Communication mode switching method, device and equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a communication mode switching method, device and equipment. The method comprises: a first network device sends the PDCP data transmission status of a user device in a first communication mode to a second network device; wherein the second network device uses a second communication mode to send services to the user device according to the PDCP data transmission status. The present application switches to the second communication mode for receiving and sending services according to the PDCP data transmission status of the user device in the first communication mode, thereby realizing communication mode switching at the PCDP layer, ensuring the continuity of the PDCP sequence number, thereby realizing lossless switching and reducing switching delay.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application with application number 2020800953701 and invention name “Communication mode switching method, device and equipment thereof”.

[0002] This application claims priority to a PCT application filed on February 7, 2020, with application number PCT / CN2020 / 074519 and invention name “Communication mode switching method, device and equipment thereof”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to the technical field of communication mode conversion. Background Art

[0004] Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) is a service introduced in 3GPP R6 (Release 6). MBMS is a technology that transmits data from one data source to multiple user devices by sharing network resources. It can effectively utilize network resources while providing multimedia services and achieve high-speed multimedia service broadcast and multicast (also known as groupcast).

[0005] Since the MBMS spectrum efficiency in 3GPP R6 is low and insufficient to effectively carry and support the operation of mobile TV services, 3GPP has clearly proposed to enhance the support capability for downlink high-speed multimedia broadcast and multicast services in the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard for wireless access networks, and has determined the design requirements for the physical layer and air interface.

[0006] In R9, the LTE network introduced Evolved MBMS (E-MBMS). E-MBMS proposed the concept of Single Frequency Network (SFN), which uses a unified frequency to send data in all cells at the same time, but ensures synchronization between cells. This method can greatly improve the overall signal-to-noise ratio distribution of the cell, and the spectrum efficiency will also be greatly improved accordingly. It also implements broadcast and multicast of services based on the IP (Internet Protocol) multicast protocol.

[0007] In R13, Single Cell Point To Multiploint (SC-PTM) is introduced. SC-PTM is based on the MBMS network architecture, and the Multi-cell / multicast Coordination Entity (MCE) decides whether to use SC-PTM transmission mode or Multimedia Broadcast multicast service Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) transmission mode.

[0008] In the above communication system, the user equipment (UE) can receive services in a multicast manner. However, due to the mobility of the UE, the communication mode in which it receives services may change, for example, moving from a cell that supports multicast services to a cell that does not support multicast services, or from a cell that does not support multicast services to a cell that supports multicast services; or, in the same cell, the UE moves from a location that cannot receive multicast signals to a location that can receive multicast signals, or the UE moves from a location that can receive multicast signals to a location that cannot receive multicast signals, which may all lead to changes in the communication mode. Therefore, it is necessary to switch the communication mode. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present application provides a communication mode switching method, device and apparatus. The present application provides at least the following technical solutions:

[0010] A communication mode switching method is applied to a first network device, the method comprising: sending a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) data sending status of a user device under a first communication mode to a second network device; wherein the second network device uses a second communication mode to send services to the user device according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0011] A communication mode switching method is applied to a second network device, the method comprising:

[0012] Sending the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment to the first network equipment; wherein the first network equipment uses the first communication method to send services to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0013] A communication mode switching method is applied to user equipment, the method comprising: reporting a PDCP data reception status under a first communication mode; and receiving a service sent by a second network device using a second communication mode.

[0014] A communication mode switching device, the device comprising: a forwarding module, used to send the PDCP data sending status of a user equipment in a first communication mode to a second network device; wherein the second network device uses a second communication mode to send services to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0015] A communication mode switching device, the device comprising:

[0016] A sending module is used to send the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment to the first network equipment; wherein, the first network equipment uses a first communication method to send services to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0017] A communication mode switching device is applied to user equipment, and the device includes: a reporting module, which is used to report the PDCP data reception status under the first communication mode to the network device after the communication mode is switched; and a service receiving module, which is used to receive the service sent by the switched network device through the second communication mode.

[0018] A network device, comprising: a processor, a memory and a network interface; the processor calls the program in the memory, executes any one of the communication mode switching methods applied to a first network device in the present application, and sends the execution result through the network interface.

[0019] A network device, comprising: a processor, a memory and a network interface; the processor calls a program in the memory, executes any one of the communication mode switching methods applied to a second network device in the present application, and sends the execution result through the network interface.

[0020] A user device, the device comprising: a processor, a memory and a network interface; the processor calls the program in the memory, executes any one of the communication mode switching methods applied to the user device in the present application, and sends the execution result through the network interface.

[0021] A chip, comprising: a processor, used to call and run a computer program from a memory, and a device equipped with the chip executes any one of the communication mode switching methods of the present application.

[0022] A computer-readable storage medium, wherein a program for an uplink transmission method is stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and when the program for the uplink transmission method is executed by a processor, any communication mode switching method of the present application is implemented.

[0023] A computer program product, wherein the computer program product is stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed, any communication mode switching method of the present application is implemented.

[0024] The beneficial effect of the present application is that the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode is sent to the second network device, thereby ensuring the continuity of the PDCP sequence number during the communication mode switching process, thereby realizing the communication mode switching at the PCDP layer, thereby achieving lossless switching. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram for the implementation scheme of this application.

[0026] Figure 2 Another system architecture diagram applied to the implementation scheme of this application.

[0027] Figure 3 A flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 4 A flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 5 A flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 6 A flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 7 A module diagram of a communication mode switching apparatus applied to a first network device provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Figure 8 A module diagram of a communication mode switching apparatus applied to a second network device provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Fig. 9 A module diagram of a communication mode switching device applied to a user equipment provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Fig.10 A structural diagram of a communication mode switching device provided in Embodiment 6 of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive. Based on the specific embodiments in the present application, all other specific embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0036] When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0037] In addition, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this article. The term "and / or" in this article is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0038] It should be understood that in the specific implementation of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined according to A. However, it should also be understood that determining B according to A does not mean determining B only according to A, but B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0039] refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 , which respectively illustrate a wireless communication system 100 applied in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system 100 includes: a network device 110, and at least one user equipment 120 located within the coverage of the network device 110. The network device 110 sends a trigger signaling to the user equipment 120, triggering the user equipment 120 to report the PDCP status.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the wireless communication system 100 includes: a first network device 110A and a second network device 110B, and at least one user equipment 120 moving within the coverage of the first network device 110A and the second network device 110B. The first network device 110A sends a trigger signaling to the user equipment 120, triggering the user equipment 120 to report a PDCP state to the second network device 110B. The PDCP state includes at least one of a PDCP data reception state and a PDCP data transmission state.

[0042] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple network devices, and each network device may include other user devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Optionally, the network devices 110, 110A, and 110B may provide communication coverage for a specified geographical area, and may communicate with user devices (e.g., UE) located within the coverage area. Optionally, the network device 100 may be a base station (Base Transceiver Station, BTS) in a GSM system or a CDMA system, or a base station (NodeB, NB) in a WCDMA system, or an evolved base station (Evolutional Node B, eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (Cloud Radio Access Network, CRAN), or the network device may be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network-side device in a 5G network, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN), etc.

[0043] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum, LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum, NR-U) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), next generation communication system or other communication systems, etc.

[0044] The user equipment 120 may be mobile or fixed. Optionally, the user equipment 120 may refer to an access terminal, a user equipment (UE), a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user device, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent or a user device. The access terminal may be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a user device in a 5G network, or a user device in a future evolved PLMN, etc.

[0045] Optionally, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, or a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0046] In the present application, the network device sends services to the user equipment in a first communication mode; when a situation arises where the communication mode needs to be switched, the communication mode switching mechanism is triggered and the second communication mode is switched to send services to the user.

[0047] The situations that trigger the communication mode switching include but are not limited to one of the following situations:

[0048] The UE is in a cell that supports MBMS services and receives services in multicast mode in the cell. If the UE detects that the MBSFN signal is weak, it needs to switch the communication mode of receiving services from multicast to unicast; or,

[0049] The UE is in a cell that supports MBMS services, but because the MBSFN signal is weak, the service is received in unicast mode. If the UE detects that the MBSFN signal is enhanced, the communication mode of receiving the service can be switched from unicast to multicast; or,

[0050] When a UE moves from a cell that supports MBMS services to another cell that does not support MBMS services, it needs to switch the communication mode of receiving services from multicast to unicast; or,

[0051] When a UE moves from a cell that does not support the MBMS service to a cell that supports the MBMS service, the communication mode for receiving the service may be switched from unicast to multicast.

[0052] This application will explain in detail how to achieve the switching of communication modes through the following specific implementation methods.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 , is a flow chart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is illustrated by applying the method in a first network device. The method includes:

[0054] S210, the first network device sends a PDCP data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode, and / or the user equipment sends a PDCP data receiving status in the first communication mode;

[0055] The first network device sends a PDCP data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to the second network device, and / or the user equipment sends a PDCP data receiving status in the first communication mode to the second network device.

[0056] S220: The second network device sends a service to the user equipment using a second communication method according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status.

[0057] When the user terminal moves between two cells, the first network device is the network device of the source cell, the second network device is the network device of the target cell, and the first network device and the second network device are different network devices. When the user terminal moves within a cell, the first network device and the second network device are the same network device. In the case where the first network device and the second network device are the same network device, the first network device sends the PDCP data transmission status of the user device in the first communication mode to the second network device, which belongs to the data communication within the device.

[0058] During the communication mode switching process, the first network device sends the PDCP data sending status and / or the user equipment sends the PDCP data receiving status to the second network device, thereby ensuring the continuity of the PDCP sequence number and achieving lossless switching at the PDCP layer.

[0059] Optionally, the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status is information related to the PDCP sequence number.

[0060] Among them, when the user equipment moves from one cell to another cell, the second network equipment is the network equipment of the target cell; when the user implements communication mode switching in a cell, the second network equipment is considered to be the network equipment of the cell. This is the case in the following implementations of this application and will not be repeated.

[0061] Optionally, in the implementation of the present application, the first communication mode and the second communication mode may be either unicast or multicast. Specifically, for example, the first communication mode is multicast and the second communication mode is unicast; or, the first communication mode is unicast and the second communication mode is multicast; or, when the user equipment moves from one cell to another, the first communication mode and the second communication mode are both unicast or both are multicast.

[0062] In a traditional communication system, unicast-multicast switching is implemented through an application layer server or a core network element. Since the switching is implemented at a high level, it is difficult to achieve lossless switching. At the same time, since a large number of network elements are involved in the switching process, the switching delay is large. In the above-mentioned implementation of the present application, the PDCP data sending status or the PDCP data receiving status of the user equipment in the first communication mode is sent to the second network device, that is, the communication mode is switched through the PCDP layer, and lossless switching can be achieved. At the same time, since the switching at the PDCP layer is generally implemented by the access layer network element, and the unicast-multicast switching is performed at the access layer network element, the number of network elements involved in the switching process can be reduced, so the switching delay can be reduced.

[0063] refer to Figure 4 , which is a flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0064] Based on Figure 3 Based on the examples, Figure 4 The above-mentioned communication mode switching method is applied to the situation where the user equipment moves across cells. That is, the user equipment moves from the source cell to the target cell. The network equipment of the source cell uses a first communication mode to send services to the user equipment, and the network equipment of the target cell uses a second communication mode to send services to the user equipment. The network equipment before the communication mode switching is the network equipment of the source cell, referred to as the first network equipment; the network equipment after the communication mode switching is the network equipment of the target cell, referred to as the second network equipment. The first network equipment and the second network equipment are both access layer network equipment. The method includes:

[0065] S310, the first network device sends the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to the second network device;

[0066] S340, the second network device sends a service to the user equipment by using a second communication method. Optionally, the second network device sends a service to the user equipment by using a second communication method according to the PDCP data sending state.

[0067] Optionally, the PDCP data transmission status includes at least one of the following:

[0068] 1) The PDCP SN (PDCP sequence number) of the last data association that the first network device has sent to the user equipment;

[0069] 2) the input amount for encryption / protection of the last data association sent by the first network device to the user equipment (or the part of the input amount excluding the PDCP SN);

[0070] 3) the PDCP SN associated with the first data to be sent by the second network device to the user equipment;

[0071] 4) an input amount for encryption / protection of the first data association to be sent by the second network device to the user device;

[0072] 5) The portion of the input amount of the first data association to be sent by the second network device to the user equipment except the PDCP SN.

[0073] Optionally, the PDCP data transmission status further includes at least one of the following:

[0074] 1) The first network device has sent but not received data associated with the user equipment confirmation PDCP SN;

[0075] 2) the first network device has sent but not received confirmation from the user device for data associated with the input volume for encryption / security;

[0076] 3) The first network device has sent but has not received confirmation from the user equipment of the data associated with the input volume, excluding the PDCP SN.

[0077] Optionally, the user equipment also reports its PCDP status to the second network equipment. Then before S340, the method may further include:

[0078] S320, triggering the user equipment to report a PDCP state, where the PDCP state includes at least one of a PDCP data sending state and a PDCP data receiving state. In this embodiment, the PDCP state includes a PDCP data receiving state as an example; wherein the order between S320 and S310 is not limited, and S320 may be before S310, or after S310, or at the same time as S310;

[0079] S330: The user equipment sends a PDCP data reception status to the second network equipment.

[0080] Schematically, S340 specifically includes:

[0081] The second network device sends services to the user equipment using a second communication method according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status.

[0082] Optionally, S320 triggers the user equipment to report a PDCP status, specifically including:

[0083] According to the RLC mode of the user equipment under the network equipment of the source cell and / or the network equipment of the target cell, the user equipment is triggered to report the PDCP status; optionally, if the RLC mode of the user equipment is the AM mode, the user equipment is triggered to report the PDCP status.

[0084] Alternatively, the network equipment of the source cell and / or the network equipment of the target cell sends configuration information to the user equipment, where the configuration information is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP status.

[0085] Optionally, the PDCP data reception status includes at least one of the following:

[0086] 1) a PDCP SN associated with at least one data that has been correctly received by the user equipment under the first network device (i.e., under the first communication mode);

[0087] 2) the input amount for encryption / protection of at least one data association that the user equipment has correctly received under the first network device (ie, under the first communication mode), or the part of the input amount other than the PDCP SN; that is,

[0088] 3) a PDCP SN associated with at least one data that the user equipment has not correctly received under the first network device (i.e., under the first communication mode);

[0089] 4) The input amount for encryption / protection of at least one data association that the user equipment has not correctly received under the first network device (ie, under the first communication mode), or the part of the input amount except the PDCP SN.

[0090] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the network equipment of the source cell sends the PDCP data transmission status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to the network equipment of the target cell, thereby ensuring the continuity of the PDCP sequence number of the user equipment, and the network equipment of the target cell can be losslessly switched to the second communication state according to the PDCP data transmission status, and continue to send services to the user equipment through the second communication mode. At the same time, since the switching at the PDCP layer is generally implemented by the access layer network element, and the unicast-multicast switching is performed at the access layer network element, the network elements involved in the switching process can be reduced, so the switching delay can be reduced.

[0091] refer to Figure 5 , which is a flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 5The above-mentioned communication mode switching method is applied to the situation where the user equipment moves across cells. That is, the user equipment moves from the source cell to the target cell. The network equipment of the source cell uses a first communication mode to send services to the user equipment, and the network equipment of the target cell uses a second communication mode to send services to the user equipment. The network equipment before the communication mode switching is the network equipment of the source cell, referred to as the first network equipment; the network equipment after the communication mode switching is the network equipment of the target cell, referred to as the second network equipment. The first network equipment and the second network equipment are both access layer network equipment. The method includes:

[0092] S410, the second network device sends the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment to the first network device;

[0093] Optionally, the PDCP data transmission status includes at least one of the following:

[0094] 1) The PDCP sequence number of the last data association that the first network device needs to forward to the second network device;

[0095] 2) the input amount for encryption / security of the last data association that the first network device needs to forward to the second network device;

[0096] 3) The portion of the last data associated input quantity that the first network device needs to forward to the second network device, excluding the PDCP sequence number.

[0097] The first network device sends services to the user equipment using the first communication method according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0098] S420, the first network device forwards data to the second network device according to the PDCP data sending status;

[0099] Optionally, the first network device forwards the last data that needs to be forwarded to the second network device to the second network device according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0100] Correspondingly, the second network device receives data forwarding performed by the first network device according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0101] Optionally, in the implementation of the present application, the first communication mode and the second communication mode may be either unicast or multicast. Specifically, for example, the first communication mode is multicast and the second communication mode is unicast; or, the first communication mode is unicast and the second communication mode is multicast; or, when the user equipment moves from one cell to another, the first communication mode and the second communication mode are both unicast or both are multicast.

[0102] exist Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, the network device of the target cell sends the PDCP data transmission status of the user equipment to the first network device, thereby ensuring the continuity of the PDCP sequence number of the user equipment. The first network device can forward the last data to the second network device according to the PDCP data transmission status, realize lossless switching to the second communication state, and continue to send services to the user equipment through the second communication method. At the same time, since the switching at the PDCP layer is generally implemented by the access layer network element, and the unicast-multicast switching is performed at the access layer network element, the network elements involved in the switching process can be reduced, so the switching delay can be reduced.

[0103] refer to Figure 6 , is a flowchart of a communication mode switching method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 Based on the embodiment of , this embodiment is applied to the situation where the user equipment switches the communication mode in the same cell. In this embodiment, the first network device before the communication mode switching and the second network device after the communication switching are the same network device.

[0104] The method includes:

[0105] S520, the user equipment sends a PDCP data reception status in the first communication mode to the network device;

[0106] S530, the network device sends a service to the user equipment in the second communication mode. Optionally, the network device sends a service to the user equipment in the second communication mode according to the PDCP data sending state and / or the PDCP data receiving state of the user equipment in the first communication mode.

[0107] During the communication mode switching process, the network device switches to the second communication mode to deliver services according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status sent by the user equipment, thereby ensuring the continuity of the PDCP sequence number and achieving lossless switching at the PDCP layer. Optionally, the PDCP data sending status includes at least one of the following:

[0108] 1) the PDCP SN associated with the last data that the network device has sent to the user equipment in the first communication mode;

[0109] 2) the input amount for encryption / protection of the last data association sent by the network device to the user equipment in the first communication mode, or the part of the input amount excluding the PDCP SN;

[0110] 3) a PDCP SN associated with the first data to be sent by the network device to the user equipment in the second communication mode;

[0111] 4) The input amount for encryption / protection of the first data association to be sent by the network device to the user equipment in the second communication mode, or the part of the input amount excluding the PDCP SN.

[0112] Optionally, the PDCP data sending status may further include at least one of the following:

[0113] 1) The PDCP SN (PDCP sequence number) associated with the data that the network device has sent but has not received confirmation from the user equipment;

[0114] 2) The network device has sent but has not received confirmation from the user equipment of the data associated with the input volume for encryption / protection, or the part of the input volume other than the PDCP SN.

[0115] Optionally, before S520, the method may further include:

[0116] S510: Trigger the user equipment to report a PDCP status.

[0117] Optionally, S510 triggers the user equipment to report a PDCP status, specifically including:

[0118] According to the RLC mode of the user equipment under the network device, determine to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP status; optionally, if the RLC mode of the user equipment is the AM mode, the user equipment reports the PDCP status; or,

[0119] The network device sends configuration information to the user equipment, and the configuration information is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP state. Optionally, the PDCP state includes at least one of a PDCP data sending state and a PDCP data receiving state. This embodiment is illustrated by taking the PDCP state including the PDCP data receiving state as an example.

[0120] Optionally, the PDCP data reception status includes at least one of the following:

[0121] 1) a PDCP SN associated with at least one data that has been correctly received by the user equipment in the first communication mode of the network device;

[0122] 2) the input amount for encryption / protection of at least one data association that has been correctly received by the user equipment in the first communication mode of the network device, or the part of the input amount except the PDCP SN;

[0123] 3) a PDCP SN associated with at least one data that the user equipment has not correctly received in the first communication mode of the network device;

[0124] 4) Input volume for encryption / protection of at least one data association that the user equipment has not correctly received in the first communication mode of the network device, or a portion of the input volume except the PDCP SN.

[0125] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the network device can send services to the user equipment through the second communication mode according to the PDCP data transmission state of the user equipment in the first communication mode. Thus, lossless switching of the communication mode can be achieved at the PCDP layer. At the same time, since switching at the PDCP layer is generally implemented by the access layer network element, unicast-multicast switching is performed at the access layer network element, which can reduce the network elements involved in the switching process, thereby reducing the switching delay.

[0126] Figure 6 If there are any incomplete details in the embodiments shown, please refer to the above Figure 4 The same or corresponding parts in the illustrated embodiments will not be described repeatedly here.

[0127] refer to Figure 7 , shows a module diagram of a communication mode switching device 600 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The communication mode switching device is applied to a first network device, especially a first network device at an access layer. The communication mode switching device includes:

[0128] The forwarding module 610 is configured to send the PDCP data transmission status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to the second network device, wherein the second network device sends services to the user equipment in the second communication mode according to the PDCP data transmission status.

[0129] Optionally, the PDCP data sending status includes at least one of the following:

[0130] a PDCP sequence number of a last data association that the first network device has sent to the user equipment;

[0131] an input amount for encryption / security of the last data association that the first network device has sent to the user device;

[0132] a portion of the input amount of the last data association that the first network device has sent to the user equipment, excluding the PDCP sequence number;

[0133] A PDCP sequence number of a first data association that the second network device needs to send to the user equipment;

[0134] an input amount for encryption / security of a first data association that the second network device needs to send to the user device;

[0135] a portion of the input amount of the first data association that the second network device needs to send to the user equipment, excluding the PDCP sequence number;

[0136] The PDCP sequence number associated with data that has been sent by the first network device but has not been confirmed by the user equipment;

[0137] The first network device has sent but has not received the input volume for encryption / protection of the data association confirmed by the user equipment, or the part of the input volume except the PDCP sequence number.

[0138] Among them, when the user equipment implements communication mode switching across cells, the network device serving as the source cell needs to send the PDCP data sending status to the network device of the target cell (i.e., the other network device mentioned above), so that the network device of the target cell can implement communication mode switching according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0139] Optionally, the communication mode switching device further includes:

[0140] The trigger module 620 is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP status to the second network device.

[0141] Specifically, the trigger module 620 is used to send configuration information to the user equipment, and the configuration information is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP status to the second network device. Optionally, the configuration information is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP data reception status to the second network device; wherein the second network device uses the second communication method to send the service to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data reception status.

[0142] Optionally, the communication mode switching device further includes:

[0143] The receiving module 630 is used to receive the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode sent by another network device, and / or the PDCP data receiving status reported by the user equipment;

[0144] The sending module 640 is used to send services to the user equipment using the second communication method according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status. When the receiving module 630 only receives the PDCP data sending status sent by the other network device, the sending module 640 sends services to the user equipment using the second communication method according to the PDCP data sending status; when the receiving module 630 receives the PDCP data sending status and the PDCP data receiving status, the sending module 640 sends services to the user equipment using the second communication method according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status.

[0145] In this embodiment, the communication mode switching device sends the PDCP data transmission status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to the network equipment of another cell, so that the network equipment of the other cell can send services to the user equipment through the second communication mode according to the PDCP data transmission status and the sequence number of the user equipment. Thus, lossless switching can be achieved by switching the communication mode through the PCDP layer. At the same time, since the switching is performed at the PDCP layer, the communication mode switching device is generally applied to the access layer network element, and the unicast-multicast switching is performed in the access layer network element, which can reduce the network elements involved in the switching process, and thus can reduce the switching delay.

[0146] If there are any incomplete details in this embodiment, please refer to the same or corresponding parts in the above method embodiment, and no repetition will be made here.

[0147] refer to Figure 8 , shows a module diagram of a communication mode switching device 700 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The communication mode switching device is applied to a second network device, especially a second network device at an access layer. The communication mode switching device includes:

[0148] The sending module 720 is used to send the packet data aggregation protocol PDCP data sending status of the user equipment to the first network device; wherein the first network device uses the first communication method to send services to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0149] In an optional design of the present application, the PDCP data transmission state includes at least one of the following:

[0150] a PDCP sequence number of a last data association that the first network device needs to forward to the apparatus;

[0151] the input amount for encryption / integrity of the last data association that the first network device needs to forward to the apparatus;

[0152] The first network device needs to forward to the apparatus a portion of the input volume of the last data association except the PDCP sequence number.

[0153] In an optional design of the present application, the device further includes:

[0154] The receiving module 740 is used to receive data forwarding performed by the first network device according to the PDCP data sending status.

[0155] In an optional design of the present application, the device is an access layer network device.

[0156] refer to Fig. 9 , shows a module diagram of a communication mode switching device 800 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The communication mode switching device is applied to a user equipment. The communication mode switching device includes:

[0157] A reporting module 820, configured to report a PDCP data reception status in the first communication mode to the second network device;

[0158] The service receiving module 830 is used to receive the service sent by the second network device through the second communication mode.

[0159] Optionally, the PDCP data reception status includes at least one of the following:

[0160] a PDCP sequence number associated with at least one data that has been correctly received by the apparatus in the first communication mode;

[0161] an amount of input for encryption / integrity of at least one data association that has been correctly received by the device in the first communication mode;

[0162] a portion of at least one data-associated input amount that has been correctly received by the apparatus in the first communication mode, excluding a PDCP sequence number;

[0163] a PDCP sequence number associated with at least one data that the apparatus did not correctly receive in the first communication mode;

[0164] The device includes at least one data-associated input quantity for encryption / integrity that is not correctly received under the first communication mode; and the device includes at least one data-associated input quantity that is not correctly received under the first communication mode except for the PDCP sequence number.

[0165] Optionally, the service receiving module 830 is specifically used to receive the service sent by the second network device through the second communication mode according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status of the communication mode switching device in the first communication mode.

[0166] Optionally, the communication mode switching device also includes: a reporting module 820, used to report the PDCP status to the second network device when a trigger condition is met.

[0167] Optionally, the reporting module 820 is specifically used to determine, according to the RLC mode of the device, to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP status; or, the configuration information sent by the network device triggers the user equipment to report the PDCP status.

[0168] Optionally, the reporting module 820 is specifically configured to report the PDCP status if the RLC mode of the device is the AM mode. Optionally, the reporting module 820 is specifically configured to report the PDCP data reception status in the first communication mode to the second network device according to one of the following conditions:

[0169] According to the RLC mode of the device under the second network device; optionally, the RLC mode of the device under the second network device is AM mode, then the user equipment reports the PDCP status; or,

[0170] The configuration information sent by the second network device.

[0171] Among them, when the user equipment moves across cells and switches the communication mode, the trigger reporting module 820 receives the trigger signaling from the network equipment of the source cell, and reports the PDCP data reception status under the first communication mode to the network equipment of the target cell, and the network equipment of the target cell sends the service through the second communication mode. When the user equipment switches the communication mode within the same cell, the trigger reporting module 820 receives the trigger signaling from the network equipment of the current cell, and reports the PDCP data reception status under the first communication mode to the network equipment of the current cell, and the network equipment of the current cell sends the service through the second communication mode.

[0172] In this embodiment, the communication mode switching device keeps the PDCP sequence number unchanged during the switching process, and the network device switches the communication mode of the service to the second communication mode according to the PDCP data sending state in the first communication state and the sequence number of the user equipment. That is, the fifth implementation mode of the present application is to switch the communication mode through the PCDP layer, thereby achieving lossless switching. At the same time, since the switching at the PDCP layer is generally implemented by the access layer network element, and the unicast-multicast switching is performed at the access layer network element, the network elements involved in the switching process can be reduced, so the switching delay can be reduced.

[0173] If there are any incomplete details in this embodiment, please refer to the same or corresponding parts in the above method embodiment, and no repetition will be made here.

[0174] refer to Fig.10 , showing a schematic structural diagram of a communication mode switching device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0175] The communication mode switching device 900 includes: a processor 910, a memory 920, and a network interface 930. The processor 910 calls the program in the memory 920, executes the corresponding process implemented by the network device in any one of the communication mode switching methods provided in the above embodiments, or executes the corresponding process implemented by the user equipment in any one of the communication mode switching methods provided in the above embodiments, and sends the execution result through the network interface 930.

[0176] The processor 910 may be an independent component or a collective term for multiple processing elements, such as a CPU, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as at least one microprocessor DSP, or at least one field programmable gate array FPGA.

[0177] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, a chip, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0178] The above embodiments illustrate but do not limit the present application, and those skilled in the art can design multiple alternative examples within the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art should be aware that appropriate adjustments and modifications can be made to the specific implementation scheme without violating the scope of the present application as defined in the attached claims. Therefore, any modifications and changes made according to the spirit and principles of the present application are within the scope of the present application as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A communication mode switching method, applied to a first network device in a source cell, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to a second network device in the target cell; The user equipment is triggered to report the PDCP data reception status to the second network equipment by sending configuration information, and the configuration information is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP data reception status to the second network equipment, so that the second network equipment uses the second communication method to send services to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data reception status.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The PDCP data transmission status includes: The PDCP sequence number of the last data association that the first network device has sent to the user equipment.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that The first network device is an access layer network device.

4. A communication mode switching method, applied to a user equipment, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving configuration information sent by a first network device of a source cell, where the configuration information is used to trigger a user equipment to report a PDCP data reception status; In response to satisfying the trigger condition configured by the configuration information, reporting the PDCP data reception status under the first communication mode to the second network device of the target cell; Receive the service sent by the second network equipment to the user equipment using the second communication mode according to the PDCP data sending state and / or the PDCP data receiving state of the user equipment in the first communication mode.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The PDCP data reception state includes at least one of the following: a PDCP sequence number associated with at least one data that has been correctly received by the user equipment in the first communication mode; A PDCP sequence number associated with at least one data that the user equipment did not correctly receive in the first communication mode.

6. A communication mode switching device, applied to a first network device of a source cell, characterized in that: The device comprises: A forwarding module, used for sending the PDCP data sending status of the user equipment in the first communication mode to the second network device of the target cell; The communication mode switching device further includes: A trigger module is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP data reception status to the second network equipment by sending configuration information, and the configuration information is used to trigger the user equipment to report the PDCP data reception status to the second network equipment, so that the second network equipment uses a second communication method to send services to the user equipment according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data reception status.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The PDCP data transmission status includes: The PDCP sequence number of the last data association that the first network device has sent to the user equipment.

8. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that The device is an access layer network device.

9. A communication mode switching device, applied to user equipment, characterized in that: The device comprises: A reporting module, configured to receive configuration information sent by a first network device of a source cell, wherein the configuration information is used to trigger a user device to report a PDCP data reception status; in response to satisfying a trigger condition configured by the configuration information, report the PDCP data reception status under the first communication mode to a second network device of a target cell; The service receiving module is used to receive the service sent by the second network equipment to the user equipment using the second communication mode according to the PDCP data sending status and / or the PDCP data receiving status of the user equipment in the first communication mode.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The PDCP data reception state includes at least one of the following: a PDCP sequence number associated with at least one data that has been correctly received by the apparatus in the first communication mode; A PDCP sequence number associated with at least one data that the device did not correctly receive under the first communication mode.

11. A network device, characterized in that: The device includes: a processor, a memory and a network interface; the processor calls the program in the memory, executes the communication mode switching method described in any one of claims 1 to 3 above, and sends the execution result through the network interface.

12. A user equipment, characterized in that: The device includes: a processor, a memory and a network interface; the processor calls the program in the memory, executes the communication mode switching method described in any one of claims 4 to 5, and sends the execution result through the network interface.

Images