A method and device for reporting and realizing multi-connection switching capability

Abstract

The present application provides a method and apparatus for reporting and implementing multi-connection switching capabilities. The method includes: the terminal device generates first information according to whether it supports multi-connection switching capabilities, the first information includes first indication information and second information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capabilities, and the second information includes at least one group of correspondences, each group of correspondences in the at least one group of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, and the at least two cells are cells that the terminal device supports to maintain connection at the same time when performing cell switching. Based on this scheme, as long as the relevant information of the source cell and at least one target cell meets the relevant information of at least two cells indicated in the same group of correspondences, the terminal device can activate multi-connection switching based on the source cell and at least one target cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method and device for reporting and implementing multi-connection switching capabilities. Background Art

[0002] Currently, when a terminal device switches cells or base stations, zero-millisecond service interruption can be achieved through multi-connection switching. Taking base station switching as an example, the multi-connection switching method means that the terminal device maintains multiple connections with the source base station and the target base station during the process of switching from the source base station to the target base station. The terminal device can continue to communicate with the source base station, such as receiving downlink data from the source base station or sending uplink data to the source base station, until the switching is completed.

[0003] It should be understood that terminal devices that support multi-connection switching should have multi-connection switching capabilities, where multi-connection switching capabilities refer to the ability to maintain connections with at least two cells at the same time. Since multi-connection switching capabilities are not required for all terminal devices, the network device needs to know whether the terminal device has multi-connection switching capabilities before determining to use the multi-connection switching method. Currently, the method by which terminal devices report multi-connection switching capabilities to network devices can only report the cell combinations that some terminal devices support for multi-connection switching, which cannot be fully expressed and has limited application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method and apparatus for reporting and implementing multi-connection switching capabilities, which are used to provide a flexible way to report the cell or base station combination that a terminal device supports for multi-connection switching.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for reporting multi-connection switching capability. The communication method can be implemented by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as a processing chip, a circuit, or other components in the terminal device. The method includes: the terminal device generates first information based on whether it supports multi-connection switching capability, the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connection with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the second information includes at least one set of correspondences, each set of correspondences in the at least one set of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, the at least two cells being cells that the terminal device supports to maintain connection simultaneously when performing cell switching; the terminal device sends the first information to a network device.

[0006] Through the above design, the terminal device is not affected by the multi-connection capability, and can report each group of multi-connection switching capabilities supported by the terminal device through the second information. As long as the relevant information of the source cell and at least one target cell where the terminal device is located meets the relevant information of at least two cells indicated by the same group correspondence relationship, the terminal device and the network device can activate multi-connection switching. The above method can completely and accurately report the multi-connection switching capabilities supported by the terminal device, and the reporting method is more flexible and practical.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner, the relevant information of the at least two cells includes a frequency band combination identifier of each of the at least two cells.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the relevant information of the at least two cells also includes additional information of the frequency band combination of each cell. Exemplarily, the additional information may include carrier information, channel information, frequency point information, and heterogeneous system information; Exemplarily, the second information may include one or more groups of the following corresponding relationships: a first source frequency band combination and a first target frequency band combination, the first source frequency band combination is a single carrier, and the first target frequency band combination is a single carrier; a second source frequency band combination and a second target frequency band combination, the second source frequency band combination is a dual carrier, and the second target frequency band combination is a single carrier; a third source frequency band combination and a third target frequency band combination, the third source frequency band combination is a single carrier, and the first target frequency band combination is a dual carrier; a fourth source frequency band combination and a fourth target frequency band combination, the fourth source frequency band combination is a dual carrier, and the fourth target frequency band combination is a dual carrier.

[0009] In a possible implementation, each group of the correspondences may further include second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether frequency band combinations in at least two cells indicated by the correspondences have spectrum overlap.

[0010] Through the above design, there may be spectrum overlap between carriers of the same frequency during multi-connection switching. The second indication information can indicate whether the terminal device supports activating multi-connection switching when the spectrum overlaps, which can further enhance the integrity and flexibility of the terminal device's reporting of multi-connection switching capabilities.

[0011] In a possible implementation, before the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, the terminal device may also receive third indication information from the network device, where the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to send the first information.

[0012] Through the above design, if the network device does not support multi-connection switching capability, the third indication information will not be sent to the terminal device, and the terminal device will not report the multi-connection switching capability to the network device, thereby avoiding the waste of resources caused by the terminal device blindly reporting the multi-connection switching capability when the network device does not support the multi-connection switching capability and saving signaling overhead.

[0013] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for realizing multi-connection switching capability. The communication method can be realized by a network device, or can be realized by components within the network device, such as processing chips, circuits and other components in the network device. The method includes: the network device receives first information from a terminal device; the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connection with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the second information includes at least one set of correspondences, each set of correspondences in the at least one set of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, the at least two cells being a combination of cells that the terminal device supports maintaining connection when performing cell switching; the network device determines the way in which the terminal device performs cell switching based on the first information; the network device is a network device in the source cell where the terminal device is located.

[0014] In a possible implementation, before the network device receives the first information from the terminal device, it may further send third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to send the first information.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the network device sending the first information to a second network device, where the second network device is a network device to which the terminal device is to switch when performing cell switching.

[0016] The technical effects that can be achieved by any possible design of the second aspect mentioned above can refer to the technical effects that can be achieved by the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0017] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a chip within the terminal device. The device includes functional modules that implement the various embodiments of the first aspect described above. The functional modules can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions. For example, the device may include a communication module and a processing module, wherein the communication module may further include a sending module and a receiving module.

[0018] In one possible design, the processing module is used to generate first information based on whether the communication device supports multi-connection switching capability, where the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, where the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connection with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the second information includes at least one set of correspondences, where each set of correspondences in the at least one set of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, where the at least two cells are cells that the terminal device supports to maintain connection at the same time when performing cell switching; and a sending module unit is used to send the first information to a network device.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a network device or a chip within the network device. The device has the functions of implementing the various embodiments of the second aspect described above. The functions may be implemented through hardware or through hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions. Exemplarily, the device may include a communication module and a processing module, wherein the communication module may further include a transmitting module and a receiving module.

[0020] A receiving module for receiving first information from a terminal device; the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connection with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the second information includes at least one group of correspondences, each group of correspondences in the at least one group of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, and the at least two cells are a combination of cells that the terminal device supports maintaining connection when performing cell switching; a processing module is used to determine a way for the terminal device to perform cell switching based on the first information; the network device is a network device in the source cell where the terminal device is located.

[0021] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with another device via the interface circuit and execute the method of the first aspect and various possible designs of the first aspect, or execute the method of the second aspect and various possible designs of the second aspect. The processor includes one or more.

[0022] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor, configured to be connected to a memory and configured to call a program stored in the memory to execute the method of the first aspect and various possible designs of the first aspect, or to execute the method of the second aspect and various possible designs of the second aspect. The memory may be located within or outside the device. The processor may include one or more processors.

[0023] In the seventh aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, it enables the processor to execute the above-mentioned first aspect and various possible design methods of the first aspect, or execute the above-mentioned second aspect and various possible design methods of the second aspect.

[0024] In an eighth aspect, the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above-mentioned first aspect and various possible design methods of the first aspect, or execute the above-mentioned second aspect and various possible design methods of the second aspect.

[0025] In the ninth aspect, the present application also provides a chip or chip system, including: a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices through the communication interface, and execute the above-mentioned first aspect and various possible design methods of the first aspect, or execute the above-mentioned second aspect and various possible design methods of the second aspect.

[0026] The technical effects that can be achieved by any possible design in the third to ninth aspects mentioned above can refer to the technical effects that can be achieved by the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a dual connection scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another dual connection scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another multi-connection scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a cell handover scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 5 A flowchart corresponding to a method for reporting and implementing multi-connection switching capabilities provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6aA schematic diagram of a data structure carrying first information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6b A schematic diagram of another data structure carrying first information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 6c A flowchart corresponding to a complete method for reporting and implementing multi-connection switching capabilities provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in this application;

[0036] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Below, some terms in this application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0038] 1) A terminal, also known as user equipment (UE), is a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users, such as handheld devices and in-vehicle devices with wireless connectivity. Common terminals include mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), and wearable devices such as smart watches, smart bracelets, and pedometers.

[0039] 2) A network device is an entity on the network side for transmitting or receiving signals. A network device may be a device for communicating with a mobile device. The network device may be an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a relay station or access point, or a distributed network element (Distributed Unit), or a centralized network element (Centralized Unit), or a transmission point (Transmission Reception Point, TRP) or a transmission point (Transmission Point, TP), or a new generation base station (generation Node B, gNodeB) in an NR system, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0040] The present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various mobile communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), evolved Long Term Evolution (eLTE) system, 5G system (such as NR system), and future communication systems (such as 6G system) and other mobile communication systems.

[0042] The application scenario of this application can be a scenario in which the terminal device works in multiple connections. For example, dual connectivity (DC) and more than two connections. In a dual connection scenario, the terminal device can access the primary network device and the secondary network device (also called the source device and the target device) at the same time. It should be noted that the primary network device and the secondary network device can be deployed on the same site or on different sites. Moreover, when the primary network device and the secondary network device can be deployed on the same site, the primary network device and the secondary network device can share the same set of hardware devices or use different hardware devices.

[0043] See also Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection scenario in which the primary network device and the secondary network device are deployed at different sites. Among them, network device 201 can represent a primary network device, and network device 202 can represent a secondary network device. The primary network device can be an LTE network device (such as an eNB), a 5G network device (such as a gNB), or one of the network devices in a future communication system. The secondary network device can also be an LTE network device, a 5G network device, or one of the network devices in a future communication system. In addition, the primary network device and the secondary network device can be network devices of the same standard, such as both are eNBs, or network devices of different standards, such as the primary network device is an eNB and the secondary network device is a gNB. This application does not limit the communication standards of the primary network device and the secondary network device.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present application, the main network device operates in the LTE system, and the main network device is an LTE network device, that is, the main network device can cover one or more LTE cells. The auxiliary network device operates in the NR system, and the auxiliary network device is a 5G network device, that is, the auxiliary network device can cover one or more NR cells. Correspondingly, the terminal device 101 supports both the LTE system and the NR system, that is, the terminal device 101 can simultaneously access the LTE cell formed by the main network device coverage and the NR cell formed by the auxiliary network device coverage. Among them, the cell covered by the main network device accessed by the terminal device can also be called the primary cell (PCell), and the cell covered by the auxiliary network device accessed by the terminal device can be called the secondary cell (second cell). Exemplarily, the terminal device 101 can transmit services through the primary cell and at least one secondary cell, that is, the terminal device 101 can transmit data with the auxiliary network device when transmitting data with the main network device.

[0045] See also Figure 2 , the primary and secondary network devices are deployed at the same site ( Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a dual connection scenario using network device 203 as an example. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the network device 203 can work in the LTE system and the NR system at the same time, that is, the network device 203 can simultaneously cover the LTE cell connection and the NR cell connection. The terminal device 101 can access the LTE cell and the NR cell at the same time.

[0046] The above scenario is an example of a dual-connection scenario. Of course, this is just an example. There may be other situations in the dual-connection scenario, which will not be described in detail here. In addition to the dual-connection scenario, the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can also support more than two connection scenarios. For example, in the above example, the terminal device 101 can also simultaneously access the cell formed by the coverage of three or more network devices. For example, taking three network devices as an example, the three network devices include a main network device and two auxiliary network devices. The terminal device can simultaneously access the one main network device and the two auxiliary network devices. The one main network device and the two auxiliary network devices can be deployed on one or more network devices. For example, they can be deployed on three network devices respectively, or partially on one network device, or on two network devices. See. Figure 3 As shown, the primary network device is deployed on the network device 210 , one of the two secondary network devices is deployed on the network device 211 , and the other secondary network device is deployed on the network device 212 , which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0047] The above describes the multi-connection scenario from the perspective of different network devices. Similarly, in another embodiment of the present application, multi-connection may also refer to the terminal device accessing two or more cells at the same time, or the terminal device accessing multiple carriers under the same network device at the same time, or multiple carriers under the same cell. For example, the multi-connection scenario may also include the terminal device accessing at least two cells covered by the same network device or different network devices at the same time, and the at least two cells may be single-carrier connections or multi-carrier connections. Alternatively, the terminal device accesses a cell, and the cell is a multi-carrier connection. For example, the single-carrier bandwidth of each single cell under LTE is 1.6M. If the total bandwidth of each LTE single cell is 10M, then each LTE single cell requires 6 carriers. When the terminal device accesses 2 to 6 carriers of the LTE single cell at the same time, it can also be called multi-connection. The scenario in which the above-mentioned terminal device supports access to multiple carriers can also be called carrier aggregation (CA). It should be understood that the terminal device capable of operating in a multi-connection scenario can be a band combination (BC) that supports DC or a band combination that supports carrier aggregation.

[0048] The application scenario of the embodiment of the present application may be a scenario where a terminal device performs cell switching. Figure 4 , is a schematic diagram of a cell switching scenario. Figure 4 As shown, the scenario includes at least two access network devices 230 and 231 ( Figure 4 Two are shown as an example, but this embodiment of the present application is not limited to this) and at least one terminal device 101 ( Figure 4 (This is shown as an example, and this application does not limit this.) The access network device may be the network device mentioned above.

[0049] In one possible scenario, while the terminal device 101 is attached to the source access network device 230, it can periodically send a signal measurement report to the source access network device 230. The source access network device 230 determines whether it is necessary to switch the terminal device 101 to other access network devices based on the signal measurement report of the terminal device 101, and selects a target access network device 231 to be switched for the terminal device based on the signal measurement report, and notifies the target access network device 231 to prepare access resources for the terminal device 101, and notifies the terminal device 101 to access the target access network device 231.

[0050] During the handover phase, the terminal device 101 will be handed over from the source access network device 230 to the target cell 231. Specifically, according to whether the terminal device 101 supports multiple connections, the handover mode can be divided into multiple connection handover and non-multi-connection handover. Among them, non-multi-connection handover means that during the handover process, the terminal device 101 will disconnect from the source access network device 230 and then connect to the target access network device. During the period before the terminal device 101 detaches from the source access network device 230 and connects to the target access network device 231, the data transmission between the terminal device 101 and the source access network device 230 will also be interrupted.

[0051] Multi-connection switching may mean that during the switching process, the terminal device 101 maintains connection with the source access network device 230 and the target access network device 231 at the same time, or the terminal device 101 maintains connection with the source cell and the target cell at the same time, that is, during the switching process, the data transmission between the terminal device 101 and the source access network device 230 will not be interrupted. For example, the terminal device 101 can also receive downlink data sent to the terminal device 101 by the core network device from the source access network device 230, or the terminal device 101 can also send uplink data to the source access network device 230, and the terminal device 101 can also transmit data with the target access network device 231, thereby achieving the so-called zero millisecond service interruption.

[0052] In summary, the ability to support multiple connections during the switching process can be called multi-connection switching capability. Since the multi-connection switching capability is not a necessary capability for all terminal devices, the network device needs to know whether the terminal device has the multi-connection switching capability before determining to use the multi-connection switching method. At present, the terminal device indicates the multi-connection switching capability of the terminal device by reporting the BC message. Although the above method can report the multi-connection capability of the terminal device, it cannot accurately and completely report the multi-connection switching capability of the terminal device. The difference between multi-connection capability and multi-connection switching capability is that the multi-connection capability requires the terminal device to have the ability to maintain simultaneous connection with multiple cells for a long time, while the switching process is relatively short, and the terminal device is not required to maintain simultaneous connection with multiple connection cells for a long time. Therefore, for the multi-connection switching capability supported by the terminal device, the existing method cannot achieve complete reporting.

[0053] For example, the terminal device supports BC1 and BC2, where BC1 is n78, single carrier (abbreviated as 1CC), 2 multiple-input multiple output (MIMO). BC2 is n41, 1CC, 2MIMO. Among them, n78 and n41 correspond to a frequency agreed upon by a protocol respectively, and 2MIMO refers to dual channels, which can be understood as the number of channels used to receive data in one carrier. The above example can be understood as that the terminal device can operate on a single carrier at the n78 frequency point, and support uplink and downlink dual channels in the single carrier. Alternatively, the terminal device can also operate on a single carrier at the n41 frequency point, and support uplink and downlink dual channels in the single carrier.

[0054] During a cell handover, if the source cell is BC1 and the target cell is BC2, and the terminal device supports multi-connection handover for both the source and target cells, the terminal device needs to report BC3. Specifically, BC3 is n78 (1CC) + n41 (1CC), 2MIMO + 2MIMO. However, for a terminal device that supports 2MIMO, this BC3 cannot be supported for a long time because the BC that the terminal device supports for a long time is actually n78 (1CC) + n41 (1CC), 1MIMO + 1MIMO. Therefore, the terminal device currently does not report BC3. However, during a cell handover, a terminal device that supports 2MIMO can support time-sharing transmission of n41 and n78 for a short period of time, meeting the 2MIMO capabilities required by n41 and n78, respectively. Moreover, even if the terminal device reports BC (n78 (1CC) + n41 (1CC), 1MIMO + 1MIMO), it cannot indicate the activation of multi-connection handover during a cell handover in the communication systems of BC1 and BC2.

[0055] Therefore, the existing method of reporting multi-connection switching capabilities may not be able to fully express the capabilities, and a new method of reporting multi-connection switching capabilities is urgently needed to fully report the multi-connection switching capabilities supported by the terminal device.

[0056] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for reporting multi-connection switching capability, and the terminal device generates first information based on whether it supports multi-connection switching capability, and the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, and the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, and the second information includes at least one group of correspondences, and each group of correspondences in the at least one group of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, and the at least two cells are cells that the terminal device supports to maintain connection at the same time when performing cell switching. Multi-connection switching can be activated as long as the source cell and at least one target cell to be switched to simultaneously meet (are included in) the two cells indicated in the same group of correspondences. The above method can completely and accurately report the multi-connection switching capability supported by the terminal device.

[0057] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments and drawings.

[0058] See also Figure 5 , is a flowchart corresponding to a method for reporting multi-connection switching capability provided in an embodiment of the present application. This method can be applied to Figures 1 to 4 In any of the scenarios shown in the system, Figure 5 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0059] Step 501: The terminal device generates first information according to whether it supports multi-connection switching capability.

[0060] The multi-connection switching capability has been introduced above and will not be repeated here. Among them, the first information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability. For example, the first indication information may include 1 bit, and the two values ​​of the bit on this 1 bit position (i.e., 0 and 1) respectively indicate support for multi-connection switching capability and non-support for multi-connection switching capability. For example, when the value of the bit on this 1 bit position is 0, it indicates that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability. When the value of the bit on this 1 bit position is 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not support multi-connection switching capability. It should be understood that the above is only an example, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the content indicated by the bit value.

[0061] In one example, the terminal device does not support the multi-connection switching capability, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not support the multi-connection switching capability.

[0062] In another example, if the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, the first information may include second information in addition to the first indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability. The second information includes at least one set of correspondences, each of which is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, where the at least two cells are cells that the terminal device supports maintaining connections simultaneously when performing cell switching.

[0063] Table 1 below is an example of the corresponding relationship, wherein each set of corresponding relationships may include identifiers of at least two frequency band combinations.

[0064] Table 1

[0065] Index Identification of frequency band combination 1 BC1, BC2 2 BC3, BC4, BC5 …… ……

[0066] Among them, for index 1, it means that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching of multiple cells corresponding to BC1 and BC2, and index 2 means that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching of multiple cells corresponding to BC3, BC4 and BC5. It should be understood that the above Table 1 is only an example, and the corresponding relationship in the embodiment of the present application can also be in other forms, for example, without index, etc., and the present application does not limit this. The identification of the frequency band combination in Table 1 is also only an example, and the present application does not limit this.

[0067] Continuing to refer to the examples of BC1 and BC2 above, specifically, for terminal devices that support BC1 and BC2 respectively, when reporting the multi-connection switching capability, the terminal device will report BC1 messages and BC2 messages respectively. As shown above, the BC1 means that the terminal device supports long-term operation in the communication system indicated by BC1. Similarly, BC2 means that the terminal device supports long-term operation in the working system indicated by BC2. In addition, the reported BC1 message and BC2 message also include the communication parameters of BC1 and the communication parameters of BC2 respectively. For example, the BC1 message also includes the number of carriers of BC1, the frequency point, whether it is a heterogeneous system (i.e., working in different standards), and other information. This embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0068] In this application, regardless of whether the terminal device supports 2MIMO+2MIMO, if a set of correspondences reported by the terminal device includes BC1 and BC2, it means that the terminal device supports activating multi-connection switching when the source cell is BC1 and the target cell is BC2.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, there are multiple ways for the terminal device to send the first information. In one practicable manner, the first information may be carried in the following information:

[0070] See also Figure 6aThe first information can be carried in existing information, for example, in terminal device capability information (UE capability information). In one implementation, UE capability information is used to carry BC messages. Assume that the BCs that the terminal device is ready to report include BC1 and BC2. For each BC supported by the terminal device, the terminal device can report the first information corresponding to the BC respectively, where the first information corresponding to each BC includes the multi-connection switching capability of the BC and other BCs.

[0071] For example, the first information corresponding to BC1 includes one or more correspondences between BC1 and other BCs. Exemplarily, the correspondences included in the first information include: BC1 and BC1, and BC1 and BC2. For another example, the first information corresponding to BC2 includes one or more correspondences between BC2 and other BCs. It should be understood that other BCs are combinations of the BC and other BCs determined by the terminal device to support multi-connection switching.

[0072] like Figure 6a As shown, the UE capability information includes UE-NR-Capability, and the terminal device can carry the first information in the rf-Parameters (parameter) information element of UE-NR-Capability. The first information is named, for example, supportedBandCombinationList-v1xxx, and the first information includes two elements:

[0073] BandCombination-vxxxx1 (corresponding to the multi-connectivity capability table of BC1) and BandCombination-vxxxx2 (corresponding to the multi-connectivity capability table of BC2); BandCombination-vxxxx1 contains the nr-nr-Xxxx substructure and the nr-eutra-Xxxx substructure, which represent the multi-connectivity capability tables between BC1 and all NR BCs, and between BC1 and LTE BCs, respectively;

[0074] BandCombination-vxxxx1 / nr-nr-Xxxx / BcBcXxxxCapability 1 indicates the multi-connection capability between BC1 (the current BC) and BC1. BandCombination-vxxxx1 / nr-nr-Xxxx / BcBcXxxxCapability 2 indicates the multi-connection capability between BC1 (the current BC) and BC2.

[0075] Similarly, BandCombination-vxxxx2 / nr-nr-Xxxx / BcBcXxxxCapability 1 indicates the multi-connection capability between BC2 (the current BC) and BC1, and BandCombination-vxxxx1 / nr-nr-Xxxx / BcBcXxxxCapability 2 indicates the multi-connection capability between BC2 (the current BC) and BC2.

[0076] It should be noted that among the multiple BCs supported by the terminal device, there may be BCs with the same range. For example, BC1 is a subset of BC2. Here, BC1 can be called the fallback of BC2. If BC1-BCX supports multi-connection switching and BC2-BCX does not support multi-connection switching, BC1-BCX also needs to be reported.

[0077] In an practicable manner, each corresponding relationship in the first information may also include description information of the multi-connection switching capability of the group, such as whether time synchronization, whether the frequency point is the same, whether the frequency point is different, etc., and continue to participate. Figure 6a , where xxxx-Supported indicates that BC1 and BC1 support Xxxx capabilities, intraFreqXxxx indicates whether intra-frequency switching is supported, and interFreqXxxx indicates whether inter-frequency switching is supported. Figure 6a This is just an example and is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, it may also include capability information such as synchronization and asynchrony, and several tags.

[0078] It should be understood that Figure 6a The first information is illustrated by taking the nr-nr-Xxxx substructure as an example. The first information can also be carried in the nr-eutra-Xxxx substructure. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this and will not be repeated.

[0079] The above is from the perspective of BC, reporting the first information corresponding to the BC in each BC. The embodiment of the present application can also report the combinations corresponding to all multi-connection switching supported by the terminal device from the perspective of the terminal device. The difference between the two is that when reporting from the perspective of BC, there may be repeated correspondences in the first information corresponding to each BC. For example, if the combination of multi-connection switching supported by the terminal device includes BC1 and BC2, the first information corresponding to BC1 includes BC1-BC2, and the first information corresponding to BC2 includes BC2-BC1. When reporting from the perspective of the terminal device, repeated combinations can be filtered.

[0080] See also Figure 6b , is a schematic diagram of a data structure carrying the first information, such as Figure 6bAs shown, the terminal device can also add supportedIntraRatXxxxList and supportedInterRatXxxxList information elements in the RF-Parameters information element, which respectively represent the multi-connection capability between NR BCs and the multi-connection capability list between NR BCs and LTE BCs; supportedIntraRatXxxxList / BcBcXxxxCapabilty2-1 indicates the multi-connection capability supported between BC1 and BC1, and supportedIntraRatXxxxList / BcBcXxxxCapabilty2-2 indicates the multi-connection capability supported between BC1 and BC2.

[0081] In summary, the embodiments of the present application indicate that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching between BCs by reporting the corresponding relationship between BCs. That is, if there is a corresponding relationship between BCs, it indicates that multi-connection switching is supported; if there is no corresponding relationship, it indicates that multi-connection switching is not supported. Table 2 below is a specific example of another type of first information.

[0082] Table 2

[0083]

[0084] Assuming that BC1 is 1CC and BC2 is 1CC, it means that the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with 1CC of BC1 and 1CC of BC2; for example, the source access network device includes one cell, recorded as source cell A, and the target access network device includes at least one cell, recorded as target cell A. The frequency band combination used by the source cell A is BC1, and the frequency band combination used by the target cell A is BC2. Then the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with the source cell A and the target cell A.

[0085] Assuming that BC3 is 2CC and BC4 is 1CC, it means that the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with BC3's 2CC and BC4's 1CC; for example, the source access network device includes two cells, which are respectively recorded as source cell A and source cell B, and the frequency band combination used by source cell A and the frequency band combination used by source cell B are BC3. The target access network device includes one cell, which is recorded as target cell A and uses a frequency band combination of BC4. The terminal device supports simultaneous connection with source cell A, source cell B and target cell A.

[0086] Assuming that BC5 is 1CC and BC6 is 2CC, it means that the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with BC5's 1CC and BC6's 2CC; for example, the source access network device includes one cell, recorded as source cell A, and the target access network device includes at least two cells, recorded as target cell A and target cell B respectively. The frequency band combination used by source cell A is BC5, and the frequency band combination used by target cell A and the frequency band combination used by target cell B are BC6. Then the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with source cell A, target cell A and target cell B.

[0087] Assuming that BC7 is 2CC and BC8 is 2CC, it means that the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with BC7's 2CC and BC8's 2CC; for example, the source access network device includes two cells, which are respectively recorded as source cell A and source cell B, and the target access network device includes at least two cells, which are respectively recorded as target cell A and target cell B. The frequency band combination used by source cell A and the frequency band combination used by source cell B are BC7, and the frequency band combination used by target cell A and the frequency band combination used by target cell B are BC8, then the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with source cell A, source cell B, target cell A and target cell B.

[0088] It should be noted that the above Table 2 is only an example. The correspondence may include multiple BCs, for example, three BCs, four BCs, etc., that is, two or more BCs. For example, index 5 includes BC1, BC2, and BC3, which means that the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with 1CC of BC1, 1CC of BC2, and 2CC of BC3. The embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0089] In addition, in this correspondence, the source cell and the target cell can be distinguished. For example, in the correspondence in Table 2, the left column represents the source cell and the right column represents the target cell, see the above description. Alternatively, the left column may be the target cell and the right column may be the source cell. For example, taking index 1 in Table 2 as an example, the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with the source Pcell (BC2) and the target Pcell (BC1). The above method makes it convenient for the network device to query whether it satisfies the correspondence in the first information.

[0090] Alternatively, the corresponding relationship may not distinguish between the list positions of the source cell and the target cell. For example, taking index 1 in Table 2 as an example, the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with the source Pcell (BC1) and the target Pcell (BC2). Alternatively, the terminal device supports simultaneous connection with the source Pcell (BC2) and the target Pcell (BC1).

[0091] In addition, in one possible scenario, when performing cell handover, the source cell and the target cell may both be single-carriers, and the source cell and the target cell may be co-frequency or inter-frequency. In the case of co-frequency handover, the spectrum of the carrier of the source cell and the carrier of the target cell may overlap, and the concept of BC combination (CA or DC) is only carrier aggregation, that is, the carriers are adjacent or non-adjacent, but not overlapping; therefore, the embodiment of the present application can indicate whether there is spectrum overlap between BCs in the corresponding relationship reported by the terminal device in the following manner. In one practicable manner, the first information reported by the terminal device includes a BC combination that supports multi-connection handover with spectrum overlap, that is, the terminal device defaults to supporting multi-connection handover with spectrum overlap. In another practicable manner, the terminal device indicates whether the group of corresponding relationships indicates spectrum overlap through second indication information. The second indication can be carried in the description information of each group of corresponding relationships. Exemplarily, the second indication information can include one bit, and the two values ​​of the bit on the one bit (i.e., 0 and 1) respectively indicate support for spectrum overlap and non-support for spectrum overlap. For example, when the value of the bit on the one bit is 0, it indicates that the BC combination indicated by the corresponding relationship supports spectrum overlap. When the value of the bit on this bit position is 1, it means that the BC combination indicated by the corresponding relationship does not support spectrum overlap. It should be understood that the above is only an example, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the content indicated by the bit value.

[0092] Step 502: The terminal device sends the first information to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device.

[0093] Subsequently, after the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, if the first indication information is used to indicate that the multi-connection switching capability is not supported, the network device does not activate the multi-connection switching.

[0094] It should be understood that if the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capabilities, when multi-connection switching is activated, the network device should also support multi-connection switching capabilities. For example, if the first information includes the second information, the network device determines whether to activate multi-connection switching based on whether it supports the multi-connection switching capability and the second information. This embodiment of the present application does not focus on this.

[0095] It should be noted that the network device may be a core network device. When performing a cell handover, the source access network device and the target access network device may obtain the first information of the terminal device from the core network device. Alternatively, the network device may be the source access network device, which transmits the first information to the target access network device. Alternatively, the source access network device may filter the first information and transmit the filtered information to the access network device. For example, the source access network device may transmit the corresponding relationship of its own BC contained in the first information to the target access network device.

[0096] Optionally, the embodiment of the present application may further include step 500, in which the network device sends third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to request the terminal device to report capability information. After receiving the third indication information, the terminal device executes step 501 or step 502. If the network device does not support the multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching of the terminal device cannot be activated. Therefore, the terminal device may not be requested to report its own capability information.

[0097] Exemplarily, the third indication information may be carried in an existing information element and sent, for example, the third indication information is carried in UECapabilityEnquiry information.

[0098] See also Figure 6c , which is a flow chart corresponding to a complete method for reporting multi-connection switching capability provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method may include the following steps:

[0099] Step 701: The source access network device sends third indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third indication information sent by the source access network device.

[0100] Step 702: The terminal device generates first information based on whether it supports multi-connection switching capability.

[0101] Step 703: The terminal device sends the first information to the source access network device. Correspondingly, the source access network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device.

[0102] Step 704: The terminal device sends a measurement report to the source access network device. Correspondingly, the source access network device receives the measurement report sent by the terminal device.

[0103] Step 705: The source access network device determines whether the terminal device supports activation of multi-connection switching based on the first information.

[0104] The first information includes the first indication information, or the first information includes the first indication information and the second information. For a specific introduction to the first information, please refer to the relevant description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] Exemplarily, given that the first information includes the first indication information and the second information, after the source access network device determines to switch the terminal device to the target access network device based on the measurement report, it can determine whether there is a satisfactory access network device combination based on the second information reported by the terminal device and its own resources (for example, the BC included in the source access network device and / or whether the source access network device supports multi-connection switching). If so, the information of the satisfactory access network device combination is sent to the target access network device, i.e., step 706. For example, the source access network device supports multi-connection switching, and the source access network device includes BC1. Taking Table 2 above as an example, the access network device combination that satisfies the activation of multi-connection switching for the source access network device is the combination corresponding to index1 in Table 2.

[0106] Step 706: The source access network device sends a multi-connection switching request message to the target access network device. Correspondingly, the target access network device receives the multi-connection switching request message sent by the source access network device.

[0107] Still combining with the example in step 705, the source access network device can send the index value (for example, index1) of the corresponding relationship that satisfies to the target access network device, or send each BC (for example, BC1 and BC2) contained in the corresponding relationship that satisfies to the target access network device, or send the BC other than the source access network device in the corresponding relationship that satisfies to the target access network device. For example, if the source access network device contains BC1, then BC2 can be sent to the target access network device.

[0108] Step 707: The target access network device sends multi-connection switching confirmation information to the source access network device. Correspondingly, the source access network device receives the multi-connection switching confirmation information sent by the target access network device.

[0109] The target access network device confirms that it supports multi-connection switching capabilities and is satisfied with the BC of multi-connection switching supported by the terminal device, and then sends a multi-connection switching confirmation message to the source access network device. The message may also include information about the BC of multi-connection switching supported by the target access network device, such as index or BC.

[0110] In addition, in a possible scenario, the target access network device does not support the multi-connection switching capability, and the target access network device sends a multi-connection switching reject message to the source access network device.

[0111] Step 708: The source access network device sends a switching command to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the switching command sent by the source access network device.

[0112] In addition to indicating the information described above, the switching command may also carry fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to activate multi-connection switching.

[0113] like Figure 7 , which is a possible exemplary block diagram of a communication device involved in this application. The device 700 may exist in the form of software or hardware. The device 700 may include a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 703. As an implementation, the communication unit 703 may include a receiving unit and a sending unit. The processing unit 702 is configured to control and manage the operations of the device 700. The communication unit 703 is configured to support communication between the device 700 and other network entities. The device 700 may also include a storage unit 701 for storing program code and data of the device 700.

[0114] Among them, the processing unit 702 can be a processor or controller, for example, a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processing (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, for example, including a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and so on. The storage unit 701 can be a memory. The communication unit 703 is an interface circuit of the device for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the communication unit 703 is an interface circuit of the chip for receiving signals from other chips or devices, or an interface circuit of the chip for sending signals to other chips or devices.

[0115] The device 700 may be a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in any of the above embodiments, or may be a chip for a communication device. For example, when the device 700 is a terminal device, the processing unit 702 may be, for example, a processor, and the communication unit 703 may be, for example, a transceiver. Optionally, the transceiver may include a radio frequency circuit, and the storage unit may be, for example, a memory. For example, when the device 700 is a chip for a terminal device, the processing unit 702 may be, for example, a processor, and the communication unit 703 may be, for example, an input / output interface, a pin, or a circuit. The processing unit 702 may execute computer-executable instructions stored in a storage unit. Optionally, the storage unit may be a storage unit within the chip, such as a register, a cache, or the like. The storage unit may also be a storage unit within the terminal device that is located outside the chip, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), or the like.

[0116] In the first embodiment, the apparatus 700 is the terminal device in the above example, and the communication unit 703 of the terminal device includes a sending unit and a receiving unit.

[0117] The processing unit 702 is used to generate first information based on whether it supports multi-connection switching capability, where the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, where the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connection with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the second information includes at least one set of correspondences, where each set of correspondences in the at least one set of correspondences is used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, where the at least two cells are cells that the terminal device supports to maintain connection at the same time when performing cell switching; and a sending unit is used to send the first information to a network device.

[0118] In a possible implementation method, the relevant information of the at least two cells includes a frequency band combination identifier of each of the at least two cells.

[0119] In a possible implementation method, the relevant information of the at least two cells further includes additional information of the frequency band combination of each cell.

[0120] In a possible implementation method, each group of the correspondences further includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether there is spectrum overlap in the frequency band combinations in at least two cells indicated by the correspondences.

[0121] In a possible implementation method, before the sending unit sends the first information to the network device, the receiving unit is used to receive third indication information from the network device, and the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to send the first information.

[0122] In the second embodiment, the apparatus 700 is the network device in the above example, and the communication unit 703 of the network device includes a sending unit and a receiving unit.

[0123] A receiving unit, configured to receive first information from a terminal device; the first information includes first indication information, or the first information includes first indication information and second information, the first indication information being used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching capability being used to indicate that the terminal device can maintain connections with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the second information including at least one set of correspondences, each set of correspondences in the at least one set of correspondences being used to indicate relevant information of at least two cells, the at least two cells being a combination of cells that the terminal device supports maintaining connections with when performing cell switching;

[0124] The processing unit 702 is used to determine the cell switching method of the terminal device according to the first information; the network device is a network device in the source cell where the terminal device is located.

[0125] In a possible implementation method, before the receiving unit receives the first information from the terminal device, the sending unit is further used to send third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to send the first information.

[0126] In a possible implementation method, the sending unit is further used to send the first information to a second network device, where the second network device is a network device to which the terminal device is to switch when performing cell switching.

[0127] See Figure 8As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a device provided by the present application, which may be a communication device in the above embodiment (such as the terminal device, network device in the above example). The device 800 includes: a processor 802, a communication interface 803. Optionally, the device 800 may also include a memory 801 and / or a communication line 804. Among them, the communication interface 803, the processor 802 and the memory 801 can be interconnected through the communication line 804; the communication line 804 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The communication line 804 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 8 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0128] The processor 802 may be a CPU, a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0129] The communication interface 803 uses any transceiver or other device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wired access network, etc.

[0130] The memory 801 may be a ROM or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a RAM or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, a laser disc, an optical disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via a communication line 804. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0131] The memory 801 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 802. The processor 802 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 801, thereby implementing the communication method provided by the above embodiments of the present application.

[0132] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the communication method described in any of the above method embodiments is implemented.

[0133] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which, when executed by a computer, implements the communication method described in any of the above method embodiments.

[0134] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0135] An embodiment of the present application further provides a processing device, including a processor and an interface; the processor is used to execute the communication method described in any of the above method embodiments.

[0136] It should be understood that the above-mentioned processing device can be a chip, and the processor can be implemented by hardware or by software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, which is implemented by reading the software code stored in the memory. The memory can be integrated into the processor or can be located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0137] It should be understood that “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mentioned throughout the specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0138] Additionally, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably. The term "and / or" is simply used to describe a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the related objects.

[0139] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0140] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the composition and steps of each example have been generally described in terms of function in the above description. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0142] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, or can be electrical, mechanical or other forms of connection.

[0143] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of the present application.

[0144] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0145] Through the description of the above embodiments, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any medium that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, any connection can appropriately become a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the fixing of the medium. As used herein, the terms "disk" and "disc" include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of protection for computer-readable media.

[0146] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method for reporting and implementing multi-connection switching capability, characterized in that: include: The terminal device generates multi-connection switching capability information according to whether it supports multi-connection switching capability; The multi-connection switching capability information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, where the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connections with at least two cells simultaneously when performing cell switching; the first indication information includes a correspondence relationship of at least one group of frequency band combinations BC, where each group of BC correspondences in the at least one group of BC correspondences includes a correspondence relationship of at least two BCs, indicating that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching between the at least two BCs; and the at least two BCs correspond one-to-one to the at least two cells; The terminal device sends the multi-connection switching capability information to the network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The correspondence relationship of each group of BCs includes an index for indicating the at least two BCs, or includes an identifier of each BC in the at least two BCs.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The correspondence relationship of each group of BCs also includes additional information of each BC.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The correspondence relationship of each group of BCs further includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether the at least two BCs have spectrum overlap.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein Before the terminal device sends the multi-connection switching capability information to the network device, the method further includes: The terminal device receives third indication information from the network device, where the third indication information is used to request the multi-connection switching capability information.

6. A method for implementing multi-connection switching capability, characterized in that: include: The network device receives multi-connection switching capability information from the terminal device; The multi-connection switching capability information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, where the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connections with at least two cells simultaneously when performing cell switching; the first indication information includes a correspondence relationship of at least one group of frequency band combinations BC, where each group of BC correspondences in the at least one group of BC correspondences includes a correspondence relationship of at least two BCs, indicating that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching between the at least two BCs; The at least two BCs correspond one-to-one to the at least two cells; The network device determines the manner in which the terminal device performs cell switching based on the multi-connection switching capability information; the network device is a network device in the source cell where the terminal device is located.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein Before the network device receives the multi-connection switching capability information from the terminal device, the method further includes: The network device sends third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to request the multi-connection switching capability information.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: Also includes: The network device sends the multi-connection switching capability information to a second network device, where the second network device is the network device to which the terminal device is to switch when performing cell switching.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processing unit, configured to generate multi-connection switching capability information according to whether the communication device supports multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching capability information including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate whether the communication device supports multi-connection switching capability, the multi-connection switching capability meaning that the communication device can simultaneously maintain connections with at least two cells when performing cell switching; the first indication information including a correspondence relationship of at least one group of frequency band combinations BC, each group of correspondence relationships in the at least one group of BC correspondence relationships including a correspondence relationship of at least two BCs, indicating that the communication device supports multi-connection switching between the at least two BCs; the at least two BCs have a one-to-one correspondence with the at least two cells; The communication unit is configured to send the multi-connection switching capability information to the network device.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein The correspondence relationship of each group of BCs includes an index for indicating the at least two BCs, or includes an identifier of each BC in the at least two BCs.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein The correspondence relationship of each group of BCs also includes additional information of each BC.

12. The device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The correspondence relationship of each group of BCs further includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether the at least two BCs have spectrum overlap.

13. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that The communication unit is further configured to receive third indication information from the network device before sending the multi-connection switching capability information to the network device, where the third indication information is used to request the multi-connection switching capability information.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A communication unit, configured to receive multi-connection switching capability information from a terminal device; The multi-connection switching capability information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports multi-connection switching capability, where the multi-connection switching capability means that the terminal device can maintain connections with at least two cells simultaneously when performing cell switching; the first indication information includes a correspondence relationship of at least one group of frequency band combinations BC, where each group of BC correspondences in the at least one group of BC correspondences includes a correspondence relationship of at least two BCs, indicating that the terminal device supports multi-connection switching between the at least two BCs; The at least two BCs correspond one-to-one to the at least two cells; A processing unit is used to determine the cell switching method of the terminal device based on the multi-connection switching capability information; the communication device is a network device in the source cell where the terminal device is located.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein The communication unit is further configured to send third indication information to the terminal device before receiving the first information from the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to request the multi-connection switching capability information.

16. The device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The communication unit is further configured to send the multi-connection switching capability information to a second network device, where the second network device is a network device to which the terminal device is to switch when performing cell switching.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The device includes a processor and a memory; The memory stores computer program instructions; The processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the instructions are executed, the apparatus executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, or executes the method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The method comprises instructions, which, when executed, implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or the method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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