A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

This application relates to a communication method and apparatus. An activation command is received from a network device to activate a first secondary carrier, which is one of the secondary carriers of a terminal device. Given that the first secondary carrier is known, the method determines whether to adjust the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) of the first secondary carrier based on the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device. The AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted using a temporary reference signal. A first temporary reference signal is received from the first secondary carrier, and time-frequency synchronization is performed between the method and the first secondary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal. In this embodiment, the activation of the secondary carrier can be assisted by the temporary reference signal, thereby reducing the dependence of the activation process on the SSB (Secure Sub-Signal Bus). Therefore, the activation process does not depend on the transmission period of the SSB, accelerating the activation process and reducing its latency.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the diversified development of mobile internet, the Internet of Things, and other services, mobile communications are increasingly demanding higher upload volumes of data. For example, services such as ultra-high-definition video, intelligent monitoring, and virtual reality (VR) live video streaming place high demands on uplink (UL) capacity. Existing uplink enhancement solutions include using technologies such as carrier aggregation (CA) to achieve collaborative transmission across multiple frequencies, which can improve spectrum resource utilization or uplink coverage to some extent.

[0003] In a CA (Carrier Assist) scenario, a user equipment (UE) can aggregate multiple carriers. These aggregated carriers include a primary carrier (PCC), also known as the primary cell (Pcell), and one or more secondary carriers (SCCs), also known as secondary cells (Scells). If the network device wants to configure the UE to operate on a specific secondary carrier, it needs to instruct the UE to activate that secondary carrier. During the activation process, the UE needs to receive a synchronization signal block (SSB) from the network device to adjust its automatic gain control (AGC) and synchronize with the secondary carrier to be activated, based on the SSB.

[0004] SSB is transmitted periodically, and the transmission period of SSB is generally quite long, usually greater than or equal to 20 milliseconds (ms). This results in a relatively large activation delay for the secondary carrier, and there is currently no solution to this problem. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for reducing the activation delay of a secondary carrier.

[0006] In a first aspect, a first communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a circuit system capable of implementing the functions of the terminal device, or by a larger device including the terminal device. The method includes: receiving an activation command from a network device, the activation command indicating activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; determining, given that the first secondary carrier is known, whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on a measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device, wherein the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted using a temporary reference signal; receiving a first temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier; and performing time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal.

[0007] In this embodiment, the activation of the secondary carrier can be assisted by a temporary reference signal, thereby reducing the dependence of the activation process on the SSB. The activation process then no longer depends on the SSB transmission cycle, accelerating the activation process and reducing its latency. Furthermore, this embodiment establishes a method for activating the secondary carrier based on the temporary reference signal. This means that both network devices and terminal devices can clearly understand under what circumstances and how to apply the temporary reference signal, standardizing their behavior and achieving a shared understanding.

[0008] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device includes: if the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device is less than or equal to a first measurement period, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not adjusted. If the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device is less than or equal to the first measurement period, it indicates that the measurement period of the secondary carrier is relatively short, and the previously determined AGC can continue to be applied. Therefore, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier can be left unadjusted to save power consumption of the terminal device and simplify the activation process of the secondary carrier. The first measurement period is, for example, 160ms, or it can be other values.

[0009] In one optional implementation, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier is obtained based on a first duration, which is the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier. Since this embodiment activates the secondary carrier using a temporary reference signal, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier can be obtained based on information related to the temporary reference signal, without relying on the SSB transmission period. The temporary reference signal can be, for example, an aperiodic signal, or it can be a periodic signal, such as having a transmission period shorter than the SSB transmission period, thereby shortening the activation delay of the secondary carrier.

[0010] In one optional implementation, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: T activation_time =T first_TempRS +5. Where, T activation_time T represents the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. first_TempRS This represents the first duration. This is just one example of a relationship that the activation duration of the first secondary carrier needs to satisfy.

[0011] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device includes: receiving a second temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier when the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device is greater than a first measurement period; and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the second temporary reference signal. If the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device is greater than the first measurement period, it indicates that the measurement period of the secondary carrier is large. If the previously determined AGC is continued to be applied, it may lead to inaccurate AGC. Therefore, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier can be adjusted. If the SSB is used to adjust the AGC, the SSB is sent periodically, and the time required to adjust the AGC is related to the transmission period of the SSB or the SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period. The transmission period of the SSB is generally large, usually greater than or equal to 20ms, which leads to a large activation delay of the secondary carrier. Therefore, this application proposes that the AGC can be adjusted by a temporary reference signal, thereby shortening the activation delay of the secondary carrier.

[0012] In an optional implementation, when the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier is obtained based on a second duration. The second duration is the duration for the terminal device to wait and acquire the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, or the second duration is the maximum value of a third duration and a fourth duration. The third duration is the duration for the terminal device to wait and acquire the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, and the fourth duration is the duration for the terminal device to wait and acquire the first complete reference signal burst set from the second carrier, where the second carrier includes the active carrier of the terminal device. For example, if the transmission time of the temporary reference signal on the first secondary carrier is aligned with the transmission time of the reference signal on the active carrier in the aggregated carrier of the UE, then the second duration can be the maximum value of the third and fourth durations, so that the technical solution of this application embodiment can be better compatible with existing protocols. Alternatively, due to the lag in the AGC adjustment process, it is not necessarily required that the transmission time of the temporary reference signal on the first secondary carrier be aligned with the transmission time of the reference signal on the active carrier in the aggregated carrier of the terminal device. Even if the transmission times are not aligned, the terminal device can still adjust for AGC. Therefore, it is not necessary to specify that the transmission time of the temporary reference signal on the first secondary carrier be aligned with the transmission time of the reference signal on the active carrier in the aggregated carrier of the terminal device. In this case, the second duration can be the duration for the terminal device to wait and obtain the first complete burst set of temporary reference signals from the first secondary carrier. This approach reduces the restrictions on network devices without increasing the computational complexity of the terminal device, and brings greater implementation flexibility to the network device.

[0013] In an optional implementation, when the second duration is the duration for which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: T activation_time =T first_TempRS +T TempRS +5. Where, T activation_time T represents the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. first_TempRS T represents the second duration. TempRS This represents the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires a complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier. This is merely an example of one relationship that the activation duration of the first secondary carrier needs to satisfy.

[0014] In an optional implementation, when the second duration is the maximum of the third and fourth durations, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: T activation_time=max{T first_TempRS T firstRS}+T TempRS +5. Where, T activation_time T represents the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. first_TempRS T represents the third duration. first_RS This represents the fourth duration, max{x, y} represents taking the maximum value of x and y, and T TempRS This represents the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires a complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier. This is merely an example of one relationship that the activation duration of the first secondary carrier needs to satisfy.

[0015] In one optional implementation, the reference signal from the second carrier includes one or more of the following: SSB, CSI-RS, or a temporary reference signal. This application embodiment does not limit the reference signal on the active carrier of the terminal device.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending capability information to the network device, the capability information indicating that the AGC adjustment is related to carriers other than the first secondary carrier, or the capability information indicating that the AGC adjustment is unrelated to carriers other than the first secondary carrier. This approach makes the UE's AGC adjustment process more aligned with the UE's capabilities.

[0017] In one alternative implementation, the first secondary carrier belongs to a first frequency range. The first frequency range is, for example, a low-frequency range, such as frequency range (FR) 1, or it may be other frequency ranges.

[0018] Secondly, a second communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a circuit system capable of implementing the functions of the terminal device, or by a larger device including the terminal device. The method includes: receiving an activation command from a network device, the activation command indicating activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; if the first secondary carrier is unknown, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device, or, if the first secondary carrier is unknown, receiving first indication information from the network device, the first indication information indicating not to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or indicating the method for adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier; receiving a first temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier; and performing time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal.

[0019] In this embodiment, the terminal device can assist in activating the secondary carrier based on a temporary reference signal. For example, the terminal device can adjust AGC based on the temporary reference signal, or it can synchronize time and frequency with the first secondary carrier based on the temporary reference signal. This reduces the dependence of the secondary carrier activation process on the SSB, and the activation process does not need to depend on the SSB transmission period, thus accelerating the activation process and reducing the latency. Moreover, even if the terminal device cannot activate the secondary carrier based on the temporary reference signal, it can still continue to activate the secondary carrier based on reference signals such as the SSB, providing more options for secondary carrier activation and improving the activation success rate.

[0020] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, then the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not adjusted. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the difference between the transmit power of the UE on the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the UE on the active carrier is less than or equal to the first threshold, it indicates that the difference between the transmit power of the UE on the first secondary carrier and the active carrier is not large. In this case, the AGC on the active carrier can also be used for the first secondary carrier. Therefore, in this case, the UE can choose not to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier to simplify the activation process of the first secondary carrier.

[0021] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and if the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are continuous carriers, receiving a second temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier, and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the second temporary reference signal; or, if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and if the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are continuous carriers, receiving a second temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier, and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the second temporary reference signal. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band aggregation, and the carriers involved in the aggregation are continuous carriers, this indicates that the time difference between the arrival of signals on each carrier at the terminal device is relatively small, or in other words, the reception time difference of signals on each carrier at the terminal device is relatively small. In this case, the terminal device can obtain the coarse timing information of the first auxiliary carrier based on the timing information of the primary carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the first auxiliary carrier. Thus, the terminal device can correctly receive the temporary reference signal on the first auxiliary carrier based on the coarse timing information of the first auxiliary carrier. Therefore, in this case, the terminal device can adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier based on the temporary reference signal on the first auxiliary carrier to reduce the activation delay of the auxiliary carrier. Alternatively, in addition to the terminal device using in-band aggregation and the carriers involved in aggregation being continuous carriers, the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device must be greater than a first threshold. Only then is it necessary to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier to reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier. If the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is less than or equal to the first threshold, then even if the terminal device uses in-band aggregation and the carriers involved in aggregation are continuous carriers, it is possible to consider not adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thereby further reducing the activation delay of the secondary carrier.

[0022] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are non-contiguous carriers, receiving an SSB from the first secondary carrier and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB; or, if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are non-contiguous carriers, receiving an SSB from the first secondary carrier and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are non-contiguous carriers, it indicates that the time difference between the signals arriving at the UE on each carrier is relatively large, or in other words, the time difference between the reception of signals on each carrier by the terminal device is relatively large. Therefore, the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier obtained by the terminal device based on the timing information of the primary carrier may not be accurate enough, and the terminal device may not be able to receive a temporary reference signal from the network device on the first secondary carrier based on the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier. In this situation, using a temporary reference signal to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not feasible. Therefore, the terminal device can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other reference signals on the first secondary carrier. In other words, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on other reference signals. That is, there are multiple ways to activate the secondary carrier, thereby improving the activation success rate. Other reference signals include, for example, SSB and / or channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). Alternatively, besides the terminal device using in-band aggregation and the carriers involved in aggregation being non-contiguous carriers, the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device must be greater than a first threshold. Only then is it necessary to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier to reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier. If the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is less than or equal to the first threshold, then even if the terminal device uses in-band aggregation and the carriers involved in aggregation are non-contiguous carriers, it is possible to consider not adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thereby further reducing the activation delay of the secondary carrier.

[0023] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and if the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than the cyclic prefix (CP) duration, receiving an SSB from the first secondary carrier; and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the SSB. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, then the terminal device needs to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. However, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and all active carriers of the terminal device is greater than the CP duration, then regardless of which active carrier's timing information the terminal device uses to obtain the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the obtained coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier may not be accurate enough, making it impossible to use a temporary reference signal to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and all active carriers of the terminal device is greater than the CP duration, the terminal device can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other reference signals (RS) on the first secondary carrier. That is, there are multiple ways to activate the secondary carrier, which can improve the activation success rate of the secondary carrier. Other RSs include SSB and / or CSI-RS, etc.

[0024] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, receiving the SSB from the first secondary carrier; and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the SSB. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band aggregation, this indicates that the time difference between the arrival of signals on each carrier at the terminal device is relatively large, or in other words, the reception time difference of signals on each carrier by the terminal device is relatively large, and the terminal device needs to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. However, the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier obtained by the terminal device based on the timing information of the primary carrier may not be accurate enough, and the terminal device may not be able to receive the temporary reference signal from the network device on the first secondary carrier based on the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the terminal device can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other RSs on the first secondary carrier, that is, there are multiple ways to activate the secondary carrier, thereby improving the activation success rate of the secondary carrier. Other RSs include, for example, SSB and / or CSI-RS, etc.

[0025] In one optional implementation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: if the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, and if the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than the CP duration, receiving an SSB from the first secondary carrier; and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the SSB. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, then the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device can be further determined, as well as the timing deviation of the first secondary carrier and the timing deviation of the active carrier of the terminal device can be determined. If the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, but the timing deviation of the first secondary carrier and at least one active carrier of the UE is less than or equal to the CP duration, then the terminal device can obtain coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier based on the timing information of one or more active carriers among at least one active carrier. According to the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the terminal device can receive a temporary reference signal from the network device on the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the terminal device can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the temporary reference signal on the first secondary carrier. In other words, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the temporary reference signal. By further considering the CP duration, the terminal device can have a certain opportunity to use the temporary reference signal to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thereby improving the activation efficiency of the first secondary carrier.

[0026] In one alternative implementation, the first secondary carrier belongs to a first frequency range. The first frequency range is, for example, a low-frequency range, such as FR1, or it could be another frequency range.

[0027] Thirdly, a third communication method is provided, which can be executed by a network device or by a circuit system capable of implementing the functions of the network device. Exemplarily, the network device is an access network device, such as a base station. The method includes: sending an activation command to a terminal device, the activation command indicating the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; sending an SSB to the terminal device on the first secondary carrier, the SSB being used to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier; and, upon satisfying a first condition, sending a temporary reference signal to the terminal device, the temporary reference signal being used for time-frequency synchronization between the terminal device and the first secondary carrier.

[0028] In the embodiments of this application, the activation of the secondary carrier can be assisted by a temporary reference signal, thereby reducing the dependence of the activation process of the secondary carrier on the SSB. The activation process of the secondary carrier does not need to depend on the transmission period of the SSB, thus speeding up the activation process of the secondary carrier and reducing the latency of the activation process of the secondary carrier.

[0029] In one optional implementation, the first condition includes: from the completion of sending the activation command to the end of the third SMTC cycle; or, from the completion of sending the activation command to the end of the first SMTC cycle; or, receiving second indication information from the terminal device, the second indication information indicating that the identification of the first secondary carrier has been completed. If the terminal device adjusts the AGC according to other reference signals, the network device can send a temporary reference signal for the terminal device to perform time-frequency synchronization if the first condition is met. For example, the first condition being from the completion of sending the activation command to the end of the third SMTC cycle allows sufficient time for the terminal device's AGC adjustment process and the identification process of the first secondary carrier. Another example is that the first condition being from the completion of sending the activation command to the end of the first SMTC cycle enables the terminal device to synchronize with the first secondary carrier as quickly as possible, reducing the activation delay of the first secondary carrier. Yet another example is that the first condition is that the network device receives second indication information from the UE, the second indication information indicating that the identification of the first secondary carrier has been completed. For example, after the terminal device completes the identification of the first secondary carrier, it can send a second indication information to the network device. After receiving the second indication information, the network device can send a temporary reference signal to enable the terminal device to synchronize with the first secondary carrier in time and frequency. This allows the network device to send the temporary reference signal in a timely manner, reducing the activation delay of the secondary carrier. Moreover, the network device sends the temporary reference signal only when the terminal device needs it, which improves the utilization rate of the temporary reference signal and reduces resource waste.

[0030] In one alternative implementation, the second indication information is an SSB index, or the second indication information is a scheduling request (SR). For example, the second indication information can be implemented using an SSB index. The terminal device's AGC adjustment process and the first secondary carrier identification process may both be completed based on other reference signals from the network device, such as SSBs. Therefore, when the terminal device sends an SSB index to the network device, it indicates that the terminal device has identified the SSB sent by the network device, and thus the network device can clearly understand that the terminal device has completed the identification of the first secondary carrier. Alternatively, the second indication information can be implemented using an SR. SRs are originally used by the terminal device to request resources from the network device. When the terminal device informs the network device that it has completed the identification of the first secondary carrier, it is actually triggering the network device to send a temporary RS for the terminal device to synchronize its time and frequency with the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the second indication information can also be considered an implicit resource request. Using SR as the second indication information reuses the SR without deviating from its original function.

[0031] In one alternative implementation, the first secondary carrier belongs to a first frequency range. The first frequency range is, for example, a low-frequency range, such as FR1, or it could be another frequency range.

[0032] Fourthly, a fourth communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, a circuit system capable of implementing the functions of the terminal device, or by a larger device including the terminal device. The method includes: receiving an activation command from a network device, the activation command indicating the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; not adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier when at least one active carrier already exists in a first frequency band of a second frequency range, or when the first secondary carrier is known, or when there is no active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range and the first secondary carrier is unknown, receiving an SSB from the first secondary carrier, and adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB; wherein the first frequency band is the frequency band where the first secondary carrier is located; receiving a temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier; and performing time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier according to the temporary reference signal. In this embodiment, even if the terminal device does not adjust the AGC, or the terminal device adjusts the AGC according to other reference signals, the terminal device can still perform time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier according to the temporary reference signal, which can also reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier to a certain extent.

[0033] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. This communication device may be a terminal device as described in any of the first to fourth aspects above, or an electronic device (e.g., a circuit system) configured in the terminal device, or a larger device including the terminal device. The terminal device includes corresponding means or modules for performing the above-described methods. For example, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also called a transceiver module).

[0034] For example, the transceiver unit is configured to receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of a terminal device;

[0035] The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier based on the measurement period of the first auxiliary carrier by the terminal device when the first auxiliary carrier is known, wherein the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted using a temporary reference signal.

[0036] The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a first temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier;

[0037] The processing unit is further configured to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first auxiliary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal.

[0038] For example, the transceiver unit is configured to receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, which is one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device;

[0039] The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device when the first secondary carrier is unknown; or, the processing unit is configured to receive first indication information from the network device through the transceiver unit when the first secondary carrier is unknown, the first indication information being used to indicate not to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or to indicate the adjustment method for the AGC of the first secondary carrier.

[0040] The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a first temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier;

[0041] The processing unit is further configured to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first auxiliary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal.

[0042] For example, the transceiver unit is configured to receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, which is one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device;

[0043] The processing unit is configured to not adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier when there is at least one active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, or when the first secondary carrier is known; or, the processing unit is configured to receive the SSB from the first secondary carrier through the transceiver unit when there is no active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range and the first secondary carrier is unknown, and the processing unit is further configured to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB; wherein, the first frequency band is the frequency band where the first secondary carrier is located.

[0044] The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier;

[0045] The processing unit is further configured to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first auxiliary carrier based on the temporary reference signal.

[0046] For example, the communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory for executing instructions in the memory to implement the method performed by the terminal device in any of the first to fourth aspects described above. Optionally, the communication device may also include other components, such as an antenna, input / output modules, interfaces, etc. These components may be hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0047] Sixthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be a network device as described in any one of the first to fourth aspects above. The communication device possesses the functions of the aforementioned network device. The network device is, for example, a base station, or a baseband device within a base station. In one optional implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also called a transceiver module).

[0048] For example, the transceiver unit is used to send an activation command to the terminal device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device;

[0049] The transceiver unit is further configured to send an SSB to the terminal device on the first secondary carrier, the SSB being used to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier;

[0050] The transceiver unit is further configured to send a temporary reference signal to the terminal device when the first condition is met, the temporary reference signal being used for time-frequency synchronization between the terminal device and the first secondary carrier (or, the processing unit is configured to determine that the first condition is met; the transceiver unit is configured to send a temporary reference signal to the terminal device, the temporary reference signal being used for time-frequency synchronization between the terminal device and the first secondary carrier).

[0051] For example, the communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory for executing instructions in the memory to implement the methods performed by the network device in any of the first to fourth aspects described above. Optionally, the communication device may also include other components, such as an antenna, input / output modules, interfaces, etc. These components may be hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0052] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in the above aspects to be implemented.

[0053] Eighthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided that, when run on a computer, enables the methods described in the above aspects to be implemented.

[0054] In the embodiments of this application, the activation of the secondary carrier can be assisted by a temporary reference signal, thereby reducing the dependence of the activation process of the secondary carrier on the SSB. The activation process of the secondary carrier does not need to depend on the transmission period of the SSB, thus speeding up the activation process of the secondary carrier and reducing the latency of the activation process of the secondary carrier. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 1B A flowchart of the secondary carrier activation process;

[0057] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram illustrating one application scenario of an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 2C This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of this application embodiment;

[0060] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 4AA flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of secondary carrier activation based on SSB;

[0063] Figure 4C This is a schematic diagram of auxiliary carrier activation based on a temporary reference signal in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The technology provided in this application embodiment can be applied to... Figure 1A The communication system 10 shown includes one or more communication devices 30 (e.g., terminal devices), which are connected to one or more core network devices via one or more access network devices 20 to enable communication between multiple communication devices. The communication system may, for example, support 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G (sometimes also called new radio, NR) access technologies, a Wi-Fi system, a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, a communication system supporting the convergence of multiple wireless technologies, or a future-oriented evolution system.

[0069] The following explanations of some terms used in the embodiments of this application are provided to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0070] In this embodiment, the terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, which can be a fixed device, a mobile device, a handheld device (e.g., a mobile phone), a wearable device, an in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., a communication module, a modem, or a circuit system, etc.) built into the aforementioned devices. The terminal device is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc., and can be widely used in various scenarios, including but not limited to the following: cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) communication, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, and other scenarios. The terminal device may sometimes be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, wireless communication equipment, or user device, etc. For ease of description, this application embodiment will use UE as an example to illustrate the terminal device.

[0071] The network devices in this application embodiment include, for example, access network devices and / or core network devices. The access network devices are devices with wireless transceiver capabilities, used for communication with the terminal devices. The access network devices include, but are not limited to, base transceiver stations (BTS), Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNodeB / eNB, or gNodeB / gNB), transmission reception points (TRPs), base stations evolved from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), access nodes in Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) systems, wireless relay nodes, and wireless backhaul nodes. The base stations can be macro base stations, micro base stations, pico base stations, small cells, relay stations, etc. Multiple base stations can support networks using the same access technology mentioned above, or they can support networks using different access technologies mentioned above. A base station can contain one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission and reception points. Network devices can also be radio controllers, centralized units (CUs), and / or distributed units (DUs) in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. Network devices can also be servers, wearable devices, or vehicle-mounted devices. For example, network devices in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be roadside units (RSUs). The following description of access network devices uses base stations as an example. Multiple network devices in the communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types. Base stations can communicate with terminal devices or through relay stations. Terminal devices can communicate with multiple base stations in different access technologies. The core network devices are used to implement functions such as mobility management, data processing, session management, policy and billing. The names of devices implementing core network functions can differ in systems using different access technologies; this application does not limit this. Taking a 5G system as an example, the core network equipment includes: access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), or user plane function (UPF), etc.

[0072] In this application embodiment, the communication device used to implement the network device function can be a network device or a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, such as a circuit system. This device can be installed within the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the network device function is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0073] In this application embodiment, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c means: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0074] In this application, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, application scenario, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, the first duration and the second duration can be the same duration or different durations, and such names do not indicate that the length, priority, application scenario, or importance of the two durations are different.

[0075] In a CA (Carrier Aggregation) scenario, a UE can aggregate multiple carriers, including a primary carrier and one or more secondary carriers. If a network device wants to configure a UE to operate on a specific secondary carrier, it needs to command the UE to activate that secondary carrier. Please refer to the following: Figure 1B This section introduces the activation process of the secondary carrier.

[0076] S101, The base station sends an activation command to the UE, and the UE receives the activation command from the base station. This activation command can indicate the activation of a secondary carrier, for example, indicating the activation of secondary carrier 1.

[0077] S102, UE adjusts the AGC of secondary carrier 1.

[0078] The UE can receive SSBs on secondary carrier 1 and adjust the AGC of secondary carrier 1 according to the received SSBs. If the UE has not yet identified secondary carrier 1, or if the UE has identified secondary carrier 1 but the measurement cycle (MC) of secondary carrier 1 is greater than or equal to 160ms, the UE needs to execute S102; otherwise, the UE does not need to execute S102.

[0079] S103. The UE probes secondary carrier 1, or in other words, the UE identifies secondary carrier 1. This process can be called cell identification or carrier identification. The UE probes secondary carrier 1, for example, by probing its primary synchronization signal (PSS) and / or secondary synchronization signal (SSS). By identifying secondary carrier 1, the UE can obtain its identity number (ID) and symbol-level timing information based on the SSS.

[0080] The UE can receive an SSB on secondary carrier 1 and obtain the identification number (ID) of secondary carrier 1 and its symbol-level timing information based on the SSB to complete the identification of secondary carrier 1. The symbol-level timing information can be understood as the boundary timing of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. Of course, the secondary carrier identification process may also include other steps, which are not limited in this embodiment. If the UE has not yet identified secondary carrier 1, it can execute step S103; otherwise, the UE does not need to execute step S103.

[0081] S104. The UE sends the Layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) of secondary carrier 1 to the network device, and the corresponding network device receives the L1-RSRP from the UE. Here, RSRP stands for reference signal receiving power.

[0082] If secondary carrier 1 belongs to FR2, and there is no active carrier on FR2, and the UE does not identify secondary carrier 1, then S104 can be executed; otherwise, S104 does not need to be executed.

[0083] S105. The network device sends a Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) activation command to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE waits for and receives the TCI activation command from the network device. The TCI activation command can be used to receive the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) through the secondary carrier 1 after the secondary carrier 1 is activated.

[0084] If secondary carrier 1 belongs to FR2 and there is no active carrier on FR2, then S105 can be executed; otherwise, S105 does not need to be executed. Alternatively, even if the secondary carrier belongs to FR1, S105 can be executed in the appropriate circumstances.

[0085] S106. The UE performs time-frequency synchronization with the secondary carrier 1, or in other words, the UE performs precise timing with the secondary carrier 1.

[0086] The UE can receive SSBs on secondary carrier 1 and perform time-frequency synchronization with secondary carrier 1 based on the received SSBs. If secondary carrier 1 belongs to FR2 and secondary carrier 1 is not configured with an SSB, then S106 does not need to be executed; otherwise, S106 needs to be executed.

[0087] S107. The UE measures the secondary carrier 1 to obtain channel state information (CSI) or channel quality indication (CQI).

[0088] The UE can receive SSBs on secondary carrier 1 and measure the received SSBs to obtain CSI or CQI.

[0089] S108. The UE sends a CSI to the network device, and the network device receives the CSI from the UE. Alternatively, the UE sends a CQI to the network device, and the network device receives the CQI from the UE.

[0090] Once the network device receives the CSI or CQI from the UE, it can determine that the secondary carrier 1 has been activated.

[0091] As shown in the above process, steps S102, S103, and S106 are all based on the SSB. Therefore, the execution time of these steps is related to the SSB transmission period or the SMTC period. The SSB transmission period is generally quite long, usually greater than or equal to 20ms, which leads to a relatively large activation delay for the secondary carrier. This problem cannot be solved at present.

[0092] Therefore, the technical solution of this application embodiment is provided. In this application embodiment, the activation of the secondary carrier can be assisted by a temporary reference signal, thereby reducing the dependence of the activation process of the secondary carrier on the SSB. Thus, the activation process of the secondary carrier does not need to depend on the transmission period of the SSB, accelerating the activation process of the secondary carrier and reducing the latency of the activation process. Moreover, this application embodiment sets a method for activating the secondary carrier based on a temporary reference signal. That is, both the network device and the terminal device can clearly understand under what circumstances the temporary reference signal should be applied and how to apply it, standardizing the behavior of the network device and the terminal device, and achieving a common understanding between the terminal device and the network device.

[0093] Figure 2A This application illustrates a communication network architecture in a communication system 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Subsequent embodiments will further elaborate on this architecture. Figure 3 or Figure 4A The embodiments shown are all applicable to this architecture. Figure 2A The network devices included include, for example, the access network device 20 included in the communication system 10. Figure 2A The included terminal equipment is, for example, the communication device 30 included in the communication system 10. The network equipment and the terminal equipment are able to communicate.

[0094] Figure 2B This illustrates another communication network architecture in the communication system 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 2BAs shown, the communication system includes a new core network (CN) and a radio access network (RAN). Network devices in the RAN (e.g., base stations) are, for example, access network device 20 in communication system 10. Network devices in the RAN include baseband devices and radio frequency devices. The baseband device can be implemented by one or more nodes. The radio frequency device can be implemented independently from the baseband device, integrated into the baseband device, or partially remotely and partially integrated into the baseband device. Network devices in the RAN can include CUs and DUs. If there are multiple DUs, they can be centrally controlled by a single CU. CUs and DUs can be divided according to their protocol layer functions in the wireless network. For example, the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above are located in the CU, while the functions of protocol layers below PDCP, such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer and the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, are located in the DU. It should be noted that this division of protocol layers is merely an example; other protocol layers can also be used. The radio frequency device can be moved away and not placed in the DU, or it can be integrated into the DU, or it can be partially moved away and partially integrated into the DU. The embodiments of this application do not impose any restrictions.

[0095] Figure 2C This illustrates another communication network architecture in the communication system 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. Relative to... Figure 2B The architecture shown can also separate the control plane (CP) and user plane (UP) of the CU, implementing them as different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (CU-CP entity) and the user plane CU entity (CU-UP entity). In this network architecture, signaling generated by the CU can be sent to the terminal device through the DU, or signaling generated by the terminal device can be sent to the CU through the DU. The DU can directly encapsulate the signaling through the protocol layer and pass it through to the terminal device or CU without parsing it. In this network architecture, the CU is classified as a network device on the RAN side. Alternatively, the CU can also be classified as a network device on the CN side; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0096] The method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments of this application, the concepts of "carrier" and "cell" are interchangeable. For example, "secondary carrier" can also be called "secondary cell," and "primary carrier" can also be called "primary cell." In various embodiments of this application, the temporary reference signal can satisfy any combination of one or more of the following: 1. The temporary reference signal is, for example, an aperiodic signal, or it can also be a periodic signal. If the temporary reference signal is a periodic signal, then optionally, the transmission period of the temporary reference signal can be less than the transmission period of the SSB; 2. The temporary reference signal can be used for the activation of the secondary carrier; 3. The temporary reference signal can be used for time-frequency tracking and / or AGC adjustment during the secondary carrier activation process; 4. The temporary reference signal can be triggered by a network device, such as an access network device; 5. After tracking, the temporary reference signal is no longer used in the secondary carrier process. For example, an existing signal can be used as a temporary reference signal because the existing reference signal itself has other functions, and this application embodiment also uses the signal to complete the function of a temporary reference signal. Therefore, this application embodiment refers to the reference signal provided in this application embodiment as a "temporary" reference signal, because the signal may be used "temporarily" as a reference signal in this application embodiment. Alternatively, a new signal can be defined through a protocol, which can serve as a temporary reference signal. In this case, the name "temporary reference signal" may also be changed, for example, it could be changed to "specific reference signal," etc.

[0097] As explained above, the name "temporary reference signal" is merely an example and does not represent a limitation on the signal itself. In other words, "temporary reference signal" can also have other names, such as "reference signal," "dedicated reference signal," "first reference signal," or "A reference signal," etc. Furthermore, if "temporary reference signal" is referred to as "first reference signal," then "first temporary reference signal" (which will appear later) can be renamed "temporary reference signal 1," and "second temporary reference signal" (which will appear later) can be renamed "temporary reference signal 2," etc., to avoid ambiguity.

[0098] As an example, in various embodiments of this application, if the first secondary carrier is a carrier of FR1, then the UE considers the first secondary carrier to be a known secondary carrier when the first secondary carrier meets the following conditions; otherwise, the UE considers the first secondary carrier to be an unknown secondary carrier.

[0099] 1. The UE reported valid measurement results of the first secondary carrier within a certain period before receiving the activation command.

[0100] 2. During the UE activation process and for a period of time prior to the activation process, the reference signal of the first secondary carrier measured by the UE remains detectable. The detectable condition may include at least one of the following: the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the reference signal of the first secondary carrier is greater than or equal to a first preset value; the interference power spectral density of the reference signal of the first secondary carrier is greater than or equal to a second preset value; or the received power of the reference signal of the first secondary carrier is greater than or equal to a third preset value, etc.

[0101] As an example, in various embodiments of this application, if the first secondary carrier is a carrier in frequency range 2 (FR2), the UE considers the first secondary carrier to be a known secondary carrier when the first secondary carrier meets the following conditions; otherwise, the UE considers the first secondary carrier to be an unknown secondary carrier.

[0102] 1. The UE reported valid L3-RSRP measurements of the reference signal within a certain period before receiving the latest TCI activation command and semi-static CSI-RS activation command.

[0103] 2. The UE receives the activation signaling for the first secondary carrier after reporting the L3-RSRP, and the activation signaling is no later than the TCI received by the UE.

[0104] 3. The SSB reported by the UE remains detectable from the time it is reported by L3-RSRP to the time it is reported by a valid CQI (see the previous text for information on detectable conditions), and the TCI is configured based on one of the most recently reported SSBs.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 3 This application introduces a communication method provided by an embodiment. In this embodiment, the UE has identified the first secondary carrier to be activated (or, in other words, the first secondary carrier is known). For the process of the UE identifying the first secondary carrier, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1B The process is described below.

[0106] S301, the network device sends an activation command to the UE, and the UE receives the activation command from the network device. This activation command may instruct the activation of a secondary carrier, for example, instructing the activation of a first secondary carrier, which is one of the aggregated carriers of the terminal device. In this embodiment, the first secondary carrier, for example, belongs to a first frequency range, such as FR1.

[0107] For example, if the UE's first secondary carrier is inactive, but the network device needs to instruct the UE to activate the first secondary carrier, the network device can send an activation command to the UE. This activation command can be sent via a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), downlink control information (DCI), or other means.

[0108] S302. Based on the measurement period of the UE for the first secondary carrier, determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier.

[0109] If the UE's measurement period for the first secondary carrier is less than or equal to the first measurement period, it indicates that the measurement period for the secondary carrier is relatively short. In this case, the previously determined AGC can still be applied, and therefore the AGC for the first secondary carrier does not need to be adjusted, thus saving UE power consumption and simplifying the activation process of the secondary carrier. The first measurement period can be specified by the protocol or configured by the network device. For example, the first measurement period can be 160ms, or it can be other values.

[0110] In addition, generally speaking, the activation duration of the secondary carrier is equal to T. HARQ +T activation_time +T CSI_Reporting , among which, T HARQ express Figure 1B The duration required for S101 in the code represents the time required for the UE to receive and process the activation command from the base station. If the activation command fails to be sent, a retransmission may be required, so the required time is denoted by T. HARQ It indicates. T CSI_Reporting express Figure 1B The duration required for S108 in the figure represents the time required for the UE to measure and obtain the CSI and send the CSI to the base station. activation_time express Figure 1B The total time required for steps other than S101 and S108, because Figure 1B S102 to S107 in the equation can be considered as the actual activation duration of the secondary carrier, therefore T activation_time This can also be referred to as the activation duration of the secondary carrier. If the UE's measurement period for the first secondary carrier is less than or equal to the first measurement period, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not adjusted. Optionally, T... activation_time (At this time T) activation_time The actual activation duration of the first secondary carrier can be determined based on the first duration, which is, for example, the duration during which the UE waits and acquires (or receives) the first complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier.

[0111] As T activation_time According to an optional implementation method determined based on the first duration, T activation_time The following relationship can be satisfied:

[0112] T activation_time =T first_TempRS +5 (Formula 1)

[0113] Among them, T first_TempRS This indicates the first duration. Formula 1 is just an example; for instance, the value 5 in Formula 1 can be replaced with other values, or even other functions, or T in Formula 1. first_TempRS +5 can also be replaced with f(T) first_TempRS Let f(x) represent a function with x as the variable. This function could be an additive function or a function of other computational forms. In this case, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier is shorter, which can improve the activation efficiency of the secondary carrier.

[0114] Alternatively, if the UE's measurement period for the first secondary carrier is longer than the first measurement period, it indicates that the measurement period of the secondary carrier is large. If the previously determined AGC is continued to be applied, the AGC may not be accurate enough. Therefore, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier can be adjusted. If the SSB is used to adjust the AGC, the SSB is transmitted periodically, so the time required to adjust the AGC is related to the transmission period of the SSB or the SMTC period. The transmission period of the SSB is generally large, usually greater than or equal to 20ms, which leads to a large activation delay of the secondary carrier. Therefore, this application proposes that the AGC can be adjusted by using a temporary RS. The temporary RS can be a non-periodic signal. For example, the temporary RS can be transmitted when the UE needs it, so that the activation time of the secondary carrier does not depend on the transmission period of the reference signal, reducing the activation delay of the secondary carrier. Alternatively, the temporary RS can be a non-periodic signal. For example, the transmission period of the temporary RS can be less than or equal to the transmission period of the SSB, which can also reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier.

[0115] As one implementation of the temporary RS, a tracking reference signal (TRS) can be used as the temporary RS. For example, in frequency range (FR) 1, the TRS can occupy four channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resources in two time slots; in FR 2, the TRS can occupy four CSI-RS resources in two time slots, or two CSI-RS resources in one time slot. Alternatively, other signals besides the TRS can be used as the temporary RS, and this application does not limit this.

[0116] Because the UE has identified the first secondary carrier in this embodiment, it can obtain the symbol-level timing information of the first secondary carrier through this identification. In carrier aggregation scenarios, since the UE communicates on the primary carrier, the timing information of the primary carrier is known to the UE. This timing information includes the system frame number (SFN) boundary, time slot boundary, and OFDM symbol boundary, etc. Regardless of whether the UE's carrier aggregation method is in-band or inter-band, the UE can deduce all the timing information of the secondary carrier from the timing information of the primary carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the secondary carrier. The timing information of the secondary carrier deduced by the UE based on the timing information of the primary carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the secondary carrier may not be very accurate; therefore, it can be called the coarse timing information of the secondary carrier. For example, the UE can deduce the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier from the timing information of the primary carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the first secondary carrier. For example, if a network device transmits a second temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, the UE, after obtaining the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, can also correctly receive the second temporary RS from the first secondary carrier (or, in other words, receive the second temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier). Thus, the UE can use the second temporary RS to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. In various embodiments of this application, the UE adjusts the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS, for example, by adjusting the level gain based on the received signal power of the temporary RS, so that the UE's output signal remains at an appropriate amplitude.

[0117] If the UE's measurement period for the first secondary carrier is longer than the first measurement period, the embodiments of this application can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier to improve its accuracy. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS, reducing the dependence on the SSB transmission period and thus improving the activation efficiency of the secondary carrier.

[0118] In this scenario, if the UE's carrier aggregation method is intra-band, the AGC (Automatic Collective Calibration) of the first secondary carrier determined by the UE can also be applied to other carriers in which the UE participates in carrier aggregation. Therefore, when adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier, the UE needs to refer not only to the temporary RS (Rapid RS) on the first secondary carrier but also to the RS on the active carrier in which the UE participates in carrier aggregation. Given this, if the AGC of the first secondary carrier needs adjustment based on the measurement period, and the UE's carrier aggregation method is intra-band, this application provides several methods for adjusting the AGC, which are illustrated below.

[0119] Method 1: The adjustment of AGC is related to the other carriers in the UE's aggregated carriers, excluding the first secondary carrier. In other words, it requires that the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier be aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carriers in the UE's aggregated carriers. The UE may have one or more active carriers in the aggregated carriers. Method 1 aims to ensure that the network device transmits the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier at the same time as the network device transmits RS on these one or more active carriers. This can be considered as requiring the network device to transmit reference signals simultaneously on multiple carriers.

[0120] The transmission time alignment of signals on two carriers means, for example, that the transmission times of signals on these two carriers are the same. For instance, if two signals are transmitted within the same slot, their transmission times are considered to be the same; similarly, if two signals are transmitted within the same OFDM symbol, their transmission times are considered to be the same. The RS on the active carrier of the UE may include one or more of the following: CSI-RS, SSB, or temporary RS. The UE may have one or more active carriers, and the RS on one of these active carriers may include CSI-RS, or SSB, or temporary RS, or CSI-RS and SSB, or SSB and temporary RS, or CSI-RS and temporary RS, or CSI-RS, SSB, and temporary RS.

[0121] The existing protocol requires that, for FR1, if the UE's carrier aggregation method is in-band aggregation, all active and inactive carriers in the in-band aggregation must transmit SSBs in the same slot so that the UE can adjust AGC based on the SSBs received on each carrier; the same applies to FR2, if the UE's carrier aggregation method is in-band aggregation, all active and inactive carriers in the in-band aggregation must transmit SSBs in the same slot so that the UE can adjust AGC based on the SSBs received on each carrier.

[0122] Therefore, in Method 1, the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier is aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carrier in the UE's aggregated carriers, so that the technical solution of this application embodiment can be better compatible with existing protocols. Furthermore, by aligning the transmission times of the reference signals on each carrier, the time the UE receives the reference signals on each carrier will be roughly the same. Thus, the UE can adjust the AGC based on the most recently received reference signals, making the AGC adjustment more accurate. The adjusted AGC can then be used on each carrier in which the UE participates in aggregation.

[0123] Method 2: The adjustment of AGC is unrelated (or irrelevant) to other carriers in the aggregated carriers of the UE except for the first secondary carrier, or in other words, it does not require the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier to be aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carrier in the aggregated carriers of the UE.

[0124] In Method 2, the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier is not required to be aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carrier in the UE's aggregated carriers. Therefore, when transmitting reference signals on each carrier, the network device can ensure that the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier is aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carrier in the UE's aggregated carriers, or it may not. Whether or not they are aligned is determined by the network device based on actual needs and other factors. The AGC adjustment process has a lag. If the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier is not aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carrier in the UE's aggregated carriers, the UE may receive reference signals at inconsistent times on each carrier. In this case, the UE can temporarily store the reference signals received earlier and adjust the AGC based on the received reference signals after all carriers have been received. The adjusted AGC can then be used on all carriers in which the UE participates in aggregation. In other words, due to the lag in the AGC adjustment process, it is not necessarily required that the transmission time of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier be aligned with the transmission time of the RS on the active carrier in the UE's aggregated carrier. Even if the transmission times are not aligned, the UE can still adjust the AGC. If method two is adopted, the restrictions on network devices are reduced without increasing the computational complexity of the UE, bringing greater implementation flexibility to the network devices.

[0125] For method one or method two, T activation_time (At this time T) activation_time The actual activation duration of the first secondary carrier can be obtained from the second duration. However, the definition of the second duration differs between Mode 1 and Mode 2, as illustrated below.

[0126] If method one is used, the second duration can be the maximum of the third and fourth durations. The third duration is, for example, the duration for the UE to wait and acquire (or receive) the first complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier. The fourth duration is, for example, the duration for the UE to wait and acquire (or receive) the first complete RS burst from the second carrier, which may include the UE's active carriers. For example, if the UE has one active carrier, the fourth duration is the duration for the UE to wait and acquire (or receive) the first complete RS burst from that single carrier. Alternatively, if the UE has more than one active carrier, the duration for the UE to wait and acquire the first complete RS burst on these multiple carriers may be the same or different; in this case, the fourth duration is, for example, the maximum of these durations. For example, if the UE's active carriers include carrier 1 and carrier 2, the duration for the UE to wait and acquire the first complete RS burst from carrier 1 is duration 1, and the duration for the UE to wait and acquire the first complete RS burst from carrier 2 is duration 2. Since duration 1 is less than duration 2, the fourth duration is duration 2.

[0127] In this case, as T activation_time According to an optional implementation method determined by the second duration, T activation_time The following relationship can be satisfied:

[0128] T activation_time =max{T first_TempRS ,T first_RS}+T TempRS +5 (Formula 2)

[0129] Among them, T first_TempRS Indicates the third duration, T first_RS This represents the fourth duration, and max{x,y} represents taking the maximum value between x and y. first_TempRS ,T first_RS} represents the second duration, T TempRS This indicates the duration during which the UE waits and receives a complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier. It's important to note that the third duration represents the duration during which the UE waits and receives (or receives) the first complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier, while T... TempRS This indicates the duration for the UE to wait and acquire a complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier; that is, the third duration emphasizes the "first complete temporary RS burst," while T... TempRS It indicates "a complete temporary RS burst", without emphasizing that this temporary RS burst is the first one.

[0130] Furthermore, Formula 2 is just one example. For instance, the value 5 in Formula 2 can be replaced with other values, or with other functions, or with the value max{T} in Formula 2. first_TempRS ,T first_RS}+T TempRS +5 can also be replaced with f(max{T) firstTempRS ,T firstRS},T TempRS f(x) represents a function with x as a variable. This function may be an addition function or a function of other computational forms.

[0131] If method two is adopted, the second duration is, for example, the duration during which the UE waits and acquires (or receives) the first complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier. That is, in method two, it is not necessary to consider the reception process of the reference signal on other carriers, and the second duration can be determined based on the reception process of the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, which makes the determination process of the second duration simpler.

[0132] In this case, as T activation_time According to an optional implementation method determined by the second duration, T activation_time The following relationship can be satisfied:

[0133] T activation_time =T first_TempRS +T TempRS +5 (Formula 3)

[0134] Among them, T first_TempRS Indicates the second duration, T TempRS For an explanation, please refer to the introduction of Formula 2. Furthermore, Formula 3 is just an example; for instance, the value 5 in Formula 3 can be replaced with other values, or with other functions, or with T in Formula 3. first_TempRS +T TempRS +5 can also be replaced with f(T) first_TempRS ,T TempRS f(x) represents a function with x as a variable. This function may be an addition function or a function of other computational forms.

[0135] Method 3: The UE sends capability information to the network device to indicate whether to select Method 1 or Method 2.

[0136] If method three is adopted, the UE can also send capability information to the network device, and the network device can receive the capability information from the UE. This capability information can indicate that the AGC adjustment is related to carriers other than the first secondary carrier (or, the capability information can request that the transmission time of reference signals on each carrier configured for the UE be the same), or, the capability information can indicate that the AGC adjustment is unrelated to carriers other than the first secondary carrier (or, the capability information can indicate that the transmission time of reference signals on each carrier configured for the UE is not required to be the same). For example, the UE can send this capability information to the network device after receiving the activation command in S301, or the UE can send this capability information to the network device before receiving the activation command. This embodiment of the application does not limit the transmission time of the capability information.

[0137] After receiving the capability information, if the capability information indicates that the AGC adjustment is related to carriers other than the first secondary carrier, or if the capability information requests that the reference signal be transmitted at the same time on each carrier configured for the UE, then the network device can process it according to the aforementioned method one, that is, the network device transmits the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier at the same time as the network device transmits RS on the active carrier of the UE. However, if the capability information indicates that the AGC adjustment is unrelated to carriers other than the first secondary carrier, or indicates that the transmission of the reference signal at the same time on each carrier configured for the UE is not required, then the network device can process it according to the aforementioned method two, that is, the network device can transmit the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier at the same time or at a different time than the network device transmits RS on the active carrier of the UE.

[0138] If method three is adopted, the UE's AGC adjustment process will be more in line with the UE's capabilities. For example, some UEs do not support method two. Such UEs can indicate through capability information that the AGC adjustment is related to other carriers except the first secondary carrier. Thus, the network device can process it according to method one, and try to avoid the UE's AGC adjustment failure due to the network device's transmission process of the reference signal not meeting the UE's capability requirements.

[0139] S303. The network device transmits a first temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, and the UE receives the first temporary RS from the first secondary carrier (or, the UE receives the first temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier).

[0140] S304. The UE performs time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier based on the first temporary RS. This time-frequency synchronization between the UE and the first secondary carrier can also be understood as the UE performing time-frequency tracking or precise timing with the first secondary carrier, or as the UE obtaining precise timing information from the first secondary carrier.

[0141] If the UE does not need to adjust the AGC, then the UE can execute S303 and S304; if the UE needs to adjust the AGC, then the UE can adjust the AGC first, and then execute S303 and S304 after adjusting the AGC.

[0142] The method by which the UE obtains coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier has been described previously. For example, if the network device transmits a first temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after obtaining the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the UE can also correctly receive the first temporary RS from the first secondary carrier. Thus, the UE can use the first temporary RS to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier. The UE's use of the temporary RS to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier can be considered as obtaining the fine timing information of the first secondary carrier. The first temporary RS and the second temporary RS mentioned earlier can be the same signal or different signals.

[0143] In addition, the activation process of the first secondary carrier may require other steps, which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1B The process is described below.

[0144] In the embodiments of this application, the UE can assist in activating the secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. For example, the UE can adjust the AGC based on the temporary RS, or it can synchronize the time and frequency with the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. This reduces the dependence of the secondary carrier activation process on the SSB, so the secondary carrier activation process does not need to depend on the SSB transmission period, which speeds up the secondary carrier activation process and reduces the latency of the secondary carrier activation process.

[0145] Figure 3 The illustrated embodiment describes a scenario where the UE has already identified the secondary carrier to be activated. Please refer to the following... Figure 4A This application introduces another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application, in which the UE does not identify the first secondary carrier to be activated (or, in other words, the first secondary carrier is unknown).

[0146] S401, the network device sends an activation command to the UE, and the UE receives the activation command from the network device. This activation command may instruct the activation of a secondary carrier, for example, instructing the activation of a first secondary carrier, which is one of the aggregated carriers of the terminal device. In this embodiment, the first secondary carrier, for example, belongs to a first frequency range, such as FR1.

[0147] For more information about S401, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 3 Description of S301 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0148] S402. The UE determines whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or the UE determines the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier (or, the UE determines to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier and determines the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier).

[0149] For example, the UE can determine the AGC of the first secondary carrier to be adjusted, or determine the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier, based on the instructions of the network device. For example, the network device sends a first indication message to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the first indication message from the network device. The first indication message may indicate that the AGC of the first secondary carrier should not be adjusted, in which case the UE determines not to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first indication message; or, the first indication message may indicate that the AGC of the first secondary carrier should be adjusted, in which case the UE determines that the AGC of the first secondary carrier should be adjusted based on the first indication message; or, the first indication message may indicate the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier (e.g., the adjustment method is based on a temporary RS, or the adjustment method is based on an SSB, etc.), in which case the UE can determine the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first indication message, and in effect, the UE implicitly determines that the AGC of the first secondary carrier needs to be adjusted based on the first indication message; or, the first indication message indicates the adjustment of the first secondary carrier and indicates the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier, in which case the UE can determine the adjustment of the first secondary carrier and the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first indication message. For example, the first instruction information can be carried in the activation command of S401, or the first instruction information can be sent through other messages besides the activation command.

[0150] Alternatively, the UE can determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or the UE can determine the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier. For example, the UE can determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier, based on relevant information. The following describes how the UE can determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or determine the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier.

[0151] 1. The UE determines whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier.

[0152] As one implementation method for the UE to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, the UE can determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the UE's carrier aggregation method.

[0153] Optionally, if the carrier aggregation method of the UE is in-band aggregation, the UE may further combine the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and / or the UE's transmit power on the active carrier to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier.

[0154] For example, if the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and its transmit power on the active carrier is less than or equal to a first threshold, it indicates that the difference in transmit power between the UE and the active carrier is not significant. In this case, the AGC on the active carrier can also be used on the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the UE does not need to adjust the AGC on the first secondary carrier, simplifying the activation process. However, if the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and its transmit power on the active carrier is greater than the first threshold, it indicates that the difference in transmit power between the UE and the active carrier is large. If the AGC on the active carrier is used on the first secondary carrier, it will result in an inaccurate AGC on the first secondary carrier. Therefore, in this case, the UE can adjust the AGC on the first secondary carrier. In this way, the AGC on the first secondary carrier can be made more accurate.

[0155] If the UE's carrier aggregation method is inter-band aggregation, it means that the time difference between the signals arriving at the UE on each carrier is relatively large, or in other words, the time difference between the UE's reception of signals on each carrier is relatively large. The AGC of the UE's active carrier may not be applicable to the first secondary carrier. Therefore, in this case, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier to make the AGC of the first secondary carrier more accurate.

[0156] 2. The UE determines the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier.

[0157] As one implementation method for the UE to determine the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier, the UE determines the adjustment method of the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the carrier aggregation method of the UE.

[0158] Optionally, if the UE's carrier aggregation method is in-band aggregation, the UE can further combine the first information to determine the AGC adjustment method of the first secondary carrier. For example, the first information may include the UE's aggregated carrier information, or the first information may include the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and / or the UE's transmit power on the active carrier, as well as the UE's carrier aggregation information. The UE's carrier aggregation information may indicate whether the carriers involved in the aggregation by the UE are continuous or non-contiguous carriers.

[0159] For example, the first information includes the aggregated carrier information of the UE.

[0160] If the carriers involved in the aggregation by the UE are consecutive carriers, this indicates that the time difference between the arrival times of the signals on each carrier is relatively small, or in other words, the time difference between the reception times of the signals on each carrier by the UE is relatively small. Therefore, according to... Figure 3 As illustrated in the embodiment, the UE can obtain coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier based on the timing information of the primary carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the first secondary carrier. The UE can correctly receive the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier based on the coarse timing information. Therefore, in this case, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. Alternatively, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on the temporary RS. For example, if the network device transmits a second temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after the UE obtains the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, it can receive the second temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier, and thus the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the second temporary RS.

[0161] Alternatively, if the carriers involved in the aggregation by the UE are discontinuous carriers, this indicates a significant time difference in signal arrival at the UE from each carrier. In other words, the UE experiences a large time difference in signal reception from each carrier. Therefore, the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier obtained by the UE based on the timing information of the primary carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the first secondary carrier may be inaccurate. The UE may not be able to receive temporary RSs from the network device on the first secondary carrier based on this coarse timing information. In this case, adjusting the AGC using temporary RSs is not feasible. Therefore, in this situation, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other RSs on the first secondary carrier. In other words, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on other RSs. Other RSs include, for example, SSBs and / or CSI-RS. For instance, the UE can blindly detect SSBs and / or CSI-RS on the first secondary carrier to adjust its AGC.

[0162] For example, the first information includes the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and / or the UE's transmit power on the active carrier, as well as carrier aggregation information including the UE.

[0163] If the carriers involved in the UE's aggregation are consecutive carriers, this indicates that the time difference between the signals arriving at the UE on each carrier is relatively small, or in other words, the time difference between the UE's reception of signals on each carrier is relatively small. Therefore, the UE can obtain coarse timing information for the first secondary carrier based on the timing information of the primary carrier. The UE can then correctly receive temporary RS on the first secondary carrier based on this coarse timing information. In this case, if the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and its transmit power on the active carrier is greater than a first threshold, the UE needs to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. The UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS on the first secondary carrier. Alternatively, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on the temporary RS. For example, if the network device sends a second temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after the UE obtains the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, it can receive the second temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier, and thus the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the second temporary RS. Alternatively, if the carriers in which the UE participates in aggregation are continuous carriers, but the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and the UE's transmit power on the active carrier is less than or equal to a first threshold, then the AGC of the active carrier can also be used on the first secondary carrier. In this case, the UE does not need to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thus simplifying the activation process of the secondary carrier.

[0164] Alternatively, if the carriers involved in the UE's aggregation are discontinuous carriers, this indicates a significant time difference in signal arrival at the UE from each carrier. In other words, the UE's reception time differences for signals on each carrier are relatively large. Therefore, the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier obtained by the UE based on the timing information of the primary carrier may be inaccurate. The UE may not be able to receive temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier based on this coarse timing information. In this case, if the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and its transmit power on the active carrier exceeds a first threshold, the UE needs to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. However, adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier using temporary RS is not feasible. Therefore, in this situation, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other RSs on the first secondary carrier. In other words, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on other RSs. Other RSs include, for example, SSB and / or CSI-RS. For instance, the UE can blindly detect SSB and / or CSI-RS on the first secondary carrier to complete the adjustment of the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Alternatively, even if the carriers involved in the aggregation of the UE are non-contiguous carriers, if the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and the UE's transmit power on the active carrier is less than or equal to a first threshold, then the AGC of the active carrier can also be used for the first secondary carrier. In this case, the UE does not need to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thus simplifying the activation process of the secondary carrier.

[0165] Alternatively, if the carriers involved in the aggregation by the UE are non-contiguous carriers, then the first information, in addition to including the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and / or the UE's transmit power on the active carrier, and the carrier aggregation information of the UE, may also include the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and the UE's active carrier. For example, if the carriers involved in the aggregation by the UE are non-contiguous carriers, and the difference between the UE's transmit power on the first secondary carrier and the UE's transmit power on the active carrier is greater than a first threshold, then the UE needs to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. In this case, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and each of the UE's active carriers (i.e., the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and the timing of each of the UE's active carriers) is greater than the CP duration, then regardless of which active carrier's timing information the UE uses to obtain the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the obtained coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier may not be accurate enough, making it impossible to use temporary RS to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and all active carriers of the UE is greater than the CP duration, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other RSs on the first secondary carrier. In other words, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on other RSs. Other RSs include, for example, SSBs and / or CSI-RSs. For instance, the UE can blindly detect SSBs and / or CSI-RSs on the first secondary carrier to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Alternatively, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and at least one active carrier of the UE is less than or equal to the CP duration, the UE can obtain coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier based on the timing information of one or more active carriers in at least one active carrier and the symbol-level timing information of the first secondary carrier. Based on the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the UE can receive temporary RSs from the network device on the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RSs on the first secondary carrier. In other words, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on temporary RSs. For example, the network device transmits a second temporary RS on the first secondary carrier. After the UE obtains the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, it can receive the second temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier. Thus, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the second temporary RS. By further considering the CP duration, the UE can have a certain opportunity to use the temporary RS to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thereby improving the activation efficiency of the first secondary carrier.

[0166] The above describes how the UE determines the AGC adjustment method for the first secondary carrier if the carrier aggregation method is in-band aggregation. The following describes how the UE determines the AGC adjustment method for the first secondary carrier if the carrier aggregation method is inter-band aggregation.

[0167] For example, if the UE's carrier aggregation method is inter-band aggregation, this indicates a significant time difference in signal arrival times across different carriers. In other words, the UE needs to adjust the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) of the first secondary carrier. However, the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier obtained by the UE based on the primary carrier's timing information may not be accurate enough. The UE might not be able to receive temporary RS (Receipts) from the network device on the first secondary carrier based on this coarse timing information. Therefore, using temporary RS to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not feasible in this situation. Instead, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other RSs on the first secondary carrier. In other words, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on other RSs. These other RSs include, for example, SSB (Security Signal Buffer) and / or CSI-RS (Content Security Information System). For instance, the UE can blindly detect SSB and / or CSI-RS on the first secondary carrier to adjust its AGC.

[0168] Alternatively, if the UE's carrier aggregation method is inter-band aggregation, and the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and each of the UE's active carriers is greater than the CP duration, then regardless of which active carrier the UE uses to obtain the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the obtained coarse timing information may be inaccurate, making it impossible to use temporary RS to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and all of the UE's active carriers is greater than the CP duration, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on other RSs on the first secondary carrier. In other words, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted based on other RSs. Other RSs include, for example, SSB and / or CSI-RS. For example, the UE can blindly detect SSB and / or CSI-RS on the first secondary carrier to complete the adjustment of the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Alternatively, if the timing deviation between the first secondary carrier and at least one active carrier of the UE is less than or equal to the CP duration, then the UE can obtain coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier based on the timing information of one or more active carriers among at least one active carrier. According to the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the UE can receive temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. In other words, in this case, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the temporary RS. For example, if the network device transmits a second temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after the UE obtains the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, it can receive the second temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier, and thus the UE can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the second temporary RS. By further considering the CP duration, the UE can have a certain opportunity to use temporary RS to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, thereby improving the activation efficiency of the first secondary carrier.

[0169] S403, UE identifies the first secondary carrier.

[0170] Because the first secondary carrier is unknown in this embodiment, it indicates that the UE has not yet identified the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the UE determines that the AGC needs to be adjusted according to the determination process of S402, the UE can identify the first secondary carrier after adjusting the AGC; or, if the UE determines that the AGC does not need to be adjusted according to the determination process of S402, the UE can identify the first secondary carrier.

[0171] For example, when the secondary carrier to be activated is unknown, the current method for calculating T... activation_time (T activation_time The actual activation duration of the secondary carrier to be activated is represented as follows:

[0172] Tactivationtime＝ T firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX +2×T rs +5ms (Formula 4)

[0173] Among them, T firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX This indicates that adjusting AGC based on SSB requires two SSB-based adjustments. Formula 4 includes two T values. rs One of the Ts rs This represents the duration for identifying the secondary carrier to be activated, where the other T is... rs This indicates the duration of time-frequency synchronization between the UE and the secondary carrier to be activated. Furthermore, Equation 4 is only an example; for instance, the value 5 in Equation 4 can be replaced with other values, or with other functions, or with T in Equation 4. firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX +2×T rs +5ms can also be replaced with f(T) firstSSB_MAX ,T SMTC_MAX ,T rs f(x) represents a function with x as a variable. This function may be an addition function or a function of other computational forms.

[0174] If the UE adjusts the AGC based on the temporary RS, then T firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX This can be changed to indicate the duration of AGC adjustment based on temporary RS, which still requires two AGC adjustment processes based on temporary RS. After the two AGC adjustments based on temporary RS, the UE can identify the first secondary carrier.

[0175] Alternatively, if the UE adjusts the AGC based on other RSs, taking SSB as an example, then after adjusting the AGC twice based on SSB, the UE can identify the first secondary carrier.

[0176] For the process of UE identifying the first secondary carrier, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1B The process is described below. After identifying the first secondary carrier, the UE obtains the symbol-level timing information of the first secondary carrier.

[0177] S404. The network device transmits a first temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, and the UE receives the first temporary RS from the first secondary carrier (or, the UE receives the first temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier).

[0178] S405. The UE performs time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier based on the first temporary RS. This time-frequency synchronization between the UE and the first secondary carrier can also be understood as the UE performing time-frequency tracking or precise timing with the first secondary carrier, or as the UE obtaining precise timing information from the first secondary carrier.

[0179] The method by which the UE obtains coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier has been described previously. For example, if the network device transmits a first temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after obtaining the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the UE can also correctly receive the first temporary RS from the first secondary carrier. Thus, the UE can use the first temporary RS to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier. The first temporary RS and the second temporary RS mentioned earlier can be the same signal or different signals.

[0180] As can be seen, even if the UE does not adjust its AGC, or if the UE adjusts its AGC based on other RSs, the UE can still synchronize its time and frequency with the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS, which can reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier to some extent. Therefore, if the UE adjusts its AGC based on other RSs, the question of when the network device should send a temporary RS (e.g., the first temporary RS) for the UE to perform time and frequency synchronization is to be discussed. If the network device sends the temporary RS too early, even if the UE receives the temporary RS, it cannot perform time and frequency synchronization in time, making the temporary RS redundant information for the UE and wasting transmission resources. Conversely, if the network device sends the temporary RS too late, the UE cannot perform time and frequency synchronization in time, increasing the activation delay of the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the UE adjusts its AGC based on other RSs, this application proposes that the network device can send a temporary RS to the UE when a first condition is met. The first condition can be implemented in different ways, which are illustrated below.

[0181] 1. The first way to implement the first condition.

[0182] The first condition is from the start of sending the activation command to the end of the third SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) cycle.

[0183] For example, the network device can estimate the time it takes for the UE to complete AGC adjustment and identify the first secondary carrier based on the worst-case AGC adjustment process and the secondary carrier identification time, and then trigger the transmission of the temporary RS. For instance, the network device might assume that the UE will complete AGC adjustment and identify the first secondary carrier after three SMTC cycles from the start of sending the S401 activation command. Therefore, the network device can transmit a temporary RS, such as the first temporary RS, from the end of the third SMTC cycle after the activation command is sent. In this case, the activation time of the first secondary carrier can satisfy the following relationship:

[0184] T activation =T firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX +T rs +T first_TempRS +5ms (Formula 5)

[0185] Among them, T firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX This indicates that the duration of AGC is adjusted based on other RSs (e.g., SSB), T rs T represents the duration for identifying the secondary carrier to be activated. first_TempRS This represents the duration for the UE to wait and acquire (or receive) the first complete temporary RS burst from the first secondary carrier. Furthermore, Equation 5 is only an example; for instance, the value 5 in Equation 5 can be replaced with other values, or with other functions, or with T in Equation 5. firstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX +T rs +T first_TempRS +5ms can also be replaced with f(T) firstSSB_MAX ,T SMTC_MAX ,T rs ,T first_TempRS f(x) represents a function with x as a variable. This function may be an addition function or a function of other computational forms.

[0186] In addition, after completing time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier, the UE will measure the first secondary carrier to obtain CSI or CQI, and the UE will send CSI or CQI to the network device. If the network device receives CSI or CQI from the UE, it indicates that the UE has completed time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the network device receives CSI or CQI from the UE, it can stop sending the first temporary RS to save signaling overhead.

[0187] The first implementation method with the first condition allows sufficient time for the UE's AGC adjustment process and the identification process of the first secondary carrier.

[0188] 2. The second way to implement the first condition.

[0189] The first condition is from the completion of sending the activation command to the end of the first SMTC cycle.

[0190] In some cases, the UE's AGC adjustment process and the first secondary carrier identification process may not require three SMTC cycles; for example, they may only require one SMTC cycle. Therefore, to reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier, in the second implementation of the first condition, the network device allocates a shorter time for the UE's AGC adjustment process and the first secondary carrier identification process. After the AGC adjustment process and the first secondary carrier identification process are completed, the UE can promptly receive the temporary RS from the network device, thereby enabling timely time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier.

[0191] For example, in the second implementation of the first condition, when the first condition is met, the network device can continuously transmit temporary RS (e.g., the first temporary RS). After the UE completes time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier, it will measure the first secondary carrier to obtain CSI or CQI, and the UE will transmit CSI or CQI to the network device. If the network device receives CSI or CQI from the UE, it indicates that the UE has completed time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the network device receives CSI or CQI from the UE, it can stop transmitting the first temporary RS to save signaling overhead.

[0192] By adopting the second implementation method of the first condition, the UE can be synchronized with the first secondary carrier in time and frequency as soon as possible, thereby reducing the activation delay of the first secondary carrier.

[0193] 3. The third way to implement the first condition.

[0194] The first condition is that the network device receives a second indication information from the UE, which indicates that the identification of the first secondary carrier has been completed.

[0195] After the UE completes the identification of the first secondary carrier, it can send a second indication information to the network device. After receiving the second indication information, the network device can send a temporary RS (e.g., a first temporary RS) to enable the UE to synchronize time and frequency with the first secondary carrier.

[0196] For example, the second indication information can be implemented through an SSB index. The UE's AGC adjustment process and the identification process of the first secondary carrier may both be completed based on other RSs from the network device, such as SSBs. Therefore, when the UE sends the SSB index to the network device, it indicates that the UE has identified the SSB sent by the network device, and thus the network device can clearly know that the UE has completed the identification of the first secondary carrier.

[0197] For example, the second indication information can be implemented through SR. SR is originally used by the UE to request resources from the network device. When the UE informs the network device that it has completed the identification of the first secondary carrier, it is actually to trigger the network device to send a temporary RS so that the UE can synchronize time and frequency with the first secondary carrier. Therefore, the second indication information can also be regarded as an implicit request for resources. So, using SR as the second indication information not only reuses SR, but also does not deviate from the original function of SR.

[0198] Alternatively, the second indication information can be implemented using other existing information. Using existing information as the second indication information eliminates the need to introduce new information, making the technical solution of this application embodiment more compatible with existing protocols. Alternatively, the second indication information can also be newly introduced information, such as information specifically used to indicate that the UE has completed the identification of the secondary carrier to be activated. Using newly introduced information as the second indication information makes the second indication information more explicit.

[0199] Similarly, after the UE completes time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier, it measures the first secondary carrier to obtain CSI or CQI, and the UE sends CSI or CQI to the network device. If the network device receives CSI or CQI from the UE, it indicates that the UE has completed time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier. Therefore, if the network device receives CSI or CQI from the UE, it can stop sending the first temporary RS to save signaling overhead.

[0200] In addition, the activation process of the first secondary carrier may require other steps, which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1B The process is described below.

[0201] In this embodiment, the UE can assist in activating the secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. For example, the UE can adjust AGC based on the temporary RS, or it can synchronize the time and frequency with the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. This reduces the dependence of the secondary carrier activation process on the SSB, so the activation process does not need to depend on the SSB transmission period, thus speeding up the activation process and reducing the latency. Moreover, even if the UE cannot activate the secondary carrier based on the temporary RS, it can still continue to activate the secondary carrier based on reference signals such as the SSB, providing more options for secondary carrier activation and improving the success rate of secondary carrier activation.

[0202] To better understand the advantages of using the temporary reference signal provided in the embodiments of this application in the activation process of the secondary carrier, the following examples illustrate the differences between using a temporary reference signal for secondary carrier activation and using an SSB for secondary carrier activation. In the following examples, the frequency of the secondary carrier to be activated belongs to FR1.

[0203] Please refer to Figure 4B and 4C , Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of using SSB for secondary carrier activation. Figure 4C This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a temporary reference signal provided in an embodiment of this application for secondary carrier activation. Figure 4B or Figure 4C In the first row, the diagonally drawn boxes represent the time when SSBs are sent, and the blank boxes represent the time when SSBs are not sent. This also shows the SSB sending cycle. Figure 4B and 4C The second and third lines in the text indicate the time relationship relative to the first line. For example... Figure 4C The AGC in the second line indicates the correspondence between the AGC function's time and the SSB's time in the first line. Figure 4C The first line, with the underlined box, indicates the transmission time of the temporary reference signal. Figure 4C Taking a temporary reference signal that is aperiodic as an example, if the network device instructs the UE to activate a secondary carrier, it can send an activation command to the UE. After receiving the activation command, the UE can enter the activation process for that secondary carrier. For example, the UE will process the activation command. After processing the activation command, the UE can adjust the AGC. After the AGC is adjusted, the UE can detect the synchronization signal to identify the secondary carrier. Then, the UE can perform time-frequency synchronization with the secondary carrier. After completing time-frequency synchronization, the UE can measure the secondary carrier to obtain the CSI (or CQI) and send the CSI (or CQI) to the network device, thereby completing the activation process for the secondary carrier. Of course, the activation process for the secondary carrier may also include other steps, which can be found in the previous description. Figure 4B or Figure 4C In the diagram, the arrow indicates the time when the network device sends the activation command. If the transmission delay of the activation command is ignored, the arrow also indicates the time when the UE receives the activation command. HARQ This indicates the time required for the UE to receive and process the activation command. AGC indicates the time the UE performs AGC adjustments. Synchronization signal detection indicates the time the UE detects synchronization signals, such as PSS / SSS. If the secondary carrier to be activated is known, synchronization signal detection is not required. Time-frequency synchronization refers to the time the UE performs time-frequency synchronization as described in the foregoing embodiments. Time-frequency synchronization can also be expressed as time-frequency tracking or precise timing. Reporting CSI refers to the time the UE sends CSI to the network device; alternatively, the UE can also send CQI to the network device. Figure 4B and Figure 4C This is an example using CSI.

[0204] Figure 4BIn the context of the secondary carrier activation process, when the secondary carrier is unknown or known, the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) is aligned with the transmission time of the second SSB (Secondary Subcarrier), indicating that the UE can perform AGC based on the SSB received during the transmission time of the second SSB. When the secondary carrier is unknown, the synchronization signal detection is aligned with the transmission time of the third SSB, indicating that the UE can detect the PSS / SSS received during the transmission time of the third SSB. When the secondary carrier is known, there is no synchronization signal detection process. When the secondary carrier is unknown, the time-frequency synchronization process is aligned with the transmission time of the fourth SSB, indicating that the UE can perform time-frequency synchronization with the secondary carrier based on the SSB received during the transmission time of the fourth SSB. When the secondary carrier is known, the time-frequency synchronization process is aligned with the transmission time of the third SSB, indicating that the UE can perform time-frequency synchronization with the secondary carrier based on the SSB received during the transmission time of the third SSB. Therefore, when activating the secondary carrier using an SSB, the UE needs to receive the SSB according to its transmission cycle to adjust AGC, detect PSS / SSS, and perform time-frequency synchronization. The longer transmission cycle of the SSB results in a longer activation delay for the secondary carrier. The transmission time of the second SSB refers to... Figure 4B The second diagonally lined box from the left represents the time, and the third SSB transmission time refers to... Figure 4B The third diagonally lined box from the left represents the time; the fourth SSB transmission time refers to... Figure 4B The fourth diagonally lined box from left to right represents the time.

[0205] Figure 4C In the context of either an unknown or known secondary carrier, AGC is aligned with the transmission time of the first temporary reference signal, indicating that the UE can perform AGC based on the temporary reference signal received during the transmission time of the first temporary reference signal. When the secondary carrier is unknown, synchronization signal detection is aligned with the transmission time of the second SSB, indicating that the UE can detect the PSS / SSS received during the transmission time of the second SSB. When the secondary carrier is known, there is no synchronization signal detection process. When the secondary carrier is unknown, the network device may not transmit a synchronization signal. Figure 4C The second temporary reference signal shown is transmitted. Figure 4C The third temporary reference signal shown is synchronized with the transmission time of the third temporary reference signal, indicating that the UE can perform time-frequency synchronization with the secondary carrier based on the temporary reference signal received during the transmission time of the third temporary reference signal. When the secondary carrier is known, the network device can transmit... Figure 4C The second temporary reference signal shown, Figure 4CThe third temporary reference signal shown may or may not be transmitted. The time-frequency synchronization process is aligned with the transmission time of the second temporary reference signal, indicating that the UE can perform time-frequency synchronization with the secondary carrier based on the temporary reference signal received during the transmission time of the second temporary reference signal. It is important to note that if a temporary reference signal is used to activate the secondary carrier, and the secondary carrier is known, the network device may continue to transmit the SSB, or it may choose not to transmit the SSB. The reason for this is... Figure 4C The SSB is still shown in the diagram to better compare it with the method of activating the secondary carrier using the SSB.

[0206] As can be seen, temporary reference signals do not need to be transmitted periodically. Network devices can transmit temporary reference signals when the UE requires them, allowing the UE to quickly adjust AGC and perform time-frequency synchronization, significantly reducing the activation delay of the secondary carrier. Since temporary reference signals are aperiodic, there is no need to periodically reserve transmission time for them; therefore, the "transmission time of temporary reference signals" mentioned earlier can be replaced with "temporary reference signal". Furthermore, the transmission time of the first temporary reference signal refers to... Figure 4C The first horizontally lined box from left to right represents the time, and the transmission time of the second temporary reference signal refers to... Figure 4C The second underlined box from left to right represents the time; the transmission time of the third temporary reference signal refers to... Figure 4C The third horizontally lined box from the left in the middle represents the time.

[0207] Additionally, it should be noted that, in Figure 4C In the middle, the network device in the UE's T HARQ A temporary reference signal, T, is sent at the end. HARQ The end time is aligned with the start time of the network device sending the first temporary reference signal. However, this is just an example; in reality, the network device may also synchronize the UE's T... HARQ A temporary reference signal will be sent some time after the event ends. In this case, the UE's T... HARQ The end time may be earlier than Figure 4C The transmission time of the first temporary reference signal in the process. Additionally, Figure 4C In this example, the UE begins adjusting AGC after receiving the temporary reference signal. That is, the start time of the UE's AGC adjustment is aligned with the start time of the network device sending the first temporary reference signal. This is just one example; it's also possible that the UE will begin adjusting AGC some time after the network device sends the temporary reference signal. In other words, the UE may need some reaction time (or processing time). In this case, the start time of the network device sending the first temporary reference signal will be earlier than the start time of the UE's AGC adjustment. Similarly, Figure 4CIn the example of a known secondary carrier, the UE begins time-frequency synchronization after receiving the temporary reference signal. That is, the start time of the UE's time-frequency synchronization is aligned with the start time of the network device sending the second temporary reference signal. This is just one example; it's also possible that the UE will begin time-frequency synchronization some time after the network device sends the temporary reference signal. In other words, the UE may need a certain reaction time (or processing time). In this case, the start time of the network device sending the second temporary reference signal will be earlier than the start time of the UE's time-frequency synchronization. Furthermore, in... Figure 4C In this example, the first and second temporary reference signals are adjacent in the time domain; that is, the network device sends the first and second temporary reference signals consecutively. This is just one example; it's also possible that the network device sends the second temporary reference signal after a certain time interval following the transmission of the first. Furthermore, Figure 4C In the original text, the UE sends the CSI to the network device after completing the time and frequency synchronization. However, in reality, the UE may send the CSI to the network device some time after completing the time and frequency synchronization. That is, the UE may have a certain processing time.

[0208] Figure 3 The illustrated embodiments or Figure 4A In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary carriers to be activated (e.g., the first secondary carrier) all belong to FR1. Please refer to the following... Figure 5 This application introduces another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application, in which the first auxiliary carrier to be activated belongs to a second frequency range, such as FR2.

[0209] S501, the network device sends an activation command to the UE, and the UE receives the activation command from the network device. This activation command may instruct the activation of a secondary carrier, for example, instructing the activation of a first secondary carrier, which is one of the aggregated carriers of the terminal device. In this embodiment, the first secondary carrier, for example, belongs to a second frequency range, such as FR2.

[0210] For more information about the S501, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 3 Description of S301 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0211] S502. If there is already at least one active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, or if the UE has identified the first secondary carrier (or in other words, the first secondary carrier is known), the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not adjusted. Then, S505 is executed.

[0212] S502 can be understood as follows: if there is already at least one active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, the UE may not adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier; or, if the UE has identified the first secondary carrier, the UE may not adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier regardless of whether there is an active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range. Here, the first frequency band is the frequency band where the first secondary carrier is located.

[0213] If there is already at least one active carrier in the first band of the second frequency range, taking FR2 as an example, the frequency difference between the carriers in FR2 is relatively small, so the AGC of the active carrier can be used as the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Therefore, in this case, the UE does not need to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier. In addition, in this case, the UE can also consider the first secondary carrier to be known, and there is no need to identify the first secondary carrier.

[0214] If the first secondary carrier is known, then the UE does not need to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, nor does it need to identify the first secondary carrier.

[0215] S503. If there is no active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, and the UE does not recognize the first secondary carrier (or the first secondary carrier is unknown), the UE receives other RS ​​from the first secondary carrier (or receives other RS ​​from the network device on the first secondary carrier). For example, if the network device transmits other RS ​​on the first secondary carrier, and if there is no active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, and the UE does not recognize the first secondary carrier, then the UE receives other RS ​​from the network device on the first secondary carrier. Other RS ​​may include, for example, SSB and / or CSI-RS. Figure 5 Take SSB as an example.

[0216] S504, The UE adjusts the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the other RS. Figure 5 Taking the example of the UE adjusting the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the SSB, S505 is then executed.

[0217] After the UE receives other RSs from the network device on the first secondary carrier, it can adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the other RSs.

[0218] On FR2, the UE needs to perform receive beam scanning for both AGC adjustment and carrier identification. If the UE needs to adjust AGC or identify the first secondary carrier based on temporary RS on FR2, the network device will transmit temporary RS on multiple downlink transmit beams. The UE uses its uplink receive beam to align with the downlink transmit beams of the network device to receive the signals. By measuring the temporary RS received on each uplink receive beam, the optimal uplink receive beam can be obtained, allowing the UE to receive signals from the first secondary carrier based on this optimal uplink receive beam. If the temporary RS is implemented using TRS, the bandwidth of TRS is relatively large. If receive beam scanning is performed based on TRS, the network device will transmit dozens of TRS patterns, roughly requiring TRS to occupy multiple time slots continuously. Due to the large bandwidth of TRS, continuously transmitting large-bandwidth RS incurs significant overhead for the network device. Therefore, temporary RS is not suitable for AGC adjustment in FR2 unknownscell scenarios. Therefore, if there is no active carrier on the first band of the second frequency range and the UE does not recognize the first secondary carrier, the UE can perform AGC adjustments based on other RS ​​to reduce the overhead of network devices.

[0219] Of course, in this case, the UE can also identify the first secondary carrier based on other RS. For example, after performing AGC adjustments, the UE can complete the identification of the first secondary carrier. For details on the process of the UE identifying the first secondary carrier, please refer to [link to documentation / reference]. Figure 1B The process is described below.

[0220] S502 and S503-S504 are two parallel schemes, and one of them should be selected for implementation depending on the situation.

[0221] S505. The network device transmits a temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, and the UE receives the temporary RS from the first secondary carrier (or, the UE receives the temporary RS from the network device on the first secondary carrier).

[0222] S506. The UE performs time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier based on the temporary RS. Here, the time-frequency synchronization between the UE and the first secondary carrier can also be understood as the UE performing time-frequency tracking or precise timing with the first secondary carrier, or as the UE obtaining the precise timing information of the first secondary carrier.

[0223] exist Figure 3The illustrated embodiment describes how the UE obtains coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier. If S502 is executed, the UE can obtain the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier. Then, for example, if the network device transmits a temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after obtaining the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the UE can also correctly receive the temporary RS from the first secondary carrier, thereby enabling the UE to use the temporary RS to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier.

[0224] If S503 and S504 are executed, the UE can obtain the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier since it has already completed the identification of the first secondary carrier. Then, for example, if the network device sends a temporary RS on the first secondary carrier, after obtaining the coarse timing information of the first secondary carrier, the UE can also correctly receive the temporary RS from the first secondary carrier. Thus, the UE can use this temporary RS to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first secondary carrier (or, in other words, obtain the fine timing information of the first secondary carrier).

[0225] In addition, the activation process of the first secondary carrier may require other steps, which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1B The process is described below.

[0226] As can be seen in this embodiment, even if the UE does not adjust the AGC, or the UE adjusts the AGC according to other RS, the UE can still synchronize the time and frequency with the first secondary carrier according to the temporary RS, which can reduce the activation delay of the secondary carrier to a certain extent.

[0227] Furthermore, the various embodiments of this application analyze in detail the feasibility of using temporary RS to adjust AGC and achieve precise timing in different scenarios, and standardize the behavior of UE and the configuration of network devices, achieving a common understanding between UE and network devices.

[0228] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application is provided. The communication device 600 may be... Figure 3 The illustrated embodiments Figure 4A The illustrated embodiments or Figure 5 The terminal device or its circuitry in any of the embodiments shown is used to implement the method for the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication device may also be... Figure 3 The illustrated embodiments Figure 4A The illustrated embodiments or Figure 5 The network device or its circuit system described in any of the illustrated embodiments is used to implement the method corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiments. Specific functions can be found in the descriptions of the above method embodiments. For example, one type of circuit system is a chip system.

[0229] The communication device 600 includes one or more processors 601. The processor 601, also called a processing unit, can implement certain control functions. The processor 601 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it includes a baseband processor, a central processing unit, etc. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be used to control the communication device 600, execute software programs, and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices or can be disposed in one or more processing circuits, for example, integrated on one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0230] Optionally, the communication device 600 includes one or more memories 602 for storing instructions 604, which can be executed on the processor to cause the communication device 600 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories 602 may also store data. The processor and memories can be provided separately or integrated together.

[0231] Optionally, the communication device 600 may include instructions 603 (sometimes referred to as code or program), which can be executed on the processor to cause the communication device 600 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. Data may be stored in the processor 601.

[0232] Optionally, the communication device 600 may also include a transceiver 605 and an antenna 606. The transceiver 605 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, transceiver, input / output interface, etc., and is used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the communication device 600 through the antenna 606.

[0233] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, etc. It is understood that in some embodiments, the communication device 600 may include more or fewer components, or some components may be integrated, or some components may be separated. These components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0234] The processor 601 and transceiver 605 described in this application embodiment can be implemented on integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuits, mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), or electronic devices. The communication device described herein can be a standalone device (e.g., a standalone integrated circuit, a mobile phone, etc.) or a part of a larger device (e.g., a module embedded in other devices). For details, please refer to the foregoing descriptions of terminal devices and network devices; further details will not be repeated here.

[0235] This application provides a terminal device (referred to as UE for convenience) that can be used in the foregoing embodiments. The terminal device includes components for implementing... Figure 3 The illustrated embodiments Figure 4A The illustrated embodiments or Figure 5 The corresponding means, units, and / or circuits of the UE function described in any of the embodiments shown. For example, a terminal device includes a transceiver module for supporting the terminal device in implementing transceiver functions, and a processing module for supporting the terminal device in processing signals.

[0236] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application is given.

[0237] This terminal device 700 is applicable to Figure 1A , Figures 2A to 2C In the architecture shown in any of the attached figures. For ease of illustration, Figure 7 Only the main components of the terminal device 700 are shown. Figure 7 As shown, the terminal device 700 includes a processor, memory, control circuitry, antenna, and input / output devices. The processor is primarily used for processing communication protocols and data, controlling the entire terminal device 700, executing software programs, and processing software program data. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The control circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, microphones, and keyboards, are mainly used for receiving user input data and outputting data to the user.

[0238] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for ease of explanation, Figure 7Only one memory and processor are shown. In some embodiments, the terminal device 700 may include multiple processors and memories. Memory may also be referred to as storage medium or storage device, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0239] In one example, the antenna and control circuit with transceiver functions can be considered as the transceiver unit 710 of the terminal device 700, and the processor with processing functions can be considered as the processing unit 720 of the terminal device 700. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the terminal device 700 includes a transceiver unit 710 and a processing unit 720. The transceiver unit can also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver device, or transceiver apparatus. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit 710 used to implement the receiving function can be considered as a receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit 710 used to implement the transmitting function can be considered as a transmitting unit; that is, the transceiver unit 710 includes both a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. For example, the receiving unit can also be referred to as a receiver, receiver circuit, or receiving device, and the transmitting unit can be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0240] This application also provides a network device that can be used in the foregoing embodiments. The network device includes components for implementing... Figure 3 The illustrated embodiments Figure 4A The illustrated embodiments or Figure 5 The network device described in any of the embodiments shown has means, units, and / or circuits that enable its functionality. For example, the network device includes a transceiver module to support a terminal device in implementing transceiver functions, and a processing module to support the network device in processing signals.

[0241] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application is given. Figure 8 As shown, the network device is suitable for Figure 1A , Figures 2A to 2C In the architecture shown in any of the accompanying figures, the network device includes: a baseband device 801, a radio frequency (RF) device 802, and an antenna 803. In the uplink direction, the RF device 802 receives information transmitted by the terminal device via the antenna 803 and transmits the information to the baseband device 801 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 801 processes the information from the terminal device and transmits it to the RF device 802, which then processes the information and transmits it to the terminal device via the antenna 803.

[0242] The baseband device 801 includes one or more processing units 8011, a storage unit 8012, and an interface 8013. The processing unit 8011 supports the network device in performing the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The storage unit 8012 stores software programs and / or data. The interface 8013 interacts with the radio frequency device 802, and includes interface circuitry for information input and output. In one implementation, the processing unit is an integrated circuit, such as one or more ASICs, or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of these integrated circuit types. The storage unit 8012 and the processing unit 8011 may be located in the same circuit, i.e., on-chip storage element. Alternatively, the storage unit 8012 may be located in a different circuit than the processing unit 8011, i.e., off-chip storage element. The storage unit 8012 may be a single memory or a collective term for multiple memories or storage elements.

[0243] Network devices can implement some or all of the steps in the above method embodiments through one or more processing unit schedulers. For example, implementing... Figure 3 The illustrated embodiments Figure 4A The illustrated embodiments or Figure 5 The network device in any of the embodiments shown has corresponding functions. The one or more processing units can support the same type of wireless access technology or different types of wireless access technologies.

[0244] When the embodiments provided in this application are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This computer software product, stored in a storage medium, 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 computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. For example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer.

[0245] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; When the first auxiliary carrier is known, the automatic gain control (AGC) of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted based on the measurement period MC of the first auxiliary carrier by the terminal device. The AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted using a temporary reference signal. Receive a first temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier; Time-frequency synchronization is performed between the first temporary reference signal and the first auxiliary carrier. The determination of whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the measurement period of the first secondary carrier by the terminal device includes: If the measurement period of the terminal device for the first secondary carrier is less than or equal to the first measurement period, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not adjusted; or, When the measurement period of the terminal device for the first auxiliary carrier is greater than the first measurement period, a second temporary reference signal is received from the first auxiliary carrier, and the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted according to the second temporary reference signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The activation duration of the first secondary carrier is obtained based on a first duration, which is the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: ； in, This indicates the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. This indicates the first duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, the activation duration of the first auxiliary carrier is obtained based on the second duration; Wherein, the second duration is the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, or the second duration is the maximum value of the third duration and the fourth duration, wherein the third duration is the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, and the fourth duration is the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete reference signal burst set from the second carrier, and the second carrier includes the active carrier of the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the second duration is the duration during which the terminal device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: ； in, This indicates the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. This indicates the second duration. This indicates the duration for which the terminal device waits and acquires a complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the second duration is the maximum of the third duration and the fourth duration, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: ； in, This indicates the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. This indicates the third duration. This represents the fourth duration, and max{x,y} represents taking the maximum value of x and y. This indicates the duration for which the terminal device waits and acquires a complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The reference signal from the second carrier includes one or more of the following: SSB, CSI-RS, or a temporary reference signal.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device sends capability information, which indicates that the adjustment of AGC is related to carriers other than the first secondary carrier, or that the capability information is unrelated to carriers other than the first secondary carrier.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first auxiliary carrier belongs to the first frequency range.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; If the first secondary carrier is unknown, determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device; or, if the first secondary carrier is unknown, receive first indication information from the network device, the first indication information being used to indicate not to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or to indicate the adjustment method for the AGC of the first secondary carrier. Receive a first temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier; Time-frequency synchronization is performed between the first temporary reference signal and the first auxiliary carrier. Determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device includes: When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, it is determined whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier; or, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, it is determined whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on first information. The first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, or, the first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, and includes the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier, wherein the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device indicates whether the carriers participating in aggregation are discontinuous or continuous carriers; or, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, it is determined that the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted using reference signals other than the temporary reference signal on the first secondary carrier; or, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, if the timing deviation of the first auxiliary carrier is greater than the timing deviation of the active carrier of the terminal device than the CP duration, it is determined that the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted using other reference signals on the first auxiliary carrier besides the temporary reference signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier includes: When the carrier aggregation mode of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first auxiliary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is not adjusted.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first information includes: The first information includes carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, and includes the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are continuous carriers, a second temporary reference signal is received from the first secondary carrier, and the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the second temporary reference signal; or... The first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device. When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the carriers participating in the aggregation of the terminal device are continuous carriers, a second temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier is received, and the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the second temporary reference signal.

13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first information includes: The first information includes carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, and includes the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier. If the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, and the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the terminal device are non-contiguous carriers, the terminal device receives the SSB from the first secondary carrier and adjusts the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB; or... The first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device. When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the carriers participating in the aggregation of the terminal device are non-contiguous carriers, the terminal device receives the SSB from the first secondary carrier and adjusts the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

14. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first auxiliary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the timing deviation of the first auxiliary carrier and the timing deviation of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than the CP duration, the SSB from the first auxiliary carrier is received. Adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

15. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, it receives the SSB from the first secondary carrier; Adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

16. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first auxiliary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, and the timing deviation of the first auxiliary carrier and the timing deviation of the active carrier of the terminal device is greater than the CP duration, the SSB from the first auxiliary carrier is received. Adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that, The first auxiliary carrier belongs to the first frequency range.

18. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send an activation command to the terminal device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; An SSB is sent to the terminal device on the first secondary carrier, the SSB being used to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier; If the first condition is met, a temporary reference signal is sent to the terminal device, which is used for time-frequency synchronization between the terminal device and the first auxiliary carrier.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first condition includes: From the moment the activation command is sent until the end of the third SMTC cycle; or, From the moment the activation command is sent until the end of the first SMTC cycle; or, The terminal device receives a second indication message, which indicates that the identification of the first auxiliary carrier has been completed.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The second indication information is the index of the SSB, or the second indication information is the SR.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that, The first auxiliary carrier belongs to the first frequency range.

22. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; If there is at least one active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, or if the first secondary carrier is known, the AGC of the first secondary carrier is not adjusted; or, if there is no active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range and the first secondary carrier is unknown, the SSB from the first secondary carrier is received, and the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the SSB; wherein, the first frequency band is the frequency band in which the first secondary carrier is located. Receive a temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier; The temporary reference signal is used to synchronize the time and frequency with the first auxiliary carrier.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is configured to receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the communication device; The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the automatic gain control (AGC) of the first auxiliary carrier based on the measurement period MC of the first auxiliary carrier by the communication device when the first auxiliary carrier is known, wherein a temporary reference signal is used to adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier. The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a first temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier; The processing unit is further configured to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first auxiliary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal; The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier based on the measurement period of the first auxiliary carrier by the communication device in the following manner: If the measurement period of the first auxiliary carrier by the communication device is less than or equal to the first measurement period, the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is not adjusted; or, When the measurement period of the first auxiliary carrier by the communication device is greater than the first measurement period, the second temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier is received by the transceiver unit, and the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted according to the second temporary reference signal.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, characterized in that, The activation duration of the first secondary carrier is obtained based on a first duration, which is the duration during which the communication device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier.

25. The communication device according to claim 24, characterized in that, The activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: ； in, This indicates the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. This indicates the first duration.

26. The communication device according to claim 23, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, the activation duration of the first auxiliary carrier is obtained based on the second duration; Wherein, the second duration is the duration during which the communication device waits for and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, or the second duration is the maximum value of the third duration and the fourth duration, wherein the third duration is the duration during which the communication device waits for and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, and the fourth duration is the duration during which the communication device waits for and acquires the first complete reference signal burst set from the second carrier, and the second carrier includes the active carrier of the communication device.

27. The communication device according to claim 26, characterized in that, When the second duration is the duration during which the communication device waits and acquires the first complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: ； in, This indicates the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. This indicates the second duration. This indicates the duration for which the communication device waits and acquires a complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier.

28. The communication device according to claim 26, characterized in that, When the second duration is the maximum of the third duration and the fourth duration, the activation duration of the first secondary carrier satisfies the following relationship: ； in, This indicates the activation duration of the first secondary carrier. This indicates the third duration. This represents the fourth duration, and max{x,y} represents taking the maximum value of x and y. This indicates the duration for which the communication device waits and acquires a complete temporary reference signal burst set from the first secondary carrier.

29. The communication device according to any one of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that, The reference signal from the second carrier includes one or more of the following: SSB, CSI-RS, or a temporary reference signal.

30. The communication device according to any one of claims 23 to 28, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send capability information to the network device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate that the adjustment of AGC is related to carriers other than the first secondary carrier, or the capability information is used to indicate that the adjustment of AGC is unrelated to carriers other than the first secondary carrier.

31. The communication device according to any one of claims 23 to 28, characterized in that, The first auxiliary carrier belongs to the first frequency range.

32. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is configured to receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the communication device; The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the communication device when the first secondary carrier is unknown; or, the processing unit is configured to receive first indication information from the network device through the transceiver unit when the first secondary carrier is unknown, the first indication information being used to indicate not to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier, or to indicate the adjustment method for the AGC of the first secondary carrier. The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a first temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier; The processing unit is further configured to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first auxiliary carrier based on the first temporary reference signal; The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device in the following manner: When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, it is determined whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier; or, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, it is determined whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on first information. The first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, or, the first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, and includes the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier, wherein the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device indicates whether the carriers participating in aggregation are discontinuous or continuous carriers; or, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, it is determined that the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted using reference signals other than the temporary reference signal on the first secondary carrier; or, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is inter-band carrier aggregation, if the timing deviation of the first auxiliary carrier is greater than the timing deviation of the active carrier of the terminal device than the CP duration, it is determined that the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted using other reference signals on the first auxiliary carrier besides the temporary reference signal.

33. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier includes: When the carrier aggregation mode of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first auxiliary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the communication device is less than or equal to a first threshold, the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is not adjusted.

34. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, it is determined whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first information: The first information includes carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, and includes the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier. When the carrier aggregation method of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the communication device is greater than a first threshold, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the communication device are continuous carriers, a second temporary reference signal from the first secondary carrier is received through the transceiver unit, and the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the second temporary reference signal; or... The first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device. When the carrier aggregation mode of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the carriers participating in the aggregation of the communication device are continuous carriers, the second temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier is received through the transceiver unit, and the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier is adjusted according to the second temporary reference signal.

35. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, When the carrier aggregation method of the terminal device is in-band carrier aggregation, determining whether to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier based on the first information includes: The first information includes carrier aggregation information of the terminal device, and includes the transmit power of the terminal device on the first secondary carrier and / or the transmit power of the terminal device on the active carrier. When the carrier aggregation method of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first secondary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the communication device is greater than a first threshold, and the carriers participating in aggregation of the communication device are non-contiguous carriers, the transceiver unit receives the SSB from the first secondary carrier and adjusts the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB; or... The first information includes the carrier aggregation information of the terminal device. When the carrier aggregation method of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the carriers participating in the aggregation of the communication device are non-contiguous carriers, the SSB from the first secondary carrier is received through the transceiver unit, and the AGC of the first secondary carrier is adjusted according to the SSB.

36. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the communication device in the following manner: When the carrier aggregation mode of the communication device is in-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first auxiliary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the communication device is greater than a first threshold, and the timing deviation of the first auxiliary carrier and the timing deviation of the active carrier of the communication device is greater than the CP duration, the SSB from the first auxiliary carrier is received through the transceiver unit. Adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

37. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the communication device in the following manner: When the carrier aggregation mode of the communication device is inter-band carrier aggregation, the SSB from the first secondary carrier is received through the transceiver unit; Adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

38. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, The processing unit is configured to determine whether to adjust the AGC of the first auxiliary carrier based on the carrier aggregation method of the communication device in the following manner: When the carrier aggregation mode of the communication device is inter-band carrier aggregation, if the difference between the transmit power of the first auxiliary carrier and the transmit power of the active carrier of the communication device is greater than a first threshold, and the timing deviation of the first auxiliary carrier and the timing deviation of the active carrier of the communication device is greater than the CP duration, the SSB from the first auxiliary carrier is received through the transceiver unit. Adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB.

39. The communication device according to any one of claims 32 to 38, characterized in that, The first auxiliary carrier belongs to the first frequency range.

40. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is used to send an activation command to a terminal device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the terminal device; The transceiver unit is further configured to send an SSB to the terminal device on the first secondary carrier, the SSB being used to adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier; A processing unit is used to determine whether the first condition is met; The transceiver unit is further configured to send a temporary reference signal to the terminal device, the temporary reference signal being used for time-frequency synchronization between the terminal device and the first auxiliary carrier.

41. The communication device according to claim 40, characterized in that, The first condition includes: From the moment the activation command is sent until the end of the third SMTC cycle; or, From the moment the activation command is sent until the end of the first SMTC cycle; or, The terminal device receives a second indication message, which indicates that the identification of the first auxiliary carrier has been completed.

42. The communication device according to claim 41, characterized in that, The second indication information is the index of the SSB, or the second indication information is the SR.

43. The communication device according to any one of claims 40 to 42, characterized in that, The first auxiliary carrier belongs to the first frequency range.

44. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is configured to receive an activation command from a network device, the activation command being used to instruct the activation of a first secondary carrier, the first secondary carrier being one of the secondary carriers of the communication device; The processing unit is configured to, when there is at least one active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range, or when the first secondary carrier is known, not adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier; or, when there is no active carrier in the first frequency band of the second frequency range and the first secondary carrier is unknown, receive the SSB from the first secondary carrier through the transceiver unit and adjust the AGC of the first secondary carrier according to the SSB; wherein, the first frequency band is the frequency band where the first secondary carrier is located. The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a temporary reference signal from the first auxiliary carrier; The processing unit is further configured to perform time-frequency synchronization with the first auxiliary carrier based on the temporary reference signal.

45. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The memory is used to store one or more computer programs, the one or more computer programs including computer execution instructions. When the communication device is running, the processor executes the one or more computer programs stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 17, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in claim 22.

46. ​​A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The memory is used to store one or more computer programs, the one or more computer programs including computer execution instructions, and when the communication device is running, the processor executes the one or more computer programs stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 18 to 21.

47. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, or causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 17, or causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in claim 22.

48. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 18 to 21.

49. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, or causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 17, or causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in claim 22.

50. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 18 to 21.

51. A circuit system, characterized in that, The circuit system includes: A processor and an interface, the processor being configured to call and execute instructions from the interface, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 17, or the method as described in claim 22.

52. A circuit system, characterized in that, The circuit system includes: A processor and an interface, the processor being configured to call and execute instructions from the interface, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 18 to 21.

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