A carrier aggregation method, device, terminal and network side equipment

Abstract

The application provides a carrier aggregation method, device, terminal and network side equipment. The method executed by the network equipment comprises: acquiring the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal; in the case that the carrier aggregation capability indicates that the in-band continuous carrier aggregation is supported, determining first information; and sending the first information to the terminal; wherein the first information is used for indicating that the total bandwidth configured for the in-band continuous carrier aggregation is a first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum; or the first information comprises configuration information of at least one BWP, and the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell. The scheme of the embodiment of the application solves the problem that the terminal cannot support the in-band continuous carrier aggregation under the current protocol and network configuration for the tiled cell configured with overlapping spectrum, and improves the overall performance of the network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a carrier aggregation method, apparatus, terminal, and network-side equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In China, the 2.6GHz band has 160MHz of bandwidth available for 5G New Radio (NR). Typically, two cells are configured with 100MHz and 60MHz bandwidths, respectively. Figure 1 As shown, however, the data rate is low when users access a cell with a bandwidth of 60MHz. In order to ensure that all users accessing 2.6GHz NR can enjoy the data rate advantage brought by the large bandwidth of 100MHz, the idea of ​​two overlapping cells with 40MHz overlapping spectrum and 100MHz bandwidth is proposed. However, for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, under the current protocol and network configuration, the terminal cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a carrier aggregation method, apparatus, terminal, and network-side equipment to solve the problem that, under current protocols and network configurations, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, embodiments of the present invention provide a carrier aggregation method, executed by a network device, comprising:

[0005] Obtain the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal;

[0006] If the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation, the first information is determined;

[0007] Send the first information to the terminal;

[0008] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0009] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0010] Further, if the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation, determining the first information includes:

[0011] When the carrier aggregation capability indicator supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation and the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is a first bandwidth, at least one BWP is determined.

[0012] The configuration information of the at least one BWP is used as the first information.

[0013] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0014] Obtain the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal as reported by the terminal through the first field.

[0015] Furthermore, after determining the first information, the method further includes:

[0016] When it is determined that the terminal accesses the first cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the third bandwidth, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is the difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

[0017] Alternatively, if it is determined that the terminal is accessing the second cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is configured as the third bandwidth, and the bandwidth of the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth.

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation method, executed by a terminal, comprising:

[0019] Receive the first message;

[0020] Based on the first information, perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing;

[0021] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0022] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0023] Furthermore, before receiving the first information, the method further includes:

[0024] Reporting carrier aggregation capability.

[0025] Furthermore, before receiving the first information, the method further includes:

[0026] The maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is reported through the first field.

[0027] Further, the in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing based on the first information includes:

[0028] Perform BWP aggregation on at least two BWPs to obtain the aggregated BWP;

[0029] Based on the aggregated BWP, perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing.

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation device applied to a network device, comprising:

[0031] The first acquisition module is used to acquire the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal;

[0032] The determining module is configured to determine first information when the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation;

[0033] The sending module is used to send the first information to the terminal;

[0034] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0035] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0036] Furthermore, the determining module is also used for:

[0037] When the carrier aggregation capability indicator supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation and the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is a first bandwidth, at least one BWP is determined.

[0038] The configuration information of the at least one BWP is used as the first information.

[0039] Furthermore, the device also includes:

[0040] The second acquisition module is used to acquire the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal as reported by the terminal through the first field.

[0041] Furthermore, the device also includes:

[0042] The configuration module is used to configure the bandwidth corresponding to the secondary cell of the terminal as the third bandwidth when it is determined that the terminal accesses the first cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is the difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

[0043] Alternatively, if it is determined that the terminal is accessing the second cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is configured as the third bandwidth, and the bandwidth of the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth.

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation device applied to a terminal, comprising:

[0045] The receiving module is used to receive the first information;

[0046] The processing module is used to perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing based on the first information;

[0047] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0048] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0049] Furthermore, the device also includes:

[0050] The first reporting module is used to report carrier aggregation capability before receiving the first information.

[0051] Furthermore, the device also includes:

[0052] The second reporting module is used to report the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal through the first field before receiving the first information.

[0053] Furthermore, the processing module is also used for:

[0054] Perform BWP aggregation on at least two BWPs to obtain the aggregated BWP;

[0055] Based on the aggregated BWP, perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing.

[0056] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a network-side device, including: a first transceiver and a first processor;

[0057] The first transceiver is used to acquire the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal;

[0058] The first processor is configured to determine first information when the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation;

[0059] The first transceiver is also used to send the first information to the terminal;

[0060] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0061] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0062] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a terminal, including: a second transceiver and a second processor;

[0063] The second transceiver is used to receive the first information;

[0064] The second processor is used to perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing based on the first information;

[0065] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0066] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0067] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation apparatus, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor; the processor executes the program or instructions to implement the steps in the carrier aggregation method described above.

[0068] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a readable storage medium having a program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps in the carrier aggregation method described above.

[0069] The beneficial effects of the above-described technical solution of the present invention are as follows:

[0070] The carrier aggregation method of this application embodiment obtains the carrier aggregation capability of a terminal; when the carrier aggregation capability indicates support for in-band continuous carrier aggregation, it determines first information; and sends the first information to the terminal. This first information enables the terminal to accurately determine the actual total bandwidth configured by the base station, thereby enabling the terminal to determine, in a stacked cell scenario, that the bandwidth subsequently configured for in-band carrier aggregation is specific to the stacked cell scenario, ultimately achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Alternatively, this first information enables the terminal to perform in-band carrier aggregation based on at least one BWP in a stacked cell scenario, thereby achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram comparing the solutions of existing technologies with those of the embodiments of the present invention;

[0072] Figure 2 This is one of the flowcharts illustrating the carrier aggregation method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0073] Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of the carrier aggregation method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0074] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram (3) of the carrier aggregation method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0075] Figure 5 This is a fourth schematic diagram of the carrier aggregation method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0076] Figure 6 This is the fifth flowchart illustrating the carrier aggregation method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0077] Figure 7 This is one of the schematic diagrams of a carrier aggregation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0078] Figure 8 This is a second schematic diagram of a carrier aggregation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0079] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of a network-side device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0080] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of the terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0081] Figure 11 This is one of the structural block diagrams of a carrier aggregation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0082] Figure 12 This is a second structural block diagram of the carrier aggregation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0083] To make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, a detailed description will be given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0084] It should be understood that the phrase "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0085] In various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the sequence number of each process described below does not imply 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 invention.

[0086] In addition, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this article.

[0087] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that "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 solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0088] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a carrier aggregation method, executed by a network device, including:

[0089] Step 201: Obtain the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal.

[0090] Optionally, after the terminal accesses the network, it can report carrier aggregation capabilities.

[0091] This carrier aggregation capability is used to indicate whether the terminal supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation.

[0092] Step 202: If the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation, determine the first information.

[0093] Step 203: Send the first information to the terminal;

[0094] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0095] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one Bandwidth Part (BWP), wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0096] For example, if the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is 100MHz and the bandwidth corresponding to the second cell is 1000MHz, and there is a 40MHz overlap in spectrum between the first and second cells, then the aforementioned first bandwidth is 160MHz. In this way, by informing the UE of this first bandwidth, the UE can accurately determine that the actual total bandwidth configured by the base station is 160MHz. This allows the terminal to know that the bandwidth configured for in-band carrier aggregation is for the overlapping cell scenario, preventing the terminal from misunderstanding that the total bandwidth is 200MHz, and thus avoiding errors during carrier aggregation.

[0097] For example, the total bandwidth of at least one BWP is sent to the UE, enabling the UE to perform in-band carrier aggregation based on the at least one BWP. The bandwidth of each BWP can be greater than or equal to 100MHz, thereby enabling the terminal to support in-band carrier aggregation of more than 100MHz.

[0098] The carrier aggregation method of this application embodiment obtains the carrier aggregation capability of a terminal; when the carrier aggregation capability indicates support for in-band continuous carrier aggregation, it determines first information; and sends the first information to the terminal. This first information enables the terminal to accurately determine the actual total bandwidth configured by the base station, thereby enabling the terminal to determine, in a stacked cell scenario, that the bandwidth subsequently configured for in-band carrier aggregation is specific to the stacked cell scenario, ultimately achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Alternatively, this first information enables the terminal to perform in-band carrier aggregation based on at least one BWP in a stacked cell scenario, thereby achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Optionally, the first information can be carried via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

[0099] As a first optional implementation, if the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation, determining the first information includes:

[0100] If the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation and the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is the first bandwidth, at least one BWP is determined.

[0101] The configuration information of the at least one BWP is used as the first information.

[0102] This implementation also includes:

[0103] Obtain the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal as reported by the terminal through the first field.

[0104] In this embodiment of the invention, after the terminal reports support for in-band continuous carrier aggregation and the maximum supported carrier bandwidth, the base station configures a larger bandwidth for the terminal via an RRC message, such as a BWP exceeding the 100MHz specified in the protocol, enabling the terminal to achieve in-band continuous carrier aggregation in a multi-cell scenario based on this BWP.

[0105] The reason why 3GPP defines a maximum 100M cell bandwidth for FR1 is mainly due to the limitation of the equipment sampling rate, as shown in Table 1:

[0106] Table 1

[0107]

[0108] A higher number of sampling points places higher demands on terminal and network-side equipment, including increased Fourier transform processing capabilities, power consumption, and signaling overhead and complexity, leading to increased costs for both. To balance cost and performance, the protocol defines a maximum cell bandwidth requirement of 100 Mbps.

[0109] In this implementation, different solutions are used for terminals with different capabilities.

[0110] Solution 1: For high-capacity terminals and network devices, by increasing the number of sampling points, it is possible to support carrier bandwidth exceeding 100M. Then, when the terminal has a need, network-side devices, such as base stations, can be configured with carrier bandwidth exceeding 100M.

[0111] In this method, the terminal needs to report the maximum supported carrier bandwidth. For example, it can be reported through the first field max_bandwidth. If the maximum supported carrier bandwidth of the terminal is 160M, then max_bandwidth = 160M. However, if the maximum supported carrier bandwidth of the terminal is 100M, and the existing terminals are the same, then it is not necessary to report the maximum supported carrier bandwidth, or report max_bandwidth = 100M.

[0112] At the same time, 3GPP needs to introduce a 160MHz bandwidth definition for the FR1 band, including the number of resource blocks (RBs) corresponding to different sub-carrier spaces (SCS), the minimum guard band, and other related content.

[0113] Taking n41+n41 160MHz carrier aggregation (CA) as an example:

[0114] The formula for calculating the minimum protection zone is:

[0115]

[0116] Optionally, the minimum guard band for different subcarrier spacings in the FR1 band is calculated as shown in Table 2:

[0117] Table 2

[0118]

[0119] N RB The number of RBs that can be supported under a 160M bandwidth is determined based on the filter performance.

[0120] Terminals that do not support in-band continuous carrier aggregation can access the cell with the original bandwidth normally. Terminals that support in-band continuous carrier aggregation can use the resources of two carriers in a unified manner, provided that the network equipment supports 160MHz large bandwidth scheduling capability and the terminal does not report an error after receiving 160M BWP and can schedule normally.

[0121] Solution 2: For terminals and network devices with lower capabilities, configure two BWPs and perform BWP aggregation when there is business demand. This can also enjoy bandwidth exceeding 100M. Compared with high-capacity mobile phones, the scheduling adds the BWP aggregation process, resulting in a performance loss, but the impact is minimal.

[0122] The current protocol only defines the activation of one BWP; therefore, network devices and terminals need to support BWP aggregation. The activation method for BWPs can follow the current method of activating BWPs using Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[0123] The specific implementation process of this method can be described as follows: Figure 3 As shown, after the terminal accesses the network, it reports its own carrier aggregation capability. When it is necessary to start in-band continuous carrier aggregation, the network-side device determines whether it supports a 160M bandwidth carrier based on the terminal's carrier aggregation capability. If it supports it, it sends an RRC message to the terminal to configure a 160M BWP for the terminal. If it does not support it, it configures two BWPs of 100M and 60M respectively, so that the terminal can enjoy a 160M bandwidth after BWP aggregation. If the terminal supports a 160M bandwidth carrier, it configures a 160M BWP for the terminal.

[0124] As a second optional implementation, the first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is a first bandwidth, that is, the first information indicates that the bandwidth subsequently configured by the terminal is for the stacked cell scenario.

[0125] In one specific implementation scheme of this method, such as Figure 4As shown, the terminal accesses the network and reports its carrier aggregation capability. The network device determines whether the terminal supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation (e.g., 2.6G (100+60)CA) based on the carrier aggregation capability. If it does, it further determines whether in-band continuous carrier aggregation needs to be activated. If in-band continuous carrier aggregation needs to be activated, a new Boolean field `overlap_CA` is added to the data sent to the terminal. `overlap_CA = 1` indicates that the in-band carrier aggregation configured subsequently for 2.6G is under the scenario of stacked cells; `overlap_CA = 1` also indicates that the total bandwidth of the configured in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, to avoid the terminal misinterpreting it as having two first bandwidths, which would lead to errors in the carrier aggregation configuration. If the terminal does not support in-band continuous carrier aggregation, `overlap_CA = 0`, indicating that the in-band carrier aggregation configured subsequently does not support carrier aggregation under stacked cells, and this Boolean field can be omitted.

[0126] In this implementation, both the network device and the terminal need to be upgraded to support the new field (i.e., the overlap_CA field representing the overlapping cells). The network device does not need to support a high-bandwidth scheduler, and in-band continuous carrier aggregation can be achieved while keeping the device performance unchanged.

[0127] In another implementation of this method, after determining the first information, the method further includes:

[0128] When it is determined that the terminal accesses the first cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the third bandwidth, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is the difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

[0129] Alternatively, if it is determined that the terminal is accessing the second cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is configured as the third bandwidth, and the bandwidth of the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth.

[0130] Optionally, the first bandwidth is 160MHz, the second bandwidth is 100MHz, and the third bandwidth is 60MHz.

[0131] In this scheme, when configuring in-band carrier aggregation for the terminal, the BWP of the secondary carrier is configured to have a dedicated spectrum portion, or the BWP of the primary carrier and the secondary carrier are adjusted simultaneously so that the total bandwidth of the primary carrier and the secondary carrier is the actual total bandwidth.

[0132] One implementation for configuring in-band carrier aggregation for a terminal is, for example... Figure 5 As shown:

[0133] When configuring in-band carrier aggregation for a terminal, inter-band carrier aggregation can be temporarily disregarded because overlapping spectrum has no impact on inter-band carrier aggregation, and no BWP adjustment is required for inter-band aggregation.

[0134] For 2.6GHz, when configuring in-band carrier aggregation, the secondary carrier's BWP can be configured as a dedicated third bandwidth, such as 60MHz. Alternatively, the primary carrier's BWP can be adjusted to B, such as 60MHz or 80MHz, with the corresponding secondary carrier's BWP being 160MHz-B, i.e., 100MHz and 80MHz respectively. In the secondary cell's SCellConfig signaling, the initial downlink and uplink BWPs are defined through the initial downlink BWP and initial uplink BWP. Thus, the terminal can support a total bandwidth of 100MHz + 60MHz = 160MHz, consistent with the actual terminal hardware capabilities.

[0135] The carrier aggregation method of this invention only requires network devices to configure specific parameters for carrier aggregation based on the support of overlapping cells. Terminals do not need to be updated, and there is no impact on existing terminals. Furthermore, its performance remains unchanged compared to traditional carrier aggregation. This solves the problem that, under current protocols and network configurations, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, thus improving the overall network performance.

[0136] like Figure 6 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation method, performed by a terminal, comprising:

[0137] Step 601: Receive the first information;

[0138] Step 602: Perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing based on the first information;

[0139] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0140] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0141] The solution of this invention addresses the problem that, under current protocols and network configurations, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, thereby improving the overall network performance.

[0142] Optionally, before receiving the first information, the method further includes:

[0143] Reporting carrier aggregation capability.

[0144] Optionally, before receiving the first information, the following may also be included:

[0145] The maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is reported through the first field.

[0146] Optionally, based on the first information, in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing is performed, including:

[0147] Perform BWP aggregation on at least two BWPs to obtain the aggregated BWP;

[0148] Based on the aggregated BWP, perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing.

[0149] In this embodiment of the invention, both the terminal and the network-side device support the BWP aggregation function, and the activation method of BWP can follow the current DCI activation method.

[0150] The carrier aggregation method of this invention allows the terminal to report its own carrier aggregation capability to the network-side device, enabling the network-side device to differentiate the in-band carrier aggregation configuration based on the different carrier aggregation capabilities of the terminal.

[0151] The solution of this invention addresses the problem that, under current protocols and network configurations, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, thereby improving the overall network performance.

[0152] Optionally, before receiving the first information, the method further includes:

[0153] The maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is reported through the first field.

[0154] The carrier aggregation method of this invention obtains the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal reported by the terminal through a first field, enabling the network device to determine the number of configured BWPs based on the terminal's maximum carrier bandwidth, thereby achieving the purpose of flexible BWP scheduling.

[0155] The solution of this invention addresses the problem that, under current protocols and network configurations, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, thereby improving the overall network performance.

[0156] like Figure 7 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation device 700, applied to network equipment, comprising:

[0157] The first acquisition module 701 is used to acquire the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal;

[0158] Determining module 702 is configured to determine first information when the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation;

[0159] The sending module 703 is used to send the first information to the terminal;

[0160] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0161] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0162] In this embodiment of the invention, the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal is obtained; if the carrier aggregation capability indicates support for in-band continuous carrier aggregation, first information is determined; and the first information is sent to the terminal. This first information enables the terminal to accurately determine the actual total bandwidth configured by the base station, thereby enabling the terminal to determine, in a stacked cell scenario, that the bandwidth subsequently configured for in-band carrier aggregation is specific to the stacked cell scenario, ultimately achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Alternatively, this first information enables the terminal to perform in-band carrier aggregation based on at least one BWP in a stacked cell scenario, thereby achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario.

[0163] Optionally, the determining module is further configured to:

[0164] When the carrier aggregation capability indicator supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation and the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is a first bandwidth, at least one BWP is determined.

[0165] The configuration information of the at least one BWP is used as the first information.

[0166] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0167] The second acquisition module is used to acquire the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal as reported by the terminal through the first field.

[0168] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0169] The configuration module is used to configure the bandwidth corresponding to the secondary cell of the terminal as the third bandwidth when it is determined that the terminal accesses the first cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is the difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

[0170] Alternatively, if it is determined that the terminal is accessing the second cell, the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is configured as the third bandwidth, and the bandwidth of the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth.

[0171] It should be noted that the carrier aggregation device is the same as the device described in the above method embodiments. All implementations of the above method embodiments can be applied to this device embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, they will not be described again here.

[0172] like Figure 8 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also provide a carrier aggregation device 800, applied to a terminal, comprising:

[0173] Receiver module 801 is used to receive the first information;

[0174] Processing module 802 is used to perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing based on the first information;

[0175] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0176] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0177] The carrier aggregation device of this invention solves the problem that, under the current protocol and network configuration, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, thereby improving the overall network performance.

[0178] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0179] The first reporting module is used to report carrier aggregation capability before receiving the first information.

[0180] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0181] The second reporting module is used to report the maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal through the first field before receiving the first information.

[0182] Optionally, the processing module is further configured to:

[0183] Perform BWP aggregation on at least two BWPs to obtain the aggregated BWP;

[0184] Based on the aggregated BWP, perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing.

[0185] It should be noted that the carrier aggregation device is the same as the device described in the above method embodiments. All implementations of the above method embodiments can be applied to this device embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, they will not be described again here.

[0186] like Figure 9 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also provide a network-side device, including: a first transceiver 920 and a first processor 910;

[0187] The first transceiver 920 is used to acquire the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal;

[0188] The first processor 910 is configured to determine first information when the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band continuous carrier aggregation;

[0189] The first transceiver 920 is also used to send the first information to the terminal;

[0190] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0191] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0192] The network-side device in this embodiment of the invention acquires the carrier aggregation capability of a terminal; when the carrier aggregation capability indicates support for in-band continuous carrier aggregation, it determines first information; and sends the first information to the terminal. This first information enables the terminal to accurately determine the actual total bandwidth configured by the base station, thereby enabling the terminal to determine, in a stacked cell scenario, that the subsequently configured bandwidth for in-band carrier aggregation is specific to the stacked cell scenario, ultimately achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Alternatively, this first information enables the terminal to perform in-band carrier aggregation based on at least one BWP in a stacked cell scenario, thereby achieving in-band continuous carrier aggregation in the stacked cell scenario. Figure 10 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a terminal, including: a second transceiver 1020 and a second processor 1010;

[0193] The second transceiver 1020 is used to receive the first information;

[0194] The second processor 1010 is used to perform in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing based on the first information;

[0195] The first information is used to indicate that the total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is the first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is the actual total bandwidth corresponding to two cells with overlapping spectrum.

[0196] Alternatively, the first information may include configuration information for at least one BWP, wherein the total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than the second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the cell.

[0197] The terminal in this embodiment of the invention only requires the network device to configure specific parameters for carrier aggregation based on the support of overlapping cells. The terminal does not need to be updated, and there is no impact on existing terminals. Furthermore, its performance remains unchanged compared to traditional carrier aggregation. This solves the problem that, under current protocols and network configurations, terminals cannot support in-band continuous carrier aggregation for overlapping cells with overlapping spectrum, thus improving the overall network performance.

[0198] One embodiment of the present invention provides a carrier aggregation device, such as... Figure 11 As shown, it includes a transceiver 1110, a processor 1100, a memory 1120, and a program or instructions stored in the memory 1120 and executable on the processor 1100; when the processor 1100 executes the program or instructions, it implements the above-described carrier aggregation method applied to network-side devices.

[0199] The transceiver 1110 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 1100.

[0200] Among them, Figure 11 In this context, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits together, represented by one or more processors (processor 1100) and memory (memory 1120). The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1110 may be multiple elements, including transmitters and receivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. The processor 1100 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1120 may store data used by the processor 1100 during operation.

[0201] One embodiment of the present invention provides a carrier aggregation device, such as... Figure 12 As shown, it includes a transceiver 1210, a processor 1200, a memory 1220, and a program or instructions stored in the memory 1220 and executable on the processor 1200; when the processor 1200 executes the program or instructions, it implements the carrier aggregation method applied to the terminal described above.

[0202] The transceiver 1210 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 1200.

[0203] Among them, Figure 12 In this context, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits together, represented by one or more processors (processor 1200) and memory (memory 1220). The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1210 may be multiple elements, including transmitters and receivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. The processor 1200 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1220 may store data used by the processor 1200 during operation.

[0204] This invention also provides a readable storage medium storing a program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps in the carrier aggregation method described above and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0205] The processor is the processor in the carrier aggregation device described in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes computer-readable storage media, such as computer read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0206] It should be further noted that the terminals described in this specification include, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablets, etc., and many of the functional components described are referred to as modules in order to emphasize the independence of their implementation.

[0207] In this embodiment of the invention, the module can be implemented in software so that it can be executed by various types of processors. For example, an identified executable code module may include one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may be constructed as objects, procedures, or functions. Nevertheless, the executable code of the identified module does not need to be physically located together, but may include different instructions stored in different bits, which, when logically combined, constitute the module and achieve the module's intended purpose.

[0208] In practice, an executable code module can be a single instruction or many instructions, and can even be distributed across multiple different code segments, different programs, and across multiple memory devices. Similarly, operational data can be identified within the module and can be implemented in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. This operational data can be collected as a single dataset or distributed across different locations (including different storage devices), and can exist, at least in part, solely as electronic signals within the system or network.

[0209] When a module can be implemented using software, considering the current level of hardware technology, modules that can be implemented in software can be implemented using hardware circuits by those skilled in the art to achieve the corresponding functions, without considering cost. These hardware circuits include conventional very-large-scale integrated circuits (VLSI) or gate arrays, as well as existing semiconductors such as logic chips and transistors, or other discrete components. Modules can also be implemented using programmable hardware devices, such as field-programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, and programmable logic devices.

[0210] The exemplary embodiments described above are with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many different forms and embodiments are feasible without departing from the spirit and teachings of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be construed as limiting the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided to make the invention complete and convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In these drawings, component dimensions and relative dimensions may be exaggerated for clarity. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, unless clearly indicated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include all such forms. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including”, when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or elements, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or groups thereof. Unless otherwise indicated, when stated, a range of values ​​includes the upper and lower limits of the range and any subranges in between.

[0211] The above description represents the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carrier aggregation method, executed by a network device, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a carrier aggregation capability of a terminal; in a case where the carrier aggregation capability indicates that in-band continuous carrier aggregation is supported, determining first information; sending the first information to the terminal; wherein the first information is used to indicate that a total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is a first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is an actual total bandwidth corresponding to two stacked cells with overlapping spectrum; or, the first information comprises configuration information of at least one BWP, and a total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is a maximum bandwidth configured by a network for a stacked cell; after the first information is determined, the method further comprises the following steps: in a case where it is determined that the terminal accesses a first cell, configuring a bandwidth corresponding to a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal as a third bandwidth, a bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is a difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth; or, in a case where it is determined that the terminal accesses a second cell, configuring the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell as the third bandwidth, and configuring a bandwidth of the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal as the second bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, In a case where the carrier aggregation capability indicates that in-band continuous carrier aggregation is supported, the first information is determined, comprising the following steps: in a case where the carrier aggregation capability indicates that in-band continuous carrier aggregation is supported, and a maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is the first bandwidth, at least one BWP is determined; the configuration information of the at least one BWP is taken as the first information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: acquiring a maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal through a first field.

4. A carrier aggregation method performed by a terminal, the method comprising: The method comprises the following steps: receiving first information; performing in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing according to the first information; wherein the first information is used to indicate that a total bandwidth configured for in-band continuous carrier aggregation is a first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is an actual total bandwidth corresponding to two stacked cells with overlapping spectrum; or, the first information comprises configuration information of at least one BWP, and a total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is a maximum bandwidth configured by a network for a stacked cell; wherein in a case where the terminal accesses a first cell, a bandwidth corresponding to a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as a third bandwidth, a bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is a second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is a difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth; or, in a case where the terminal accesses a second cell, a bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is configured as the third bandwidth, and a bandwidth of a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, Before the first information is received, the method further comprises the following steps: reporting a carrier aggregation capability.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, Before the first information is received, the method further comprises the following steps: reporting a maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal through a first field.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein, The method of performing in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing according to the first information comprises the following steps: performing BWP aggregation processing on at least two BWPs to obtain aggregated BWPs; performing in-band continuous carrier aggregation processing according to the aggregated BWPs.

8. A carrier aggregation apparatus, applied to a network device, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: a first acquiring module is configured to acquire a carrier aggregation capability of a terminal; determining that the first information comprises configuration information of at least one BWP, wherein a total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is a maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the collocated cell; the apparatus further comprises: a configuration module, configured to, in a case where it is determined that the terminal accesses the first cell, configure a bandwidth corresponding to a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal as a third bandwidth, wherein a bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is a difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth; or, in a case where it is determined that the terminal accesses the second cell, configure the bandwidth corresponding to the first cell as the third bandwidth, and configure a bandwidth of the secondary cell corresponding to the terminal as the second bandwidth. the determining module is further configured to: determine at least one BWP in a case where the carrier aggregation capability indicates that the in-band contiguous carrier aggregation is supported, and a maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal is the first bandwidth; and use the configuration information of the at least one BWP as the first information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, the apparatus further comprises: a second obtaining module, configured to obtain a maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal reported by the terminal through a first field. comprises:

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, a receiving module, configured to receive first information; a processing module, configured to perform in-band contiguous carrier aggregation processing according to the first information; 11. A carrier aggregation apparatus applied to a terminal, characterized in that, determining that the first information comprises configuration information of at least one BWP, wherein a total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is a maximum bandwidth configured by the network for the collocated cell; wherein, in a case where the terminal accesses a first cell, a bandwidth corresponding to a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as a third bandwidth, a bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is a second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is a difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth; or, in a case where the terminal accesses a second cell, a bandwidth corresponding to the first cell is configured as a third bandwidth, and a bandwidth of a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth. the apparatus further comprises: a first reporting module, configured to report a carrier aggregation capability before receiving the first information. the apparatus further comprises: a second reporting module, configured to report a maximum carrier bandwidth supported by the terminal through a first field before receiving the first information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, the processing module is further configured to: perform BWP aggregation processing on at least two BWPs to obtain aggregated BWPs; 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, perform in-band contiguous carrier aggregation processing according to the aggregated BWPs. comprises:

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, a first transceiver and a first processor; the first transceiver is configured to obtain a carrier aggregation capability of a terminal; ​ 15. A network-side device, comprising: ​ ​ ​ The first processor is configured to determine first information in a case where the carrier aggregation capability indication supports in-band contiguous carrier aggregation; The first transceiver is further configured to send the first information to a terminal; The first information is used to indicate that a total bandwidth configured for in-band contiguous carrier aggregation is a first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is an actual total bandwidth corresponding to two stacked cells with overlapping spectrum. Alternatively, the first information includes configuration information of at least one BWP, and a total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is a maximum bandwidth configured by a network for a stacked cell. The first processor is further configured to: in a case where it is determined that the terminal accesses a first cell, configure a bandwidth of a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal as a third bandwidth, a bandwidth of the first cell is the second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is a difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth. Alternatively, in a case where it is determined that the terminal accesses a second cell, configure the bandwidth of the first cell as the third bandwidth, and configure a bandwidth of a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal as the second bandwidth.

16. A terminal, characterized by Comprise: A second transceiver and a second processor; The second transceiver is configured to receive first information; The second processor is configured to perform in-band contiguous carrier aggregation processing according to the first information; The first information is used to indicate that a total bandwidth configured for in-band contiguous carrier aggregation is a first bandwidth, and the first bandwidth is an actual total bandwidth corresponding to two stacked cells with overlapping spectrum. Alternatively, the first information includes configuration information of at least one BWP, and a total bandwidth corresponding to the at least one BWP is greater than a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth is a maximum bandwidth configured by a network for a stacked cell. In a case where the terminal accesses a first cell, a bandwidth of a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as a third bandwidth, a bandwidth of the first cell is a second bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is a difference between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth. Alternatively, in a case where the terminal accesses a second cell, the bandwidth of the first cell is configured as the third bandwidth, and a bandwidth of a secondary cell corresponding to the terminal is configured as the second bandwidth.

17. A carrier aggregation apparatus comprising: A transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; characterized in that the processor executes the program or instructions to implement steps in the carrier aggregation method of any one of claims 1 to 3, or implement steps in the carrier aggregation method of any one of claims 4 to 7.

18. A readable storage medium, having stored thereon a program or instructions, characterized in that, The program or instructions are executed by the processor to implement steps in the carrier aggregation method of any one of claims 1 to 3, or implement steps in the carrier aggregation method of any one of claims 4 to 7.

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