Cell Search Method and Device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a cell search method and apparatus. The method includes: a terminal device obtains first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device, and the terminal device performs cell search based on the first network slice information, providing a technical solution for implementing cell search after introducing the network slice technology. Moreover, the terminal device performs cell search based on the network slice information, enabling the terminal device to directly search for cells of the network slices supported by the terminal device, thereby accelerating the cell search process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a cell search method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] With the pursuit of higher data rates, lower latency, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency by people, as well as the diversity and complexity in future life, the main application scenarios in the 5th Generation (5G) cellular mobile communication system (also known as New Radio, or simply NR) are: enhanced Mobile Broad Band (eMBB) services, massive Machine-type Communication (mMTC) services, and Ultra-relaible and Low Latency Communication (URLLC). To meet the requirements of vertical industries for aspects such as latency, mobility, reliability, and location accuracy, network slicing technology has been introduced in the 5G system. Network slicing technology allows the network to be divided into multiple slices, and different types of services are transmitted in different network slices without interfering with each other. For example, the services in the above three application scenarios can be divided into three network slices, and the charging policies, security policies, Quality of Service (QoS) policies, etc. of each network slice may be different. A large-scale service congestion in one network slice will not affect the normal operation of services in other network slices.

[0003] After the introduction of network slicing technology, how the terminal device realizes cell search is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a cell search method and apparatus, which can accelerate cell search.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a cell search method applied to a terminal device. The method includes:

[0006] Obtain first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0007] Perform cell search based on the first network slice information.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a cell search apparatus applied to a terminal device. The apparatus includes:

[0009] An acquisition unit, configured to acquire first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0010] A search unit, configured to perform cell search based on the first network slice information.

[0011] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, which includes a processor, a memory, a transceiver, and one or more programs. The one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor. The programs include instructions for performing some or all of the steps described in the method according to the first aspect above.

[0012] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer program for electronic data exchange. The computer program causes a computer to perform some or all of the steps described in the method according to the first aspect above.

[0013] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. The computer program is operable to cause a computer to perform some or all of the steps described in the method according to the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application. The computer program product can be a software installation package.

[0014] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device acquires first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device. The terminal device performs cell search based on the first network slice information, providing a technical solution for implementing cell search after introducing the network slice technology. And the terminal device performs cell search based on the network slice information, enabling the terminal device to directly search for cells of the network slices supported by the terminal device, accelerating the cell search process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network slice provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a cell search method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a cell search device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a computer device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0021] The terms used in the implementation manners part of the present application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present application, rather than aiming to limit the present application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of the present application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0022] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] To better understand the solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant terms and concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of the present application will be introduced first.

[0024] 1) The terminal device is a device with wireless communication capabilities. It can be deployed on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water (such as a ship, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as an airplane, a balloon, a satellite, etc.). The terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The terminal device can also be a handheld device, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a computer device with wireless communication capabilities, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, a terminal device in the future 5G network, or a terminal device in the future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN for short). In different networks, the terminal device can be called different names. For example: user equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (Mobile Station, MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (Wireless Local Loop, WLL) station, personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA), a terminal device in the 5G network or future evolved network, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0025] 2) Network Slicing: In the new generation of communication systems, in order to meet the personalized needs of different services, network slicing is introduced. By slicing the network resources, a single physical network can be divided into multiple logical virtual networks. Independent network slices are allocated for typical service scenarios, and enhanced network architectures are designed for the service requirements within the slices to achieve effective resource allocation and process optimization. Multiple network slices share the network infrastructure, improving the utilization rate of network resources and providing the best support for different services used by different user groups. Network slicing mainly targets the partitioning of the core network. The RAN requires specific functions to support multiple slices or support resource partitioning for different network slices, such as Figure 1As shown, a network slice is usually a collection of logical network functions that support the communication service requirements of one or more scenarios. The terminal device reports slice requirements, and the network device selects an appropriate Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) based on the slice requirements reported by the terminal device to establish a service session between the terminal device and the network device. For example, based on the subscription or type of the terminal device, the terminal device can be guided to the selected slice in a manner that meets the needs of the operator or user.

[0026] 3) Radio Resource Control (RRC) state: In a 5G network environment, a new RRC state, namely RRC_INACTIVE (RRC inactive) state, is defined for the purpose of reducing air interface signaling and quickly restoring the radio connection and quickly resuming data services. This state is different from the RRC_IDLE (RRC idle) state and the RRC_ACTIVE (RRC connected) state.

[0027] (1) RRC_IDLE: The mobility is based on UE cell selection and reselection. Paging is initiated by the CN, and the paging area is configured by the CN. There is no UE AS context on the base station side. There is no RRC connection.

[0028] (2) RRC_ACTIVE: There is an RRC connection, and there is a UE AS context between the base station and the UE. The network terminal knows the location of the UE at the specific cell level. The mobility is the mobility controlled by the network terminal. Unicast data can be transmitted between the UE and the base station.

[0029] (3) RRC_INACTIVE: The mobility is based on UE cell selection and reselection. There is a connection between the CN and the NR. The UE AS context exists on a certain base station. Paging is triggered by the RAN, and the RAN-based paging area is managed by the RAN. The network terminal knows the location of the UE at the RAN-based paging area level.

[0030] 4) Cell Search: When the terminal device enters the system coverage area, the terminal device performs a cell search process to achieve time slot and frequency synchronization with the cell. Terminal devices in the RRC_IDLE state, RRC_ACTIVE state, and RRC_INACTIVE state will all perform cell search during system movement to achieve mobility. During the cell search process, the terminal device searches for Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs). The terminal device sweeps through each supported frequency band in turn. SSBs are located at a set of possible positions in each frequency band. The terminal device uses a synchronization grid to search for SSBs. After detecting an SSB, the terminal device can obtain system information such as the cell identity and the Master Information Block (MIB).

[0031] 5) A Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is a network established and operated by a government or an operator approved by it to provide terrestrial mobile communication services to the public. A PLMN is identified by a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC). To obtain network services such as voice, data, and multimedia, a mobile terminal first needs to select a suitable PLMN, perform a cell search under this PLMN, and after finding an available cell, camp on it and initiate registration. In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TS23.122 protocol, it is stipulated that when a mobile terminal automatically selects a network, it follows the order of Registered PLMN (RPLMN), Home PLMN (HPLMN), User Controlled PLMN (UPLMN), Operator Controlled PLMN (CPLMN), and Other PLMN. The terminal selects a suitable PLMN for network registration.

[0032] Part 1, the communication system architecture and background of the technical solution disclosed in this application are introduced as follows.

[0033] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2FIG. 0 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication system includes a plurality of network devices 110 and terminal devices 120. The plurality of network devices 110 can be deployed in a Radio Access Network (RAN) 10. The number of terminal devices 120 is usually multiple. One or more terminal devices 120 can be distributed within the cell managed by each network device 110. In the embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device 120 enters the system coverage area, the terminal device 120 performs a cell search process, and the terminal device 120 searches for a cell that meets the requirements within the coverage area of one or more network devices 110.

[0034] The network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate with each other through air interface technology. For example, they can communicate with each other through cellular technology. The solution described in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a system of 5G mobile communication technology, an evolved Long Term Evolution (eLTE) system, a communication system integrating multiple communication technologies (such as a communication system integrating LTE technology and NR technology), or a subsequent evolved communication system.

[0035] The terminal device 120 is within the coverage area of the network device 110. In practical applications, the connections between the above-mentioned devices can be wireless connections. For the convenience of intuitively representing the connection relationships between the devices, Figure 2 solid lines are used for illustration in FIG. The communication link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can include: downlink (DL) transmission from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120, and / or uplink (UP) transmission from the terminal device 120 to the network device 110. The downlink transmission can also be referred to as forward link transmission, and the uplink transmission can also be referred to as reverse link transmission.

[0036] The network device 110 in the RAN involved in the embodiments of the present application may be a base station (BS). The base station is a device deployed in the RAN to provide wireless communication functions for terminals. The base station may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, etc. In systems adopting different radio access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may vary. For example, in the LTE system, it is called an evolved Node B (eNB or eNbdeB), in the 3G communication system, it is called a Node B (Nbde B), in the NR system, it is called a next-generation node (gNodeB, gNB), and a further evolved Node B (ng-eNB). Among them, NR technology is used for communication between the gNB and the terminal device, and evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) technology is used for communication between the ng-eNB and the terminal device. Both the gNB and the ng-eNB can be connected to the 5G core network. The network device in the embodiments of the present application also includes devices that provide base station functions in future new communication systems, etc. With the evolution of communication technologies, the name of the "base station" may change. For ease of description, in the embodiments of the present application, the device that provides wireless communication functions for the terminal device 120 is collectively referred to as a network device.

[0037] It should be noted that Figure 2 The forms and quantities of the network device 110 and the terminal device 120 shown in

[0038] are only for illustration and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] In view of the above problems, the present application proposes a cell search method and apparatus. The terminal device obtains first network slice information, which includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device. The terminal device performs cell search based on the first network slice information, providing a technical solution for realizing cell search after introducing the network slice technology. Moreover, the terminal device performs cell search based on the network slice information, enabling the terminal device to directly search for cells of the network slices supported by the terminal device, thus accelerating the cell search process.

[0040] Part Two, the scope of protection of the claims disclosed in the embodiments of the present application is introduced as follows.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 which is a schematic flowchart of a cell search method provided by an embodiment of the present application. This method can be applied to a communication system as shown in Figure 2 and, as shown in Figure 3 , the method includes the following steps:

[0042] S310. Obtain first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device.

[0043] In the embodiments of the present application, when the terminal device needs to access the core network for service transmission, the terminal device can obtain information of at least one network slice that meets the service requirements of the terminal device, that is, information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device.

[0044] Among them, before the terminal device registers for network access, the first network slice information pre-configured is locally stored, and the terminal device can obtain the first network slice information from the SIM card. In some possible examples, the terminal device can also receive the first network slice information from the network device, and the first network slice information can be carried in RRC signaling, MAC control unit (MAC Control Element, MAC CE) signaling, or broadcast messages. It should be noted that the terminal device receiving the first network slice information from the network device can be obtained during this frequency scanning or previously obtained by the terminal device, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations in this regard.

[0045] Furthermore, the RRC signaling can include, but is not limited to, any one of RRC Release messages, RRC connectionreconfiguration messages, RRC connection reestablishment messages, RRC connection setup messages, RRC connection resume messages, or other RRC messages.

[0046] Optionally, the first network slice information includes at least one of the following: network slice identifier, frequency band, network slice priority, cell identifier, and frequency point identifier.

[0047] Among them, the network slice identifier may include one or more, that is, the first network slice information may include a list of network slice identifiers. The network slice identifier may be represented by Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI). NSSAI is composed of one or more Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI). Each S-NSSAI is used to identify a network slice type. It can also be understood that S-NSSAI is used to identify a network slice, or it can be understood that S-NSSAI is the identification information of the network slice. For example, the supported network slices include Network Slice 1 and Network Slice 2. The network slice identifier used to identify Network Slice 1 in the first network slice information is S-NSSAI 1, and the network slice identifier used to identify Network Slice 2 is S-NSSAI 2. The terminal device may support 8 S-NSSAIs. S-NSSAI is composed of a service type (Slice / Service Type, SST) and a slice group (Slice Differentiator, SD) that serves different terminal devices under the same SST. In some possible examples, the network slice identifier may be a Network Slice Identity (NSID), and NSID is used to identify the network slice type.

[0048] Furthermore, the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice. The information of each network slice in the first network slice information may include at least one of a network slice identifier, a frequency band, a network slice priority, a cell identifier, and a frequency point identifier. Therefore, the frequency band, the frequency point identifier, the cell identifier, and the network slice priority may each include one or more. In the embodiments of the present application, the first network slice information may be stored in the form of a list, as shown in Table 1; or it may be stored separately. The embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations in this regard.

[0049] Network Slice Identifier Frequency Band Frequency Point Identifier Cell Identifier Network Slice Priority S-NSSAI 1 2570MHz - 2620MHz 1 A 2 S-NSSAI 2 1880MHz - 1920MHz 2 B 3 ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

[0050] It should be noted that a frequency band in a network slice may include one or more frequency points, and a frequency point may include one or more cells. The quantities and data of the frequency band, frequency point identifier, and cell identifier in Table 1 above are only for illustration and do not constitute a limitation to the embodiments of the present application.

[0051] S320. Perform cell search based on the first network slice information.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device enters the system coverage area, the non-access stratum (NAS) of the terminal device instructs the access stratum (AS) to perform cell search. After receiving the cell search instruction from the NAS, the AS of the terminal device performs cell search based on the first network slice information.

[0053] Optionally, the performing cell search based on the first network slice information includes: determining target information for cell search based on the first network slice information, where the target information includes at least one of a first frequency band, a first frequency point, and a first cell; and performing cell search based on the target information to obtain target public land mobile network (PLMN) information.

[0054] Among them, during the cell search process when the terminal device stores cell information, the AS of the terminal device can, based on the first network slice information, screen the target information to be searched for cell search and notify the NAS of the cell search result. The terminal device can also perform full-band search according to its own capabilities and settings, and then determine whether at least one of the searched frequency band, frequency point, and cell is the frequency band, frequency point, or cell corresponding to the network slice supported by the terminal device based on the first network slice information. If so, the terminal device notifies the NAS of the PLMN information in the frequency band, frequency point, or cell obtained by frequency scanning; otherwise, the terminal device continues to perform cell search.

[0055] The embodiment of the present application provides a method for performing cell search based on network slice information. By performing cell search based on at least one of the frequency band, frequency point, and cell of the network slice, the cells searched by the AS can meet the network slice requirements of the terminal device, thereby accelerating the cell search process.

[0056] In a possible embodiment, the first network slice information is the information of a network slice supported by the terminal device; the first frequency band is the frequency band in the first network slice information; the first frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information; and the first cell is the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information.

[0057] Specifically, if the first network slice information only includes the information of a network slice supported by the terminal device, the terminal device can perform search based on at least one of the frequency band corresponding to this network slice, the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier, and the cell corresponding to the cell identifier.

[0058] In a possible embodiment, the first network slice information is information on multiple network slices supported by the terminal device;

[0059] The first frequency band is one of the following: any frequency band in the first network slice information, all frequency bands in the first network slice information, the frequency band corresponding to the first network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the first network slice priority is determined based on the principle of giving priority to higher priority;

[0060] The first frequency point is one of the following: the frequency point corresponding to any frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, the frequency points corresponding to all frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the frequency point identifier corresponding to the second network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the second network slice priority is determined based on the principle of giving priority to higher priority;

[0061] The first cell is one of the following: the cell corresponding to any cell identifier in the first network slice information, the cells corresponding to all cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cell identifier corresponding to the third network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the third network slice priority is determined based on the principle of giving priority to higher priority.

[0062] Specifically, if the first network slice information includes information on multiple network slices supported by the terminal device, the terminal device may randomly select at least one of the frequency band, the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier, and the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information for searching, or the terminal device searches for at least one of all frequency bands, all frequency points corresponding to the frequency point identifiers, and all cells corresponding to the cell identifiers included in the first network slice. Further, if the first network slice information includes the network slice priorities of multiple network slices, the terminal device may, in the order of the network slice priorities, preferentially select at least one of the frequency band, the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier, and the cell corresponding to the cell identifier of the network slice with the highest network slice priority for searching. If the terminal device does not find a suitable cell, the terminal device then searches for at least one of the frequency band, the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier, and the cell corresponding to the cell identifier of the network slice with the next network slice priority, and so on, until a suitable cell is found. In the embodiments of the present application, a method for cell search when the terminal device supports multiple network slices is provided, and the service of the network slice with this network slice priority is ensured, thereby accelerating the cell search process.

[0063] In another possible embodiment, the first frequency band is a frequency band determined from at least one candidate frequency band; the first frequency point is a frequency point determined from at least one candidate frequency point; the first cell is a cell determined from at least one candidate cell; the at least one candidate cell, the at least one candidate frequency band, and the at least one candidate frequency point are all information searched by the terminal device.

[0064] Among them, when the terminal device does not store cell information, the terminal device can perform a full-frequency band search according to its own capabilities and settings to obtain at least one of at least one candidate frequency band, at least one candidate frequency point, and at least one candidate cell. Then, based on the frequency band in the first network slice information, the terminal device determines the first frequency band from at least one candidate frequency band, determines the first frequency point from at least one candidate frequency point, and determines the first cell from at least one candidate cell. The embodiments of the present application provide a method for cell search based on network slice information, which determines at least one of the frequency band, frequency point, and cell to be searched through the network slice information, so that the cells searched by the AS can meet the network slice requirements of the terminal device, thereby accelerating the cell search process.

[0065] Optionally, the first network slice information is the information of a network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0066] The first frequency band is the first candidate frequency band, the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency band in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the first candidate frequency band;

[0067] The first frequency point is the first candidate frequency point, the first candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the first candidate frequency point;

[0068] The first cell is the first candidate cell, the first candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate cell includes the first candidate cell.

[0069] Among them, the terminal device matches at least one candidate frequency band with the frequency bands in the first network slice information respectively. When the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency bands in the first network slice information, the first candidate frequency band is determined as the first frequency band. The terminal device matches at least one candidate frequency point with the frequency points corresponding to the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information respectively. When the first candidate frequency point matches the frequency points corresponding to the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the first candidate frequency point is determined as the first frequency point. The terminal device matches at least one candidate cell with the cells corresponding to the cell identifiers in the first network slice information respectively. When the first candidate cell matches the cells corresponding to the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the first candidate cell is determined as the first cell.

[0070] Further, when any one of at least one candidate frequency band, at least one candidate frequency point, and at least one candidate cell does not match the frequency bands in the first network slice information, the access stratum (AS) of the terminal device may notify the non-access stratum (NAS) that the corresponding public land mobile network (PLMN) has not been searched. Alternatively, the AS may report the PLMN of the cell with the strongest signal quality under the radio access technology (RAT), and / or indicate to the NAS that the PLMN is not the PLMN corresponding to the network slice.

[0071] Optionally, the first network slice information is the information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device;

[0072] The first frequency band is the second candidate frequency band, the second candidate frequency band matches any one of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency band corresponding to the fourth slice priority in the first network slice information. The fourth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority. The at least one candidate frequency band includes the second candidate frequency band;

[0073] The first frequency point is the second candidate frequency point, the second candidate frequency point matches any one of the frequency points corresponding to the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency point corresponding to the fifth slice priority among the frequency point identifiers. The fifth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority. The at least one candidate frequency point includes the second candidate frequency point;

[0074] The first cell is the second candidate cell. The second candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to any of the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier corresponding to the sixth slice priority. The sixth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority. The at least one candidate cell includes the second candidate cell.

[0075] Wherein, when the first network slice information includes information on network slices supported by multiple terminal devices, the terminal device matches at least one candidate frequency band with all the frequency bands in the first network slice information respectively. In the case where the first candidate frequency band matches any of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, the first candidate frequency band is determined as the first frequency band; or, when the first network slice information includes the network slice priorities of multiple network slices, in the order of the network slice priorities, the terminal device matches at least one candidate frequency band with the frequency band corresponding to the highest network slice priority respectively. In the case where the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency band corresponding to the highest network slice priority, the first candidate frequency band is determined as the first frequency band, otherwise the terminal device then matches at least one candidate frequency band with the frequency band corresponding to the second highest network slice priority respectively, and so on until the first frequency point is determined.

[0076] Wherein, the above-mentioned fourth network slice priority is to preferentially select the highest network slice priority in the order of the network slice priorities. If the first candidate frequency band does not match the frequency band corresponding to the highest network slice priority, the fourth network slice priority is the second highest network slice priority, and so on.

[0077] In the embodiments of the present application, the method for determining the first frequency point and the first cell is similar to the method for the first frequency band, and will not be described in detail here. The embodiments of the present application provide a method for cell search when the terminal device supports multiple network slices, and ensure the service of the network slice with this network slice priority, thereby accelerating the cell search process.

[0078] Further, in the case where any one of the at least one candidate frequency band, the at least one candidate frequency point, and the at least one candidate cell does not match all the frequency bands in the first network slice information, the terminal device AS can notify the NAS that the corresponding PLMN has not been searched, or the AS can report the PLMN of the cell with the strongest signal quality under the radio access technology (RAT), and / or indicate to the NAS that this PLMN is not the PLMN corresponding to the network slice.

[0079] It should be noted that the above first frequency band may include one or more frequency bands, the above first frequency point may include one or more frequency points, and the above first cell may include one or more cells. For example, when the first network slice information includes one network slice information supported by the terminal device, the first frequency band may include one frequency band. When the first network slice information includes multiple network slice information supported by the terminal device and the first frequency band is all the frequency bands in the first network slice information, the first frequency band may include multiple frequency bands.

[0080] In a possible embodiment, the obtaining of the target PLMN information by performing cell search based on the target information includes:

[0081] Searching for a target cell based on the target information, where the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value among the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included among the frequency points of the first frequency band, and the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the frequency points of the first frequency band;

[0082] Determining the PLMN information corresponding to the target cell as the target PLMN information.

[0083] Specifically, after the terminal device AS determines the first frequency band, it can search for the cell with the largest signal strength value among all the frequency points of the first frequency band. For example, assume that the first frequency band includes frequency point 1, frequency point 2, and frequency point 3. Frequency point 1 includes cell 1, frequency point 2 includes cell 2 and cell 3, and frequency point 3 includes cell 4 and cell 5. The terminal device searches for the cell with the largest signal strength among all the frequency points and obtains cell 4, then the target cell is cell 4. The terminal device can also search for the cell with the largest signal strength value in each frequency point of the first frequency band. For example, assume that the first frequency band includes frequency point 1, frequency point 2, and frequency point 3. Frequency point 1 includes cell 1, frequency point 2 includes cell 2 and cell 3, and frequency point 3 includes cell 4 and cell 5. The terminal device searches for the cell with the largest signal strength in each frequency point and obtains cell 1, cell 2, and cell 4, then the target cells include cell 1, cell 2, and cell 4. In a possible example, the terminal device can search for the cell with the largest signal strength value greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold and the largest number of network slice identifiers included in all the frequency points or each frequency point of the first frequency band. It can also be understood that the terminal device searches for the cell with the highest matching degree (such as the largest number of matching user slices or the largest number of matching network slices) between the signal strength value within a certain range and the network slices of the terminal device. In a possible example, the terminal device can search for the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in all the frequency points or each frequency point of the first frequency band. After the terminal device searches for the target cell, it reports the PLMN information of the target cell to the NAS.

[0084] Further, when the terminal device searches each frequency point in the first frequency band, the first search result may include multiple cells. To optimize the PLMN selection process, when the first search result includes multiple cells with the maximum signal strength values, the terminal device may further search for the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers among the multiple cells with the maximum signal strength values to obtain a second search result. If the second search result includes multiple cells, the terminal device may further search for the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the multiple cells. For example, assume that the first frequency band includes frequency points 1, 2, and 3, frequency point 1 includes cell 1, frequency point 2 includes cells 2 and 3, and frequency point 3 includes cells 4 and 5. The terminal device searches for the cell with the maximum signal strength in each frequency point to obtain cells 1, 2, and 4. Then, the terminal device further searches for the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers among cells 1, 2, and 4 to obtain cells 2 and 4. Then, the terminal device further searches for the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to the preset threshold among cells 2 and 4 to obtain cell 2. Finally, cell 2 is used as the target cell.

[0085] Optionally, when the target information includes the first frequency point, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the maximum signal strength value in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first frequency point.

[0086] Specifically, when the target information includes the first frequency point, the terminal device may search for the cell with the maximum signal strength value in the first frequency point of the first frequency band, or the cell with a signal strength value greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold and the largest number of network slice identifiers in the first frequency point of the first frequency band, or the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first frequency point of the first frequency band, or the cell with a signal strength value greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold, the largest number of network slice identifiers, and the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first frequency point of the first frequency band. After the terminal device searches for the target cell, it reports the PLMN information of the target cell to the NAS.

[0087] Further, when the first frequency point includes multiple frequency points, the terminal device may first search for the cell with the maximum signal strength value in each frequency point, then search for the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers, and finally search for the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0088] Optionally, when the target information includes the first cell, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value in the first cell, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the first cell, and the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first cell.

[0089] Specifically, when the target information includes the first cell and the first cell includes multiple cells, the terminal device may search for the cell with the largest signal strength value in the first cell of the first frequency point of the first frequency band, or the terminal device may search for the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers in the first cell of the first frequency point of the first frequency band, or the terminal device may search for the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first cell of the first frequency point of the first frequency band.

[0090] Taking the example that the first network slice information includes the information of a network slice supported by the terminal device, the method of the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below.

[0091] When the terminal device enters the system coverage area, the NAS of the terminal device instructs the AS to perform cell search. After receiving the cell search instruction from the NAS, the AS of the terminal device may, based on the obtained first network slice information, preferentially select at least one of the frequency band, the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier, and the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information for cell search to obtain the PLMN information. Specifically, the terminal device searches for the cell with the largest signal strength value among all the frequency points of the frequency band and reports the PLMN information of this cell to the NAS. Among them, the cell with the largest signal strength value may be of each frequency point or among all the frequency points. Or, the terminal device searches for the cell with the largest signal strength value in the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier and reports the PLMN information of this cell to the NAS. Or, the terminal device searches for the cell with the largest signal strength value in the cell corresponding to the cell identifier and reports the PLMN information of this cell to the NAS.

[0092] In another possible example, when the terminal device enters the system coverage area, the NAS of the terminal device instructs the AS to perform cell search. After receiving the cell search instruction from the NAS, the AS of the terminal device can, based on the obtained first network slice information, when determining that at least one of the second frequency band, second frequency point, and second cell found is included in the first network slice information, that is, when the second frequency band, second frequency point, and second cell found are respectively the frequency band corresponding to the network slice supported by the terminal device, the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier, and the cell corresponding to the cell identifier, the terminal device notifies the NAS of the PLMN information of at least one of the second frequency band, second frequency point, and second cell scanned. Otherwise, the AS of the terminal device can notify the NAS that no corresponding PLMN is found, or report the PLMN information of the cell with the maximum signal strength value under the RAT and / or indicate that the PLMN information is not the PLMN information corresponding to the network slice. Specifically, the terminal device searches for the cell with the maximum signal strength value among all the frequency points of the second frequency band and reports the PLMN information of this cell to the NAS. Among them, the cell with the maximum signal strength value can be of each frequency point or among all the frequency points. Or, the terminal device searches for the cell with the maximum signal strength value in the second frequency point and reports the PLMN information of this cell to the NAS. Or, the terminal device searches for the cell with the maximum signal strength value in the second cell and reports the PLMN information of this cell to the NAS.

[0093] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device obtains the first network slice information, and the first network slice information includes the information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device. The terminal device performs cell search based on the first network slice information, providing a technical solution for implementing cell search after introducing the network slice technology. And the terminal device performs cell search based on the network slice information, enabling the terminal device to directly search for the cells of the network slices supported by the terminal device, thereby accelerating the cell search process.

[0094] The following will be combined with Figure 4 , and will describe in detail the cell search device according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 FIG. 400 is a cell search device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device 400 may be a terminal device. The device 400 includes: an obtaining unit 410 and a searching unit 420.

[0096] In a possible implementation manner, the device 400 is used to execute each process and step corresponding to the terminal device in the above cell search method.

[0097] An acquisition unit 410, configured to acquire first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0098] A search unit 420, configured to perform cell search based on the first network slice information.

[0099] Optionally, the first network slice information includes at least one of the following: network slice identifier, frequency band, network slice priority, cell identifier, and frequency point identifier.

[0100] Optionally, the search unit 420 is specifically configured to:

[0101] Determine target information for cell search based on the first network slice information, where the target information includes at least one of a first frequency band, a first frequency point, and a first cell;

[0102] Perform cell search based on the target information to obtain target public land mobile network (PLMN) information.

[0103] Optionally, the first network slice information is information of one network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0104] The first frequency band is the frequency band in the first network slice information;

[0105] The first frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information;

[0106] The first cell is the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information.

[0107] Optionally, the first network slice information is information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device;

[0108] The first frequency band is one of the following: any frequency band in the first network slice information, all frequency bands in the first network slice information, the frequency band corresponding to the first network slice priority in the first network slice information, where the first network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority;

[0109] The first frequency point is one of the following: the frequency point corresponding to any frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, the frequency points corresponding to all frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the frequency point corresponding to the second network slice priority in the first network slice information, where the second network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority;

[0110] The first cell is one of the following: the cell corresponding to any of the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cells corresponding to all of the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cell corresponding to the cell identifier corresponding to the third network slice priority in the first network slice information, where the third network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority.

[0111] Optionally, the first frequency band is a frequency band determined from at least one candidate frequency band;

[0112] The first frequency point is a frequency point determined from at least one candidate frequency point;

[0113] The first cell is a cell determined from at least one candidate cell;

[0114] The at least one candidate cell, the at least one candidate frequency band, and the at least one candidate frequency point are all information searched by the terminal device.

[0115] Optionally, the first network slice information is the information of a network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0116] The first frequency band is the first candidate frequency band, the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency band in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the first candidate frequency band;

[0117] The first frequency point is the first candidate frequency point, the first candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the first candidate frequency point;

[0118] The first cell is the first candidate cell, the first candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate cell includes the first candidate cell.

[0119] Optionally, the first network slice information is the information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device;

[0120] The first frequency band is the second candidate frequency band, the second candidate frequency band matches any of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency band corresponding to the fourth slice priority in the first network slice information, where the fourth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the second candidate frequency band;

[0121] The first frequency point is the second candidate frequency point, and the second candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to any of the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier corresponding to the fifth slice priority, where the fifth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the second candidate frequency point;

[0122] The first cell is the second candidate cell, and the second candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to any of the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier corresponding to the sixth slice priority, where the sixth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate cell includes the second candidate cell.

[0123] Optionally, in terms of performing cell search based on the target information to obtain the target PLMN information, the search unit 420 is specifically configured to:

[0124] Search for a target cell based on the target information, where the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value among the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included among the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the frequency points of the first frequency band;

[0125] Determine the PLMN information corresponding to the target cell as the target PLMN information.

[0126] Optionally, when the target information includes the first frequency point, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first frequency point.

[0127] Optionally, when the target information includes the first cell, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value in the first cell, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the first cell, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first cell.

[0128] It should be understood that the device 400 herein is embodied in the form of functional units. The term "unit" herein may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a proprietary processor or a group of processors, etc.) for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a memory, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art can understand that the device 400 may specifically be the terminal device in the above embodiments, and the device 400 may be used to execute the respective processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be elaborated herein.

[0129] The device 400 of each of the above solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps executed by the terminal device in the above method; the function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above functions; for example, the acquisition unit can be replaced by a transceiver, and the search unit can be replaced by a processor.

[0130] In the embodiments of the present application, Figure 4 the device 400 in may also be a chip or a chip system, for example: a System on Chip (SoC). Correspondingly, the acquisition unit may be the transceiver circuit of the chip, which is not limited herein.

[0131] Figure 5 Fig. shows a computer device 500 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The computer device 500 includes a processor 510, a memory 520, a transceiver 530, and one or more programs. Among them, the above one or more programs are stored in the above memory 520 and are configured to be executed by the above processor 510.

[0132] In a possible implementation manner, the computer device is a terminal device, and the above program includes instructions for performing the following steps:

[0133] Obtain first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0134] Perform cell search based on the first network slice information.

[0135] Optionally, the first network slice information includes at least one of the following: network slice identifier, frequency band, network slice priority, cell identifier, and frequency point identifier.

[0136] Optionally, the performing cell search based on the first network slice information includes:

[0137] Determine target information for cell search based on the first network slice information, where the target information includes at least one of a first frequency band, a first frequency point, and a first cell;

[0138] Perform cell search based on the target information to obtain target Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information.

[0139] Optionally, the first network slice information is information of a network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0140] The first frequency band is the frequency band in the first network slice information;

[0141] The first frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information;

[0142] The first cell is the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information.

[0143] Optionally, the first network slice information is information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device;

[0144] The first frequency band is one of the following: any frequency band in the first network slice information, all frequency bands in the first network slice information, the frequency band corresponding to the first network slice priority in the first network slice information, where the first network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high-priority;

[0145] The first frequency point is one of the following: the frequency point corresponding to any frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, the frequency points corresponding to all frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the frequency point corresponding to the second network slice priority in the first network slice information, where the second network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high-priority;

[0146] The first cell is one of the following: the cell corresponding to any cell identifier in the first network slice information, the cells corresponding to all cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cell corresponding to the third network slice priority in the first network slice information, where the third network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high-priority.

[0147] Optionally, the first frequency band is a frequency band determined from at least one candidate frequency band;

[0148] The first frequency point is a frequency point determined from at least one candidate frequency point;

[0149] The first cell is a cell determined from at least one candidate cell;

[0150] The at least one candidate cell, the at least one candidate frequency band, and the at least one candidate frequency point are all information searched by the terminal device.

[0151] Optionally, the first network slice information is information of a network slice supported by the terminal device;

[0152] The first frequency band is the first candidate frequency band, the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency band in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the first candidate frequency band;

[0153] The first frequency point is the first candidate frequency point, the first candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the first candidate frequency point;

[0154] The first cell is the first candidate cell, the first candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate cell includes the first candidate cell.

[0155] Optionally, the first network slice information is information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device;

[0156] The first frequency band is the second candidate frequency band, the second candidate frequency band matches any of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency band corresponding to the fourth slice priority in the first network slice information, and the fourth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the second candidate frequency band;

[0157] The first frequency point is the second candidate frequency point, the second candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to any of the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency point corresponding to the fifth slice priority, and the fifth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the second candidate frequency point;

[0158] The first cell is the second candidate cell, the second candidate cell matches any of the cells corresponding to the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the cell corresponding to the sixth slice priority, and the sixth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate cell includes the second candidate cell.

[0159] Optionally, the cell search based on the target information to obtain the target PLMN information includes:

[0160] Search for a target cell based on the target information, where the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value among the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers among the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the frequency points of the first frequency band;

[0161] Determine the PLMN information corresponding to the target cell as the target PLMN information.

[0162] Optionally, when the target information includes the first frequency point, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first frequency point.

[0163] Optionally, when the target information includes the first cell, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value in the first cell, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers in the first cell, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first cell.

[0164] It should be understood that the memory 520 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A part of the memory may also include a non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store information about the device type.

[0165] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the processor 510 of the above device may be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor 510 may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0166] In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or the instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed and completed by the hardware processor, or executed and completed by the combination of the hardware and software units in the processor. The software unit can be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable memory, register, etc. This storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory and combines its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0167] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program for electronic data exchange, and wherein the computer program enables a computer to execute some or all of the steps described in the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0168] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, and the computer program is operable to enable a computer to execute some or all of the steps described in the terminal device in the above method. This computer program product can be a software installation package.

[0169] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0170] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that, in combination with the method steps and units described in the embodiments disclosed herein, they can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the steps and components of each embodiment have been generally described according to functions in the above description. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those of ordinary skill in the art 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.

[0171] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and simplicity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0172] In several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection to each other can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or units, and can also be in the form of electrical, mechanical, or other connections.

[0173] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated. The components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0174] In addition, each functional unit in various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated units can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0175] If the above-mentioned integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of this technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this application. The foregoing storage medium includes: various media such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

[0176] The above is only the specific implementation manner of this application, but the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cell search method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Obtain first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information on at least one network slice supported by the terminal device. Among them, the first network slice information includes network slice priority and at least one of the following: network slice identifier, frequency band, cell identifier, and frequency point identifier; Perform cell search based on the first network slice information to obtain target Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information; Among them, the performing cell search based on the first network slice information to obtain target PLMN information includes: Determine target information for cell search based on the first network slice information, where the target information includes at least one of a first frequency band, a first frequency point, and a first cell; Perform cell search based on the target information to obtain target PLMN information; Among them, the performing cell search based on the target information to obtain target PLMN information includes: Search for a target cell based on the target information, where the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of beams with beam quality greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the frequency points of the first frequency band; Determine the PLMN information corresponding to the target cell as the target PLMN information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first network slice information is information on one network slice supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is the frequency band in the first network slice information; The first frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information; The first cell is the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first network slice information is information on multiple network slices supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is one of the following: any frequency band in the first network slice information, all frequency bands in the first network slice information, the frequency band corresponding to the first network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the first network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority; The first frequency point is one of the following: the frequency point corresponding to any frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, the frequency points corresponding to all frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the frequency point corresponding to the second network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the second network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority; The first cell is one of the following: the cell corresponding to any cell identifier in the first network slice information, the cells corresponding to all cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cell corresponding to the third network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the third network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first frequency band is a frequency band determined from at least one candidate frequency band; The first frequency point is a frequency point determined from at least one candidate frequency point; The first cell is a cell determined from at least one candidate cell; The at least one candidate cell, the at least one candidate frequency band, and the at least one candidate frequency point are all information searched by the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The first network slice information is information of a network slice supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is a first candidate frequency band, the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency band in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the first candidate frequency band; The first frequency point is a first candidate frequency point, the first candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the first candidate frequency point; The first cell is a first candidate cell, the first candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate cell includes the first candidate cell; 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein The first network slice information is information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is a second candidate frequency band, the second candidate frequency band matches any of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency band corresponding to the fourth network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the fourth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the second candidate frequency band; The first frequency point is a second candidate frequency point, the second candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to any of the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency point corresponding to the fifth network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the fifth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the second candidate frequency point; The first cell is a second candidate cell, the second candidate cell matches any of the cells corresponding to the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the cell corresponding to the sixth network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the sixth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate cell includes the second candidate cell; 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein When the target information includes the first frequency point, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the first frequency point, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first frequency point.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the target information includes the first cell, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the first cell, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the first cell.

9. A cell search device, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the apparatus includes: An acquisition unit, configured to acquire first network slice information, where the first network slice information includes information of at least one network slice supported by the terminal device, and wherein the first network slice information includes network slice priority and at least one of the following: network slice identifier, frequency band, cell identifier, and frequency point identifier; A search unit, configured to perform cell search based on the first network slice information to obtain target public land mobile network (PLMN) information; Wherein, the search unit is specifically configured to: Determine target information for cell search based on the first network slice information, where the target information includes at least one of a first frequency band, a first frequency point, and a first cell; Perform cell search based on the target information to obtain target public land mobile network (PLMN) information; In terms of performing cell search based on the target information to obtain target PLMN information, the search unit is specifically configured to: Search for a target cell based on the target information, where the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers included in the frequency points of the first frequency band, the cell with the largest number of beams whose beam quality is greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the frequency points of the first frequency band; Determine the PLMN information corresponding to the target cell as the target PLMN information.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first network slice information is information of one network slice supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is the frequency band in the first network slice information; The first frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information; The first cell is the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information.

11. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The first network slice information is information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is one of the following: any one of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, all of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, the frequency band corresponding to the first network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the first network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority; The first frequency point is one of the following: the frequency point corresponding to any one of the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the frequency points corresponding to all of the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, the frequency point corresponding to the second network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the second network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority; The first cell is one of the following: the cell corresponding to any one of the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cells corresponding to all of the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, the cell corresponding to the third network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the third network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting high priority.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein The first frequency band is a frequency band determined from at least one candidate frequency band; The first frequency point is a frequency point determined from at least one candidate frequency point; The first cell is a cell determined from at least one candidate cell; The at least one candidate cell, the at least one candidate frequency band, and the at least one candidate frequency point are all information searched by the terminal device.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first network slice information is information of a network slice supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is a first candidate frequency band, the first candidate frequency band matches the frequency band in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the first candidate frequency band; The first frequency point is a first candidate frequency point, the first candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the first candidate frequency point; The first cell is a first candidate cell, the first candidate cell matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier in the first network slice information, and the at least one candidate cell includes the first candidate cell.

14. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first network slice information is information of multiple network slices supported by the terminal device; The first frequency band is a second candidate frequency band, the second candidate frequency band matches any of the frequency bands in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency band corresponding to the fourth network slice priority in the first network slice information, and the fourth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency band includes the second candidate frequency band; The first frequency point is a second candidate frequency point, the second candidate frequency point matches the frequency point corresponding to any of the frequency point identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the frequency point corresponding to the frequency point identifier corresponding to the fifth network slice priority, and the fifth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate frequency point includes the second candidate frequency point; The first cell is a second candidate cell, the second candidate cell matches any of the cells corresponding to the cell identifiers in the first network slice information, or the second candidate frequency band matches the cell corresponding to the cell identifier corresponding to the sixth network slice priority, and the sixth network slice priority is determined based on the principle of preferentially selecting the higher priority, and the at least one candidate cell includes the second candidate cell.

15. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the target information includes the first frequency point, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value among the first frequency points, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers among the first frequency points, the cell with the largest number of beams with beam quality greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the first frequency points.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that, When the target information includes the first cell, the target cell is at least one of the following: the cell with the largest signal strength value among the first cells, the cell with the largest number of network slice identifiers among the first cells, the cell with the largest number of beams with beam quality greater than or equal to a preset threshold among the first cells.

17. A terminal device, characterized in that, The terminal device includes a processor, a memory, a transceiver, and one or more programs, the one or more programs are stored in the memory and are configured to be executed by the processor, and the programs include instructions for performing the steps in the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program for electronic data exchange, wherein the computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

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