Method and apparatus for determining capability, method and apparatus for indicating capability

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a capability determination method applicable to a core network, comprising: receiving first capability information sent by a communication device; and determining whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information. According to the present disclosure, the communication device can send the first capability information to the core network to inform the core network whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause. Accordingly, the core network can determine whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and then when the core network needs to instruct the base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal in the future, the base station capable of sending the paging cause to the terminal can be accurately selected to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal, which is conducive to ensuring that the communication conflict problem is solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular, to a capability determination method, a capability indication method, a capability determination apparatus, a capability indication apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a computer readable storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a multi-card terminal, multiple SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards can be provided, and the terminal can communicate through the multiple SIM cards. However, in the communication process, communication conflicts can occur between the multiple SIM cards, which affects the communication effect of the terminal. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a capability determination method, a capability indication method, a capability determination apparatus, a capability indication apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a computer readable storage medium to solve the technical problems in the related art.

[0004] According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a capability determination method is provided, which is applicable to a core network, and the method comprises: receiving first capability information sent by a communication device; and determining whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information.

[0005] According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a capability indication method is provided, which is applicable to a communication device, and the method comprises: sending first capability information to a core network, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0006] According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a capability determination apparatus is provided, which is applicable to a core network, and the apparatus comprises: a capability receiving module configured to receive first capability information sent by a communication device; and a support determining module configured to determine whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a capability indication apparatus is provided, which is applicable to a communication device, and the apparatus comprises: a capability sending module configured to send first capability information to a core network, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided, which comprises: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; and wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the above-mentioned capability determination method is implemented.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the above-mentioned capability indication method.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the above-mentioned capability determination method.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the above-mentioned capability indication method.

[0012] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication device can send the first capability information to the core network to inform the core network whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause. Accordingly, the core network can determine whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and then when the core network needs to instruct the base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal in the future, the base station that can send the paging cause to the terminal can be accurately selected to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal, which is conducive to ensuring that the communication conflict problem is solved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic flow chart of a capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart of another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic flow chart of still another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of still another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of still another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6is a schematic flow chart of a capability indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of another capability indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of another capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of yet another capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of yet another capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of a capability indication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of another capability indication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for capability indication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for capability indication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0031] It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be employed in describing various information in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one type of information from another type of information. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, first information can also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information can also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein can be interpreted as "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining".

[0032] For the purpose of brevity and clarity, the terms "greater than" or "less than", "higher than" or "lower than" are used herein to characterize the size relationship. However, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the term "greater than" also covers the meaning of "greater than or equal to", and the term "less than" also covers the meaning of "less than or equal to"; the term "higher than" covers the meaning of "higher than or equal to", and the term "lower than" covers the meaning of "lower than or equal to".

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic flow chart of a capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The capability determination method shown in the embodiment can be applied to a core network which can communicate with communication devices such as terminals and base stations. The terminals include but are not limited to communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, Internet of Things devices, etc. The base stations include but are not limited to base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, 6G base stations, etc.

[0034] A plurality of SIM cards can be provided in a multi-card terminal, for example, taking the case where the plurality of SIM cards include a first SIM card and a second SIM card as an example. In some cases, communication operations between the first SIM card and the second SIM card can conflict (have conflicted or will conflict).

[0035] The conflicting communication operations can be paging-related operations such as receiving a page, responding to a page, etc. For example, in the process of the first SIM card performing a communication operation with a base station A, the second SIM card needs to respond to a page from a base station B, and then the communication operation being performed by the first SIM card with the base station A and the operation of the second SIM card responding to the page conflict.

[0036] To solve the communication conflict problem caused by the paging-related operations such as receiving a page and responding to a page, the base station can send a paging cause to the terminal to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal. For example, when the above-mentioned communication conflict problem occurs, the base station (which can be the base station B or another base station) can send a paging cause to the terminal, and based on the paging cause, the base station B can be determined why the base station B pages the second SIM card.

[0037] For example, the paging cause can include information of a service corresponding to the paging, priority information of the paging, a response time delay allowed by the paging, and the like. Taking the paging cause including information of a service corresponding to the paging as an example, the terminal can determine a service b to be performed by the second SIM card according to the paging cause, then can determine a service a corresponding to the communication operation being performed by the first SIM card and the base station A, and compare the service a and the service b to determine whether to continue the communication with the base station A through the first SIM card and not to respond to the paging through the second SIM card (for example, the operation is performed when the priority of the service a is relatively high), or to suspend the communication with the base station A through the first SIM card and respond to the paging through the second SIM card (for example, the operation is performed when the priority of the service b is relatively high).

[0038] Although the base station can solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal by sending the paging cause to the terminal, not all base stations can send the paging cause, for example, some base stations can only perform paging and cannot send the paging cause. Moreover, the core network does not necessarily know all the capabilities of all base stations, and the core network can not know whether the base station supports sending the paging cause, in this case, if the core network instructs a base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal, but the base station will not be able to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal by sending the paging cause to the terminal, which is likely to cause the communication conflict problem to be long-term unsolved, affecting the communication quality of the terminal.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1 The capability determination method can include the following steps:

[0040] In step S101, first capability information sent by a communication device is received.

[0041] In step S102, it is determined whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information.

[0042] In one embodiment, the communication device can determine whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause.

[0043] For example, the communication device can include at least one of the following: a terminal, a base station.

[0044] For ease of description, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the core network sends to the terminal through the access network device or other devices is referred to as the core network sends to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal sends to the core network through the access network device or other devices is referred to as the terminal sends to the core network.

[0045] The access network device or other device includes, but is not limited to, a base station. Taking the base station as an example, the terminal sends information to the core network, which can mean that the terminal first sends the information to the base station, and then the base station sends the information to the core network. For example, the transmitted information is non-access layer information, and the base station can transparently transmit the information to the core network. The core network sends information to the terminal, which can mean that the core network first sends the information to the base station, and then the base station sends the information to the terminal. For example, the transmitted information is non-access layer information, and the base station can transparently transmit the information to the terminal.

[0046] In the case of a base station, the communication device can establish an interface with the target base station, thereby directly obtaining the capability information of the target base station, and determining whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause based on the capability information.

[0047] In the case of a base station, the communication device can also communicate with the terminal, and the terminal first determines whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and then informs the communication device whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause.

[0048] In the case of a terminal, the communication device can obtain the capability information of the target base station by communicating with the target base station, and determine whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause based on the capability information.

[0049] For example, the target base station can broadcast its own capability information, and the communication device obtains the capability information of the target base station by receiving the broadcast. The capability information can be carried in a system message, such as a minimum system message (minimum SI) broadcast by the target base station, or other system messages (other SI). In addition, the target base station can also broadcast whether its neighboring base station supports sending the paging cause, for example, through other system messages.

[0050] For example, the communication device can establish a communication connection (such as a radio resource control connection) with the target base station, and then obtain the capability information of the target base station through the communication connection.

[0051] In one embodiment, after determining whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, the communication device can generate first capability information, which is used to indicate whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and then send the first capability information to the core network.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication device can send the first capability information to the core network to inform the core network whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause. In this way, the core network can determine whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and then when the core network needs to instruct the base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal in the future, the base station that can send the paging cause to the terminal can be accurately selected to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal, which is beneficial to ensure that the communication conflict problem is solved.

[0053] In an embodiment, the method further includes:

[0054] determining, according to the first capability information, whether a neighboring base station of the target base station supports sending the paging cause.

[0055] Through the first capability information, it can also be indicated whether the neighboring base station of the target base station supports sending the paging cause, so that the core network can determine whether the base stations in a larger range support sending the paging cause.

[0056] The following will mainly be exemplarily described for the case that the communication device is a terminal and the communication device is a base station.

[0057] In an embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the receiving the first capability information sent by the communication device includes: receiving the first capability information from the terminal in a process in which the communication device accesses the core network. The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: attach request signaling, registration request signaling, attach complete signaling, and registration complete signaling.

[0058] In the case that the communication device is a terminal, the core network can receive the first capability information from the terminal in a process in which the terminal accesses the core network. The process in which the terminal accesses the core network can be different for 4G network and 5G network.

[0059] For the 4G network, the terminal can send the first capability information to the core network in an attach process, for example, the first capability information can be carried in the attach request signaling or the attach complete signaling.

[0060] For the 5G network, the terminal can send the first capability information to the core network in a register process, for example, the first capability information can be carried in the register request signaling or the register complete signaling.

[0061] In this way, the core network can receive the first capability information in time, and the first capability information can be sent to the core network through the existing information without the need to send the first capability information separately, which is beneficial to solve the communication resource.

[0062] In an embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the receiving the first capability information sent by the communication device comprises: receiving the first capability information from the terminal after the terminal accesses the core network. The first capability information is carried in non-access stratum signaling.

[0063] In the case that the communication device is a terminal, the core network can also receive the first capability information from the terminal after the terminal accesses the core network. For example, the terminal can send the first capability information to the core network by non-access stratum signaling.

[0064] In an embodiment, the communication device is a base station, and the receiving the first capability information sent by the communication device comprises: receiving the first capability information from the base station in the process of establishing an interface with the communication device. The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling, S1AP signaling.

[0065] In the case that the communication device is a base station, the core network can receive the first capability information from the base station in the process of establishing an interface with the base station. The interface established by the base station and the core network can be different for 4G network and 5G network.

[0066] For 4G network, the interface established by the base station and the core network is S1 interface, and the first capability information can be sent to the core network by S1AP signaling related to the S1 interface, for example, the S1AP signaling can be S1 SETUP REQUEST signaling, that is, S1 interface establishment request signaling.

[0067] For 5G network, the interface established by the base station and the core network is NG interface, and the first capability information can be sent to the core network by NGAP signaling related to the NG interface, for example, the NGAP signaling can be NG SETUP REQUEST signaling, that is, NG interface establishment request signaling. More specifically, a new information element IE can be introduced in the NG SETUP REQUEST signaling to carry the first capability information.

[0068] Accordingly, the core network can receive the first capability information in time, and the first capability information can be sent to the core network by the existing information without the need of sending the first capability information separately, which is beneficial to solve the communication resource.

[0069] It should be noted that in the case that the communication device is a base station, the base station can be a target base station, that is, the target base station informs the core network whether it supports sending the paging cause in the process of establishing an interface with the core network.

[0070] Figure 2is a schematic flowchart of another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2 The method further includes:

[0071] In step S201, second capability information is sent to the target base station, where the second capability information is used to indicate whether the core network supports sending a paging cause.

[0072] In one embodiment, the source of the paging operation for the terminal is generally the core network. When the core network needs to page a terminal, it can determine the tracking area in which the terminal is located, and then instruct all base stations in the tracking area to page the terminal.

[0073] However, in some cases, the core network can perform paging, but does not support sending a paging cause, and the paging cause sent by the base station is generally from the core network. Therefore, in the case where the core network does not support sending a paging cause, the base station that performs paging based on the instruction of the core network also does not support sending a paging cause, and therefore the base station cannot solve the communication conflict problem of the terminal by sending a paging cause to the terminal.

[0074] According to the present embodiment, the core network can inform the target base station whether the core network supports sending a paging cause by sending second capability information to the target base station, so that the target base station can determine whether the core network supports sending a paging cause, and further determine whether the target base station itself supports sending a paging cause. For example, if the core network does not support sending a paging cause, then the target base station also does not support sending a paging cause.

[0075] In one embodiment, the sending of the second capability information to the target base station includes sending the second capability information to the target base station in the process of establishing an interface with the target base station. The second capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling, S1AP signaling.

[0076] The core network can send the second capability information to the target base station in the process of establishing an interface between the target base station and the core network. For 4G and 5G networks, the interface established between the target base station and the core network can be different.

[0077] For a 4G network, the interface established between the base station and the core network is an S1 interface. Therefore, the core network can send the second capability information to the core network through the related signaling S1AP signaling of the S1 interface, for example, the S1AP signaling can be S1 SETUP RESPONSE signaling, i.e., S1 interface establishment response signaling.

[0078] For the 5G network, the interface established between the base station and the core network is the NG interface. The core network can carry the second capability information through the related signaling NGAP signaling of the NG interface and send it to the core network. For example, the NGAP signaling can be the NG SETUP RESPONSE signaling, that is, the NG interface establishment response signaling. More specifically, a new information element (IE) can be introduced in the NG SETUP RESPONSE signaling to carry the second capability information.

[0079] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3 Before the receiving communication device sends the first capability information, the method further includes:

[0080] In step S301, a request for obtaining the first capability information is sent to the communication device.

[0081] In one embodiment, when the core network needs to determine whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause, the core network can send a request for obtaining the first capability information to the communication device. After receiving the request, the communication device sends the first capability information to the core network, so that the core network determines whether the target base station supports sending the paging cause. In this way, resource waste can be avoided when the core network does not need the first capability information.

[0082] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4 The method further includes:

[0083] In step S401, it is determined whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling according to the first capability information.

[0084] In one embodiment, some base stations support sending the paging cause, but cannot carry the paging cause when sending the paging signaling. This leads to a delay when the base station subsequently solves the communication conflict problem for the terminal, which may not meet the needs of the terminal.

[0085] According to the present embodiment, through the first capability information, on the basis of indicating that the target base station supports sending the paging cause, it can be further indicated whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling.

[0086] In this way, the core network can determine whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling, and then when the core network needs to instruct the base station to page the terminal in the subsequent process, the base station that can carry the paging cause when sending the paging signaling can be accurately selected to page the terminal.

[0087] Since the base station can carry the paging cause when sending the paging signaling, the terminal can know the paging cause after receiving the paging signaling if a communication conflict occurs, and does not need to obtain the paging cause from the base station again, which is beneficial to reduce the time delay of solving the communication conflict.

[0088] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of another capability determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5 The method can further include the following steps:

[0089] In step S501, if it is determined that the target base station does not support sending the paging cause, instructing other base stations to send the paging cause.

[0090] In one embodiment, the core network can instruct other base stations to send the paging cause, for example, directly broadcast the paging cause, or send the paging cause to the terminal through a communication connection after establishing the communication connection with the terminal, so that the terminal can receive the paging cause from the other base stations, thereby timely solving the communication conflict problem.

[0091] In one embodiment, the core network can pre-determine other base stations that support sending the paging cause, and then instruct the other base stations to send the paging cause if the target base station does not support sending the paging cause. For example, in the case of broadcasting the paging cause, the paging cause can carry the identifier of the terminal and the identifier of the paging sent by the target base station to the terminal, so that the terminal determines that the paging cause is the paging cause of the paging sent by the target base station to the terminal.

[0092] In one embodiment, the other base stations include, but are not limited to, neighboring base stations of the target base station, or base stations in the same tracking area as the target base station. Since the distance from these base stations to the terminal is generally not too far, it is beneficial for the terminal to receive the paging cause sent by these base stations.

[0093] Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart of a capability indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The capability indication method shown in the embodiment can be applied to a communication device, which can be a terminal or a base station. The terminal includes but is not limited to a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a sensor, an Internet of Things device, and the like. The base station includes but is not limited to a 4G base station, a 5G base station, a 6G base station, and the like.

[0094] As shown in Figure 6 The capability indication method can include the following steps:

[0095] In step S601, first capability information is sent to the core network, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0096] In one embodiment, the communication device comprises at least one of the following:

[0097] The terminal, the base station.

[0098] In the case where the communication device is a base station, the communication device can establish an interface with the target base station, and then directly acquire the capability information of the target base station, and determine whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause based on the capability information.

[0099] In the case where the communication device is a base station, the communication device can also communicate with the terminal, and the terminal can first determine whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause, and then inform the communication device whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0100] In the case where the communication device is a terminal, the communication device can acquire the capability information of the target base station by communicating with the target base station, and determine whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause based on the capability information.

[0101] For example, the target base station can broadcast its own capability information, and the communication device can acquire the capability information of the target base station by receiving the broadcast. The capability information can be carried in a system message, such as a minimum system message (minimum SI) broadcast by the target base station, or other system messages (other SI). In addition, the target base station can also broadcast whether its neighboring base station supports sending a paging cause, for example, by broadcasting in other system messages.

[0102] For example, the communication device can establish a communication connection (such as a radio resource control connection) with the target base station, and then acquire the capability information of the target base station through the communication connection.

[0103] In one embodiment, after determining whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause, the communication device can generate first capability information, and the first capability information is used to indicate whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause, and then the first capability information can be sent to the core network.

[0104] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication device can inform the core network whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause by sending first capability information to the core network. Accordingly, the core network can determine whether the target base station supports sending a paging cause, and then when the core network needs to instruct the base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal in the future, the base station that can send a paging cause to the terminal can be accurately selected to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal, which is beneficial to ensure that the communication conflict problem is solved.

[0105] In an embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the sending the first capability information to the core network comprises: sending the first capability information to the core network in a process of accessing the core network. The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: attach request signaling, registration request signaling, attach complete signaling, and registration complete signaling.

[0106] In the case that the communication device is a terminal, the core network can receive the first capability information from the terminal in a process of accessing the core network by the terminal. The process of accessing the core network by the terminal can be different for 4G network and 5G network.

[0107] For 4G network, the terminal can send the first capability information to the core network in an attach process, for example, the first capability information can be carried in attach request signaling or in attach complete signaling.

[0108] For 5G network, the terminal can send the first capability information to the core network in a register process, for example, the first capability information can be carried in register request signaling or in register complete signaling.

[0109] Accordingly, the core network can receive the first capability information in time, and the first capability information can be sent to the core network by being carried in existing information without being sent separately, which is beneficial to solve communication resource.

[0110] In an embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the sending the first capability information to the core network comprises: sending the first capability information to the core network after a process of accessing the core network. The first capability information is carried in non-access stratum signaling.

[0111] In the case that the communication device is a terminal, the core network can also receive the first capability information from the terminal after the terminal accesses the core network. For example, the terminal can send the first capability information to the core network by non-access stratum signaling.

[0112] In an embodiment, the communication device is a base station, and the sending the first capability information to the core network comprises: sending the first capability information to the core network in a process of establishing an interface with the core network. The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling and S1AP signaling.

[0113] In the case that the communication device is a base station, the core network can receive the first capability information from the base station in a process of establishing an interface with the base station. The interface established by the base station and the core network can be different for 4G network and 5G network.

[0114] For a 4G network, the interface established between the base station and the core network is an S1 interface. The first capability information can be carried by an S1AP signaling of the S1 interface and sent to the core network. The S1AP signaling can be an S1 SETUP REQUEST signaling, i.e., an S1 interface establishment request signaling.

[0115] For a 5G network, the interface established between the base station and the core network is an NG interface. The first capability information can be carried by an NGAP signaling of the NG interface and sent to the core network. The NGAP signaling can be an NG SETUP REQUEST signaling, i.e., an NG interface establishment request signaling. More specifically, a new information element (IE) can be introduced in the NG SETUP REQUEST signaling to carry the first capability information.

[0116] Accordingly, the core network can receive the first capability information in time, and the first capability information can be sent to the core network by using the existing information without the need to send the first capability information separately, which is beneficial to solving the communication resource.

[0117] It should be noted that when the communication device is a base station, the base station can be a target base station, i.e., the target base station informs the core network whether it supports sending the paging cause in the process of establishing the interface with the core network.

[0118] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of another capability indication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7 Before the first capability information is sent to the core network, the method further includes:

[0119] In step S701, a request for obtaining the first capability information is received from the core network.

[0120] In one embodiment, the source of the paging operation for the terminal is generally the core network. When the core network needs to page a terminal, it can determine the tracking area in which the terminal is located, and then instruct all base stations in the tracking area to page the terminal.

[0121] However, in some cases, the core network can perform paging but does not support sending the paging cause. Since the paging cause sent by the base station is generally from the core network, in the case where the core network does not support sending the paging cause, the base station that performs paging based on the instruction of the core network also does not support sending the paging cause. Therefore, the base station cannot solve the communication conflict problem of the terminal by sending the paging cause to the terminal.

[0122] According to the embodiment, the core network can inform the target base station whether the core network supports sending the paging cause by sending the second capability information to the target base station, so that the target base station can determine whether the core network supports sending the paging cause, and further determine whether the target base station itself supports sending the paging cause. For example, if the core network does not support sending the paging cause, the target base station also does not support sending the paging cause.

[0123] In one embodiment, the first capability information is further used to indicate whether a neighbor base station of the target base station supports sending the paging cause. By the first capability information, it can be further indicated whether the neighbor base station of the target base station supports sending the paging cause, so that the core network can determine whether the base stations in a larger range support sending the paging cause.

[0124] In one embodiment, the first capability information is further used to indicate whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling.

[0125] In one embodiment, some base stations support sending the paging cause, but cannot carry the paging cause when sending the paging signaling, which leads to a delay when the base station needs to send the paging cause alone to solve the communication conflict problem of the terminal in the subsequent, and may not meet the needs of the terminal.

[0126] According to the embodiment, by the first capability information, on the basis of indicating that the target base station supports sending the paging cause, it can be further indicated whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling.

[0127] Accordingly, the core network can determine whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling, and further can accurately select the base station capable of carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling to page the terminal when the core network needs to instruct the base station to page the terminal in the subsequent.

[0128] Since the base station can carry the paging cause when sending the paging signaling, if the terminal receives the paging signaling and communication conflict occurs, the terminal already knows the paging cause and does not need to obtain the paging cause from the base station, which is beneficial to reduce the delay of solving the communication conflict.

[0129] Corresponding to the foregoing embodiments of the capability determination method and the capability indication method, the disclosure further provides embodiments of a capability determination apparatus and a capability indication apparatus.

[0130] Figure 8is a schematic block diagram of a capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The capability determination apparatus shown in this embodiment can be applied to a core network, which can communicate with a communication device, including but not limited to a terminal such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a sensor, an Internet of Things device, and the like, and a base station, including but not limited to a base station in a communication system such as a 4G base station, a 5G base station, a 6G base station, and the like.

[0131] As shown in Figure 8 , the capability determination apparatus can include:

[0132] A capability receiving module 801 configured to receive first capability information sent by a communication device;

[0133] A support determination module 802 configured to determine whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information.

[0134] In one embodiment, the communication device includes at least one of the following: a terminal, a base station.

[0135] In one embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the capability receiving module is configured to receive the first capability information from the terminal during access of the terminal to the core network.

[0136] In one embodiment, the first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: attach request signaling, registration request signaling, attach complete signaling, registration complete signaling.

[0137] In one embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the capability receiving module is configured to receive the first capability information from the terminal after the terminal accesses the core network.

[0138] In one embodiment, the first capability information is carried in non-access layer signaling.

[0139] In one embodiment, the communication device is a base station, and the capability receiving module is configured to receive the first capability information from the base station during establishment of an interface with the base station.

[0140] In one embodiment, the first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling, S1AP signaling.

[0141] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of another capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9 , the apparatus further includes:

[0142] The capability sending module 901 is configured to send second capability information to the target base station, wherein the second capability information is used to indicate whether the core network supports sending a paging cause.

[0143] In one embodiment, the capability sending module is configured to send the second capability information to the target base station in the process of establishing an interface with the target base station.

[0144] In one embodiment, the second capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling, S1AP signaling.

[0145] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of still another capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 10 indicated, the apparatus further includes:

[0146] The request sending module 1001 is configured to send a request for obtaining the first capability information to the communication device.

[0147] In one embodiment, the support determination module is further configured to determine, according to the first capability information, whether a neighboring base station of the target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0148] In one embodiment, the support determination module is further configured to determine, according to the first capability information, whether the target base station supports carrying a paging cause when sending paging signaling.

[0149] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of still another capability determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 11 indicated, the apparatus further includes:

[0150] The sending indication module 1101 is configured to instruct other base stations to send the paging cause in the case where it is determined that the target base station does not support sending a paging cause.

[0151] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of a capability indication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The capability indication method shown in the present embodiment can be applied to a communication device, which can be a terminal or a base station. The terminal includes but is not limited to a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a sensor, an Internet of Things device, and the like. The base station includes but is not limited to a 4G base station, a 5G base station, a 6G base station, and the like.

[0152] As Figure 12 indicated, the capability indication apparatus can include:

[0153] The capability sending module 1201 is configured to send first capability information to a core network, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0154] In an embodiment, the communication device comprises at least one of a terminal and a base station.

[0155] In an embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the capability sending module is configured to send the first capability information to the core network in a process of accessing the core network.

[0156] In an embodiment, the first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: attach request signaling, registration request signaling, attach complete signaling, and registration complete signaling.

[0157] In an embodiment, the communication device is a terminal, and the capability sending module is configured to send the first capability information to the core network after a process of accessing the core network.

[0158] In an embodiment, the first capability information is carried in non-access stratum signaling.

[0159] In an embodiment, the communication device is a base station, and the capability sending module is configured to send the first capability information to the core network in a process of establishing an interface with the core network.

[0160] In an embodiment, the first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling and S1AP signaling.

[0161] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of another capability indication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 13 The apparatus further includes:

[0162] The request receiving module 1301 is configured to receive a request from the core network for obtaining the first capability information.

[0163] In an embodiment, the first capability information is further used to indicate whether a neighboring base station of the target base station supports sending a paging cause.

[0164] In an embodiment, the first capability information is further used to indicate whether the target base station supports carrying a paging cause when sending paging signaling.

[0165] As to the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manners in which various modules perform operations have been described in detail in the embodiments of the related methods, and thus will not be described here in detail.

[0166] For the apparatus embodiment, since it basically corresponds to the method embodiment, the relevant part can be referred to the part of the method embodiment. The apparatus embodiment described above is only illustrative, wherein the modules described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as modules can or can not be physical modules, i.e., can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network modules. Part or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement it without creative labor.

[0167] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication device, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the capability determination method of any one of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0168] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication device, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the capability indication method of any one of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0169] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the capability determination method of any one of the above embodiments are implemented.

[0170] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the capability indication method of any one of the above embodiments are implemented.

[0171] As shown in Figure 14 , Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1400 for capability indication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1400 can be provided as a base station. Referring to Figure 14 , the apparatus 1400 comprises a processing component 1422, a wireless transmit / receive component 1424, an antenna component 1426, and a signal processing part specific to the wireless interface, the processing component 1422 can further comprise one or more processors. One of the processors in the processing component 1422 can be configured to implement the steps of the capability indication method of any one of the above embodiments.

[0172] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1500 for capability indication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the apparatus 1500 can be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging equipment, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0173] Referring to Figure 15 The apparatus 1500 can include one or more of the following components: a processing component 1502, a memory 1504, a power supply component 1506, a multimedia component 1508, an audio component 1510, an input / output (I / O) interface 1512, a sensor component 1514, and a communication component 1516.

[0174] The processing component 1502 usually controls overall operations of the apparatus 1500, such as operations associated with displaying, making phone calls, data communications, camera operations and recording operations. The processing component 1502 can include one or more processors 1520 to execute instructions to complete all or part of steps of the above-described method for indicating capability. Further, the processing component 1502 can include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between the processing component 1502 and other components. For example, the processing component 1502 can include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component 1508 and the processing component 1502.

[0175] The memory 1504 is configured to store various types of data to support operations of the apparatus 1500. Examples of these data include instructions for any applications or methods operating on the apparatus 1500, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, and the like. The memory 1504 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage devices or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0176] The power supply component 1506 supplies electrical power for the various components of the apparatus 1500. The power supply component 1506 can include a power supply management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing and distributing electrical power for the apparatus 1500.

[0177] The multimedia component 1508 includes a screen providing an output interface between the device 1500 and a user. In some embodiments, the screen includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen can be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, swiping, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors can not only sense a boundary of a touching or swiping action, but also detect duration and pressure related to the touching or swiping action. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 1508 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 1500 is in an operation mode, such as a camera mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each of the front and rear camera can be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zooming capability.

[0178] The audio component 1510 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 1510 includes a microphone (MIC) to receive an external audio signal when the device 1500 is in an operation mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 1504 or transmitted via the communication component 1516. In some embodiments, the audio component 1510 also includes a speaker to output audio signals.

[0179] The I / O interface 1512 provides an interface between the processing component 1502 and peripheral interface modules, such as a keypad, a click wheel, buttons, and so on. The buttons can include, but are not limited to, a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[0180] The sensor component 1514 includes one or more sensors to provide various state assessments for the device 1500. For example, the sensor component 1514 can detect an open / closed state of the device 1500, relative positioning of components, such as a display and a keypad of the device 1500, a change in position of the device 1500 or a component of the device 1500, presence or absence of user contact with the device 1500, an orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the device 1500, and a temperature change of the device 1500. The sensor component 1514 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect presence of an object in proximity to the device 1500 without any physical touch. The sensor component 1514 can also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in an imaging application. In some embodiments, the sensor component 1514 can further include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0181] The communication component 1516 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device 1500 and other devices. The device 1500 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, 4G LTE, 5G NR, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 1516 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 1516 further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) techniques, infrared data association (IrDA) techniques, ultra-wideband (UWB) techniques, Bluetooth (BT) techniques, and other techniques.

[0182] In an exemplary embodiment, the device 1500 can be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, or other electronic elements, for performing the above-described capability indication method.

[0183] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, such as the memory 1504 including instructions, is also provided, which can be executed by the processor 1520 of the device 1500 to complete the above-described capability indication method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, and an optical data storage device, etc.

[0184] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the features disclosed herein. The disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such features that are evident to those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains. The specification and examples are to be regarded as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

[0185] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the claims that follow.

[0186] It is to be noted that, in the present text, relational terms such as first and second and the like can be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, exclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the recited element.

[0187] The above describes in detail the method and device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The principles and implementation manners of the present disclosure are described by using specific examples. The above description of the embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present disclosure and its core idea. Meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present disclosure, the specific implementation manners and application ranges can be changed. In summary, the content of the present description should not be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A capability determination method, characterized by, The method is suitable for a core network, and the method comprises: receiving first capability information sent by a communication device, the communication device comprising at least one of a terminal and a base station; determining whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information; in a case where it is determined that the target base station supports sending the paging cause, selecting the target base station to solve a communication conflict problem for a terminal when instructing a base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal; in a case where it is determined that the target base station does not support sending the paging cause, instructing other base stations to broadcast the paging cause, wherein the paging cause broadcast by the other base stations carries an identity of the terminal and an identity of a paging sent by the target base station to the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The communication device is a terminal, and the receiving first capability information sent by a communication device comprises: receiving the first capability information from the terminal in a process in which the communication device accesses the core network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: attach request signaling, registration request signaling, attach complete signaling, and registration complete signaling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The communication device is a terminal, and the receiving first capability information sent by a communication device comprises: receiving the first capability information from the terminal after the communication device accesses the core network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first capability information is carried in non-access stratum signaling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The communication device is a base station, and the receiving first capability information sent by a communication device comprises: receiving the first capability information from the base station in a process in which an interface is established with the communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling and S1AP signaling.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending second capability information to the target base station, wherein the second capability information is used to indicate whether the core network supports sending a paging cause.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The sending second capability information to the target base station comprises: sending the second capability information to the target base station in a process in which an interface is established with the target base station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The second capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling and S1AP signaling.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Before the receiving first capability information sent by a communication device, the method further comprises: sending a request for obtaining the first capability information to the communication device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further comprises: determining whether a neighboring base station of the target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further comprises: determining whether the target base station supports carrying a paging cause when sending paging signaling according to the first capability information.

14. A capability indication method, comprising: The method is suitable for a communication device, the communication device comprising at least one of a terminal and a base station, and the method comprises: sending first capability information to a core network, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause; The first capability information is used for the core network to select the target base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal when instructing the base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal in a case that the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and instruct other base stations to broadcast the paging cause in a case that the target base station does not support sending the paging cause, wherein the paging cause broadcast by the other base stations carries the identifier of the terminal and the identifier of the paging sent by the target base station to the terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The communication device is a terminal, and the first capability information is sent to the core network in the following manner: The first capability information is sent to the core network in the process of accessing the core network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: Attach request signaling, registration request signaling, attach complete signaling, and registration complete signaling.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein, The communication device is a terminal, and the first capability information is sent to the core network in the following manner: The first capability information is sent to the core network after the process of accessing the core network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The first capability information is carried in non-access stratum signaling.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein, The communication device is a base station, and the first capability information is sent to the core network in the following manner: The first capability information is sent to the core network in the process of establishing an interface with the core network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The first capability information is carried in at least one of the following signaling: NGAP signaling and S1AP signaling.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, Before the first capability information is sent to the core network, the method further includes: Receiving a request from the core network to obtain the first capability information.

22. The method of any one of claims 14-20, wherein, The first capability information is further used to indicate whether a neighboring base station of the target base station supports sending the paging cause.

23. The method of any one of claims 14-20, wherein, The first capability information is further used to indicate whether the target base station supports carrying the paging cause when sending the paging signaling.

24. A capability determining apparatus, characterized by comprising: The device is suitable for a core network, and the device includes: A capability receiving module configured to receive first capability information sent by a communication device, the communication device including at least one of the following: a terminal and a base station; A support determining module configured to determine whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause according to the first capability information; In a case that the target base station supports sending the paging cause, the target base station is selected to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal when a base station is instructed to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal; In a case that the target base station does not support sending the paging cause, other base stations are instructed to broadcast the paging cause, wherein the paging cause broadcast by the other base stations carries the identifier of the terminal and the identifier of the paging sent by the target base station to the terminal.

25. An apparatus for indicating capabilities, the apparatus comprising: The device is suitable for a communication device, the communication device including at least one of the following: a terminal and a base station, and the device includes: A capability sending module configured to send first capability information to a core network, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether a target base station supports sending a paging cause; The first capability information is used for the core network to select the target base station to solve the communication conflict problem for the terminal in the case that it is determined that the target base station supports sending the paging cause, and instruct other base stations to broadcast the paging cause in the case that it is determined that the target base station does not support sending the paging cause, wherein the paging cause broadcasted by the other base stations carries the identity of the terminal and the identity of the paging sent by the target base station to the terminal.

26. A communications device, characterized by Comprising: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the capability determination method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

27. A communications device, characterized by Comprising: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the capability indication method of any one of claims 14 to 23.

28. A computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the capability determination method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

29. A computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the capability indication method of any one of claims 14 to 23.

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