Communication methods and related apparatuses

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and related device. First, a first message from a network device is received, and the first message includes early measurement configuration. Then, if entering a radio resource control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state, a to-be-measured frequency point is measured, and first position data is acquired. Next, if reaching a preset measurement effective time length, not entering an RRC connected state, and a distance difference between second position data and the first position data is less than a preset distance threshold, the to-be-measured frequency point continues to be measured until entering the RRC connected state. Finally, if entering the RRC connected state, a target early measurement result is sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The effectiveness of the early measurement result can be maintained in a scenario where the terminal device does not perform a large displacement, and the efficiency of establishing dual connectivity or carrier aggregation is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In the standalone (SA) network of 5G, a problem has arisen in how to enable terminal devices to quickly establish a new radio dual connection (NR-DC) or a new radio carrier aggregation (NR-CA) after entering the RRC connected state from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle or inactive state. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus that can automatically detect the displacement state of a terminal device and adjust the validity of early measurement results based on the displacement state of the terminal device, and can quickly establish dual connections or carrier aggregation when the terminal device has not undergone large displacement.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a terminal device, the method comprising:

[0005] Receive a first message from a network device, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period;

[0006] If the device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured, and first location data is acquired. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state.

[0007] If the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the RRC connection state is not entered, and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0008] If the network enters the RRC connection state, the target early measurement results are sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the latest timing early measurement results among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0010] Send a first message to the terminal device. The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period.

[0011] If the terminal device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, it receives the target early measurement result from the terminal device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement result is used to indicate the latest timing early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. Each early measurement result is obtained in the following way:

[0012] If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and,

[0013] If the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement time is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, and the second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0014] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied to a terminal device, the device comprising:

[0015] The first receiving unit is configured to receive a first message from a network device, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including a frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period;

[0016] The first measurement unit is configured to measure the frequency point to be measured if it enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, and to acquire first location data, wherein the first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state.

[0017] The second measurement unit is used to continue measuring the frequency point to be measured until entering the RRC connection state if the preset measurement effective duration is reached but the RRC connection state is not entered and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0018] The first transmitting unit is configured to send the target early measurement results to the network device if the RRC connection state is entered, so as to establish wireless dual connection or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the earliest early measurement results with the latest timing among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured.

[0019] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied to a network device, the device comprising:

[0020] The second sending unit is used to send a first message to the terminal device. The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period.

[0021] The second receiving unit is configured to receive target early measurement results from the terminal device when the terminal device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, in order to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the latest timing early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. Each early measurement result is obtained in the following manner:

[0022] If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and,

[0023] If the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement time is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, and the second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0024] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a terminal device, including a processor, a memory, and a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program or instructions to implement the steps in the method involved in the first aspect above.

[0025] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a network device including a processor, a memory, and a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program or instructions to implement the steps in the method involved in the second aspect above.

[0026] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor performs the steps in the method designed in the first or second aspect described above.

[0027] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip module, including a transceiver component and a chip, wherein the chip includes a processor, and the processor performs the steps in the method designed in the first or second aspect described above.

[0028] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, implement the steps of the method designed in the first or second aspect described above. For example, the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor.

[0029] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions, wherein the computer program or instructions, when executed, implement the steps in the method designed in the first or second aspect described above. For example, the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor.

[0030] In one aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, including the terminal device in the first aspect and the network device in the second aspect.

[0031] As can be seen, through the above communication method and related devices, firstly, a first message from the network device is received, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period; then, if entering the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured, and first location data is obtained, the first location data being used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state; next, if the preset measurement validity period is reached without entering the RRC connected state and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than a preset distance threshold, the frequency point to be measured continues to be measured until entering the RRC connected state, the second location data being used to indicate the current location of the terminal device; finally, if entering the RRC connected state, the target early measurement result is sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation, the target early measurement result being used to indicate the latest time-series early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. It can maintain the validity of early measurement results in scenarios where the terminal device does not undergo significant displacement, thereby improving the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This application provides a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system.

[0034] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 6 A functional unit block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 A functional unit block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0041] The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0042] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0043] In this application, the term "connection" refers to various connection methods, such as direct connection or indirect connection, to achieve communication between devices. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0044] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0045] The background technology and related terms of this application are explained below.

[0046] Background technology related:

[0047] In 5G SA networks, to enable terminal devices to quickly establish NR-DC or NR-CA connections after transitioning from RRC Idle or RRC Inactive to RRC Connected, 3GPP Release 16 introduced Early Measurement Reports. This allows network devices to configure the frequency points and related parameters that the terminal device needs to measure. When the terminal device enters RRC Idle or RRC Inactive, it performs measurements according to the configuration to obtain early measurement results. Upon re-entering RRC Connected, the terminal device reports these early measurement results to the network device through information exchange, thus quickly establishing NR-DC or NR-CA. However, measurements typically have a time limit. If the terminal device fails to enter RRC Connected after entering RRC Idle or RRC Inactive for an extended period, exceeding the time limit, the early measurement results are considered invalid. Consequently, when the terminal device enters RRC Connected, no valid early measurement results are reported to the network device, resulting in low efficiency in establishing NR-DC or NR-CA.

[0048] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and related apparatus that can maintain the validity of early measurement results in scenarios where the terminal device does not undergo significant displacement, thereby improving the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation.

[0049] The following is combined with Figure 1 A communication system according to an embodiment of this application will be described. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system 100 may include a terminal device 110 and a network device 120.

[0050] The communication system 100 in this application embodiment may include General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, evolution system of NR system, LTE-based Access to Unlicensed Spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR-based Access to Unlicensed Spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), 6th-Generation (6G) communication system, or other communication systems.

[0051] It should be noted that traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, the communication system 100 in this embodiment can not only support traditional communication systems, but also support communication such as device-to-device (D2D), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) communication.

[0052] The terminal device 110 in this embodiment can be a device with transceiver capabilities, and may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), remote terminal equipment (relay UE), relay equipment (relay UE), access terminal equipment, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, mobile device, user terminal equipment, smart terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. It should be noted that a relay equipment is a terminal device capable of providing relay forwarding services to other terminal devices (including remote terminal devices).

[0053] For example, terminal device 110 can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in autonomous driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical care, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, or wireless terminal device in smart home, etc.

[0054] For example, terminal device 110 can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device, wearable device, terminal device in next-generation communication systems (such as NR communication systems, 6G communication systems), or terminal device in a future public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., without specific limitations.

[0055] In some possible implementations, the terminal device 110 can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can be deployed on water (such as ships); or it can be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites).

[0056] In some possible implementations, terminal device 110 may include means for wireless communication functionality, such as a chip system, a chip, or a chip module. For example, the chip system may include a chip, and may also include other discrete devices.

[0057] The network device 120 in this embodiment can be a device with transceiver function, used for communication with terminal devices.

[0058] In some possible implementations, network device 120 can be responsible for radio resource management (RRM), quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, data transmission and reception, etc. on the air interface side.

[0059] In some possible implementations, network device 120 may be a base station (BS) in a communication system or a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions.

[0060] For example, network device 120 can be an evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE communication system, a next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB) in an NR communication system, a next-generation node B (gNB) in an NR communication system, a master node (MN) in a dual-connectivity architecture, a second node or secondary node (SN) in a dual-connectivity architecture, etc., without specific restrictions.

[0061] In some possible implementations, network device 120 can also be a device in the core network (CN), such as access and mobility management function (AMF), user plane function (UPF), etc.; it can also be an access point (AP) in a WLAN, a relay station, a communication device in a future PLMN network, a communication device in an NTN network, etc.

[0062] In some possible implementations, network device 120 may include means for providing wireless communication capabilities to terminal devices, such as a chip system, a chip, or a chip module. For example, the chip system may include a chip, or it may include other discrete devices.

[0063] In some possible implementations, network device 120 can communicate with Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet, private IP networks, or other data networks.

[0064] In some possible implementations, network device 120 may be a single node to implement the functions of the aforementioned base station, or network device 120 may include two or more independent nodes to implement the functions of the aforementioned base station. For example, network device 120 may include a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), such as gNB-CU and gNB-DU. Further, in some other embodiments of this application, network device 120 may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some of the functions of network device 120, and the DU implements other functions. For example, the CU is responsible for handling non-real-time protocols and services, implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. The DU is responsible for handling physical layer protocols and real-time services, implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, and physical (PHY) layer. In addition, the AAU can perform some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and related functions of active antennas. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this network deployment, higher-layer signaling (such as RRC signaling) can be considered to be sent by the DU, or jointly by the DU and AAU. It is understood that network device 120 can include at least one of CU, DU, and AAU. Furthermore, the CU can be classified as a network device in the RAN, or it can be classified as network device 120 in the core network; no specific limitation is made in this regard.

[0065] In some possible implementations, network device 120 can be any one of the multiple sites performing coherent joint transmission (CJT) with terminal device 110, or other sites outside of those multiple sites, or other network devices 120 communicating with terminal device 110; no specific limitation is made in this regard. Multi-site coherent joint transmission can be multiple sites jointly coherently transmitting, or different data belonging to the same Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) being sent from different sites to terminal device 110, or multiple sites being virtually merged into one site for transmission. Names with the same meaning as those specified in other standards also apply to this application; that is, this application does not limit the names of these parameters. The sites in multi-site coherent joint transmission can be remote radio heads (RRHs), transmission and reception points (TRPs), network devices, etc., without specific limitation.

[0066] In some possible implementations, network device 120 can be any one of the multiple sites performing incoherent cooperative transmission with terminal device 110, or other sites outside of the multiple sites, or other network devices communicating with the terminal device; no specific limitations are imposed. The multi-site incoherent cooperative transmission can be a joint incoherent transmission by multiple sites, or different data belonging to the same PDSCH being sent to the terminal device from different sites, or different data belonging to the same PDSCH being sent to the terminal device from different sites. Names with the same meaning as those specified in other standards also apply to this application; that is, this application does not limit the names of these parameters. The sites in the multi-site incoherent cooperative transmission can be RRH, TRP, network devices, etc., without specific limitations.

[0067] In some possible implementations, network device 120 may have mobility characteristics; for example, network device 120 may be a mobile device. Optionally, network device 120 may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high-elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device may also be a base station located on land, water, or other similar locations.

[0068] In some possible implementations, network device 120 can provide services to a cell, and terminal device 110 in that cell can communicate with network device 120 through transmission resources (such as spectrum resources). This cell can be a macro cell, small cell, metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, or femto cell, etc.

[0069] Having understood the communication system in the embodiments of this application, the following will be combined with... Figure 2 One communication method described in the embodiments of this application will be explained. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, applied to a terminal device. The method specifically includes the following steps:

[0070] Step 201: Receive the first message from the network device.

[0071] The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset effective measurement duration.

[0072] It is understood that early measurement configurations can include two types: one is a cell-wide common measurement configuration, and the other is a terminal device-specific measurement configuration. The cell-wide common measurement configuration usually includes the frequency to be measured and the corresponding measurement method. The terminal device-specific measurement configuration usually includes the frequency to be measured, the corresponding measurement method, and the time for the terminal device to measure the frequency to be measured when it enters the idle state. This time can be understood as the effective time of the early measurement results.

[0073] Among them, network devices can send broadcast messages to terminal devices, which can carry the cell's common measurement configuration. Network devices can also send RRC release messages to terminal devices, which can carry the terminal device's own measurement configuration. It should be noted that terminal devices should prioritize using their own measurement configuration for measurement.

[0074] For example, after receiving the first message from the network device, namely the RRC release message, the terminal device can enter the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state from the RRC connected state, and measure the frequency point to be measured according to the early measurement configuration in the first message. At the same time, a timer is started. It can be understood that the validity of the early measurement results is determined before the timer reaches the preset measurement validity period.

[0075] Step 202: If the Radio Resource Control (RRC) enters an idle state or an inactive state, measure the frequency point to be measured and acquire the first location data.

[0076] The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, and can be obtained by sensors, positioning units, etc.

[0077] It is understandable that measuring the frequency point to be measured can yield early measurement results. The specific measurement method can refer to existing early measurement methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0078] It is evident that by acquiring the first location data, we can provide data reference for subsequent determination of whether the terminal device is in a stationary or slightly moving scenario.

[0079] Step 203: If the preset effective measurement duration is reached but the RRC connection state is not entered and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, continue to measure the frequency point to be measured until the RRC connection state is entered.

[0080] The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0081] In one possible embodiment, when the preset measurement validity period is reached, the current second location data can be acquired. If the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the timer can be restarted, and the frequency point to be measured can be measured again. This measurement will also yield a new early measurement result, which is also valid within the new preset measurement validity period. This process is repeated. Before each measurement, it is determined whether the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold. A new round of measurement will only be initiated when the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold. This cycle continues until the terminal device enters the RRC connection state or the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is greater than or equal to the preset distance threshold.

[0082] In one possible embodiment, if the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is greater than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the early measurement configuration is released, the target early measurement result is marked as invalid, and the device is interacted with to reacquire the measurement result. This can avoid the problem of inaccurate early measurement results caused by large-scale movement of the terminal device.

[0083] In one possible embodiment, if the preset effective measurement duration is reached but the RRC connection state is not entered and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than a preset distance threshold, the frequency point to be measured can be measured once every preset effective measurement duration. The total number of times the frequency point to be measured is measured until the preset effective measurement duration is reached is recorded until the RRC connection state is entered. If the total number of times reaches a preset number threshold and the RRC connection state is not entered, the preset effective measurement duration is adjusted to a first effective measurement duration. The first effective measurement duration is longer than the preset effective measurement duration, which can be understood as extending the measurement cycle and reducing the number of measurements. The frequency point to be measured is then measured once every first effective measurement duration until the RRC connection state is entered.

[0084] Specifically, the preset number of times threshold can be divided into multiple levels, and the first effective measurement duration can also be divided into multiple levels. The levels of the first effective measurement duration correspond one-to-one with the levels of the preset number of times threshold. The total number of times is positively correlated with the first effective measurement duration; the larger the total number of times, the longer the first effective measurement duration. For example, the preset number of times threshold can be set to three levels: the first level is 2 times, the second level is 3 times, and the third level is 4 times. When the preset number of times threshold is 2 times, the corresponding first effective measurement duration can be 6 minutes; when the preset number of times threshold is 3 times, the corresponding first effective measurement duration can be 8 minutes; and when the preset number of times threshold is 4 times, the corresponding first effective measurement duration can be 9 minutes. Further details are omitted here. Overall, it is a cyclical iterative update process.

[0085] In one possible embodiment, after adjusting the preset effective measurement duration to a first effective measurement duration, if the RRC connection state is not entered when the first effective measurement duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is greater than or equal to the preset distance threshold, then the early measurement configuration is released, and the target early measurement result is marked as invalid. The target early measurement result is the early measurement result obtained from the latest measurement.

[0086] As can be seen, by continuing to measure the frequency point to be measured until entering the RRC connection state when the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement can be maintained when the position of the terminal device does not change significantly and the validity of the early measurement results can be preserved. This prevents the early measurement results from being discarded after the timeout, which would reduce the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation. At the same time, counting the number of measurements and extending the effective measurement duration based on the count can reduce the number of measurements and reduce power consumption.

[0087] Step 204: If the RRC connection state is entered, the early measurement results of the target are sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connection or wireless carrier aggregation.

[0088] The target early measurement result is used to indicate the latest timing early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured, that is, the early measurement result obtained by the last measurement before entering the RRC connection state.

[0089] It is understandable that each early measurement result can be obtained in the following way:

[0090] If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and,

[0091] If the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the RRC connection state is not entered, and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered.

[0092] The above communication method can maintain measurement and preserve the validity of early measurement results when the location of the terminal device does not change significantly, preventing the early measurement results from being lost after timeout, which would reduce the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation. At the same time, counting the number of measurements and extending the effective measurement duration based on the count can reduce the number of measurements and reduce power consumption.

[0093] The following is combined with Figure 3 Another communication method in the embodiments of this application will be described. Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application embodiment specifically includes the following steps:

[0094] Step 301: The network device sends an RRC release message to the terminal device.

[0095] The RRC release message includes the early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured, the corresponding measurement method, and the effective measurement duration.

[0096] Step 302: The terminal device enters the RRC idle state or RRC inactive state, acquires the first location data, and measures the frequency point to be measured.

[0097] Step 303: If the terminal device does not enter the RRC connection state when the preset effective measurement duration is reached, the terminal device acquires the second location data.

[0098] Step 304: If the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than a preset distance threshold, the terminal device continues to measure the frequency point to be measured until it enters the RRC connection state and obtains the target measurement result.

[0099] Step 305: The terminal device sends an RRC connection establishment request or an RRC connection recovery request to the network device.

[0100] It is understandable that the process of measuring the frequency point to be measured is very rapid, so the terminal device can send an RRC connection establishment request or an RRC connection recovery request to the network device immediately after entering the RRC idle state or RRC inactive state, or send an RRC connection establishment request or an RRC connection recovery request to the network device at any subsequent time.

[0101] Step 306: In response to the RRC connection establishment request or RRC connection recovery request, the network device sends RRC connection information or RRC recovery information to the terminal device.

[0102] Step 307: The terminal device sends an RRC connection completion message or an RRC recovery completion message to the network device and enters the RRC connection state.

[0103] Among them, RRC connection completion information or RRC recovery completion information can indicate whether there are available early measurement results of the target.

[0104] Step 308: The network device sends a terminal device information request to the terminal device.

[0105] Among them, the terminal device information request is used to request early measurement results of the target.

[0106] Step 309: The terminal device sends a terminal information reply message to the network device.

[0107] The terminal information response includes early measurement results of the target.

[0108] Step 310: Establish dual connectivity or carrier aggregation based on early target measurement results.

[0109] As can be seen, the above communication method can maintain measurement and preserve the validity of early measurement results when the location of the terminal device does not change significantly, preventing the early measurement results from being lost after timeout, which would reduce the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation. At the same time, counting the number of measurements and extending the effective measurement duration based on the count can reduce the number of measurements and reduce power consumption.

[0110] For steps not detailed above, please refer to Figure 2 The methods described herein will not be elaborated upon here.

[0111] The following is combined with Figure 4 An embodiment of the present application will be described. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 400 includes a processor 410, a memory 420, and a communication bus for connecting the processor 410 and the memory 420.

[0112] In some possible implementations, memory 420 includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), which is used to store program code executed by terminal device 400 and data transmitted.

[0113] In some possible implementations, the terminal device 400 also includes a communication interface for receiving and sending data.

[0114] In some possible implementations, processor 410 may be one or more central processing units (CPUs). If processor 410 is a central processing unit (CPU), the CPU may be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU.

[0115] In some possible implementations, the processor 410 may be a baseband chip, a chip, a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof.

[0116] In a specific implementation, the processor 410 in the terminal device 400 executes the computer program or instructions 421 stored in the memory 420 to perform the following operations:

[0117] Receive a first message from a network device, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period;

[0118] If the device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured, and first location data is acquired. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state.

[0119] If the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the RRC connection state is not entered, and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0120] If the network enters the RRC connection state, the target early measurement results are sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the latest timing early measurement results among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured.

[0121] As can be seen, the above communication method can maintain measurement and preserve the validity of early measurement results when the location of the terminal device does not change significantly, preventing the early measurement results from being lost after timeout, which would reduce the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation. At the same time, counting the number of measurements and extending the effective measurement duration based on the count can reduce the number of measurements and reduce power consumption.

[0122] It should be noted that the specific implementation of each operation can be described in the corresponding description of the method embodiments shown above. The terminal device 400 can be used to execute the method embodiments of this application, and will not be described again here.

[0123] The following is combined with Figure 5 An embodiment of the present application will be described. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application. The network device 500 includes a processor 510, a memory 520, and a communication bus for connecting the processor 510 and the memory 520.

[0124] In some possible implementations, memory 520 may be, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM or CD-ROM, and is used to store related instructions and data.

[0125] In some possible implementations, network device 500 also includes a communication interface for receiving and sending data.

[0126] In some possible implementations, processor 510 may be one or more central processing units (CPUs). If processor 510 is a central processing unit (CPU), the CPU may be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU.

[0127] In some possible implementations, the processor 510 may be a baseband chip, a chip, a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof.

[0128] In some possible implementations, the processor 510 in the network device 500 is used to execute the computer program or instructions 521 stored in the memory 520 to perform the following operations:

[0129] Send a first message to the terminal device. The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period.

[0130] If the terminal device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, it receives the target early measurement result from the terminal device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement result is used to indicate the latest timing early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. Each early measurement result is obtained in the following way:

[0131] If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and,

[0132] If the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement time is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, and the second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0133] As can be seen, the above communication method can maintain measurement and preserve the validity of early measurement results when the location of the terminal device does not change significantly, preventing the early measurement results from being lost after timeout, which would reduce the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation. At the same time, counting the number of measurements and extending the effective measurement duration based on the count can reduce the number of measurements and reduce power consumption.

[0134] It should be noted that the specific implementation of each operation can be described in the corresponding description of the method embodiments shown above. The network device 500 can be used to execute the above method embodiments of this application, and will not be described again here.

[0135] The following is combined with Figure 6 A communication device according to an embodiment of this application will be described. Figure 6 A functional unit block diagram of a communication device provided in this application embodiment, applied to a terminal device, the communication device 600 includes:

[0136] The first receiving unit 610 is configured to receive a first message from a network device, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including a frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period;

[0137] The first measurement unit 620 is configured to measure the frequency point to be measured if it enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, and to acquire first location data, wherein the first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state.

[0138] The second measurement unit 630 is used to continue measuring the frequency point to be measured until it enters the RRC connection state if it does not enter the RRC connection state when the preset measurement effective duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0139] The first transmitting unit 640 is configured to transmit the target early measurement results to the network device if it enters the RRC connection state, so as to establish wireless dual connection or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the earliest early measurement results with the latest timing among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured.

[0140] As can be seen, through the above communication method and related devices, firstly, a first message from the network device is received, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period; then, if entering the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured, and first location data is obtained, the first location data being used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state; next, if the preset measurement validity period is reached without entering the RRC connected state and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than a preset distance threshold, the frequency point to be measured continues to be measured until entering the RRC connected state, the second location data being used to indicate the current location of the terminal device; finally, if entering the RRC connected state, the target early measurement result is sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation, the target early measurement result being used to indicate the latest time-series early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. It can maintain the validity of early measurement results in scenarios where the terminal device does not undergo significant displacement, thereby improving the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation.

[0141] The following is combined with Figure 7Another communication device in the embodiments of this application will be described. Figure 7 This application provides a functional unit block diagram of another communication device, applied to a network device. The communication device 700 includes:

[0142] The second sending unit 710 is used to send a first message to the terminal device. The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period.

[0143] The second receiving unit 720 is configured to receive target early measurement results from the terminal device when the terminal device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, so as to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the earliest timing result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. Each early measurement result is obtained in the following manner:

[0144] If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and,

[0145] If the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement time is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, and the second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device.

[0146] As can be seen, through the above communication method and related devices, firstly, a first message from the network device is received, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period; then, if entering the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured, and first location data is obtained, the first location data being used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state; next, if the preset measurement validity period is reached without entering the RRC connected state and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than a preset distance threshold, the frequency point to be measured continues to be measured until entering the RRC connected state, the second location data being used to indicate the current location of the terminal device; finally, if entering the RRC connected state, the target early measurement result is sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation, the target early measurement result being used to indicate the latest time-series early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. It can maintain the validity of early measurement results in scenarios where the terminal device does not undergo significant displacement, thereby improving the efficiency of establishing dual connections or carrier aggregation.

[0147] This application also provides a chip, including a processor, a memory, and a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program or instructions to implement the steps described in the above method embodiments.

[0148] This application also provides a chip module, including a transceiver component and a chip. The chip includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program or instructions to implement the steps described in the above method embodiments.

[0149] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, implement the steps described in the above method embodiments.

[0150] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions that, when executed, implement the steps described in the above method embodiments.

[0151] This application also provides a communication system, including the terminal device and network device described above.

[0152] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the above embodiments are all described as a series of actions. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps in the embodiments of this application can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions, steps, modules, or units involved are not necessarily essential to the embodiments of this application.

[0153] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment in this application have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0154] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, portable hard disk, read-only optical disk (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Furthermore, the ASIC can reside in a terminal device or management device. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can exist as discrete components in the terminal device or management device.

[0155] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in one or more of the examples above, the functions described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0156] The modules / units included in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or a combination of both. For example, for devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs that run on a processor integrated within the chip, while the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. The implementation is achieved through a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the chip module. The remaining modules / units (if any) can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For various devices and products applied to or integrated into terminal equipment, each of their modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components within the terminal equipment. Alternatively, at least some modules / units can be implemented using a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the terminal equipment, while the remaining modules / units (if any) can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits.

[0157] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made on the basis of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Receive a first message from a network device, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period; If the device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured, and first location data is acquired. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. If the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the RRC connection state is not entered, and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device. The second location data is obtained when the preset effective measurement duration is reached. If the network enters the RRC connection state, the target early measurement results are sent to the network device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the latest timing early measurement results among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of continuing to measure the frequency point to be measured until entering the RRC connection state includes: The frequency point to be measured is measured once every preset measurement validity period, and the total number of times the frequency point to be measured reaches the preset measurement validity period is recorded until the RRC connection state is entered; If the total number of times reaches the preset number of times threshold and the RRC connection state is not entered, the preset measurement validity period is adjusted to the first measurement validity period, where the first measurement validity period is greater than the preset measurement validity period. If the RRC connection state is not entered when the first effective measurement duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the frequency point to be measured will continue to be measured once every first effective measurement duration until the RRC connection state is entered.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the Radio Resource Control (RRC) system enters an idle state or an inactive state, the method measures the frequency point to be measured, and after acquiring the first location data, the method further includes: If the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the RRC connection state is not entered, and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is greater than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the early measurement configuration is released, and the target early measurement result is marked as invalid.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the total number of times reaches a preset threshold and the system does not enter the RRC connection state, after adjusting the preset effective measurement duration to a first effective measurement duration, the method further includes: If the RRC connection state is not entered when the first effective measurement duration is reached, and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is greater than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the early measurement configuration is released, and the target early measurement result is marked as invalid.

5. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: Send a first message to the terminal device. The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period. If the terminal device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, it receives the target early measurement result from the terminal device to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement result is used to indicate the latest timing early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. Each early measurement result is obtained in the following way: If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and, If the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device. The second location data is obtained when the preset effective measurement duration is reached.

6. A communication device, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the device includes: The first receiving unit is configured to receive a first message from a network device, the first message including an early measurement configuration, the early measurement configuration including a frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period; The first measurement unit is configured to measure the frequency point to be measured if it enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or the RRC inactive state, and to acquire first location data, wherein the first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when it enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. The second measurement unit is used to continue measuring the frequency point to be measured until entering the RRC connection state if the preset effective measurement time has not been reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than a preset distance threshold. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device. The second location data is obtained when the preset effective measurement time has been reached. The first transmitting unit is configured to send the target early measurement results to the network device if the RRC connection state is entered, so as to establish wireless dual connection or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the earliest early measurement results with the latest timing among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured.

7. A communication device, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the device includes: The second sending unit is used to send a first message to the terminal device. The first message includes an early measurement configuration, which includes the frequency point to be measured and a preset measurement validity period. The second receiving unit is configured to receive target early measurement results from the terminal device when the terminal device enters the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, in order to establish wireless dual connectivity or wireless carrier aggregation. The target early measurement results are used to indicate the latest timing early measurement result among the early measurement results obtained by measuring the frequency point to be measured. Each early measurement result is obtained in the following manner: If the RRC enters an idle state or an inactive state, the frequency point to be measured is measured; and, If the RRC connection state is not entered when the preset effective measurement duration is reached and the distance difference between the second location data and the first location data is less than the preset distance threshold, the measurement of the frequency point to be measured continues until the RRC connection state is entered. The first location data is used to indicate the location of the terminal device when entering the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. The second location data is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device. The second location data is obtained when the preset effective measurement duration is reached.

8. A terminal device, characterized in that, include: Processor, memory, and one or more programs; The one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the programs including instructions for performing the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-4.

9. A network device, characterized in that, include: Processor, memory, and one or more programs; The one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the programs including instructions for performing the steps of the method as described in claim 5.

10. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores a computer program, the computer program including program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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