A frequency priority determination method, apparatus, communication device and medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of communication, and provides a frequency priority determination method and device, communication equipment and medium. The frequency priority determination method comprises determining the priority of a candidate frequency according to a frequency supporting an MBS service and / or a service area of the MBS service. The above technical solution considers whether the MBS service is supported and / or the service area of the MBS service, determines the priority of the candidate frequency, can determine a higher priority for the candidate frequency capable of improving the reliability of the MBS service, and thus improves the reliability of the MBS service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a frequency priority determination method, apparatus, communication equipment and medium. Background Technology

[0002] Although 5G has begun commercial use, its coverage in remote ocean and land areas is limited by geographical conditions and business models. To overcome these terrain limitations, integrating satellite communication with terrestrial networks to create a seamless global network encompassing land, sea, air, and space has become a research hotspot in academia and industry. International organizations such as 3GPP and ITU have established working groups to conduct standardization research on satellite-terrestrial integration. 3GPP's NTN (Non-terrestrial networks) project focuses on integrating satellite communication with 5G, addressing key issues in NR (New Radio) support for NTN. Its standardization work will lay the technological foundation for 6G satellite-terrestrial integration research. Future integrated space-air-space networks will primarily focus on deep integration, combining diverse communication platforms to provide broader and more diversified communication services.

[0003] Network equipment in NTN, such as NGSO (Non-Geostationary Orbit) satellites and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites, has a very large coverage area, which can reach hundreds of square kilometers. The services transmitted in different areas within the coverage area may also be different, and different services have their own corresponding service areas.

[0004] When a UE with MBS broadcast-capable service is receiving or interested in receiving a particular MBS service, and multiple available frequencies are available, a suitable frequency can be selected. However, if the selected frequency does not support the MBS service, or if the cell corresponding to the selected frequency may not be in (or will not be in) the service area corresponding to the MBS service for a period of time, the UE may not receive the MBS service or may not receive it for a period of time, resulting in packet loss or even interruption of the MBS service.

[0005] In summary, since the selected frequency cannot guarantee that the UE will be in the service area as soon as it enters the cell, it may lead to packet loss or even service interruption in practical applications, affecting the reliability of MBS services. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problem of low reliability of MBS services due to the selected frequency, this invention provides a frequency priority determination method, apparatus, communication equipment, and medium.

[0007] This application provides a frequency priority determination method, including:

[0008] Priority of candidate frequencies is determined based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services.

[0009] This application provides a frequency priority determination device, including:

[0010] The priority determination module is used to determine the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services.

[0011] This application provides a communication device, including:

[0012] One or more processors;

[0013] Storage device for storing one or more programs;

[0014] When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the frequency priority determination method described above.

[0015] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the frequency priority determination method described above.

[0016] This application provides a frequency priority determination method, apparatus, communication device, and medium. The frequency priority determination method includes determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether they support MBS services and / or the service areas of the MBS services. In determining the priority of candidate frequencies, the above technical solution considers whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services, and can assign higher priority to candidate frequencies that can improve the reliability of MBS services, thereby improving the reliability of MBS services. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments disclosed in this application will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and the originals and elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the service area of ​​MBS service in a cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a frequency priority determination method provided in this application embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between MBS service and a cell, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the service area of ​​MBS service in a cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the distance between a service area and a UE, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a frequency priority determination device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the application and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present application, not the entire structure.

[0025] Before discussing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be noted that some exemplary embodiments are described as processes or methods depicted as flowcharts. Although the flowcharts describe the steps as sequential processes, many of these steps can be performed in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of the steps can be rearranged. The process can be terminated when its operation is complete, but may also have additional steps not included in the figures. The process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subroutine, etc.

[0026] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are only used to distinguish different devices, modules, units or other objects, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules, units or other objects.

[0027] Furthermore, the embodiments and features described in this application may be combined with each other, unless otherwise specified.

[0028] For any Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS), there is a corresponding service area. When a UE is receiving, is interested in receiving, or is about to receive a certain MBS service, it needs to receive the MBS service in the corresponding cell according to the appropriate frequency. If it is not in the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the cell or is not in the service area corresponding to the MBS service for a period of time, it will cause MBS service reception failure, packet loss, or interruption, affecting the reliability or continuity of the MBS service.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the service area of ​​MBS services in a sample cell. (Example:) Figure 1 As shown, the frequencies corresponding to the four cells (Cell1, Cell2, Cell3, and Cell4) are f1, f2, f3, and f4, respectively. The shaded areas in Cell1, Cell2, and Cell4 represent the service areas of the same MBS service. Cell1 has two service areas, A1 and A2, while Cell3 does not have a service area for this MBS service. If the information sent by the transmitting device indicates that f1, f2, and f3 are frequencies available to the UE, but f4 is not a frequency available to the UE (for example, f4 is not included in the information sent by the transmitting device), then if the UE needs to receive the MBS service, it can receive the MBS service through the area indicated by the shaded area in Cell1 or Cell2. The ways in which the information sent by the transmitting device indicates that f1, f2, and f3 are frequencies available to the UE include: ① f1, f2, and f3 are included in the system message; ② the UE has priority information for f1, f2, and f3, and thus the UE performs cell reselection evaluation for f1, f2, and f3. Furthermore, the UE possesses priority information for f1, f2, and f3 through methods including sending system messages, dedicated signaling, or RRC release messages to the UE. The available frequencies described herein are those that the UE can use for cell reselection assessment.

[0030] The UE can receive the MBS service based on the available frequencies. Specifically, if according to f3, the UE cannot correctly receive the MBS service in Cell 3; if according to f1, the UE can enter Cell 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow and immediately enter the service area (A2) of the MBS service, and can quickly receive the MBS service; if according to f2, the UE can enter Cell 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow, but it will take some time to reach the service area of ​​the MBS service, during which time it cannot receive the MBS service. If the MBS service is one that the UE was already receiving before entering Cell 2, packet loss or interruption will occur. Furthermore, the UE cannot receive the MBS service according to f4. It is evident that because the UE lacks sufficient basis to select a suitable frequency, MBS service reception failure, packet loss, or interruption occur.

[0031] This application provides a frequency priority determination method, the purpose of which is to determine the frequency priority for the UE, clarify which frequency(s) has a higher priority, and determine the frequency priority based on whether it can improve the reliability or continuity of MBS services. Higher priority frequencies can be used first, and lower priority frequencies can be avoided as much as possible in practical applications, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS services.

[0032] The UE in this application embodiment can be referred to as a terminal, which can be a mobile terminal, a vehicle-mounted terminal, etc. The UE includes any device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user, such as wireless terminal devices, mobile terminal devices, device-to-device (D2D) terminal devices, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) terminal devices, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal devices, Internet of Things (IoT) terminal devices, light UE, reduced capability UE (REDCAP UE), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, or user device, etc. It can also be user equipment in future communication systems, but this patent is not limited to this.

[0033] The communication equipment in this application embodiment can be access network equipment, core network equipment, or servers, etc. The access network equipment can be a base station in a terrestrial communication network, or a base station in an NTN network. For example, it can be an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next-generation node (gNB) in an NR system, a roadside unit (RSU), a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) in a cloud access network system, or an access network equipment in a future communication system. The core network equipment can be a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Serving Gateway (SGW), a Packet Data Node Gateway (PGW), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) storing user subscription information, a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF), etc., or a core network equipment in a future communication system. This application is not limited to these.

[0034] This application provides a frequency priority determination method applicable to situations where frequency priorities are determined for a UE. Specifically, this frequency priority determination method can be executed by an information device, which can be implemented through software and / or hardware and integrated into a communication device. The communication device can be either a UE or a network device; that is, the UE can determine the priority of candidate frequencies itself, or the network device can determine the priority of candidate frequencies for the UE. Furthermore, the network device can also send candidate frequency priority information to the UE. For example, the network device can indicate the priority of candidate frequencies to the UE through system messages, dedicated signaling, RRC release messages, RRC reconfiguration messages, or other messages.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the frequency prioritization method provided in this application includes the following steps:

[0036] S110. Determine the priority of the candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services.

[0037] In this embodiment, the MBS service can be an MBS service that the UE is currently receiving, will receive, or is interested in receiving. There can be one or more MBS services. For example, in the current communication system, the UE is interested in three MBS services, namely MBS1, MBS2, and MBS3. For MBS1, the priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on whether MBS1 is supported. For MBS2, the priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on the service area of ​​MBS2. For MBS3, the priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on whether MBS3 is supported and the service area of ​​MBS3.

[0038] In this embodiment, the alternative frequency supporting MBS service can be understood as the UE being able to receive MBS service using this frequency, or it can be understood as the cell corresponding to this frequency containing the service area of ​​MBS service, or it can be understood as the service area of ​​MBS service covering part or all of the range of the cell corresponding to this frequency. For an MBS service, there can be one or more alternative frequencies supporting the MBS service.

[0039] The service area of ​​an MBS service can be understood as the area covered by the MBS service, or the area capable of receiving the MBS service. In an NTN network, the services transmitted in different areas within the coverage of network devices may differ. Different MBS services have their own corresponding service areas, and these service areas may overlap. A single cell can have one or more service areas for a single MBS service, or it can have multiple service areas for different MBS services. For example... Figure 3As shown, the service area of ​​MBS service can be within one or more cells, can cover part of multiple cells, can cover the overlapping area between adjacent cells, or can completely cover one or more cells.

[0040] Alternate frequencies mainly refer to frequencies whose priority needs to be determined. When it is necessary to determine the priority of alternative frequencies, the technical solution of this application can be adopted.

[0041] Alternate frequencies can be available frequencies or candidate frequencies. Specifically, alternative frequencies can be frequencies indicated by the network device as usable for receiving MBS services, or frequencies with priority indicated by the network device. Alternate frequencies can include all frequencies available to the UE, or a subset of all available frequencies; frequencies corresponding to all cells surrounding the UE or all neighboring cells, or a subset of frequencies corresponding to all surrounding cells or all neighboring cells; frequencies supporting MBS services (including MBS services of interest and those of no interest), or a subset of frequencies supporting MBS services; frequencies given in MBS USD (User Service Description), system messages, RRC Release messages, RRC Reconfiguration messages, dedicated signaling, or other messages, or a subset thereof, or frequencies that can provide MBS services of interest to the UE, or a subset thereof. This embodiment does not limit the frequency range of alternative frequencies.

[0042] Determining the priority of candidate frequencies can be done in several ways. This includes prioritizing all or some candidate frequencies, ranking them from highest to lowest or lowest to highest priority, identifying which candidate frequencies are higher or lower, or determining the relative priority of at least two candidate frequencies. Priority can be expressed numerically, such as first level, second level, ..., nth level (where n is a positive integer), or it can be described by its degree of priority, such as "high," "medium," or "low."

[0043] In this application embodiment, a candidate frequency has a higher priority, including any of the following cases:

[0044] This alternative frequency has the highest priority among all or some of the alternative frequencies;

[0045] The priority of this alternative frequency is the highest (e.g., level 1 or "high");

[0046] The priority of the alternative frequency is higher than or no lower than the first specified level (e.g., higher than the second level or at least "medium");

[0047] This alternative frequency has a higher priority than one or more other alternative frequencies;

[0048] The priority of this alternative frequency is among the highest priority frequencies in the priority ranking results of all or some alternative frequencies (e.g., it belongs to the top three highest priority frequencies, or the top 50% of the highest priority frequencies).

[0049] Similarly, an alternative frequency has a lower priority, including any of the following cases:

[0050] This alternative frequency has the lowest priority among all or some of the alternative frequencies;

[0051] The priority of this alternative frequency is the lowest priority (e.g., level n or "low");

[0052] The priority of the alternative frequency is lower than or no higher than the second specified level (e.g., lower than the second level or at most "medium"; the second specified level can be the same as or different from the first specified level).

[0053] This alternative frequency has a lower priority than one or more other alternative frequencies;

[0054] The priority of this alternative frequency is among the lowest in the priority ranking results of all or some alternative frequencies (e.g., it is among the top three lowest priority frequencies, or among the top 50% of the highest priority frequencies).

[0055] In this embodiment, the factors for determining the priority of the candidate frequency include at least one of the following: whether MBS service is supported, and the service area of ​​MBS service.

[0056] The priority of any candidate frequency is determined based on whether it supports MBS services. This can be done by determining whether the candidate frequency supports MBS services (if it does, the candidate frequency has a higher priority, and / or if it does not support MBS services, the candidate frequency has a lower priority); or by determining whether the candidate frequency belongs to a frequency range that supports MBS services (if it does, the candidate frequency has a higher priority, and / or if it does not belong to that range, the candidate frequency has a lower priority); or by determining the priority of the candidate frequency based on the number of candidate frequencies that support MBS services (for example, if only one candidate frequency supports MBS services, then that candidate frequency has a higher priority; conversely, if there are zero candidate frequencies that support MBS services (all candidate frequencies do not support MBS services), then all candidate frequencies have a lower priority).

[0057] The priority of determining any candidate frequency based on the service area of ​​the MBS service primarily considers whether the UE has a higher probability, longer duration, or faster speed of being within the MBS service area in the cell corresponding to that candidate frequency. If so, it better guarantees the reliability or continuity of the MBS service. For example, for any candidate frequency f... x The corresponding cell is Cell. x If UE and Cell x The service areas of the internal MBS business are relatively close together, Cell x The service area of ​​the internal MBS service is relatively large, and the UE is in the cell. x The dwell time within the service area of ​​the internal MBS service is relatively long, and the UE can reach the cell relatively quickly. x The service area of ​​the internal MBS service, and / or the UE's preferences, trends, or predicted paths all point to the Cell. x The service area of ​​the internal MBS service, etc., can be used as a basis for determining the higher priority of the candidate frequency.

[0058] Alternatively, the priority of candidate frequencies can be determined by combining two factors: whether MBS services are supported and the service area of ​​MBS services. For example, assign corresponding weights to the two factors, w1 and w2, respectively. For a candidate frequency, if its priority is determined by whether MBS services are supported (P1) and its priority is determined by the service area of ​​MBS services (P2), then the final priority of the candidate frequency is P1*w1 + P2*w2. If w1 and w2 are not set, or if w1 = w2, the two factors are of equal importance.

[0059] For example, for a candidate frequency, if its priority is determined to be low based on any one factor, then the priority of that candidate frequency will ultimately be determined to be low.

[0060] For example, if a candidate frequency can be determined to have a higher priority based on both factors, then the candidate frequency will ultimately be determined to have a higher priority.

[0061] For example, if the priorities determined by two factors may be the same or different, the priority corresponding to one of the factors can be ultimately determined as the priority of the alternative frequency.

[0062] For example, the two factors can be prioritized. For instance, whether or not the MBS service is supported can be considered the primary factor, while the service area of ​​the MBS service can be considered the secondary factor. For a candidate frequency, the primary factor should be used to make the initial judgment, and if necessary, the secondary factor can be used to make a further judgment. Specifically: if the priority is determined to be high based on whether or not the MBS service is supported, the priority can be further determined to be high or low based on the service area of ​​the MBS service; if the priority is determined to be low based on whether or not the MBS service is supported, there is no need to consider the priority determined by the service area of ​​the MBS service, and the priority of the candidate frequency can be directly determined to be low.

[0063] It should be noted that this application can determine the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether the MBS service is supported and / or the service area of ​​the MBS service during the MBS session, i.e., from the establishment to the release of the MBS session; it can determine the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether the MBS service is supported and / or the service area of ​​the MBS service during non-MBS session periods, i.e., not from the establishment to the release of the MBS session; it can also determine the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether the MBS service is supported and / or the service area of ​​the MBS service during other periods; or it can determine the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether the MBS service is supported and / or the service area of ​​the MBS service throughout the entire process.

[0064] by Figure 1For example, determining the priority of candidate frequencies may include at least one of the following: considering that f1 and f2 support MBS services, f1 and f2 can be determined to have higher priorities; considering that the service area (A2) in Cell1 is closer to the UE, f1 can be determined to have higher priorities; considering that there are more service areas (two) in Cell1, f1 can be determined to have higher priorities; considering that the service area (A2) in Cell1 is closer to the UE than the service area in Cell2, f1 can be determined to have higher priorities than f2; considering that the area of ​​a certain service area in Cell1 (such as the area of ​​A2) is larger or the area of ​​all service areas in Cell1 (the total area of ​​A1 and A2) is larger, f1 can be determined to have higher priorities; considering that f3 does not support MBS services or f4 is not a frequency available to the UE, f3 or f4 can be determined to have lower priorities, etc. Based on this, the UE can prioritize using f1 and receive MBS services through Cell1, thereby being able to enter the service area of ​​MBS services as soon as possible; the UE will not use f3 or f4 and will not receive MBS services through Cell3 or Cell4, thereby avoiding MBS service reception failure, interruption or packet loss, and also avoiding unnecessary waste of resources.

[0065] In summary, the frequency priority determination method according to the embodiments of this application takes into account whether MBS service and / or the service area of ​​MBS service are supported during the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies. The association between candidate frequencies and the frequency and / or service area of ​​MBS service can be clarified, thereby reasonably determining the priority. A higher priority can be given to candidate frequencies that can improve the reliability of MBS service, thereby improving the reliability of MBS service in practical applications.

[0066] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0067] S120. Select a target frequency for receiving MBS services based on the priority of the alternative frequencies.

[0068] In this embodiment, the target frequency can be a frequency selected from the candidate frequencies for the UE to receive MBS services. This embodiment does not limit the scenario for receiving MBS services. For example, using the target frequency to receive MBS services could mean that when selecting the (initial) access cell, the cell corresponding to the target frequency is chosen as the target cell, and the UE accesses the target cell and receives MBS services through the target frequency; or, during cell reselection, the cell corresponding to the target frequency can be chosen as the target cell, and the UE switches to the target cell and continues to receive MBS services through the target frequency. Based on the determined priority of the candidate frequencies, a higher-priority candidate frequency can be selected as the target frequency, or a candidate frequency with a not necessarily lower priority can be selected as the target frequency, or a lower-priority candidate frequency can be excluded.

[0069] by Figure 1 For example, assuming the selected target frequency is f1, the UE can prioritize using f1 and receive MBS services through Cell1 in scenarios such as (initial) access or cell reselection. Based on this, the likelihood of not receiving MBS services or experiencing packet loss or interruption when using the target frequency can be reduced, thus improving the reliability and continuity of MBS services through the appropriate selection of the target frequency.

[0070] In some scenarios, multiple target frequencies can be selected. For example, multiple target frequencies can be displayed to the user, who can then determine which target frequency to use or which cell to enter. Alternatively, overlapping areas between cells corresponding to different frequencies may support the simultaneous use of multiple target frequencies to receive multiple MBS services. Typically, one cell corresponds to one frequency, and different cells can correspond to different frequencies. In areas where one cell overlaps with other cells, multiple frequencies can be used.

[0071] It should be noted that determining the priority of alternative frequencies can occur before the selection of the (initial) access cell or during the cell reselection process.

[0072] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0073] S130. Cell reselection is performed according to the priority of the candidate frequencies, wherein the target cell for cell reselection is the cell corresponding to a target frequency selected from the candidate frequencies.

[0074] In this embodiment, the UE can receive MBS services during cell reselection. The cell reselection process mainly includes:

[0075] 1) Determine the available frequencies for the UE;

[0076] 2) Select one of the neighboring cells that support MBS services as the target cell, based on whether the available frequency supports MBS services and / or the service area of ​​the MBS services.

[0077] by Figure 1 For example, assuming the selected target frequency is f1 and the target cell for cell reselection is Cell1, the UE will prioritize using f1, entering Cell1, and receiving MBS services during the cell reselection process. Based on this, the likelihood of not receiving MBS services, or experiencing MBS service packet loss or interruption in the target cell during cell reselection can be reduced, thus improving the reliability of cell reselection and the reliability or continuity of MBS services.

[0078] It should be noted that, for cell reselection process 1), the UE can determine the available frequencies by obtaining the frequency list indicated by system messages and other information, as well as the priority of the frequencies indicated by priority information.

[0079] It should be noted that, for step 2) in the cell reselection process, the UE can determine the frequency priority based on whether it supports MBS service and / or the service area of ​​the MBS service, and then select one of the neighboring cells that support MBS service as the target cell.

[0080] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas supporting MBS services includes: the priority of candidate frequencies that support MBS services is higher than the priority of candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services.

[0081] For example, if the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to three cells (Cell1, Cell2, and Cell3), designated f1, f2, and f3 respectively, where f1 and f2 support MBS services while f3 does not, then f1 and f2 have a higher priority than f3. Based on this, the candidate frequencies supporting MBS services can be prioritized, ensuring that higher-priority frequencies support MBS service reception, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS services to some extent.

[0082] In one embodiment, the priority of candidate frequencies supporting more important MBS services is higher than the priority of candidate frequencies supporting less important MBS services.

[0083] For example, if the candidate frequencies include frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), designated f1 and f2 respectively, where f1 supports one MBS service (MBS1) and f2 supports another MBS service (MBS2), and MBS1 is more important than MBS2 (e.g., MBS1 has higher real-time requirements, more important transmitted service data, higher service priority, or higher QoS requirements), then f1 can be determined to have a higher priority than f2, or f1 may have a higher priority and / or f2 may have a lower priority. Based on this, the candidate frequency supporting the more important MBS service can be prioritized, ensuring the reliability or continuity of important MBS services.

[0084] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas supporting MBS services includes: for candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services, determining the priority of candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services as the lowest priority.

[0085] For example, the alternative frequency f x Corresponding to Cell x If f x If MBS service is not supported, then determine f. x The priority is low, for example, it can be determined by f. x The lowest priority frequency is assigned. That is, if MBS services cannot be received in a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency that is considered available, then that candidate frequency is determined to have the lowest priority. The candidate frequency considered available can also be a frequency indicated by the network device as usable for receiving MBS services, or a frequency whose priority has been indicated by the network device. Based on this, the lowest priority candidate frequency can be quickly determined. When selecting or using the target frequency, the lowest priority candidate frequency can be quickly eliminated, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS services.

[0086] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas supporting MBS services includes: when the number of candidate frequencies supporting MBS services is 1, determining the priority of the candidate frequency supporting MBS services as the highest priority.

[0087] For example, if only one alternative frequency supports MBS services, then that alternative frequency is given higher priority; specifically, it can be designated as the highest priority. In other words, if a UE can only receive MBS services by camping on one alternative frequency providing the service, then that alternative frequency is considered to have the highest priority. Based on this, the highest priority alternative frequency can be quickly determined. When selecting or using a target frequency, the highest priority alternative frequency can be given priority consideration, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS services.

[0088] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of MBS services includes: determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether candidate frequencies support MBS services and / or the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service areas of MBS services.

[0089] Specifically, this could involve determining the priority of all or some of the candidate frequencies, assigning priority to all or some of the candidate frequencies and sorting them according to priority from high to low or from low to high, determining which candidate frequencies are higher or lower, or determining the relative priority of at least two candidate frequencies.

[0090] In this embodiment, for any candidate frequency, the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service includes at least one of the following:

[0091] Relationship 1: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0092] Specifically, if the UE enters the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process and is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then the candidate frequency has a higher priority. And / or, if the UE enters the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process but is not within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then the candidate frequency has a lower priority.

[0093] The term "within the service area corresponding to the MBS service" can mean that the UE is immediately within the service area corresponding to the MBS service upon entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency. It can also mean that the edge of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency overlaps, is tangent to, or is adjacent to the edge of the service area corresponding to the MBS service. Alternatively, it can mean that the intersection between the UE's current cell and the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency overlaps, is tangent to, or is adjacent to the edge of the service area corresponding to the MBS service. It can also mean that the service area corresponding to the MBS service covers the edge of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, or covers the intersection between the UE's current cell and the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, or covers the location where the UE enters the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, etc.

[0094] by Figure 1 For example, after the UE enters Cell1, it is in the service area (A1), so it can be determined that f1 has a higher priority; after the UE enters Cell2, it is not in the service area, so it can be determined that f2 has a lower priority; it can also be determined that the priority of f1 is higher than the frequency priority of f2, etc.

[0095] Relationship 2: The number of service areas corresponding to MBS services after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0096] Specifically, after a UE enters a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, it may be located in one or more service areas. The priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on the number of service areas it is located in at this time. For example, if it is located in more service areas, the candidate frequency has a higher priority; if it is located in fewer service areas, the candidate frequency has a lower priority; the more service areas it is located in, the higher the priority; and / or, the candidate frequency located in more service areas in the corresponding cell has a higher priority than the candidate frequency located in fewer service areas in the corresponding cell, etc.

[0097] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to three cells (Cell1, Cell2, and Cell3), namely f1, f2, and f3, respectively. The diagonally filled areas (A1 and A2) represent the service areas of one MBS service, and the dotted-filled area (A3) represents the service area of ​​another MBS service. A2 and A3 overlap. After a UE enters Cell1 or Cell2, it will be in at least one service area. Specifically, after entering Cell1, it will be in one service area (A1); after entering Cell2, it will be in two service areas (A2 and A3); and after entering Cell3, it will not be in any service area. Therefore, at least one of the following can be determined:

[0098] f1 and f2 have higher priority;

[0099] f3 has a lower priority;

[0100] The priorities of f1 and f2 are both higher than the priority of f3;

[0101] The priority of f2 is no lower than the priority of f1.

[0102] Relationship 3: The area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0103] Specifically, after a UE enters a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, if it is within at least one service area, the area of ​​the service area may vary. The priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on the area of ​​the service area it is currently in. For example, a larger service area results in a higher priority for the candidate frequency; a smaller service area results in a lower priority; and the larger the service area, the higher the priority; and / or, a candidate frequency with a larger service area within the corresponding cell has a higher priority than a candidate frequency with a smaller service area within the corresponding cell, etc. A larger service area results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency, which to some extent can increase the probability, duration, or speed at which the UE remains within the MBS service area after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of the MBS service.

[0104] For example, for an MBS service, the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2. The service area where the UE is located after entering Cell1 is 300 square kilometers, and the service area where the UE is located after entering Cell2 is 100 square kilometers. Then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0105] f1 has higher priority;

[0106] f2 has a lower priority;

[0107] f1 has a higher frequency priority than f2.

[0108] For example, such as Figure 4As shown, the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to three cells (Cell1, Cell2 and Cell3), namely f1, f2 and f3 respectively. There are two MBS services, MBS1 and MBS2. The diagonally filled areas (A1 and A2) represent the service area of ​​one MBS service, and the dotted filled area (A3) represents the service area of ​​the other MBS service. A2 and A3 overlap. After entering Cell1 or Cell2, the UE will be within at least one service area. Entering Cell1, it will be within one service area (A1); entering Cell2, it will be within two service areas (A2 and A3); entering Cell3, it will not be within any service area. The areas corresponding to A1, A2, and A3 are S1, S2, and S3, respectively, where S1 < S2 < S3. The area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service after the UE enters Cell1 is S1. The area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service after the UE enters Cell2 (assumed to be S') can be determined based on S2 and / or S3. If S' > S1, at least one of the following can be determined:

[0109] f1 and f2 have higher priority;

[0110] f3 has a lower priority;

[0111] The priorities of f1 and f2 are both higher than the priority of f3;

[0112] The priority of f2 is no lower than the priority of f1.

[0113] It should be noted that, for a business area, the area of ​​that business area can be its absolute size, such as 100 square kilometers; or it can be the proportion of the business area within the corresponding residential area, for example... Figure 4 The area of ​​the MBS service area in Cell2 is 15% of the total area of ​​Cell2.

[0114] If the service area is part of the overlap of multiple service areas, the area of ​​the service area can be determined by comprehensively considering the areas of the overlapping service areas. For example, it could be the sum of the areas of multiple service areas, the union of the areas of multiple service areas, the average of the areas of multiple service areas, the minimum area among multiple service areas, the maximum area among multiple service areas, the weighted area of ​​multiple service areas, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service among multiple service areas, or the area of ​​the service area closest to the UE among multiple service areas. Figure 4 After the UE enters Cell2, the area S' of the service area corresponding to the MBS service can be the sum of the areas of multiple service areas, S2+S3, or the union of A2 and A3. Figure 4The union of A2 and A3 is A3, with an area of ​​S2∪S3. It can be the average area of ​​multiple business areas (S2+S3) / 2, the minimum area min(S2,S3) among multiple business areas, the maximum area max(S2,S3) among multiple business areas, the area of ​​the business area corresponding to the more important MBS business between MBS1 and MBS2 (e.g., if MBS2 is more important, then it's S2), or the weighted area w of multiple business areas. a *S2+w b *S3, where w a and w b These can be the weights corresponding to A2 and A3, or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2, or the area of ​​the service area closest to the UE in A2 and A3, etc. This embodiment does not limit the calculation method for overlapping areas involving multiple service areas.

[0115] The distance between a service area and the UE can refer to the distance between the service area and the UE along the UE's movement path, predicted path, or planned path, or it can refer to the straight-line distance between the service area and the UE. The aforementioned path can be obtained based on the UE's preferences, historical movement trajectories, path planning, and / or predicted future movement trajectories. The straight-line distance between the service area and the UE can be the distance between the center of the service area and the UE's current location, such as... Figure 5 The dashed line between the center of A4 and the location of the UE in (a) is shown; it can also be the minimum distance between the edge of the service area and the location of the UE, such as... Figure 5 The dashed line between the point on the right edge of A4 in (b) and the location of the UE can be the distance between the center of the service area and the location where the UE enters the cell to which the service area belongs, such as... Figure 5 The dashed line between the center of A4 and the location where the UE enters Cell1 in (c) is shown, where the UE enters Cell1 from Cell0 in the direction indicated by the arrow; it can be the minimum distance between the edge of the service area and the location where the UE enters the cell to which the service area belongs, such as... Figure 5 The dashed line between the point on the right edge of A4 in (d) and the position where the UE enters Cell1 is shown, where the UE enters Cell1 from Cell0 in the direction indicated by the arrow; it can be the center of the service area, and the distance between the intersection of the two cells before and after the UE enters the cell to which the service area belongs, such as... Figure 5 The dashed line between the center of A4 and the intersection of Cell0 and Cell1 in (e) is shown; the point on the right edge; it can also be the edge of the service area, the minimum distance between the intersection of the two cells before and after the UE enters the cell to which the service area belongs, such as... Figure 5The dashed line between the point on the right edge of A4 and the intersection of Cell0 and Cell1 in (f) is shown. This embodiment does not limit the method of distance calculation. A closer proximity between a service area and the UE can, to some extent, indicate that the UE is more likely, longer-lasting, or faster-than-expected to remain within the MBS service area after entering the cell to which that service area belongs.

[0116] Relationship 4: The number of service areas corresponding to MBS services in the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies;

[0117] Specifically, the number of service areas in the cell corresponding to each candidate frequency may vary. The priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on the number of service areas in the cell. For example, if the number of service areas in the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency is large, the candidate frequency has a higher priority; if the number of service areas in the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency is small, the candidate frequency has a lower priority; the larger the number of service areas in the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency, the higher the priority; and / or, the priority of a candidate frequency with a larger number of service areas in the corresponding cell is higher than the priority of a candidate frequency with a smaller number of service areas in the corresponding cell, etc. A candidate frequency with a larger number of service areas in the cell corresponds to a higher priority, which to some extent can make it more likely, longer, or faster for the UE to be in the service area of ​​MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS service.

[0118] For example, if the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to three cells (Cell1, Cell2, and Cell3), namely f1, f2, and f3 respectively, and Cell1 has 2 service areas, Cell2 has 1 service area, and Cell3 has 0 service areas, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0119] f1 and f2 have higher priority;

[0120] f3 has a lower priority;

[0121] The priorities of f1 and f2 are both higher than the priority of f3;

[0122] The priority of f2 is no lower than the priority of f1.

[0123] Relationship 5: The area of ​​the service region corresponding to the MBS service in the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency;

[0124] Specifically, the service area within the cell corresponding to each candidate frequency may differ. The priority of a candidate frequency can be determined based on the area of ​​its service area. For example, a larger service area within the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency results in a higher priority for that candidate frequency; a smaller service area results in a lower priority; and the larger the service area within the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency, the higher the priority; and / or, a candidate frequency with a larger service area within its corresponding cell has a higher priority than a candidate frequency with a smaller service area within its corresponding cell, and so on. A larger service area within the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency indicates a higher priority for that candidate frequency, suggesting that the UE is more likely to remain within the MBS service area for a longer period or at a faster speed after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency.

[0125] For example, the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2, respectively. The area of ​​the service area in Cell1 is S1, and the area of ​​the service area in Cell2 is S2. Since S1 > S2, at least one of the following can be determined.

[0126] f1 has a higher priority than f2;

[0127] f1 has higher priority;

[0128] f2 has a lower priority.

[0129] It should be noted that if a cell has multiple service areas, which can be for the same MBS service or different MBS services, and these service areas may or may not overlap, then the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service in that cell can be the sum of the areas of these multiple service areas, the union of the areas of the multiple service areas, the average of the areas of the multiple service areas, the minimum area among the multiple service areas, the maximum area among the multiple service areas, the weighted area of ​​the multiple service areas, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service among the multiple service areas, or the area of ​​the service area closest to the UE among the multiple service areas, etc.

[0130] Relationship 6: The time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0131] Specifically, after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the UE may not immediately be within the MBS service area, but may need some time to reach it. The process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies may include: a longer time taken to reach the MBS service area results in a lower priority for the corresponding candidate frequency; a shorter time taken to reach the MBS service area results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency; and / or, the priority of candidate frequencies with shorter time taken to reach the MBS service area is higher than that of candidate frequencies with longer time taken to reach the MBS service area, etc. A shorter time taken to reach the MBS service area results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency, which to some extent can increase the probability, duration, or speed at which the UE is within the MBS service area after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability and continuity of the MBS service.

[0132] For example: if the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively, and the UE needs 1 minute to reach the service area after entering Cell1 and 2 minutes to reach the service area after entering Cell2, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0133] f1 has higher priority;

[0134] f2 has a lower priority;

[0135] f1 has a higher priority than f2.

[0136] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the time it takes for the UE to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell of the candidate frequency can be determined based on factors such as the shortest time, longest time, total time, average time, weighted time, time to reach the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service, or time to reach the service area closest to the UE among the multiple service areas. This information is then used to determine the priority of the candidate frequency. For example: candidate frequency f x Corresponding Cell x There are two service areas, A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS1, and A2 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS2. When the UE enters the Cell... x Afterwards, it takes time T1 to reach A1 and time T2 to reach A2; therefore, for Cell... xThe time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering Cellx can be the shortest time min(T1,T2), the longest time max(T1,T2), the total time (T1+T2), the average time ((T1+T2) / 2), or the weighted time (w). a *T1+w b *T2, where w a and w b These can be the weights corresponding to A1 and A2, or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2, respectively; the time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service (e.g., T2 if MBS2 is the most important); or the time taken to reach the service area closest to the UE between A1 and A2.

[0137] Relationship 7: Arrival time of MBS service area after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0138] Specifically, after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the UE may not immediately be within the MBS service area, but may need some time to reach it. The process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies may include: a later arrival time in the MBS service area results in a lower priority for the corresponding candidate frequency; an earlier arrival time results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency; and / or, a candidate frequency with an earlier arrival time in the MBS service area has a higher priority than a candidate frequency with a later arrival time. A higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency due to an earlier arrival time in the MBS service area can, to some extent, increase the probability, duration, or speed at which the UE remains within the MBS service area after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of the MBS service.

[0139] For example: If the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively, and the UE arrives in the service area at time t1 after entering Cell1, and arrives in the service area at time t2 after entering Cell2, and t1 is earlier than t2, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0140] f1 has higher priority;

[0141] f2 has a lower priority;

[0142] f1 has a higher priority than f2.

[0143] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the arrival time of the UE after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and reaching the service area corresponding to the MBS service can be determined based on the earliest arrival time, latest arrival time, average arrival time, weighted arrival time, arrival time to the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service, or the time taken to reach the service area closest to the UE among the multiple service areas. This information is then used to determine the priority of the candidate frequency. For example: candidate frequency f x Corresponding Cell x There are two service areas, A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS1, and A2 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS2. When the UE enters the Cell... x Then, it reaches A1 at time t1 and A2 at time t2; then for Cell x The time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering Cellx can be the shortest time min(t1,t2), the longest time max(t1,t2), the total time (t1+t2), the average time ((t1+t2) / 2), or the weighted time (w). a *t1+w b *t2, where w a and w b These can be the weights corresponding to A1 and A2, or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2, respectively; the time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service (e.g., t2 if MBS2 is the most important); or the time taken to reach the service area closest to the UE between A1 and A2.

[0144] Relationship 8: After entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency through the cell reselection process, can it reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the first set time period?

[0145] Specifically, after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the UE may not immediately be within the service area of ​​the MBS service, but may need some time to reach it. The process of determining the priority of the candidate frequency may include: if the UE can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within a first set time period after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the candidate frequency can be determined to have a higher priority; if the UE cannot reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the first set time period after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the candidate frequency can be determined to have a lower priority; and / or, the priority of the candidate frequency that can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the first set time period is determined to be higher than the priority of the candidate frequency that cannot reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the first set time period. The first set time period can be set according to actual needs; the larger the value of the first set time period, the greater the probability that the candidate frequency will have a higher priority. If a UE can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the first set time period, it has a higher priority for the corresponding alternative frequency. This can indicate that after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency, the UE is more likely to be in the service area of ​​the MBS service for a longer period of time or at a faster speed.

[0146] Taking a scenario where there is only one service area in the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency as an example, for instance, the first set duration is 2 minutes: the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively. If the UE can reach the service area within 2 minutes after entering Cell1, but cannot reach the service area within 2 minutes after entering Cell2, then at least one of the following can be determined: f1 has a higher priority, f2 has a lower priority, or f1 has a higher priority than f2.

[0147] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the priority of the candidate frequency can be determined based on whether the UE can reach all service areas, any specified service area, the service area closest to the UE, or the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service within a first set time period.

[0148] Relationship 9: The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0149] Specifically, the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency that the UE enters through the cell reselection process may not be adjacent to or overlap with the service area corresponding to the MBS service. There may be a certain distance between them. The process of determining the priority of the candidate frequency may include: a longer distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area corresponding to the MBS service results in a lower priority for the corresponding candidate frequency; a shorter distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area corresponding to the MBS service results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency; and / or, a candidate frequency with a shorter distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area corresponding to the MBS service has a higher priority than one with a longer distance. A shorter distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area corresponding to the MBS service results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency. To some extent, this can increase the probability, duration, or speed at which the UE remains within the service area of ​​the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of the MBS service.

[0150] For example: if the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively, and the UE is 1 kilometer away from the service area after entering Cell1 and 2 kilometers away from the service area after entering Cell2, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0151] f1 has higher priority;

[0152] f2 has a lower priority;

[0153] f1 has a higher priority than f2.

[0154] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and its distance to the service area corresponding to the MBS service can be determined based on the minimum, maximum, average, and weighted distances between the UE and these multiple service areas after entering the corresponding cell, the distance to the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service, or the distance to the service area closest to the UE. This distance is then used to determine the priority of the candidate frequency. For example: candidate frequency f x Corresponding Cell x There are two service areas, A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS1, and A2 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS2. When the UE enters the Cell... x After that, the distance to A1 is d1, and the distance to A2 is d2; then for Cell x Enter Cellx The distance between the location and the service area corresponding to the MBS service can be the minimum distance min(d1,d2), maximum distance max(d1,d2), average distance ((d1+d2) / 2), and weighted distance (w) corresponding to multiple service areas. a *d1+w b *d2, where w a and w b These can be the weights corresponding to A1 and A2, or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2, respectively; the distance to the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service (e.g., if MBS2 is the most important, then it is d2); or the distance to the service area closest to the UE (e.g., if d1 > d2, then it is d2), etc.

[0155] Relationship 10: The duration of stay within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0156] Specifically, if a UE stays in the service area corresponding to the MBS service for a longer duration after entering the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency, the candidate frequency is considered to have a higher priority. Conversely, if a UE stays in the service area corresponding to the MBS service for a shorter duration after entering the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency, the candidate frequency is considered to have a lower priority. And / or, the priority of a candidate frequency with a longer stay within the service area corresponding to the MBS service is higher than the priority of a candidate frequency with a shorter stay within the service area corresponding to the MBS service. The stay duration within a service area can be understood as the duration the UE stays in the service area upon its first entry or subsequent entry, the total stay duration across multiple entries, or the ratio of the stay duration within the service area to the stay duration within the cell. A longer dwell time within the service area corresponding to MBS services results in a higher priority for the corresponding alternative frequencies. To a certain extent, this can increase the probability, duration, or speed at which a UE remains within the service area of ​​MBS services after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS services.

[0157] The duration of stay can be the duration of stay after the first entry or a single entry into the business area, the total duration of multiple stays, or the ratio of the duration of stay in the business area to the duration of stay in the community.

[0158] For example: if the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively, and the UE stays in the service area for 30 minutes after entering Cell1 and for 10 minutes after entering Cell2, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0159] f1 has higher priority;

[0160] f2 has a lower priority;

[0161] f1 priority is higher than f2 frequency priority.

[0162] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the UE's dwell time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell can be determined based on factors such as the UE's minimum dwell time, maximum dwell time, average dwell time, weighted dwell time, dwell time in the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service, or dwell time in the service area closest to the UE. This determines the priority of the candidate frequency. For example: candidate frequency f x Corresponding Cell x There are two service areas, A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS1, and A2 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS2. When the UE enters the Cell... x Then, the time spent in A1 is r1, and the time spent in A2 is r2; then for Cell x Enter Cell x The dwell time in the location and the business area corresponding to the MBS service can be the minimum dwell time min(r1,r2), the maximum dwell time max(r1,r2), the average dwell time ((r1+r2) / 2), and the weighted dwell time (w). a *r1+w b *r2, where w a and w b These include the weights corresponding to A1 and A2, or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2, the dwell time in the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service (e.g., if MBS2 is the most important, then it is r2), or the dwell time in the service area closest to the UE (e.g., if it is close to A2, then it is r2), etc.

[0163] Relationship 11: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period;

[0164] Specifically, if a UE, after entering the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency, is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period, then the candidate frequency is determined to have a higher priority. If, after entering the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency, the UE is not within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period, then the candidate frequency is determined to have a lower priority. And / or, the priority of a candidate frequency that is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period is higher than the priority of a candidate frequency that is not within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period. Being within a service area within the second set time period can be understood as always being within that service area or never leaving it, or being within that service area for most of the time (e.g., 80% of the time). The second set time period can be set according to actual needs; the larger the value of the second set time period, the greater the probability that the candidate frequency will have a higher priority. If a UE can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period, it will have a higher priority for the corresponding alternative frequency. To a certain extent, this can make the UE more likely to remain in the service area of ​​the MBS service for a longer period of time or at a faster speed after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of the MBS service.

[0165] For example, if the second set duration is 10 minutes: the alternative frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively. If the UE is in the service area for 10 minutes after entering Cell1, but is not in the service area for 10 minutes after entering Cell2, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0166] f1 has higher priority;

[0167] f2 has a lower priority;

[0168] f1 has a higher priority than f2.

[0169] Relationship 12: The duration of time the user leaves the service area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0170] Specifically, if a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency and has a short departure time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then that candidate frequency has a higher priority. Conversely, if a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency and has a long departure time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then that candidate frequency has a lower priority. And / or, the priority of a candidate frequency with a shorter departure time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service is higher than the priority of a candidate frequency with a longer departure time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service. The departure time within a service area can be understood as the duration of the UE's first or a single departure from that service area, the total duration of multiple departures, or the ratio of the departure time to the time spent in that cell. A shorter departure time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, resulting in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency, can, to some extent, increase the probability, duration, or speed at which the UE remains within the MBS service area after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability and flexibility of the MBS service.

[0171] Taking a scenario where the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency has only one service area as an example, for instance: the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively. If the UE leaves the service area 10 minutes after entering Cell1 and leaves the service area 30 minutes after entering Cell2, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0172] f1 has higher priority;

[0173] f2 has a lower priority;

[0174] f1 priority is higher than f2 frequency priority.

[0175] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the departure time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell can be determined based on the UE's minimum departure time, maximum departure time, average departure time, weighted departure time, departure time relative to the service area corresponding to the most important MBS service, and departure time relative to the nearest service area. This allows for the determination of the priority of the candidate frequency. For example: candidate frequency f x Corresponding Cell x There are two service areas, A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS1, and A2 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS2. When the UE enters the Cell... x Afterwards, the departure time from A1 is g1, and the departure time from A2 is g2; then for Cell...x Enter Cell x The departure time of the location and the business area corresponding to the MBS service can be the minimum departure time min(g1,g2), the maximum departure time max(g1,g2), the average departure time ((g1+g2) / 2), and the weighted departure time (w). a *g1+w b *g2, where w a and w b These include the weights corresponding to A1 and A2 (or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2), the departure time from the business area corresponding to the most important MBS business (g2 if MBS2 is the most important), and the departure time from the nearest business area (g2 if MBS2 is relatively close).

[0176] Relationship 13: The area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the alternative frequency through the cell reselection process.

[0177] Specifically, if a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency and has a small departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then that candidate frequency has a higher priority. Conversely, if a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency and has a large departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then that candidate frequency has a lower priority. And / or, the priority of a candidate frequency with a smaller departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service is higher than the priority of a candidate frequency with a larger departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service. A smaller departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service results in a higher priority for the corresponding candidate frequency. This can, to some extent, increase the probability, duration, or speed at which the UE remains within the MBS service area after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, thereby improving the reliability and flexibility of the MBS service.

[0178] For example: if the candidate frequencies include the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively, and the area of ​​the UE leaving the service area after entering Cell1 is 100 square meters, and the area of ​​the UE leaving the service area after entering Cell2 is 300 square meters, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0179] f1 has higher priority;

[0180] f2 has a lower priority;

[0181] f1 priority is higher than f2 frequency priority.

[0182] If a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell with multiple service areas, the departure area of ​​the UE within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell can be determined based on factors such as the UE's minimum departure area, maximum departure area, union of departure areas, average departure area, weighted departure area, or departure area corresponding to the most important MBS service. This departure area can then be used to determine the priority of the candidate frequency. For example: candidate frequency f x Corresponding Cell x There are two service areas, A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS1, and A2 corresponds to one MBS service, MBS2. When the UE enters the Cell... x Afterwards, the area leaving A1 is y1, and the area leaving A2 is y2; then for Cell x Enter Cell x The separation area between the location and the business area corresponding to the MBS service can be the minimum separation area min(y1,y2), the maximum separation area max(y1,y2), the average separation area ((y1+y2) / 2), and the weighted separation area (w). a *y1+w b *y2, where w a and w b These can be the weights corresponding to A1 and A2, or the weights corresponding to MBS1 and MBS2, the union of the departure areas (y1∪y2), or the departure area of ​​the business area corresponding to the most important MBS business (e.g., if MBS2 is the most important, then it is y2), etc.

[0183] Relationship 14: Whether the cell corresponding to the frequency to be determined includes part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0184] Specifically, if the cell corresponding to the pending frequency contains part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service, it means that the pending frequency supports the MBS service, and the pending frequency has a higher priority. If the cell corresponding to the pending frequency does not contain part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service, it means that the pending frequency does not support the MBS service, and the pending frequency has a higher priority. And / or, the priority of the pending frequency whose corresponding cell contains part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service is higher than the priority of the pending frequency whose corresponding cell does not contain part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service. The fact that the corresponding cell contains part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service gives the corresponding pending frequency a higher priority. To a certain extent, this can make it more likely, longer, or faster for the UE to be in the service area of ​​the target MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the pending frequency, thus improving the reliability or flexibility of the MBS service.

[0185] For example: If the undetermined frequency includes the frequencies corresponding to two cells (Cell1 and Cell2), namely f1 and f2 respectively, where Cell1 contains part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service, and Cell2 does not contain part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0186] f1 has higher priority;

[0187] f2 has a lower priority;

[0188] f1 priority is higher than f2 frequency priority.

[0189] Furthermore, if the cell corresponding to the frequency to be determined contains the entire service area corresponding to the MBS service, then the frequency to be determined has a higher priority; the priority of the frequency to be determined that contains the entire service area corresponding to the MBS service in the corresponding cell is higher than the priority of the frequency to be determined that contains only a portion of the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the corresponding cell; and / or, the priority of the frequency to be determined that contains only a portion of the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the corresponding cell is higher than the priority of the frequency to be determined that does not contain the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the corresponding cell.

[0190] For example: If the undetermined frequency includes the frequencies corresponding to three cells (Cell1, Cell2, and Cell3), namely f1, f2, and f3 respectively, where Cell1 contains the entire service area corresponding to the MBS service, Cell2 contains a portion of the service area corresponding to the MBS service, and Cell3 does not contain a portion or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then at least one of the following can be determined:

[0191] f1 has higher priority;

[0192] f3 has a lower priority;

[0193] Both f1 and f2 have higher priority than f3;

[0194] f1 has higher priority than f2.

[0195] f2 has a higher priority than f3.

[0196] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether they support MBS services and / or the service areas of the MBS services includes: determining the priority of candidate frequencies that support MBS services and whose corresponding cells satisfy preset conditions for the relationship between the service areas of the MBS services as the highest priority.

[0197] In this embodiment, if there are multiple candidate frequencies supporting MBS services, the highest priority can be determined during the priority determination process. Specifically, if a candidate frequency supports MBS services, and the relationship between the cell corresponding to that candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service meets a preset condition, then that candidate frequency can be determined to have the highest priority. In other words, if a UE can receive the MBS service by camping on multiple candidate frequencies providing MBS services, the priority of the candidate frequency can be determined by whether the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service meets the corresponding preset conditions. It should be noted that there can be multiple relationships between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service; that is, there can be one or more candidate frequencies with the highest priority.

[0198] Based on this, the highest priority alternative frequency can be quickly determined. When selecting or using the target frequency, the highest priority alternative frequency can be given priority, thereby improving the reliability or continuity of MBS services.

[0199] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies may further include at least one of the following:

[0200] If the number of alternative frequencies supporting MBS services is 0, the alternative frequency supporting MBS services is determined to have a low priority, for example, the lowest priority.

[0201] When the number of alternative frequencies supporting MBS services is 1, the alternative frequency supporting MBS services is determined to have a higher priority, for example, the highest priority.

[0202] If the number of candidate frequencies supporting MBS services is greater than one, the priority of the candidate frequencies shall be determined based on whether the candidate frequencies support MBS services and / or the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service.

[0203] In one embodiment, the preset conditions include at least one of the following:

[0204] Preset condition 1: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the cell is located within the service area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0205] Specifically, if a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through the cell reselection process and is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then the priority of that candidate frequency can be determined as the highest priority. Figure 1 For example, after the UE enters Cell1, it is in the service area (A1), so it can be determined that f1 has a higher priority.

[0206] Preset condition 2: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service reaches the first threshold.

[0207] Specifically, after a UE enters a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, if the number of service areas it is in reaches a first threshold, then the candidate frequency has the highest priority. The first threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, when the first threshold is 1, preset condition 2 is equivalent to preset condition 1; for example, when the first threshold is 2, the number of service areas it is in is at least 2, and the corresponding candidate frequency has the highest priority. Figure 4 As shown, after the UE enters Cell2, it is in two service areas (A2 and A3). After entering Cell3, it is not in any service area. Therefore, the priority of f2 can be determined to be the highest priority.

[0208] Preset condition 3: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service is not less than the second threshold.

[0209] Specifically, after a UE enters a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, if the area of ​​the service region corresponding to the MBS service it is in reaches a second threshold, then the candidate frequency has the highest priority. The second threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, if the second threshold is 500 square kilometers, and the area of ​​the service region the UE is in after entering a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through the cell reselection process is at least 500 square kilometers, then the corresponding candidate frequency has the highest priority.

[0210] Preset condition 4: In the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies, the number of service areas corresponding to MBS services reaches the third threshold.

[0211] Specifically, if the number of service areas in a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency reaches the third threshold, then the candidate frequency has the highest priority. The third threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, when the third threshold is 2, if a candidate frequency corresponds to a cell that includes service areas corresponding to at least two MBS services, then the candidate frequency has the highest priority.

[0212] Preset condition 5: In the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service reaches the fourth threshold.

[0213] Specifically, if the service area of ​​a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency reaches the fourth threshold, then the candidate frequency has the highest priority. The fourth threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, if the fourth threshold is 500 square kilometers, and the service area corresponding to MBS services in a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency reaches 500 square kilometers, then the candidate frequency has the highest priority.

[0214] It should be noted that the area of ​​a service area can be an absolute area or a proportional area. If a cell has multiple service areas, these service areas can be for the same MBS service or different MBS services, and they may or may not overlap. Therefore, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service in that cell can be the sum of the areas of these multiple service areas, the union of the areas of the multiple service areas, the average of the areas of the multiple service areas, the minimum area among the multiple service areas, the maximum area among the multiple service areas, the weighted area of ​​the multiple service areas, the area of ​​the service area for the most important MBS service among the multiple service areas, or the area of ​​the service area closest to the UE among the multiple service areas, etc.

[0215] Preset condition 6: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the fifth threshold.

[0216] Specifically, after a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through cell reselection, it may not immediately be within the service area of ​​the MBS service. Instead, it may take some time to reach the MBS service area. If the time taken to reach the MBS service area does not exceed the fifth threshold, the corresponding candidate frequency can be determined as the highest priority. The fifth threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0217] For example, the fifth threshold is 2 minutes. For Cell...x If the UE enters the cell x If the time taken to reach the business area is no more than 2 minutes, then the Cell is determined. x The corresponding alternative frequency f x The priority is the highest. If Cell x If there are multiple service areas, the shortest time, longest time, total time, average time, weighted time, and time taken to reach the service area of ​​the most important MBS service can be used as the data for UE entry into the cell. x The time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0218] Preset condition 7: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the arrival time to the service area corresponding to the MBS service is not later than the set time.

[0219] Specifically, after a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through cell reselection, it may not immediately be within the service area of ​​the MBS service. Instead, it may take some time to reach the MBS service area. If the time taken to reach the MBS service area does not exceed the fifth threshold, the corresponding candidate frequency can be determined as the highest priority. For example, the time can be set to 12:00:00. (For Cell...) x If the UE arrives at the service area after entering Cellx at a time no later than 12:00:00, then the Cell is determined. x The corresponding alternative frequency f x The priority is the highest. If Cell x If there are multiple service areas, the earliest arrival time, longest arrival time, average arrival time, weighted arrival time, and arrival time to the service area with the most important MBS service can be used as the UE's entry time into the cell. x Arrival time of the business area.

[0220] Preset condition 8: The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency after entering the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the sixth threshold.

[0221] Specifically, if the UE enters the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through cell reselection, and the distance between this cell and the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the sixth threshold, then the corresponding candidate frequency can be determined as having the highest priority. The sixth threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, the sixth threshold can be 200 meters. (For Cell...) x If the UE enters the cell xIf the distance to the business area is no more than 200 meters, then the Cell is determined. x The corresponding alternative frequency f x The priority is the highest. If Cell x If there are multiple service areas inside, the UE can be entered into the Cell. x The distances to each service area, including the nearest distance, the farthest distance, the average distance, the weighted distance, the distance to the service area of ​​the most important MBS service, or the distance to the nearest service area among all service areas, are used as the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the distance between the cell and the service area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0222] Preset condition 9: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the dwell time in the service area corresponding to the MBS service is not less than the seventh threshold.

[0223] Specifically, if a UE, after entering the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through cell reselection, spends at least the seventh threshold time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service, then the priority of the corresponding candidate frequency can be determined as the highest priority. The seventh threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0224] For example, the seventh threshold is 10 minutes. For Cell... x If the UE enters the cell x If the dwell time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service is at least 10 minutes, then the Cell is determined. x The corresponding alternative frequency f x The priority is the highest. If Cell x If there are multiple service areas, the UE's shortest dwell time, longest dwell time, total dwell time, average dwell time, weighted dwell time, dwell time in the service area of ​​the most important MBS service, or dwell time in the nearest service area can be used as the UE's entry time into the cell. x The duration of stay within the business area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0225] Preset condition 10: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the time spent outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the eighth threshold.

[0226] Specifically, if a UE enters the cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through cell reselection, and its departure time outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service is not less than the eighth threshold, then the priority of the corresponding candidate frequency can be determined as the highest priority. The eighth threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0227] For example, the eighth threshold is 5 minutes. For Cell... x If the UE enters the cell x If the time spent outside the business area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed 5 minutes, then the Cell is determined. x The corresponding alternative frequency fx has the highest priority. If Cell x If there are multiple service areas, the UE's shortest departure time, longest departure time, total departure time, average departure time, weighted departure time, and departure time in the service area of ​​the most important MBS service can be used as the UE's entry time into the cell. x The duration of absence when the customer is outside the business area corresponding to the MBS business.

[0228] Preset condition 11: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the ninth threshold.

[0229] Specifically, if a UE, after entering a cell corresponding to a candidate frequency through cell reselection, has an absence area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service that is not less than the ninth threshold, then the priority of the corresponding candidate frequency can be determined as the highest priority. The ninth threshold can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0230] For example, the ninth threshold is 1000 square meters. For Cell x If the UE enters the cell x If the area outside the business area corresponding to the MBS business does not exceed 1000 square meters, then the Cell is determined. x The corresponding alternative frequency f x The priority is the highest. If Cell x If there are multiple service areas outside, the minimum departure area, maximum departure area, total departure area, union of departure areas, average departure area, weighted departure area, departure area in the service area of ​​the most important MBS service, or departure area in the nearest service area can be used as the UE's departure area when entering a cell. x The area outside the business area corresponding to the MBS business.

[0231] In one embodiment, selecting a target frequency from candidate frequencies includes: determining the target frequency as the highest priority candidate frequency when the number of highest priority candidate frequencies is 1; and determining a candidate frequency as the target frequency from the highest priority candidate frequencies when the number of highest priority candidate frequencies is greater than 1.

[0232] Specifically, if there is only one highest priority candidate frequency, that highest priority candidate frequency can be used as the target frequency for receiving MBS services or cell reselection, etc.; if there are multiple highest priority candidate frequencies, one can be selected as the target frequency according to actual needs. For example, a target frequency can be selected based on UE preferences, user specifications, UE historical data on MBS services, etc., or a target frequency can be randomly selected, etc.

[0233] It should be noted that if the service area of ​​the MBS service covers all or part of at least two adjacent cells, such as Figure 3 In cases 2-4, when determining the priority of the required frequencies for these adjacent cells, there may be instances where the frequencies have the same priority. Figure 3 Taking scenario 3 as an example, the service area covers three cells, one of which is the cell where the UE is currently located, and the other two are adjacent cells. The relationship between these two adjacent cells and the service area of ​​the MBS service may be the same, for example:

[0234] After the UE enters these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, it is immediately placed within the service area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0235] After a UE enters one of these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service may be the same, and the priority of the candidate frequencies corresponding to these two adjacent cells may be the same.

[0236] After the UE enters these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service may be the same.

[0237] The number of service areas corresponding to MBS services in these two adjacent cells may be the same;

[0238] The service area corresponding to MBS services in these two adjacent cells may be the same size;

[0239] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service may be the same.

[0240] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the arrival time to the service area corresponding to the MBS service may be the same;

[0241] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, they may be able to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the first set time period (or they may not be able to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service).

[0242] The distance between the location of the two adjacent cells entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the corresponding cell;

[0243] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the dwell time within the service area corresponding to the MBS service may be the same.

[0244] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, they may (or may not) be within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period.

[0245] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the departure time outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service may be the same.

[0246] After entering these two adjacent cells through the cell reselection process, the departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service may be the same.

[0247] Both of these adjacent cells contain part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service.

[0248] Therefore, when using one or more of the above relationships to determine the priority of the candidate frequencies corresponding to these two adjacent cells, if the relationship between these two adjacent cells is the same, then the priority of these two candidate frequencies is the same. That is, there may be more than one mandatory frequency with the highest priority. In this case, a candidate frequency can be determined from the candidate frequencies with the highest priority as the target frequency.

[0249] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0250] S100: Receive priority information sent by the network device, wherein the priority information is used to indicate the priority of the alternative frequencies.

[0251] Specifically, network devices can send priority information for candidate frequencies to the UE. For example, network devices can indicate the priority of candidate frequencies to the UE through system messages, dedicated signaling, or RRC Release messages, such as indicating that one or more candidate frequencies have higher priority, one or more candidate frequencies have lower priority, and / or the relative priority of at least two candidate frequencies. After receiving the priority information, the UE can further determine the priority of the candidate frequencies based on whether it supports MBS services and / or the service area of ​​MBS services. For example, for multiple candidate frequencies with higher priority, it can further determine which candidate frequencies(s) have the highest priority; for multiple candidate frequencies with lower priority, it can further determine which candidate frequencies(s) have the lowest priority. Based on this, by indicating priority information through network devices, the range of candidate frequencies for which priority needs to be determined can be further clarified, improving the reliability of priority determination.

[0252] Specifically, regarding such as Figure 1 In the communication scenario shown, the method for determining the priority of candidate frequencies in this application may include: First, assuming that the system messages obtained by the UE include f1, f2, and f3, and that the priority information obtained by the UE indicates the priority information of f1, f2, and f3, then f1, f2, and f3 are available frequencies that can be used for cell reselection evaluation. Further, since f3 cannot support MBS1, while f1 and f2 can, f3 has a lower priority, and f1 and f2 have higher priorities. Even further, since the UE can immediately be within the MBS service area after entering Cell1 through the cell reselection process, but cannot immediately be within the MBS service area after entering Cell2 through the cell reselection process, f1 has a higher priority than f2. Thus, the priority of the candidate frequencies is determined.

[0253] In one embodiment, the number of MBS services is 1 or greater than 1; any MBS service corresponds to at least one service area.

[0254] Specifically, an MBS service can have one or more service areas, and multiple service areas of an MBS service can be located in the same or different cells. Different service areas can belong to the same MBS service or different MBS services. Different service areas can correspond to different cells or different alternative frequencies. There can be overlap between the service areas of different MBS services.

[0255] In one embodiment, the network corresponding to the MBS service is a non-terrestrial network.

[0256] In non-terrestrial networks, the services transmitted in different areas within the coverage of network equipment may differ. Different MBS services have their own corresponding service areas, and these service areas may overlap. A single cell can have one or more service areas for one MBS service, or it can have service areas for multiple MBS services.

[0257] In one embodiment, MBS services include MBS broadcast services and / or MBS multicast services.

[0258] Specifically, MBS (Multi-band Broadcast Service) is primarily a point-to-multipoint service. Service data can be transmitted from a single sender to multiple receivers. The UE (User Equipment) can be any UE within the broadcast service area or a UE within a multicast group. For an MBS service, there can be multiple UEs as receivers, each with different candidate frequencies. Each UE can prioritize its candidate frequencies based on one or two factors (whether it supports the MBS service and / or the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service). The factors, relationships, and / or preset conditions used by different UEs to determine candidate frequency priorities can vary and can be flexibly selected according to actual needs.

[0259] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a frequency priority determination device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the frequency priority determination device provided in this embodiment includes:

[0260] The priority determination module 210 is used to determine the priority of the candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services.

[0261] In one embodiment, the device further includes:

[0262] The selection module is used to select a target frequency for receiving the MBS service based on the priority of the alternative frequencies.

[0263] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a selection module for cell reselection based on the priority of candidate frequencies, wherein the target cell for cell reselection is the cell corresponding to a target frequency selected from the candidate frequencies.

[0264] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services includes:

[0265] Alternate frequencies that support MBS services have higher priority than alternative frequencies that do not support MBS services.

[0266] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services includes:

[0267] For candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services, the priority of the candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services is determined to be the lowest priority.

[0268] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services includes:

[0269] When the number of alternative frequencies supporting MBS services is 1, the priority of the alternative frequency supporting MBS services is determined to be the highest priority.

[0270] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services includes:

[0271] The priority of the candidate frequencies is determined based on whether the candidate frequencies support MBS services and / or the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service.

[0272] The relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service includes at least one of the following:

[0273] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0274] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service;

[0275] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0276] The number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service in the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies;

[0277] The area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency;

[0278] The time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0279] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the arrival time of the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0280] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within a first set time period;

[0281] The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0282] The duration of stay within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process;

[0283] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period;

[0284] The duration of time the user leaves the cell outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process.

[0285] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service is the departure area.

[0286] In one embodiment, the process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of the MBS services includes:

[0287] The candidate frequencies that support MBS services and whose relationship with the corresponding cell and the service area of ​​the MBS service meets preset conditions are given the highest priority.

[0288] In one embodiment, the preset conditions include at least one of the following:

[0289] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service;

[0290] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service reaches the first threshold.

[0291] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service is not less than the second threshold.

[0292] In the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service reaches the third threshold.

[0293] In the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service reaches the fourth threshold.

[0294] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the fifth threshold.

[0295] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the arrival time to the service area corresponding to the MBS service shall not be later than the set time.

[0296] The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the sixth threshold.

[0297] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the dwell time in the service area corresponding to the MBS service shall not be less than the seventh threshold.

[0298] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the departure time outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service shall not exceed the eighth threshold.

[0299] After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the ninth threshold.

[0300] In one embodiment, selecting a target frequency from candidate frequencies includes:

[0301] When the number of the highest priority candidate frequencies is 1, the target frequency is determined as the highest priority candidate frequency;

[0302] If the number of the highest priority candidate frequencies is greater than 1, select one candidate frequency from the highest priority candidate frequencies as the target frequency.

[0303] In one embodiment, the device further includes a receiving module for receiving priority information sent by a network device, the priority information being used to indicate the priority of alternative frequencies.

[0304] In one embodiment, the number of MBS services is 1 or greater than 1;

[0305] Each of the MBS services corresponds to at least one service area.

[0306] In one embodiment, the network corresponding to the MBS service is a non-terrestrial network.

[0307] In one embodiment, the MBS service includes MBS broadcast service and / or MBS multicast service.

[0308] The frequency priority determination device provided in this application embodiment can be used to execute the frequency priority determination method provided in any of the above embodiments, and has corresponding functions and beneficial effects.

[0309] This application also provides a communication device, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor enables the processor to implement the frequency priority determination method described above.

[0310] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the frequency priority determination method or frequency priority determination method described in any embodiment.

[0311] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the frequency priority determination method or frequency priority determination method described in any embodiment.

[0312] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0313] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0314] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the embodiments and protection scope of this application. Those skilled in the art should realize that any equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made using the description and illustrations of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining frequency priority, characterized in that, include: The priority of candidate frequencies is determined based on whether MBS services are supported and the service area of ​​the MBS services. The process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and the service areas of the MBS services includes: The priority of the candidate frequencies is determined based on whether the candidate frequencies support MBS services and the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service. The relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service includes at least one of the following: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service; The number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service in the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies; The area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency; The time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the arrival time of the service area corresponding to the MBS service; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within a first set time period; The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service; The duration of stay within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period; The duration of time the user leaves the cell outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service is the area of ​​absence. Does the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency include part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service? 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A target frequency is selected based on the priority of the alternative frequencies to receive the MBS service.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Cell reselection is performed based on the priority of the candidate frequencies, where the target cell for cell reselection is the cell corresponding to a target frequency selected from the candidate frequencies.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of prioritizing candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of said MBS services includes: Alternate frequencies that support MBS services have higher priority than alternative frequencies that do not support MBS services.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of prioritizing candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of said MBS services includes: For candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services, the priority of the candidate frequencies that do not support MBS services is determined to be the lowest priority.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of prioritizing candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of said MBS services includes: When the number of alternative frequencies supporting MBS services is 1, the priority of the alternative frequency supporting MBS services is determined to be the highest priority.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of prioritizing candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and / or the service areas of said MBS services includes: The candidate frequencies that support MBS services and whose relationship with the corresponding cell and the service area of ​​the MBS service meets preset conditions are given the highest priority.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The preset conditions include at least one of the following: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service reaches the first threshold. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service is not less than the second threshold. In the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service reaches the third threshold. In the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service reaches the fourth threshold. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the fifth threshold. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the arrival time to the service area corresponding to the MBS service shall not be later than the set time. The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the sixth threshold. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the dwell time in the service area corresponding to the MBS service shall not be less than the seventh threshold. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the departure time outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service shall not exceed the eighth threshold. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the departure area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service does not exceed the ninth threshold.

9. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Select a target frequency from the candidate frequencies, including: When the number of the highest priority candidate frequencies is 1, the target frequency is determined as the highest priority candidate frequency; If the number of the highest priority candidate frequencies is greater than 1, select one candidate frequency from the highest priority candidate frequencies as the target frequency.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive priority information sent by network devices, the priority information being used to indicate the priority of alternative frequencies.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of MBS services is 1 or greater than 1; Each of the MBS services corresponds to at least one service area.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The network corresponding to the MBS service is a non-terrestrial network.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The MBS services include MBS broadcast services and / or MBS multicast services.

14. A frequency priority determination device, characterized in that, include: The priority determination module is used to determine the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and the service area of ​​the MBS services. The process of determining the priority of candidate frequencies based on whether MBS services are supported and the service areas of the MBS services includes: The priority of the candidate frequencies is determined based on whether the candidate frequencies support MBS services and the relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service. The relationship between the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency and the service area of ​​the MBS service includes at least one of the following: After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service; The number of service areas corresponding to the MBS service in the cells corresponding to the candidate frequencies; The area of ​​the service area corresponding to the MBS service in the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency; The time taken to reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the arrival time of the service area corresponding to the MBS service; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it can reach the service area corresponding to the MBS service within a first set time period; The distance between the location of the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency entered through the cell reselection process and the service area corresponding to the MBS service; The duration of stay within the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process; After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, whether it is within the service area corresponding to the MBS service within the second set time period; The duration of time the user leaves the cell outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service after entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process. After entering the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency through the cell reselection process, the area outside the service area corresponding to the MBS service is the area of ​​absence. Does the cell corresponding to the candidate frequency include part or all of the service area corresponding to the MBS service? 15. A communication device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to implement the frequency priority determination method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the frequency priority determination method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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