A method and apparatus for determining SMTC, and a terminal device

Abstract

The application provides a method and device for determining SMTC, and a terminal device. The method comprises the following steps: the terminal device receives a first radio resource control (RRC) message sent by a network device, wherein the first RRC message carries configuration information of a target cell; if the configuration information of the target cell does not comprise SMTC configuration of the target cell, the terminal device determines a first measurement object associated with the target cell from a first measurement configuration, wherein the first measurement object is associated with a first SMTC configuration and a second SMTC configuration (601); and the terminal device determines target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, wherein the target SMTC configuration is used to determine SMTC used by the target cell (602).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mobile communication technology, specifically to a method, apparatus, and terminal device for determining the synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration, SMTC). Background Technology

[0002] In some mobility scenarios, network devices will configure the target cell's SMTC for terminal devices. In this way, the terminal devices can use the SMTC to search for the target cell, thereby achieving the purpose of quickly searching for the target cell.

[0003] However, in the absence of SMTC for the target cell configured on the network equipment, it is necessary to clarify how to achieve fast search for the target cell. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method and apparatus for determining SMTC, a terminal device, a chip, and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0005] The method for determining SMTC provided in this application includes:

[0006] The terminal device receives a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) message sent by the network device, the first RRC message carrying the configuration information of the target cell;

[0007] If the configuration information of the target cell does not include the SMTC configuration of the target cell, the terminal device determines a first measurement object that is associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration. The first measurement object is associated with the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration.

[0008] The terminal device determines the target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, and the target SMTC configuration is used to determine the SMTC used to search the target cell.

[0009] The apparatus for determining SMTC provided in this application embodiment is applied to a terminal device, and the apparatus includes:

[0010] The receiving unit is configured to receive a first RRC message sent by the network device, wherein the first RRC message carries configuration information of the target cell;

[0011] The determining unit is configured to, if the configuration information of the target cell does not include the SMTC configuration of the target cell, determine a first measurement object associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration, wherein the first measurement object is associated with a first SMTC configuration and a second SMTC configuration; and determine a target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, wherein the target SMTC configuration is used to determine the SMTC used for searching the target cell.

[0012] The terminal device provided in this application includes a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to call and run the computer programs stored in the memory to perform the above-described method for determining the SMTC.

[0013] The chip provided in this application embodiment is used to implement the above-described method for determining SMTC.

[0014] Specifically, the chip includes a processor for retrieving and running a computer program from memory, causing a device equipped with the chip to perform the aforementioned method for determining the SMTC.

[0015] The computer-readable storage medium provided in this application embodiment is used to store a computer program that causes a computer to perform the above-described method for determining SMTC.

[0016] The computer program product provided in this application includes computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute the above-described method for determining an SMTC.

[0017] The computer program provided in this application embodiment, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the above-described method for determining SMTC.

[0018] Through the above technical solution, when the network device does not configure the target cell's SMTC configuration for the terminal device, the terminal device determines the first measurement object that is associated with the target cell from the existing first measurement configuration, and then determines the target SMTC configuration for target cell search based on the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration associated with the first measurement object, thereby achieving the purpose of quickly searching for the target cell. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of Beam sweeping provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the SSB provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the SSB burst set period provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the SMTC provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for determining SMTC provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device for determining SMTC provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of the chip according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5G communication systems, or future communication systems.

[0032] For example, the communication system 100 used in the embodiments of this application is as follows: Figure 1As shown. The communication system 100 may include a network device 110, which may be a device that communicates with a terminal 120 (or a communication terminal, terminal). The network device 110 can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminals located within that coverage area. Optionally, the network device 110 may be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a radio controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN), or the network device may be a mobile switching center, relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, hub, switch, bridge, router, network-side equipment in a 5G network, or network equipment in a future communication system, etc.

[0033] The communication system 100 also includes at least one terminal 120 located within the coverage area of ​​network device 110. As used herein, "terminal" includes, but is not limited to, devices configured to receive / transmit communication signals via wired connections, such as via Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), digital cable, direct cable connection; and / or another data connection / network; and / or via a wireless interface, such as for cellular networks, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), digital television networks such as DVB-H networks, satellite networks, AM-FM broadcast transmitters; and / or another terminal. A terminal configured to communicate via a wireless interface may be referred to as a "wireless communication terminal," "wireless terminal," or "mobile terminal." Examples of mobile terminals include, but are not limited to, satellite or cellular phones; personal communications system (PCS) terminals that can combine cellular radiotelephony with data processing, fax, and data communication capabilities; PDAs that may include radiotelephones, pagers, Internet / intranet access, web browsers, notebooks, calendars, and / or Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers; and conventional laptop and / or handheld receivers or other electronic devices that include radiotelephone transceivers. A terminal can refer to an access terminal, user equipment (UE), user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user equipment. Access terminals can be cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminals in 5G networks, or terminals in future PLMNs, etc.

[0034] Optionally, the terminals 120 can communicate directly with each other via Device to Device (D2D).

[0035] Alternatively, 5G communication systems or 5G networks may also be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems or NR networks.

[0036] Figure 1 An exemplary network device and two terminals are shown. Optionally, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include other numbers of terminals within its coverage area. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0037] Optionally, the communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0038] It should be understood that devices with communication functions in the network / system of this application embodiment can be referred to as communication devices. Figure 1 Taking the communication system 100 shown as an example, the communication equipment may include a network device 110 and a terminal 120 with communication functions. The network device 110 and the terminal 120 may be the specific devices described above, which will not be repeated here. The communication equipment may also include other devices in the communication system 100, such as network controllers, mobility management entities and other network entities. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0039] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this document. The term "and / or" in this document merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0040] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the technical solutions related to the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0041] With people's pursuit of speed, latency, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency, and the increasing diversity and complexity of business in future life, the third-generation partnership program (3GPP) is therefore being developed. rd The Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) international standards organization has begun developing 5G. The main application scenarios for 5G are: Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC).

[0042] On the one hand, eMBB still aims to provide users with multimedia content, services, and data, and its demand is growing rapidly. On the other hand, because eMBB may be deployed in different scenarios, such as indoors, urban areas, and rural areas, its capabilities and needs vary considerably. Therefore, generalizations cannot be made; a detailed analysis based on the specific deployment scenario is necessary. Typical applications of URLLC include industrial automation, power automation, remote medical operations (surgery), and traffic safety assurance. Typical characteristics of mMTC include high connection density, small data volume, latency-insensitive services, low module cost, and long service life.

[0043] In the early stages of NR deployment, complete NR coverage was difficult to achieve, so typical network coverage consisted of wide-area LTE coverage and isolated NR coverage. Furthermore, a large portion of LTE deployment was below 6 GHz, leaving very little spectrum available for 5G below 6 GHz. Therefore, NR had to explore spectrum applications above 6 GHz, but high-frequency band coverage was limited and signal fading was rapid. Simultaneously, to protect mobile operators' initial investments in LTE, a tight interworking mode between LTE and NR was proposed.

[0044] To expedite 5G network deployment and commercial applications, 3GPP first completed the first 5G release, LTE-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). In EN-DC, the LTE base station acts as the Master Node (MN), and the NR base station acts as the Secondary Node (SN), connecting to the Evolved Packet Core network (EPC). Later in Release 15, other Dual Connectivity (DC) modes will be supported, namely NR-LTE Dual Connectivity (NE-DC), 5GC-EN-DC, and NR DC. In NE-DC, the NR base station acts as the MN, and the LTE base station acts as the SN, connecting to the 5G core network (5GC). In 5GC-EN-DC, the LTE base station acts as the MN, and the NR base station acts as the SN, connecting to the 5GC. In NR DC, the NR base station acts as both the MN and SN, connecting to the 5GC.

[0045] NR can also be deployed independently. NR will be deployed at high frequencies in the future. To improve coverage, 5G introduces a beam sweeping mechanism to meet coverage requirements (trading space for coverage, and time for space), such as... Figure 2As shown. After introducing beam sweeping, a synchronization signal needs to be transmitted in each beam direction. The 5G synchronization signal is given in the form of a synchronization signal block (SS / PBCH Block, SSB), which includes the primary synchronization signal (PSS), the secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), as shown. Figure 3 As shown, 5G synchronization signals appear periodically in the time domain in the form of synchronization signal burst sets (SSburst sets), such as... Figure 4 As shown, the period of the SS burst set can also be called the period of the SSB.

[0046] The actual number of beams transmitted in each cell is determined by the network-side configuration, but the frequency of the cell determines the maximum number of beams that can be configured, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0047] Frequency range L (maximum number of beams) (2.4) GHz and below 4 3(2.4) GHz—6 GHz 8 6GHz—52.6GHz 64

[0048] Table 1

[0049] In Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements, the reference signal for measurement can be the SSB (Self-Signal Block), i.e., the SSS signal within the SSB, or the Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) signal of the PBCH, to obtain beam measurement results and cell measurement results. Furthermore, terminal equipment in Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection state can also configure the Channel Status Indicator Reference Signal (CSI-RS) as the reference signal for cell measurements.

[0050] For SSB-based measurements, the actual transmission location of the SSB in each cell may differ, and the period of the SS burst set may also vary. Therefore, to save energy for terminal devices during measurement, the network side configures an SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) for the terminal devices. The SMTC can be understood as the measurement window for the SSB; the terminal device only needs to perform measurements within the SMTC. Figure 5 As shown.

[0051] Since the actual location of the transmitted SSB may differ in each cell, the network side configures the terminal device with the actual SSB transmission location measured by the terminal device to help it quickly locate the transmitted SSB. For example, this could be the union of the actual SSB transmission locations of all measured cells, as shown in Table 2. As an example, in the 3-6 GHz range, the bitmap length is 8 bits. Assuming the 8-bit bitmap is 10100110, the terminal device only needs to measure the SSBs with indices 0, 2, 5, and 6 from the eight candidate SSB locations.

[0052]

[0053] Table 2

[0054] In some mobility scenarios, such as handover, primary secondary cell (PSCell) addition, PSCell change, secondary cell (SCell) addition, SCell change, and redirection, network devices will configure the terminal device to use SMTC when searching for the target cell. SMTC can speed up the search for the target cell.

[0055] However, when the network equipment does not configure the target cell's SMTC for the terminal device, it is necessary to clarify how to achieve fast target cell search. Therefore, the following technical solution, as proposed in this application, is presented.

[0056] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, when the network device does not configure the target cell's SMTC for the terminal device, the SMTC configured in the RRM measurement configuration (hereinafter referred to as the first measurement configuration) that has the same SSB frequency point and / or SSB subcarrier spacing as the target cell is used as the SMTC for searching the target cell.

[0057] In RRM measurement configuration, to refine the measurement of cells corresponding to the serving frequency point, an additional SMTC is configured in addition to the original SMTC in the configuration of a measurement object. This additional SMTC is associated with a Physical Cell Identity (PCI) list, indicating which cells at that frequency point can use this additional SMTC for measurement. Table 3 below shows the configuration content of the measurement object (measObjectNR) for the NR frequency point, where "smtc1" corresponds to the original SMTC and "smtc2" corresponds to the additional SMTC.

[0058]

[0059]

[0060] Table 3

[0061] When two SMTCs are configured in the configuration of a measurement object, it is necessary to specify which SMTC is used as the SMTC for target cell search.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for determining SMTC provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the SMTC method includes the following steps:

[0063] Step 601: The terminal device receives a first RRC message sent by the network device. The first RRC message carries the configuration information of the target cell. If the configuration information of the target cell does not include the SMTC configuration of the target cell, the terminal device determines a first measurement object that is associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration. The first measurement object is associated with the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration.

[0064] In this embodiment of the application, the network device is an access network element; optionally, the network device may be a base station.

[0065] In this embodiment of the application, the first measurement configuration is received by the terminal device before the first RRC message.

[0066] In some optional implementations, the first measurement configuration is an RRM measurement configuration. The RRM measurement configuration can be referred to the description of the aforementioned related technical solutions. For ease of understanding, the RRM measurement configuration is further explained here. An RRM measurement configuration includes the configuration of one or more measurement objects. For each measurement object's configuration, it further includes SSB frequency point information, SSB subcarrier spacing information, and one or two SMTC configurations. It should be noted that some measurement objects are associated with one SMTC configuration (i.e., the measurement object's configuration contains one SMTC configuration), while some measurement objects are associated with two SMTC configurations (i.e., the measurement object's configuration contains two SMTC configurations, as illustrated in Table 3 above).

[0067] In this embodiment, the SMTC configuration is used to determine the time window for measuring the SSB. The SMTC can be understood as the SSB measurement window, and the description of the SMTC can also be replaced with the SMTC window. In some optional embodiments, the SMTC configuration includes at least one of the following information: the SMTC period, the SMTC length, and the SMTC offset. The SMTC offset is used to determine the starting position of the SMTC.

[0068] It should be noted that the measurement (i.e., search) of a cell is achieved by measuring the SSB of that cell. To enable terminal devices to quickly search for target cells, the target cell can be searched based on an SMTC configuration. Specifically, the terminal device searches for the SSB corresponding to the target cell within the corresponding SMTC according to the SMTC configuration.

[0069] In this embodiment of the application, in a mobility scenario, the network device configures the configuration information of the target cell for the terminal device. If the configuration information of the target cell includes the SMTC configuration of the target cell, the terminal device determines the SMTC to be searched for the target cell based on the SMTC configuration. If the configuration information of the target cell does not include the SMTC configuration of the target cell, the terminal device determines a first measurement object that is associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration, and then determines the SMTC to be searched for the target cell based on the SMTC configuration of the first measurement object.

[0070] The following describes how to determine the first measurement object that is associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration.

[0071] In some optional implementations, the first RRC message is an RRC release message, which carries the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell. The terminal device, based on the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell, determines a measurement object with the SSB frequency point and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing from the first measurement configuration, and designates it as the first measurement object.

[0072] During RRC redirection, the network device sends an RRC release message to the terminal device. This message carries the target cell's configuration information, such as the SSB frequency point and SSB subcarrier spacing. If the target cell's configuration information does not include SMTC configuration, the terminal device determines the measurement object with the SSB frequency point and / or SSB subcarrier spacing from the RRM measurement configuration based on the target cell's SSB frequency point and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information. In one example, the content carried in the RRC release message is shown in Table 4 below.

[0073]

[0074]

[0075] Table 4

[0076] Referring to Table 4, the terminal device obtains the SSB frequency information of the target cell based on the following information path in the RRC release message:

[0077] RedirectedCarrierInfo→CarrierInfoNR→carrierFreq.

[0078] Referring to Table 4, the terminal device obtains the SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell based on the following information path in the RRC release message:

[0079] RedirectedCarrierInfo→CarrierInfoNR→ssbSubcarrierSpacing.

[0080] Based on the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell obtained, the terminal device determines the measurement objects with the same frequency point and subcarrier spacing in the RRM measurement configuration, such as MeasObjectNR.

[0081] In some optional implementations, the first RRC message is an RRC reconfiguration message, which carries the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell. The terminal device, based on the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell, determines from the first measurement configuration a measurement object having the SSB frequency point and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing, as the first measurement object.

[0082] In handover processes (such as NR PCell handover, NR PSCell handover), NR PSCell addition processes, PSCell change processes, SCell addition processes, or SCell change processes, the network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the terminal device. The RRC reconfiguration message carries the configuration information of the target cell, which may include, for example, the target cell's SSB frequency point information and SSB subcarrier spacing information. If the target cell's configuration information does not include SMTC configuration, the terminal device determines the measurement object with the SSB frequency point and / or SSB subcarrier spacing from the RRM measurement configuration based on the target cell's SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information. In one example, the content carried by the RRC reconfiguration message is shown in Table 5 below.

[0083]

[0084] Table 5

[0085] Referring to Table 5, the terminal device obtains the SSB frequency information of the target cell based on the following information path in the RRC reconfiguration message:

[0086] ServingCellConfigCommo→DownlinkConfigCommon→FrequencyInfoDL→absoluteFrequencySSB.

[0087] Referring to Table 5, the terminal device obtains the SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell based on the following information path in the RRC reconfiguration message:

[0088] CellGroupConfig→SpCellConfig→ReconfigurationWithSync→ServingCellConfigCommon→ssbSubcarrierSpacing.

[0089] Based on the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell obtained, the terminal device determines the measurement objects with the same frequency point and subcarrier spacing in the RRM measurement configuration, such as MeasObjectNR.

[0090] Step 602: The terminal device determines the target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, the target SMTC configuration being used to determine the SMTC used for searching the target cell.

[0091] In this embodiment of the application, the terminal device can determine the target SMTC configuration in the following ways.

[0092] Method 1

[0093] In some optional implementations, if the frequency of the target cell is the same as that of the original serving cell and / or the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the target cell belongs to the PCI list associated with the second SMTC configuration, then the terminal device determines the second SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration. If the frequency of the target cell is different from that of the original serving cell and / or the PCI of the target cell does not belong to the PCI list associated with the second SMTC configuration, then the terminal device determines the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration.

[0094] For example, taking MeasObjectNR as the first measurement object, the configuration information of MeasObjectNR includes smtc1 configuration and smtc2 configuration. If the frequency of the target cell is the same as that of the serving cell before receiving the RRC release message, and / or the PCI of the target cell is in the PCI list associated with smtc2, then smtc2 in MeasObjectNR is used as the target SMTC; otherwise, smtc1 in MeasObjectNR is used as the target SMTC.

[0095] For example, taking MeasObjectNR as the first measurement object, the configuration information of MeasObjectNR includes smtc1 configuration and smtc2 configuration. If the frequency of the target cell is the same as that of the source cell or the original serving cell, and / or if the PCI of the target cell (i.e., the PhysCellId configured in ServingCellConfigCommo in Table 5) is in the PCI list associated with smtc2, then smtc2 in MeasObjectNR is used as the target SMTC; otherwise, smtc1 in MeasObjectNR is used as the target SMTC.

[0096] It should be noted that in the above scheme, the second SMTC configuration is used at least to determine the period of the second SMTC, the first SMTC configuration is used at least to determine the period of the first SMTC, and the period of the second SMTC is less than the period of the first SMTC.

[0097] As an example, the first SMTC corresponds to smtc1 in Table 3, and the second SMTC corresponds to smtc2 in Table 3. The period of smtc2 is shorter than the period of smtc1. In other words, the period of smtc2 is shorter than the period of smtc1. Therefore, searching according to smtc2 can find the target cell faster.

[0098] In this embodiment of the application, after the terminal device determines the target SMTC configuration in the above manner, it determines the SMTC used to search the target cell based on the target SMTC configuration, and uses the SMTC to search the target cell.

[0099] Method 2

[0100] In some alternative implementations, the terminal device defaults to determining the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration.

[0101] Here, regardless of the mobility scenario, if the network device does not have the SMTC configuration for the target cell configured, the terminal device will use the SMTC configuration corresponding to smtc1 configured in the measurement object that has the same SSB frequency and SSB subcarrier spacing as the target cell to search for the target cell.

[0102] In the above scheme, if the terminal device does not determine a first measurement object associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration, the terminal device searches for the target cell according to the default SMTC configuration. Here, the default SMTC configuration is used to determine the default SSB period, and the terminal device can search for the target cell according to the default SSB period. As an example, the default SSB period is, for example, 5ms. Of course, the default SSB period can also be other values, and the protocol can specify the value of the default SSB period.

[0103] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, it is clarified how the terminal device determines the measurement object based on the SSB frequency point and SSB subcarrier spacing, and then obtains the target SMTC configuration based on the configuration of the measurement object, thereby achieving the purpose of quickly searching for the target cell based on the target SMTC configuration.

[0104] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device for determining SMTC provided in the embodiments of this application, which is applied to a terminal device, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the device for determining SMTC includes:

[0105] The receiving unit 701 is used to receive a first RRC message sent by the network device, wherein the first RRC message carries configuration information of the target cell;

[0106] The determining unit 702 is configured to, if the configuration information of the target cell does not include the SMTC configuration of the target cell, determine a first measurement object associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration, wherein the first measurement object is associated with a first SMTC configuration and a second SMTC configuration; and determine a target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, wherein the target SMTC configuration is used to determine the SMTC used for searching the target cell.

[0107] In some optional implementations, the first RRC message is an RRC release message, which carries the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

[0108] In some optional implementations, the first RRC message is an RRC reconfiguration message, which carries the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

[0109] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 702 is used to determine, from the first measurement configuration, a measurement object having the SSB frequency point and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing, as the first measurement object, based on the SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

[0110] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 702 is configured to determine the second SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration if the frequency point of the target cell is the same as the frequency point of the original serving cell and / or the PCI of the target cell belongs to the PCI list associated with the second SMTC configuration.

[0111] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 702 is configured to determine the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration if the frequency point of the target cell is different from the frequency point of the original serving cell and / or the PCI of the target cell does not belong to the PCI list associated with the second SMTC configuration.

[0112] In some alternative implementations, the determining unit 702 is configured to determine the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration by default.

[0113] In some alternative implementations, the second SMTC configuration is used at least to determine the period of the second SMTC, the first SMTC configuration is used at least to determine the period of the first SMTC, and the period of the second SMTC is less than the period of the first SMTC.

[0114] In some alternative embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0115] The search unit 703 is configured to search for the target cell according to the default SMTC configuration if no first measurement object associated with the target cell is determined from the first measurement configuration.

[0116] In some alternative implementations, the first measurement configuration is received by the terminal device before the first RRC message.

[0117] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above description of the apparatus for determining SMTC in the embodiments of this application can be understood with reference to the description of the method for determining SMTC in the embodiments of this application.

[0118] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be a terminal device or a network device. Figure 8 The communication device 800 shown includes a processor 810, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0119] Optionally, such as Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 may further include a memory 820. The processor 810 can retrieve and run computer programs from the memory 820 to implement the methods described in this embodiment.

[0120] The memory 820 can be a separate device independent of the processor 810, or it can be integrated into the processor 810.

[0121] Optionally, such as Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 may also include a transceiver 830, and the processor 810 may control the transceiver 830 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it may send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0122] The transceiver 830 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 830 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0123] Optionally, the communication device 800 may specifically be a network device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 800 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0124] Optionally, the communication device 800 may specifically be a mobile terminal / terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 800 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the mobile terminal / terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0125] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of the chip according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 The chip 900 shown includes a processor 910, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0126] Optionally, such as Figure 9 As shown, chip 900 may further include memory 920. Processor 910 can retrieve and run computer programs from memory 920 to implement the methods described in this embodiment.

[0127] The memory 920 can be a separate device independent of the processor 910, or it can be integrated into the processor 910.

[0128] Optionally, the chip 900 may also include an input interface 930. The processor 910 can control the input interface 930 to communicate with other devices or chips; specifically, it can acquire information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0129] Optionally, the chip 900 may also include an output interface 940. The processor 910 can control the output interface 940 to communicate with other devices or chips, specifically, to output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0130] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0131] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the mobile terminal / terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the mobile terminal / terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0132] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0133] Figure 10 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 As shown, the communication system 1000 includes a terminal device 1010 and a network device 1020.

[0134] The terminal device 1010 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the terminal device in the above method, and the network device 1020 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the network device in the above method. For the sake of brevity, these will not be elaborated here.

[0135] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor described above can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0136] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0137] It should be understood that the above-described memory is exemplary and not a limiting description. For example, the memory in the embodiments of this application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM), etc. That is to say, the memory in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0138] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer programs.

[0139] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0140] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the mobile terminal / terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the mobile terminal / terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0141] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions.

[0142] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program instructions cause the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0143] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the mobile terminal / terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program instructions cause the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the mobile terminal / terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0144] This application also provides a computer program.

[0145] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of this application. When the computer program is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0146] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the mobile terminal / terminal device in the embodiments of this application. When the computer program is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the mobile terminal / terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0148] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0149] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0150] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0151] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0152] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0153] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining a synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), the method comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, a first radio resource control (RRC) message sent by a network device, the first RRC message carrying configuration information of a target cell; the first RRC message being an RRC reconfiguration message; if the configuration information of the target cell does not comprise an SMTC configuration of the target cell, determining, by the terminal device, a first measurement object associated with the target cell from a first measurement configuration, the first measurement object being associated with a first SMTC configuration and a second SMTC configuration; determining, by the terminal device, a target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, the target SMTC configuration being used to determine an SMTC used by the target cell; the method further comprising: if the terminal device does not determine a first measurement object associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration, searching, by the terminal device, for the target cell according to a default SMTC configuration; the second SMTC configuration being used to determine at least a period of a second SMTC, and the first SMTC configuration being used to determine at least a period of a first SMTC, the period of the second SMTC being less than the period of the first SMTC; determining, by the terminal device, the target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, comprising: if a frequency point of the target cell is the same as a frequency point of an original serving cell, determining, by the terminal device, the second SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration; if the frequency point of the target cell is different from the frequency point of the original serving cell, determining, by the terminal device, the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the RRC reconfiguration message carrying SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, determining, by the terminal device, the first measurement object associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration, comprising: determining, by the terminal device, a measurement object having the SSB frequency point and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing as the first measurement object from the first measurement configuration according to the SSB frequency point information and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, determining, by the terminal device, the target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, comprising: determining, by the terminal device, the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration by default.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the first measurement configuration being received by the terminal device before the first RRC message. 6.An apparatus for determining an SMTC, applied to a terminal device, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a first RRC message sent by a network device, the first RRC message carrying configuration information of a target cell; the first RRC message being an RRC reconfiguration message; The determining unit is configured to determine a first measurement object associated with the target cell from the first measurement configuration if the configuration information of the target cell does not include the SMTC configuration of the target cell, the first measurement object being associated with a first SMTC configuration and a second SMTC configuration; determine a target SMTC configuration from the first SMTC configuration and the second SMTC configuration, the target SMTC configuration being used to determine the SMTC used by the target cell. The searching unit is configured to search the target cell according to a default SMTC configuration if the first measurement object associated with the target cell is not determined from the first measurement configuration. The second SMTC configuration is used to determine at least a period of the second SMTC, and the first SMTC configuration is used to determine at least a period of the first SMTC, the period of the second SMTC being smaller than the period of the first SMTC. The determining unit is configured to determine the second SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration if the frequency point of the target cell is the same as the frequency point of the original serving cell. The determining unit is configured to determine the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration if the frequency point of the target cell is different from the frequency point of the original serving cell.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, The RRC reconfiguration message carries SSB frequency point information and / or SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The determining unit is configured to determine, as the first measurement object, a measurement object having the SSB frequency point and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing from the first measurement configuration according to the SSB frequency point information and / or the SSB subcarrier spacing information of the target cell.

9. The apparatus of any one of claims 6-8, wherein, The determining unit is configured to determine the first SMTC configuration as the target SMTC configuration by default.

10. The apparatus of any one of claims 6-9, wherein, The first measurement configuration is received by the terminal device before the first RRC message.

11. A terminal device comprising: A processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store a computer program, and the processor being configured to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the method in any one of claims 1 to 5.

12. A chip comprising: A processor configured to invoke and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device installed with the chip executes the method in any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. A computer readable storage medium configured to store a computer program, the computer program causing a computer to execute the method in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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