A method, apparatus, and system for transmitting and receiving terminal capability information.

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for transmitting terminal capability information, applicable to the field of wireless communication technology. The method includes: sending terminal capability information to a network device, wherein the terminal capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus and system for transmitting and receiving terminal capability information. Background Technology

[0002] The New Radio (NR) system employs a multi-point collaboration approach to improve coverage at the cell edge and provide a more balanced quality of service within the service area.

[0003] With the increasing use of millimeter-wave bands, which generally refer to electromagnetic waves with wavelengths of 1-10 millimeters, the blocking effect caused by their extremely short wavelengths is more pronounced against various obstacles. In this context, to ensure the robustness of link connections, cooperation between multiple transmission-reception points (TRPs) or antenna panels can be utilized to transmit from multiple angles using multiple beams, thereby reducing the adverse effects of blocking. In some implementations, the terminal can only transmit or receive one beam on the same antenna panel for both uplink and downlink data. In other implementations, downlink enhancement allows the terminal to simultaneously receive beams from different TRPs in different directions on multiple antenna panels. In some possible implementations, it is desirable for the terminal to simultaneously transmit different beams on multiple antenna panels in the uplink direction.

[0004] Different terminals may use different transmission capabilities, and network devices cannot accurately schedule different terminals. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a method, apparatus, and system for transmitting and receiving capability information.

[0006] Firstly, a method for transmitting terminal capability information is provided, executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0007] The terminal capability information is sent to the network device to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0008] In some possible implementations, sending terminal capability information to the network device includes:

[0009] Sending signaling to network devices, the signaling including a first parameter, the first parameter being used to indicate whether the terminal supports simultaneous multi-antenna panel transmission.

[0010] In some possible implementations, sending terminal capability information to the network device includes:

[0011] Sending signaling to network devices, the signaling including a second parameter, the second parameter being used to indicate whether the terminal supports a second parameter that can be configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the method further includes:

[0013] When the network device has configured a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal, and the TCIs are either joint TCIs or independent TCIs. When the network device has not configured a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams is configured with two different QCL relationships, and the two different QCL relationships are both of type D.

[0014] Secondly, a method for receiving terminal capability information is provided, executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0015] The terminal receives terminal capability information sent by the terminal, which indicates whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the terminal capability information sent by the receiving terminal includes:

[0017] The terminal is sent a signaling message, which includes a first parameter indicating whether the terminal supports simultaneous transmission from multiple antenna panels.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the terminal capability information sent by the receiving terminal includes:

[0019] The terminal is sent a signaling message, which includes a second parameter indicating whether the terminal supports being configured with different space transmission parameters simultaneously.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: simultaneously configuring different space transmission parameters for the terminal.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the method further includes:

[0022] When the network device has configured a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal of the terminal. The TCIs are either joint TCIs or independent TCIs. When the network device has not configured a unified TCI for the terminal, two different QCL relationships are configured for the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams of the terminal. The two different QCL relationships are both of type D.

[0023] Thirdly, a device for transmitting terminal capability information is provided, configured on a terminal, the device comprising:

[0024] The transceiver module is configured to send terminal capability information to the network device, the terminal capability information being used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0025] Fourthly, an apparatus for receiving terminal capability information is provided, configured in a network device, the apparatus comprising:

[0026] The transceiver module is configured to receive terminal capability information sent by the terminal, the terminal capability information being used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0027] Fifthly, an electronic device is provided, including a processor and a memory, wherein...

[0028] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0029] The processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect.

[0030] Sixthly, an electronic device is provided, including a processor and a memory, wherein,

[0031] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0032] The processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0033] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein instructions are stored therein, which, when invoked and executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect.

[0034] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein instructions are stored therein, which, when invoked and executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect.

[0035] Ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a terminal for performing the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect and a network device for performing the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0036] In this disclosure, the terminal reports its capabilities to the network device, enabling the network device to know whether each terminal has the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously. This allows the network device to configure transmission parameters that match the terminal's capabilities, improving scheduling effectiveness and saving network resources. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and, together with their descriptions, serve to explain the embodiments of this disclosure and do not constitute an improper limitation of the embodiments of this disclosure. In the drawings:

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a method for transmitting terminal capability information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an apparatus for transmitting terminal capability information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a device for receiving terminal capability information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation details.

[0044] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with those of this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0045] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. The singular forms “a” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0046] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the words “if” and “suppose” as used herein may be interpreted as “when”, “when”, or “in response to a determination”.

[0047] Embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the method for transmitting and receiving capability information provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless communication system 100, which may include a terminal 101 and a network device 102. The terminal 101 is configured to support carrier aggregation and can be connected to multiple carrier units of the network device 102, including a primary carrier unit and one or more secondary carrier units.

[0049] It should be understood that the wireless communication system 100 described above is applicable to both low-frequency and high-frequency scenarios. Application scenarios for the wireless communication system 100 include, but are not limited to, long-term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, cloud radio access network (CRAN) systems, future 5th-generation (5G) systems, new radio (NR) communication systems, or future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) systems.

[0050] The terminal 101 shown above can be a terminal, access terminal, terminal unit, terminal station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal, wireless communication device, terminal agent, or terminal equipment, etc. This terminal 101 may have wireless transceiver capabilities, enabling it to communicate (e.g., wirelessly) with one or more network devices in one or more communication systems, and to receive network services provided by the network devices. These network devices include, but are not limited to, the network device 103 shown in the figure.

[0051] Terminal 101 can be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA) device, handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in a future 5G network or terminal device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc.

[0052] Network device 102 can be an access network device (or access point). Access network device refers to equipment that provides network access functionality, such as a radio access network (RAN) base station. Network device 103 may specifically include a base station (BS), or a base station and radio resource management equipment for controlling the base station. Network device 102 may also include relay stations (relay equipment), access points, and base stations in future 5G networks, future PLMN networks, or NR base stations. Network device 102 can be a wearable device or an in-vehicle device. Network device 102 can also be a communication chip with a communication module.

[0053] For example, network equipment 102 includes, but is not limited to: next-generation base stations (gnodeB, gNB) in 5G, evolved node B (eNB) in LTE systems, radio network controllers (RNC), node B (NB) in WCDMA systems, radio controllers and base station controllers (BSC) in CRAN systems, base transceiver stations (BTS) in GSM or CDMA systems, home base stations (e.g., home evolved nodeB, or home node B, HNB), baseband units (BBU), transmitting and receiving points (TRP), transmitting points (TP), or mobile switching centers, etc.

[0054] This disclosure provides a method for sending and receiving terminal capability information. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for sending and receiving terminal capability information according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes steps S201 to S203, specifically:

[0055] S201, The terminal sends terminal capability information to the network device.

[0056] The terminal capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0057] It should be noted that, given that one antenna panel corresponds to one beam, the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously refers to the terminal's ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously through multiple antenna panels.

[0058] In some possible implementations, terminal capability information is reported per band (i.e., per band), not per terminal (i.e., per UE). Therefore, when reporting information about a specific frequency band in FR2, the network device can be instructed that the terminal supports the ability to simultaneously transmit multiple beams on that frequency band in FR2.

[0059] In some possible implementations, a method for a terminal to send terminal capability information to a network device includes: the terminal sending signaling to the network device, the signaling including a first parameter indicating whether the terminal supports simultaneous multi-antenna panel transmission. In one example, this signaling is MIMO-ParametersPerBand signaling.

[0060] In one example, the first parameter is IE simultaneousTransmissionByMulti-panel-r18. Setting the parameter value to 1 indicates that the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously is supported, while setting the parameter value to 0 indicates that the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously is not supported.

[0061] In some possible implementations, a method for a terminal to send terminal capability information to a network device includes sending signaling to the network device, the signaling including a second parameter indicating whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously. In one example, this signaling is MIMO-ParametersPerBand signaling.

[0062] In one example, the second parameter is IE simultaneousTransmissionWithDiffTxSpatialParameter-r18. Setting the parameter value to 1 indicates that the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously is supported, while setting the parameter value to 0 indicates that the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously is not supported.

[0063] In some possible implementations, the space transmission parameters include at least one of the following: Spatial Relation Info, Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI).

[0064] Given that some network devices (e.g., those supporting protocols R17 and later) support Unified TCI, while others (those supporting protocols prior to R17) do not, different spatial transmission parameters can be configured simultaneously for the terminal when configuring spatial transmission parameters. In some possible implementations, this also includes:

[0065] When the network device has configured a unified TCI for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal of the terminal. The TCIs are either a combined TCI or independent TCIs.

[0066] In the absence of a unified TCI configured for the terminal by the network device, two different QCL relationships are configured for the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams of the terminal, and the two different QCL relationships are both of type D.

[0067] Therefore, the simultaneous configuration of different space transmission parameters is one of the following:

[0068] When the network device has configured a unified TCI for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal, wherein the TCIs are either a joint TCI or independent TCIs.

[0069] When the network device does not configure a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams is configured with two different QCL relationships, both of which are of type D.

[0070] S202, the network device configures transmission parameters for the terminal based on the terminal capability information.

[0071] When the network device sets transmission parameters for the terminal based on the terminal capability information, it configures different transmission parameters for the terminal depending on whether the terminal supports the ability to simultaneously transmit multiple beams. Specifically: when the terminal supports the first capability, the transmission parameters corresponding to the ability to simultaneously transmit multiple beams are configured for the terminal. When the terminal does not support the first capability, the transmission parameters corresponding to the ability to transmit only one beam at a time are configured for the terminal.

[0072] For example, the transmission parameter is beam indication information. When the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously, this beam indication information indicates that two different QCL-D relationships are configured for the spatial relationship information (spatialrelationinfo) of the SRS for two uplink beams simultaneously. The transmission parameter is the number of data layers used for transmission. When the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously, the number of data layers used for transmission can be configured to 3 or 4. When the terminal does not support the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously, the number of data layers used for transmission can only be configured to 1 or 2. Since the parameters such as the DMRS port used for transmission and the information used to indicate precoding are configured in units of data layers, when the number of data layers used for transmission can be configured to 3 or 4, the corresponding number of DMRS ports and the information used to indicate precoding are configured.

[0073] In step S202, the network device configures transmission parameters for the terminal based on the terminal capability information, which includes two steps. The first step, S202-1, is for the network device to set transmission parameters for the terminal based on the terminal capability information. The second step, S202-2, is for the network device to send the transmission parameters to the terminal.

[0074] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal reports its capabilities to the network device by displaying an indication, so that the network device knows whether each terminal has the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously. This allows the network device to configure transmission parameters that match the terminal's capabilities, thereby improving scheduling effectiveness and saving network resources.

[0075] Based on the same concept as the above method embodiments, this disclosure also provides a communication device that can have the functions of the terminal 102 in the above method embodiments and is used to execute the steps performed by the terminal 102 provided in the above embodiments. This function can be implemented by hardware, or by software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0076] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 3 The communication device 300 shown can serve as the terminal 102 involved in the above method embodiment and execute the steps performed by the terminal 102 in the above method embodiment.

[0077] The communication device 300 includes a transceiver module 301 and a processing module 302.

[0078] The transceiver module 301 is configured to send terminal capability information to the network device, the terminal capability information being used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0079] In some possible implementations, the transceiver module 301 is also configured to send signaling to a network device, the signaling including a first parameter indicating whether the terminal supports simultaneous multi-antenna panel transmission.

[0080] In some possible implementations, the transceiver module 301 is also configured to send signaling to a network device, the signaling including a second parameter indicating whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously.

[0081] In some possible implementations, the method further includes:

[0082] When the network device has configured a unified TCI for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal, wherein the TCIs are either a joint TCI or independent TCIs.

[0083] When the network device does not configure a unified TCI for the terminal, the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams is configured with two different QCL relationships, both of which are of type D.

[0084] This disclosure also provides an electronic device, including a processor and a memory, wherein,

[0085] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0086] The processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the terminal execution method.

[0087] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when invoked and executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method executed by a terminal.

[0088] Based on the same concept as the above method embodiments, this disclosure also provides a communication device that can have the functions of the network device 101 in the above method embodiments and is used to execute the steps performed by the network device 101 provided in the above embodiments. This function can be implemented by hardware, or by software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0089] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 4 The communication device 400 shown can serve as the network device 101 involved in the above method embodiment, and perform the steps executed by the network device 101 in the above method embodiment.

[0090] The communication device 400 includes a transceiver module 401 and a processing module 402.

[0091] The transceiver module 401 is configured to receive terminal capability information sent by the terminal, the terminal capability information being used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously.

[0092] In some possible implementations, the transceiver module 401 is also configured to receive signaling sent by the terminal, the signaling including a first parameter indicating whether the terminal supports simultaneous multi-antenna panel transmission.

[0093] In some possible implementations, the transceiver module 401 is also configured to receive signaling sent by the terminal, the signaling including a second parameter indicating whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously.

[0094] In some possible implementations, the processing module 402 is also configured to configure different spatial transmission parameters for the terminal simultaneously.

[0095] In some possible implementations, the processing module 402 is further configured to configure two different TCIs for the uplink signal of the terminal when the network device has configured a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, wherein the TCIs are either a joint TCI or independent TCIs; and is further configured to configure two different QCL relationships for the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams of the terminal when the network device has not configured a unified TCI for the terminal, wherein the two different QCL relationships are both of type D.

[0096] This disclosure also provides an electronic device, including a processor and a memory, wherein,

[0097] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0098] The processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the method performed by the network device.

[0099] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when invoked and executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method executed by a network device.

[0100] This disclosure also provides a system for sending and receiving terminal capability information, including the terminal and the network device.

[0101] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the embodiments of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the embodiments of the present disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0102] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from their scope. The scope of the embodiments disclosed herein is limited only by the appended claims.

[0103] Industrial applicability

[0104] Terminals report their capabilities to network devices, enabling network devices to determine whether each terminal has the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously. This allows the network devices to configure transmission parameters that match the terminal's capabilities, improving scheduling effectiveness and saving network resources.

Claims

1. A method for sending terminal capability information, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: Send terminal capability information to the network device, wherein the terminal capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously; Sending terminal capability information to the network device includes: sending signaling to the network device, the signaling including a second parameter, the second parameter being used to indicate whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously, the spatial transmission parameters including at least one of the following parameters: spatial relationship information, unified transmission configuration indication (TCI); When the network device does not configure a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams is configured with two different QCL relationships, both of which are of type D.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, Sending terminal capability information to the network device further includes: Sending signaling to network devices, the signaling including a first parameter, the first parameter being used to indicate whether the terminal supports simultaneous multi-antenna panel transmission.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: When the network device has configured a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal, which are either a combined TCI or independent TCIs.

4. A method for receiving terminal capability information, performed by a network device, the method comprising: The terminal capability information sent by the receiving terminal is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously. The terminal capability information sent by the receiving terminal includes: receiving signaling sent by the terminal, the signaling including a second parameter, the second parameter being used to indicate whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters at the same time, the spatial transmission parameters including at least one of the following parameters: spatial relationship information, unified transmission configuration indication (TCI); In the absence of a unified TCI configured for the terminal by the network device, two different QCL relationships are configured for the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams of the terminal, and the two different QCL relationships are both of type D.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The terminal capability information sent by the receiving terminal also includes: The terminal receives signaling, which includes a first parameter indicating whether the terminal supports simultaneous transmission from multiple antenna panels.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, The method further includes: simultaneously configuring different spatial transmission parameters for the terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The method further includes: When the network device has configured a Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, two different TCIs are configured for the uplink signal of the terminal. The TCIs are either a combined TCI or independent TCIs.

8. A terminal, comprising: The transceiver module is configured to send terminal capability information to a network device. The terminal capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously. Sending the terminal capability information to the network device includes sending signaling to the network device. The signaling includes a second parameter, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously. The spatial transmission parameters include at least one of the following parameters: spatial relationship information and Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI). If the network device does not configure the Unified Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for the terminal, the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams is configured with two different QCL relationships, and the two different QCL relationships are both of type D.

9. A network device, comprising: The transceiver module is configured to receive terminal capability information sent by a terminal, the terminal capability information indicating whether the terminal supports the ability to transmit multiple beams simultaneously. Receiving the terminal capability information sent by the terminal includes: sending signaling to a network device, the signaling including a second parameter, the second parameter indicating whether the terminal supports being configured with different spatial transmission parameters simultaneously, the spatial transmission parameters including at least one of the following parameters: spatial relationship information, unified transmission configuration indication (TCI); in the case that the network device does not configure a unified TCI for the terminal, configuring two different QCL relationships for the spatial relationship information of the SRS of the two uplink beams of the terminal, the two different QCL relationships being of type D.

10. A communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-3.

11. A communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 4-7.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when invoked and executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-3.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when invoked and executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 4-7.

14. A communication system comprising a terminal for performing any one of claims 1-3 and a network device for performing any one of claims 4-7.

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