Communication method and related device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication method and related devices, relating to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: when a terminal transitions from a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state, a base station uses downlink Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink Small Data Transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to enable a terminal in the RRC inactive state to quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing latency and terminal power consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and related devices. Background Art

[0002] In some scenarios, the data packets to be transmitted by a terminal in the RRC (Radio Resource Control) inactive state are very small. In these scenarios, small data transmission (SDT) can be used to achieve transmission without switching the RRC state, which can reduce signaling overhead and terminal power consumption. However, there is no solution for downlink SDT in the communication solutions of related technologies.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The inventors found through research that for services that infrequently receive downlink data packets, switching to the RRC connected state to receive data results in a large delay and high terminal power consumption.

[0005] In view of the above problems, this application discloses a communication method and related devices, which enable a terminal in the RRC inactive state to quickly receive downlink data packets without switching to the RRC connected state.

[0006] As an embodiment, the interpretation of the terms in this application is based on the definitions of the 5G R17 (5G Release-17) standard.

[0007] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a base station. The method includes:

[0008] When a terminal switches from the radio resource control RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, using downlink semi-persistent scheduling SPS resources to send downlink small data transmission SDT data to the RRC inactive state terminal.

[0009] In an embodiment of this disclosure, before using downlink semi-persistent scheduling SPS resources to send downlink small data transmission SDT data to the RRC inactive state terminal, the method further includes:

[0010] Sending target SPS physical layer information to the RRC inactive state terminal, where the target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and a physical uplink control channel PUCCH.

[0011] In the case of no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this disclosure and the embodiments can be combined with each other arbitrarily.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication method applied to a terminal, the method including:

[0013] When the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, receiving downlink small data transmission (SDT) data sent by the base station using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a base station, including:

[0015] A data sending module, configured to, when the terminal transitions from the radio resource control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state, use downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a terminal, including:

[0017] A data receiving module, configured to, when the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, receive downlink small data transmission (SDT) data sent by the base station using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources.

[0018] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication system, including the above-mentioned base station and the above-mentioned terminal.

[0019] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device, including: a memory for storing instructions; a processor for invoking the instructions stored in the memory to implement the above-mentioned communication method.

[0020] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium, on which computer instructions are stored, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the above-mentioned communication method is implemented.

[0021] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product, the computer program product storing instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements the above-mentioned communication method.

[0022] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a chip, including at least one processor and an interface;

[0023] The interface is configured to provide program instructions or data for at least one processor;

[0024] At least one processor is configured to execute program instructions to implement the above-mentioned communication method.

[0025] In the communication method and related devices provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a terminal transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state, the base station uses downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal. This enables the terminal in the RRC inactive state to quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing latency and terminal power consumption for services that infrequently receive downlink data packets.

[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and do not limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, used to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0028] Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0029] Figure 1 Shows a flowchart of a communication method in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 Shows a flowchart of another communication method in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 3 Shows a flowchart of yet another communication method in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 4 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a base station in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 5 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a terminal in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication system in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 7 Shows a block diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0036] The following will describe the exemplary embodiments more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein.

[0038] The RRC has three states: idle state (IDLE), connected state (INACTIVE), and non-active state (CONNECTED).

[0039] The RRC non-active state is a terminal (UE) state between the RRC connected state and the RRC idle state. The terminal still remains in the CM-CONNECTED state, and the terminal can move within the RNA area (RAN-based notification area) without notifying the base station. If the gNB receives downlink data or signaling, the gNB will page the UE in all cells of the RNA where the UE is located.

[0040] When transitioning from the RRC non-active state to the RRC connected state, the names of the RRC messages in the access process are different from those in the access process initiated from the idle state.

[0041] Msg3, Msg4, and Msg5 are RRCResumeRequest / RRCResumeRequest1, RRCResume, and RRCResumeComplete respectively.

[0042] In Release 17, the uplink (MO) SDT for RRC non-active state terminals is divided into two types: RA-SDT and CG-SDT

[0043] For RA-SDT, the UE initiates small packet services on the PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) resources configured by the base station, and sends RRC signaling and small packet service data on Msg3 (4-step RACH) or MsgA (2-step RACH).

[0044] For CG-SDT, the UE sends RRC signaling and small packet service data through the pre-configured uplink unscheduled resources of the base station.

[0045] The terminal determines whether SDT transmission can be performed based on the uplink data volume and whether the TA timer is valid. When CG-SDT transmission is possible, the terminal preferentially selects CG-based SDT.

[0046] The inventors found that the 3GPP Release 17 introduced enhanced SDT features, allowing terminals to quickly complete small packet data transmission in the RRC non-active state without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing latency and saving terminal power consumption. However, Release 17 only introduced uplink (MO) SDT, and there is no solution for downlink (MT) SDT.

[0047] The present disclosure transmits downlink data in the SPS (Semi-Persistent Scheduling) resources allocated to RRC inactive state terminals by the base station, enabling RRC inactive state terminals to quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state. For services that infrequently receive downlink data packets (such as periodically receiving downlink heartbeat messages), the latency and terminal power consumption are reduced.

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Worldwide Interoperability For Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, such as New Radio Access Technology (NR), networks integrating multiple systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, and future communication systems, such as 6th Generation (6G) systems, etc.

[0049] The following describes this exemplary embodiment in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0050] Figure 1 The flowchart of a communication method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This communication method is applied to a base station, as Figure 1 shown, the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes the following steps:

[0051] S102: When the terminal transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state, use the downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal.

[0052] The terminals in the embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, vehicle-mounted communication devices, drones, communication modules on drones, remote control planes, aircraft, small planes, transportation means, vehicles, Road Side Units (RSUs), wireless sensors, network cards, Internet of Things terminals, RFID terminals, NB-IoT terminals, Machine Type Communication (MTC) terminals, enhanced MTC (eMTC) terminals, data cards, network cards, vehicle-mounted communication devices, low-cost mobile phones, low-cost tablets, and other wireless communication devices.

[0053] The base stations in the embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, macro cell base stations, micro cell base stations, small cell base stations, home base stations, relay base stations, eNBs, gNBs, TRPs (Transmitter Receiver Points), GNSSs, relay satellites, satellite base stations, aerial base stations, RSUs (Road Side Units), unmanned aerial vehicles, test devices, such as wireless communication devices like transceiver devices or signaling testers that simulate some functions of base stations.

[0054] When the terminal transitions from the RRC Connect state to the RRC Inactive state, the RRC Release sent by the base station needs to configure the downlink SPS used in the RRC Inactive state, as well as layer 2 configurations such as SDT DRB configurations.

[0055] As an example, changes to the IE of the RRCRelease message:

[0056]

[0057]

[0058] Continuing with examples of changes to the RRCRelease message:

[0059]

[0060]

[0061] Figure 2 The flowchart of a communication method in the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. This communication method is applied to a base station and is similar to the Figure 1 shown communication method.

[0062] Among them, S204 is the same as Figure 1 S102 in and will not be elaborated here.

[0063] Figure 2 The shown communication method further includes the following steps:

[0064] S202, sending the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC inactive state terminal, where the target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and the physical uplink control channel PUCCH.

[0065] The embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to non - frequent downlink scheduling scenarios, such as URLLC scenarios, and can reduce latency and terminal power consumption, improving the user experience.

[0066] In the related art, downlink SPS is similar to uplink CG-Type2 and uses the mechanism of RRC message configuration + DCI activation. This type of downlink SPS lacks key physical layer information such as frequency domain resources and PUCCH in the RRC configuration, and this information is carried in the DCI that activates the downlink SPS.

[0067] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the SPS configured for the RRC-inactive state terminal is informed to the terminal in advance.

[0068] As an example, when the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC active state, the base station configures the downlink SPS in the RRC connected state for the terminal in the RRC Release message. This type of SPS is activated when the terminal receives a paging of the SDT type and does not require additional activation through DCI.

[0069] That is to say, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the base station sends the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC-inactive state terminal, which can be to inform the RRC-inactive state terminal of the target SPS physical layer information through RRC release when the terminal enters the RRC-inactive state.

[0070] As another example, the present disclosure can also send the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC-inactive state terminal through a Paging message, and the paging message is used to activate the SPS resources.

[0071] In some embodiments, the embodiments of the present disclosure may further include the following steps:

[0072] Receive the downlink data of the RRC-inactive state terminal from the core network;

[0073] Send a paging message to the terminal. The paging message carries the full-RNTI (complete radio network temporary identifier) information of the terminal and the SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to the RRC-inactive state terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC-inactive state terminal that the base station is to send downlink data through SDT.

[0074] The base station receives the downlink data of the RRC-inactive state terminal from the core network and then sends Paging. In addition to carrying the full-RNTI (I-RNTI) information of the terminal, the Paging message can also carry other information such as the SDT indication field.

[0075] When a UE in RRC Inactive state receives a Paging message, it determines from the full-RNTI in the message that the Paging message is for itself, and knows from the SDT indication field that the base station will send downlink data to it via SDT. If the TA timer for SDT is still valid, the UE receives the downlink data in the first SPS slot after the Paging message. Otherwise, the UE initiates downlink SDT based on RA.

[0076] In some embodiments, downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources are used to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to a UE in RRC Inactive state. Alternatively, downlink SPS resources for the RRC Inactive state can be configured for the UE in the RRC Release message, and the SPS resources include downlink SDT data.

[0077] Among them, the RRC Release message may further include the DRB (data radio bearer) configuration for SDT.

[0078] As an example, when the UE transitions from RRC Connected state to RRC Inactive state, the RRC Release sent by the base station configures the downlink SPS used in the RRC Inactive state, as well as the SDT DRB configuration, etc.

[0079] In some embodiments, after all downlink SDT data has been sent, an RRC Release message is sent to the UE, and the RRC Release message carries the SuspendConfig to configure the RRC Inactive state information of the UE.

[0080] The following uses a specific example to elaborate in detail on the process of S202 sending the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC Inactive state UE.

[0081] The present disclosure provides two ways to send the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC Inactive state UE.

[0082] The first way is to modify the SPS-Config IE and carry the target SPS physical layer information therein, so that these physical layer information can be informed to the UE when the UE enters the RRC Inactive state through the RRC Release (SPS-Config in RRCRelease->SuspendConfig->MT-sdt-Config-r18).

[0083] New additional examples:

[0084]

[0085]

[0086] The second method is to carry this target SPS physical layer information in the SDT Paging message (the Paging message also activates the downlink SPS resources at the same time).

[0087] Examples of the added part:

[0088]

[0089]

[0090] Another change to the Paging message is to add a new pagingCause to indicate that it is an SDT Paging; and to carry the terminal's new C-RNTI.

[0091] After receiving the SDT Paging, if the terminal is only receiving downlink data, it can ignore the TATimer used for uplink alignment. However, the terminal still needs to feedback HARQ ACK / NACK for the SPS PDSCH in the uplink, and may also need to send uplink signaling / data subsequently. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the SDT TA Timer is still valid, and the method for determination can refer to the method for determining the validity of the TATimer in uplink SDT.

[0092] In addition to sending downlink data to the terminal on the SPS resources, the base station can also use the new C-RNTI to perform downlink dynamic scheduling for the terminal subsequently. If the C-RNTI is carried in the SDT Paging, the terminal shall use the new C-RNTI to detect the PDCCH dynamic scheduling.

[0093] After the base station determines that all downlink data has been sent, it sends an RRCRelease message to the terminal, and the message carries the SuspendConfig to configure the RRC inactive state information of the terminal.

[0094] Similar to uplink CG-SDT, downlink SPS-SDT is also only applicable to the case where the serving gNB of the terminal does not change. If the location of the RRC Inactive state terminal moves and the new serving gNB is different from the Last serving gNB, then only downlink RA-SDT can be used to complete downlink data transmission.

[0095] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, different base stations may be base stations with different identifiers, or may be base stations with the same identifier deployed at different geographical locations. In some scenarios, before the base station is deployed, the base station does not know whether it will be involved in the scenarios applied in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The base station, or the baseband chip, may support the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure before deployment. In some scenarios, it is also possible to support the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure through post-deployment upgrades or loading. It can be understood that the aforementioned different identifiers may be base station identifiers, or may be cell identifiers or other identifiers.

[0096] The embodiments of the present disclosure configure downlink SPS (Semi-Persistent Scheduling) resources for RRC inactive state terminals, and directly send downlink small packet service data to RRC inactive state terminals in downlink SPS, realizing that RRC inactive state terminals can quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state. For services that infrequently receive downlink data packets (such as periodically receiving downlink heartbeat messages), the latency and terminal power consumption are reduced.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0098] The term "and / or" in the present disclosure is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the preceding and following associated objects.

[0099] In addition, although the steps of the methods in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that these steps must be executed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be executed to achieve the desired result.

[0100] In some embodiments, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step for execution, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps for execution, etc.

[0101] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a communication method applied to a terminal, as Figure 3 shown, the communication method includes:

[0102] S302, when the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, receive downlink small data transmission (SDT) data sent by the base station using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources.

[0103] In some embodiments, the above method may further include receiving a paging message sent by a base station, where the paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC-inactive terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC-inactive terminal that the base station is to send downlink data through SDT.

[0104] After receiving the Paging message, the RRC-inactive terminal determines from the full-RNTI therein that it is a Paging message sent to itself, and knows from the SDT indication field that the base station is to send downlink data to itself through SDT. If the TA timer for SDT is still valid, the terminal receives the downlink data in the slot of the first SPS after the Paging message. Otherwise, the terminal will initiate RA-based downlink SDT.

[0105] In some embodiments, before S302, the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station may also be received, where the target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and a physical uplink control channel PUCCH.

[0106] As an example, when the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, the base station configures the downlink SPS in the RRC release message for the terminal. This type of SPS is activated when the terminal receives a paging message of the SDT type and does not need to be activated separately through DCI. Among them, the paging message may carry the target SPS physical layer information.

[0107] The manner of sending the target SPS physical layer information is not limited to the above paging message and may also be sent through other means.

[0108] As an example, receiving the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station may be receiving the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station through RRC release when the terminal enters the RRC inactive state.

[0109] As another example, receiving the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station may be receiving a paging message sent by the base station, where the paging message carries the target SPS physical layer information.

[0110] In some embodiments, the paging message further carries at least one of the following information:

[0111] The paging cause of downlink SDT, a cell radio network temporary identifier C-RNTI.

[0112] In some embodiments, when the C-RNTI is carried in the paging message, the C-RNTI is used to detect the dynamic scheduling of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

[0113] If the TA timer for SDT is still valid, receive downlink data in the slot of the first SPS after the paging message; if the TA timer for SDT is invalid, initiate downlink SDT based on RA.

[0114] In the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, when the terminal transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state, the base station uses downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal. This enables the RRC inactive state terminal to quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing latency and terminal power consumption for services that infrequently receive downlink data packets.

[0115] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a base station as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle of problem-solving in this base station embodiment is similar to that of the above method embodiment, the implementation of this base station embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiment, and repeated parts will not be elaborated.

[0116] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a base station in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, as Figure 4 shown, the base station 400 includes:

[0117] A data sending module 402, configured to use downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to an RRC inactive state terminal when the terminal transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state.

[0118] In some embodiments, the base station 400 may further include:

[0119] An information sending module, configured to send target SPS physical layer information to the RRC inactive state terminal before using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal, where the target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0120] As an example, the information sending module is configured to inform the RRC inactive state terminal of the target SPS physical layer information through an RRC release when the terminal enters the RRC inactive state.

[0121] As another example, the information sending module is configured to send the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC inactive state terminal through a paging message.

[0122] In some embodiments, the base station 400 may further include:

[0123] A first receiving module, configured to receive downlink data of an RRC-inactive terminal from a core network;

[0124] A first transmitting module, configured to send a paging message to a terminal. The paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC-inactive terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC-inactive terminal that the base station is to send downlink data via SDT.

[0125] In some embodiments, a data transmitting module 402 uses downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to an RRC-inactive terminal. It may configure the downlink SPS resources for the RRC-inactive state of the terminal in an RRC release message, and the SPS resources include downlink SDT data.

[0126] In some embodiments, the RRC release message may further include a data radio bearer configuration for SDT.

[0127] In some embodiments, the base station 400 may further include:

[0128] A second transmitting module, configured to send an RRC release message to the terminal after all downlink SDT data has been sent. The RRC release message carries the RRC-inactive state information of the terminal configured by SuspendConfig.

[0129] When the terminal in the embodiments of the present disclosure transitions from the radio resource control (RRC) connected state to the RRC-inactive state, the base station uses downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC-inactive terminal. This enables the RRC-inactive terminal to quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing latency and terminal power consumption for services that infrequently receive downlink data packets.

[0130] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a terminal, as Figure 5 shown. The terminal 500 includes:

[0131] A data receiving module 502, configured to receive downlink small data transmission (SDT) data sent by the base station using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources when the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC-inactive state.

[0132] In some embodiments, the terminal 500 may further include:

[0133] A second receiving module, configured to receive a paging message sent by a base station, where the paging message carries the full-RNTI information of a terminal and an SDT indication field, the full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC inactive state terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive state terminal that the base station is to send downlink data through SDT.

[0134] In some embodiments, the terminal 500 may further include:

[0135] A third receiving module, configured to receive target SPS physical layer information sent by a base station, where the target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0136] In some embodiments, for the third receiving module to receive the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station, it may be that when the terminal enters the RRC inactive state, the third receiving module receives the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station through an RRC release.

[0137] In some embodiments, for the third receiving module to receive the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station, it may be to receive a paging message sent by the base station, where the paging message carries the target SPS physical layer information.

[0138] In some embodiments, the paging message further carries at least one of the following information:

[0139] The paging cause of downlink SDT, a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI).

[0140] In some embodiments, the terminal 500 may further include:

[0141] A detection module, configured to use the C-RNTI to detect dynamic scheduling of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) when the paging message carries the C-RNTI.

[0142] In some embodiments, the terminal 500 may further include:

[0143] A judgment module, configured to, if a TA timer for SDT is still valid, receive downlink data in the first slot of the first SPS after the paging message;

[0144] If the TA timer for SDT is invalid, initiate downlink SDT based on RA.

[0145] When the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state, the base station uses the Downlink Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) resource to send Downlink Small Data Transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal. This enables the RRC inactive state terminal to quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing the latency and terminal power consumption for services that infrequently receive downlink data packets.

[0146] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a communication system, as Figure 6 shown. The communication system 600 includes a base station 601 and a terminal 602.

[0147] The base station 601 can be used to implement the functions of the above base station embodiment and execute the steps performed by the base station in the above communication method embodiment; the terminal 602 can be used to implement the functions of the above terminal embodiment and execute the steps performed by the terminal in the above communication method embodiment.

[0148] In some embodiments, the base station 601 is configured to perform the following steps:

[0149] When the terminal transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state, use the Downlink Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) resource to send Downlink Small Data Transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal.

[0150] In some embodiments, the base station 601 can also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0151] Send the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC inactive state terminal, where the target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0152] As an example, the base station 601 is configured to inform the RRC inactive state terminal of the target SPS physical layer information through an RRC release when the terminal enters the RRC inactive state.

[0153] As another example, the base station 601 is configured to send the target SPS physical layer information to the RRC inactive state terminal through a paging message.

[0154] In some embodiments, the base station 601 can also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0155] Receive the downlink data of the RRC inactive state terminal from the core network;

[0156] Send a paging message to the terminal. The paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC inactive state terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive state terminal that the base station will send downlink data via SDT.

[0157] In some embodiments, when using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to an RRC inactive state terminal, it can be to configure the downlink SPS resources for the RRC inactive state of the terminal in the RRC release message, and the SPS resources include downlink SDT data.

[0158] In some embodiments, the RRC release message may further include a data radio bearer configuration for SDT.

[0159] In some embodiments, the base station 601 may further be configured to perform the following steps:

[0160] After all downlink SDT data has been sent, send an RRC release message to the terminal. The RRC release message carries the SuspendConfig to configure the RRC inactive state information of the terminal.

[0161] In some embodiments, the terminal 602 is configured to perform the following steps:

[0162] When the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, receive the downlink small data transmission (SDT) data sent by the base station using downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terminal 602 may further be configured to perform the following steps:

[0164] Receive the paging message sent by the base station. The paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC inactive state terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive state terminal that the base station will send downlink data via SDT.

[0165] In some embodiments, the terminal 602 may further be configured to perform the following steps:

[0166] Receive the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station. The target SPS physical layer information includes frequency domain resources and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0167] As an example, for the terminal 602 to receive the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station, it can be when the terminal enters the RRC inactive state, receive the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station via RRC release.

[0168] As another example, the terminal 602, which is used to receive the target SPS physical layer information sent by the base station, may receive a paging message sent by the base station, and the paging message carries the target SPS physical layer information.

[0169] In some embodiments, the paging message further carries at least one of the following information:

[0170] The paging cause of the downlink SDT and the cell radio network temporary identifier C-RNTI.

[0171] In some embodiments, the terminal 602 may also be used to perform the following steps:

[0172] When the C-RNTI is carried in the paging message, use the C-RNTI to detect the dynamic scheduling of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

[0173] In some embodiments, the terminal 602 may also be used to perform the following steps:

[0174] If the TA timer for SDT is still valid, receive downlink data in the first SPS slot after the paging message;

[0175] If the TA timer for SDT is invalid, initiate downlink SDT based on RA.

[0176] In the communication system provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, when the terminal transitions from the radio resource control RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, the base station uses the downlink semi-persistent scheduling SPS resource to send downlink small data transmission SDT data to the RRC inactive state terminal. It realizes that the RRC inactive state terminal can quickly receive downlink data packets without transitioning to the RRC connected state, reducing the latency and terminal power consumption for services that infrequently receive downlink data packets.

[0177] The concepts such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or mutual dependence relationship of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0178] Regarding the base station, terminal, and communication system in the above embodiments, the specific manners in which each module performs operations have been described in detail in the embodiments related to the communication method, and will not be elaborated here in detail.

[0179] It should be noted that although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory.

[0180] In fact, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more of the above-described modules or units can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0181] Some of the block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0182] The following refers to Figure 7 to describe the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The electronic device 700 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functions and usage scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0183] Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the architecture of an electronic device 700 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As Figure 7 shown, the electronic device 700 includes but is not limited to: at least one processor 710, at least one memory 720.

[0184] The memory 720 is used to store instructions.

[0185] In some embodiments, the memory 720 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access storage unit (RAM) 7201 and / or a cache storage unit 7202, and may further include a read-only storage unit (ROM) 7203.

[0186] In some embodiments, the memory 720 may further include a program / utility 7204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 7205. Such program modules 7205 include but are not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. The implementation of a network environment may be included in each or some combination of these examples.

[0187] In some embodiments, the memory 720 may store an operating system. The operating system may be an operating system such as a Real Time eXecutive (RTX), LINUX, UNIX, WINDOWS, or OS X.

[0188] In some embodiments, data may also be stored in the memory 720.

[0189] As an example, the processor 710 can read the data stored in the memory 720, which can be stored at the same storage address as the instruction, or can be stored at a different storage address from the instruction.

[0190] The processor 710 is configured to call the instructions stored in the memory 720 to implement the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the "Exemplary Method" section above of this specification. For example, the processor 710 can execute the steps of the above communication method embodiments.

[0191] It should be noted that the above-mentioned processor 710 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. The processor 710 can include one or more processing cores, and the processor 710 performs various functional applications and data processing by running instructions.

[0192] In some embodiments, the processor 710 can include a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a baseband processor.

[0193] In some embodiments, the processor 710 can determine an instruction according to the priority identifier and / or function category information carried in each control instruction.

[0194] In the present disclosure, the processor 710 and the memory 720 can be provided separately or integrated together.

[0195] As an example, the processor 710 and the memory 720 can be integrated on a single board or a system-on-chip (SOC).

[0196] As Figure 7 shown, the electronic device 700 is presented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The electronic device 700 may also include a bus 730.

[0197] The bus 730 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus using any of the multiple bus structures.

[0198] The electronic device 700 can also communicate with one or more external devices 740 (such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a Bluetooth device, etc.), can also communicate with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 700, and / or can communicate with any device that enables the electronic device 700 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (such as a router, a modem, etc.). Such communication can be carried out through the input / output (I / O) interface 750.

[0199] Moreover, the electronic device 700 can also communicate with one or more networks (such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) via the network adapter 760.

[0200] As Figure 7 shown, the network adapter 760 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 700 via the bus 730.

[0201] It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the electronic device 700, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems, etc.

[0202] It can be understood that the structure illustrated in the embodiments of the present disclosure does not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device 700. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device 700 may include more or fewer components than Figure 7 shown, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or have different component arrangements. Figure 7 The components shown can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0203] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which computer instructions are stored, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the communication method described in the above method embodiments is implemented.

[0204] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium is a medium that can send, propagate, or transmit computer instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0205] As an example, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-volatile storage medium.

[0206] In some embodiments, more specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium in the present disclosure may include but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0207] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which computer instructions (readable program code) are carried.

[0208] The transmitted data signal can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0209] Any readable medium other than the readable storage medium, the readable medium

[0210] In some examples, the computing instructions included on the computer-readable storage medium can be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0211] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product. The computer program product stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the communication method described in the above method embodiments.

[0212] The above instructions can be program code. In specific implementation, the program code can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0213] Programming languages include object-oriented programming languages - such as Java, C++, etc., and also include conventional procedural programming languages - such as the "C" language or similar programming languages.

[0214] The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, executed as an independent software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0215] In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., by using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0216] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a chip, including at least one processor and an interface;

[0217] The interface is used to provide program instructions or data for at least one processor;

[0218] At least one processor is used to execute program instructions to implement the communication method described in the above method embodiments.

[0219] In some embodiments, the chip may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data, and the memory is located inside or outside the processor.

[0220] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that all or part of the steps to implement the above embodiments may be specifically implemented in the following forms, namely: a complete hardware implementation, a complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an implementation combining hardware and software aspects, which may be collectively referred to herein as "circuit", "module" or "system".

[0221] After considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0222] The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include known common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed by the present disclosure. The specification and examples are only illustrative, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are pointed out by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a base station, the method includes: Receiving downlink data of an RRC inactive terminal from a core network; Sending a paging message to the terminal, where the paging message carries the full Radio Network Temporary Identity (full-RNTI) information of the terminal and an SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to the RRC inactive terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive terminal that the base station will send downlink data through SDT, so that the terminal receives the downlink data in the time slot of the first SPS after receiving the paging message when the TA timer for SDT is still valid, otherwise initiate downlink SDT based on RA; Sending an RRC release message to the terminal, so that the terminal transitions from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state in response to the RRC release message; When the terminal transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state, using downlink Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink Small Data Transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive terminal; Wherein, the paging message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data, or, the RRC release message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The RRC release message further includes a data radio bearer configuration for SDT.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes: After all downlink SDT data has been sent, sending an RRC release message to the terminal, where the RRC release message carries a SuspendConfig configuration to configure the RRC inactive state information of the terminal.

4. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal, the method includes: Receiving a paging message sent by a base station, where the paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field. The full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC inactive terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive terminal that the base station will send downlink data through SDT; Receiving an RRC release message from the network side and transitioning from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state in response to the RRC release message; When the TA timer for SDT is still valid, receiving downlink SDT data sent by the base station using downlink SPS resources in the time slot of the first SPS after receiving the paging message, otherwise initiating downlink SDT based on RA; Wherein, the paging message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data, or, the RRC release message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the paging message, at least one of the following information is further carried: The paging reason for downlink SDT, the Cell Radio Network Temporary Identity (C-RNTI).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The method further includes: When the C-RNTI is carried in the paging message, using the C-RNTI to detect Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) dynamic scheduling.

7. A base station, characterized in that, Includes: A first receiving module, configured to receive downlink data of an RRC inactive state terminal from a core network; A first sending module, configured to send a paging message to a terminal, where the paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field, the full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC inactive state terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive state terminal that the base station is to send downlink data through SDT, so that when the TAtimer for SDT is still valid, the terminal receives downlink data in the time slot of the first SPS after receiving the paging message, otherwise initiates downlink SDT based on RA; An information sending module, configured to send an RRC release message to the terminal, where the RRC release message is used to indicate that the terminal transfers from a radio resource control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state; A data sending module, configured to, when the terminal transfers from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state, use downlink semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources to send downlink small data transmission (SDT) data to the RRC inactive state terminal; Wherein, the paging message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data, or, the RRC release message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data.

8. A terminal, characterized in that, Comprising: A second receiving module, configured to receive a paging message sent by a base station, where the paging message carries the full-RNTI information of the terminal and an SDT indication field, the full-RNTI information is used to indicate that the paging message is to be sent to an RRC inactive state terminal, and the SDT indication field is used to inform the RRC inactive state terminal that the base station is to send downlink data through SDT; A third receiving module, configured to receive an RRC release message from a network side and transfer from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state in response to the RRC release message; A data receiving module, configured to, when the TAtimer for SDT is still valid, receive downlink SDT data sent by the base station using downlink SPS resources in the time slot of the first SPS after receiving the paging message, otherwise initiate downlink SDT based on RA; Wherein, the paging message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data, or, the RRC release message records the SPS resources for sending the SDT data.

9. A communication system, characterized in that, Comprising the base station according to claim 7 and the terminal according to claim 8.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, Comprising: A memory, configured to store instructions; A processor, configured to call the instructions stored in the memory to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-6.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the communication method according to any one of claims 1-6 is implemented.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1-6.

13. A chip, characterized in that, Comprising at least one processor and an interface; The interface is configured to provide program instructions or data for the at least one processor; The at least one processor is configured to execute the program instructions to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-6.

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