal to perform MCG fast recovery through SRB3 according to the first feedback message. Herein, the second base station is a secondary node in DC communication.

[0178] The base station can be used as a secondary node in DC communication. For example, the transceiver unit 905 is configured to receive a first request message sent by a first base station, determine whether it supports the first base station to perform MCG fast recovery through SRB3; and further send a first feedback message to the first base station. Herein, the first base station is a master node in DC communication.

[0179] For a detailed description of the operations performed by the communication device 900 in the above - mentioned various possible designs, reference can be made to the behaviors of the terminal or the base station (master node / secondary node) in the embodiments of the communication method provided in this application. For example Figure 4-Figure 6 the relevant content in the illustrated embodiments will not be elaborated herein.

[0180] It should be understood that the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by the logic circuit in the form of hardware or the instructions in the form of software in the processor 901. The processor 801 can be a CPU, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices. For example, discrete gates, transistor logic devices or discrete hardware components.

[0181] As Figure 10 shown, the terminal 1000 includes a processor, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and an input / output device. The processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, and to control the entire terminal. For example, the processor generates a first message and then sends the first message through the control circuit and the antenna. The memory is mainly used to store programs and data, such as storing communication protocols and the above configuration information. The control circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and the processing of radio frequency signals. The control circuit and the antenna together can also be called a transceiver, which is mainly used to receive and send radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input / output device is, for example, a touch screen, a display screen or a keyboard, and is mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0182] The processor can read the program in the memory, interpret and execute the instructions contained in the program, and process the data in the program. When information needs to be sent through the antenna, after the processor performs baseband processing on the information to be sent, it outputs a baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal to obtain a radio frequency signal, and sends the radio frequency signal out in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When the electromagnetic wave carrying the information (i.e., the radio frequency signal) reaches the terminal, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into information and processes the information.

[0183] Those skilled in the art can understand that for the sake of convenience of description, Figure 10 only one memory and one processor are shown. In an actual terminal, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. The memory can also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device, etc., and this application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0184] As an optional implementation manner, Figure 10The processor in [it] can integrate the functions of a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art can understand that the baseband processor and the CPU can also be separate processors, interconnected through technologies such as a bus. Those skilled in the art can understand that a terminal can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a terminal can include multiple CPUs to enhance its processing power. The various components of the terminal can be connected through various buses. The baseband processor can also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in the memory in the form of a program, and the processor executes the program in the memory to implement the baseband processing function.

[0185] In this application, the antenna and control circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit 1001 of the terminal 1000, which is used to support the terminal to implement the receiving function in the method embodiment, or to support the terminal to implement the sending function in the method embodiment. The processor with processing functions is regarded as the processing unit 1002 of the terminal 1000. As Figure 10 shown, the terminal 1000 includes a transceiver unit 1001 and a processing unit 1002. The transceiver unit can also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the devices in the transceiver unit 1001 for implementing the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the devices in the transceiver unit 1001 for implementing the sending function can be regarded as the sending unit, that is, the transceiver unit 1001 includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The receiving unit can also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc., and the sending unit can be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0186] The processor 1002 can be used to execute the program stored in the memory to control the transceiver unit 1001 to receive signals and / or send signals, and complete the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiment. As an implementation method, the function of the transceiver unit 1001 can be considered to be implemented through a transceiver circuit or a dedicated transceiver chip.

[0187] Among them, the processor 1002 can execute Figure 7 the function of the processing unit 702 in the communication device 700 shown in Figure 9 or the function of the processor 901 in the communication device 900 shown in Figure 7 ; the transceiver unit 1001 can execute the function of the transceiver unit 701 in the communication device 700 or the transceiver unit 905 in the communication device 900 shown in

[0188] When the communication device 800 is a base station, Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a base station provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 11 shown, this base station can be applied to such asFigure 1 In the system shown, the functions of the access network device in the above method embodiments are performed. The base station has the function of being a master node or a secondary node during DC communication. The base station 1100 may include one or more DUs 1101 and one or more CUs 1102. The DU 1101 may include at least one antenna 11011, at least one radio frequency unit 11012, at least one processor 11013, and at least one memory 11014. The DU 1101 part is mainly used for the transceiver of radio frequency signals, the conversion between radio frequency signals and baseband signals, and partial baseband processing. The CU 1102 may include at least one processor 11022 and at least one memory 11021. Communication can be carried out between the CU 1102 and the DU 1101 through an interface. Among them, the control plane interface can be Fs-C, such as F1-C, and the user plane interface can be Fs-U, such as F1-U.

[0189] The CU 1102 part is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the base station, etc. The DU 1101 and the CU 1102 can be physically set together or physically separated, that is, a distributed base station. The CU 1102 is the control center of the base station and can also be called a processing unit, mainly used to complete the baseband processing function. For example, the CU 1102 can be used to control the base station to execute the operation process of the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0190] Specifically, the baseband processing on the CU and the DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the protocol layers above the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer are set on the CU, and the protocol layers below PDCP, such as the radio link control (RLC) layer and the media access control (MAC) layer, etc., are set on the DU. Another example is that the CU implements the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and the DU implements the functions of the radio link control (RLC), the media access control (MAC), and the physical (PHY) layer.

[0191] In addition, optionally, the base station 1100 may include one or more radio units (RUs), one or more DUs, and one or more CUs. Among them, the DU may include at least one processor 11013 and at least one memory 11014, the RU may include at least one antenna 11011 and at least one radio unit 11012, and the CU may include at least one processor 11022 and at least one memory 11021.

[0192] In one example, the CU 1102 may be composed of one or more single boards. Multiple single boards may jointly support a radio access network with a single access indication (such as a 5G network), or may separately support radio access networks with different access systems (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 11021 and the processor 11022 may serve one or more single boards. That is to say, a memory and a processor may be separately provided on each single board. It is also possible that multiple single boards share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits may be provided on each single board. The DU 1101 may be composed of one or more single boards. Multiple single boards may jointly support a radio access network with a single access indication (such as a 5G network), or may separately support radio access networks with different access systems (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 11014 and the processor 11013 may serve one or more single boards. That is to say, a memory and a processor may be separately provided on each single board. It is also possible that multiple single boards share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits may be provided on each single board.

[0193] Among them, the DU and the CU may jointly execute Figure 8 the functions of the processor 802 in the communication device 800 shown in Figure 9 or the functions of the processor 901 in the communication device 900 shown in; the transceiver unit 1001 may execute Figure 8 the functions of the transceiver unit 801 in the communication device 800 shown in or the transceiver unit 905 in the communication device 900, which will not be elaborated.

[0194] This application also provides a communication system, including a first base station and a second base station. The first base station may serve as a master node, and the second base station may serve as a secondary node.

[0195] Optionally, the communication system further includes a terminal, and the terminal may simultaneously access the first base station and the second base station. For the functions of each device in this communication system, reference may be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments of this application, which will not be elaborated.

[0196] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the descriptions of the various embodiments provided in this application can be referred to each other. For the convenience and conciseness of description, for example, the functions and steps performed by the various devices and equipment provided in the embodiments of this application can refer to the relevant descriptions of the method embodiments of this application. The various method embodiments and the various device embodiments can also refer to, combine with, or cite each other.

[0197] In several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, some features of the above-described method embodiments can be ignored or not executed. The above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative. The division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system. In addition, the coupling between the units or the coupling between the various components can be direct coupling or indirect coupling. The above coupling includes electrical, mechanical, or other forms of connection.

[0198] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the magnitude of the sequence numbers of the various processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of the various processes should be determined by their functions and internal logics, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. In addition, in the embodiments of this application, the terminal and / or the network device can execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are only examples. The embodiments of this application can also execute other operations or various deformations of the operations. In addition, the various steps can be executed in different orders presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is possible not to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, which is applied to the first base station side, and is characterized in that, Including: Sending first request information to a second base station; The first request information is used to request whether the second base station supports the first base station to perform first radio link failure recovery through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) between the second base station and a terminal, and the first radio link is a radio link between the first base station and the terminal; Receiving first feedback information in response to the first request information from the second base station; Instructing the terminal to perform recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB according to the first feedback information; Sending second request information to the second base station; The second request information is used to request whether to release resources for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB; Receiving second feedback information in response to the second request information from the second base station; Requesting the terminal to release the configuration for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB in the second base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before sending the first request information to the second base station, it includes: Sending query information to the second base station, where the query information is used to query whether the second base station supports the SRB; Receiving response information from the second base station; the response information is used to indicate that the second base station supports the SRB.

3. A communication method, which is applied to the second base station side, and is characterized in that, Including: Receiving first request information sent by a first base station, where the first request information is used to request whether the second base station supports the first base station to perform first radio link failure recovery through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) between the second base station and a terminal, and the first radio link is a radio link between the first base station and the terminal; Sending first feedback information to the first base station, where the first feedback information is used to trigger the first base station to instruct the terminal to perform recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB; Receiving second request information sent by the first base station; The second request information is used to request whether to release resources for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB; Sending second feedback information to the first base station; The second feedback information is used to trigger the first base station to request the terminal to release the configuration for performing the first radio link failure recovery through the SRB in the second base station.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The receiving of the first request information sent by the first base station includes: Receiving query information sent by the first base station, where the query information is used to query whether the second base station supports the SRB; Sending response information to the first base station; the response information is used to indicate that the second base station supports the SRB.

5. A communication device, characterized in that, For a first base station, the apparatus includes: A transceiver unit, configured to send first request information to a second base station; the first request information is used to request whether the second base station supports the first base station to perform first radio link failure recovery through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) between the second base station and a terminal, and the first radio link is a radio link between the first base station and the terminal; The transceiver unit is further configured to receive first feedback information in response to the first request information from the second base station; A processing unit, configured to instruct, according to the first feedback information, the terminal to perform recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB; The transceiver unit is further configured to send second request information to the second base station; the second request information is used to request whether to release the resources for performing the recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB; The transceiver unit is further configured to receive second feedback information in response to the second request information from the second base station; The processing unit is further configured to request the terminal to release the configuration for performing the recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB in the second base station.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send query information to the second base station, where the query information is used to query whether the second base station supports the SRB; and receive response information from the second base station; The response information is used to indicate that the second base station supports the SRB.

7. A communication device, characterized in that, For a second base station, the apparatus includes: A transceiver unit, configured to receive first request information sent by a first base station, where the first request information is used to request whether the second base station supports the first base station to perform recovery of a first radio link failure through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) between the second base station and a terminal, and the first radio link is a radio link between the first base station and the terminal; The transceiver unit is further configured to send first feedback information to the first base station, where the first feedback information is used to trigger the first base station to instruct the terminal to perform recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB; The transceiver unit is further configured to receive request information sent by the first base station; the request information is used to request whether to release the resources for performing the recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB; The transceiver unit is further configured to send second feedback information to the first base station; the second feedback information is used to trigger the first base station to request the terminal to release the configuration for performing the recovery of the first radio link failure through the SRB in the second base station.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The transceiver unit is further configured to receive query information sent by the first base station, where the query information is used to query whether the second base station supports the SRB; The transceiver unit is further configured to send response information to the first base station; The response information is used to indicate that the second base station supports the SRB.

9. A communication apparatus, comprising at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, causing the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-4.

10. A computer storage medium, wherein instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the instructions are run on a computer, causing the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-4.

11. A computer program product comprising instructions, and when the instructions are run on a computer, causing the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-4.

12. A communication system, comprising: The communication device according to any one of claims 5-6, and the communication device according to any one of claims 7-8.

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