A communication method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable medium

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a communication method, electronic device, and computer-readable medium. The method includes: a user equipment (UE) being in a communication connection state and not detecting any data communication service; the UE starting a first timer; the UE determining that the duration of the first timer is greater than a first duration and entering an idle state, wherein a first time difference between the first duration and a second duration of a second timer of a network device connected to the UE is greater than a time difference threshold; and the network device sending a connection release message to the UE when the duration of the second timer is greater than the second duration. This avoids the problem of the UE missing paging messages and missed calls due to a mismatch between the UE status queried by the network and the actual status of the UE, thus improving the user's call experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically to a communication method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable medium. Background Technology

[0002] To achieve low power consumption for user equipment (UE), UEs will switch to an idle or inactive state after a certain period of inactivity (e.g., 10 seconds). For example, UEs supporting Long Term Evolution (LTE) will switch to the IDLE state after a period of inactivity (e.g., 10 seconds), while UEs supporting New Radio (NR) will switch to the idle or inactive state when there is no service. During this time, the UE will typically disconnect from the network. (Reference) Figure 1 In the scenario shown, user equipment 100, such as mobile phone 101, printer 102, computer 103, etc., can maintain a connection with base station 200 and remain in a connected state when engaging in internet or voice services. When user equipment 100 has no service, it can switch to an idle state and disconnect from base station 200.

[0003] When the network side has service data to send to user equipment 100, such as when the network side receives a call from another device and needs to send call-related service data, if the user equipment status queried by the network side is not synchronized with the actual current status of user equipment 100, for example, the network side queries that user equipment 100 is in an idle state, while user equipment 100 is actually in a connected state, then user equipment 100 may miss incoming calls. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, electronic device, and computer-readable medium that can prevent user equipment from missing paging messages and thus missing incoming calls when the user equipment fails to receive connection release messages sent by the network side, due to the inconsistency between the user equipment status queried by the network side and the actual status of the user equipment. This is beneficial to improving the user's call experience.

[0005] Specifically, in a first aspect, this application provides a communication method, the method comprising: a user equipment being in a communication connection state and not detecting a data communication service; the user equipment starting a first timer; the user equipment determining that the duration of the first timer is greater than a first duration and entering an idle state, wherein a first time difference between the first duration and a second duration of a second timer of a network device connected to the user equipment is greater than a time difference threshold, wherein the network device sends a connection release message to the user equipment when the duration of the second timer is greater than the second duration.

[0006] For example, the aforementioned user equipment can be an electronic device such as a mobile phone capable of data communication services. The aforementioned network equipment can be a base station and a core network, etc. The second timer of the aforementioned network equipment can be, for example, an inactive timer T1 started by the base station, and correspondingly, the first timer started by the aforementioned user equipment can be, for example, an inactive timer T2 set by the user equipment after learning the timeout pattern of T1.

[0007] Thus, the solution provided in the first aspect allows the user equipment (UE) to start an inactive timer T2 when it is in a connected state and determines there is no service (e.g., no data communication service is detected). Correspondingly, the base station will also start an inactive timer T1 in this service-free state. Furthermore, after the base station determines that T1 has timed out and sends a connection release message, the UE can promptly enter an idle state based on the T2 timeout result (e.g., the duration of the first timer is greater than the first duration), and use the idle state paging message receiving mechanism to listen for paging opportunities and receive paging messages. In this way, the UE can avoid the situation where the actual state of the UE is out of sync with the UE state on which the base station sends the paging message due to missed connection release messages from the base station, potentially leading to the UE missing paging messages from the base station. It can be understood that the paging message sent by the base station to the user can be a paging message generated by the core network to which the base station is connected when it receives a call request for the UE.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, the user equipment starts the first timer at the same time as the network device starts the second timer.

[0009] In other words, the user equipment can start an inactive timer synchronously with the base station. This ensures that the user equipment can determine whether the first timer has expired when the base station confirms that the second timer has expired.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect above, the user equipment determines that the duration of the first timer is greater than the first duration and enters an idle state, including: the user equipment detects that the duration of the first timer is greater than the first duration and determines that no connection release message has been received; the user equipment listens for the paging opportunity based on a first mechanism for receiving paging messages in the idle state, wherein the paging message is a paging message sent by the network device to the user equipment at the corresponding paging opportunity based on the first mechanism, and the paging message is used to wake up the user equipment from the idle state to receive data communication service data sent by the network device.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, the communication connection state is the state in which the user equipment and the network device establish and maintain a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection, and the connection release message is a message used to instruct the user equipment to disconnect the RRC connection with the network device.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect above, the method further includes: the user equipment is in a communication connection state and no data communication service is detected; the user equipment receives a connection release message and determines that the timing duration of the first timer is less than a first duration; the user equipment disconnects the RRC connection with the network device in response to the connection release message and closes the first timer.

[0013] If the user equipment receives a connection release message before the first timer expires, it can close the first timer and end the timing.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect above, the absence of detected data communication service includes: the user equipment detects that there is no data transmission in the data channel between it and the connected network device, and determines that no data communication service has been detected.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first aspect above, the first duration of the first timer is determined based on the second duration of the second timer, and the user equipment obtains the second duration of the second timer by: the user equipment determining a first moment when no data communication service is detected; the user equipment determining a second moment when a connection release message is received; and the user equipment calculating the second duration based on a second time difference between the first moment and the second moment.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect above, the time difference threshold is determined based on the communication delay between the user equipment and the network equipment, and the first duration is equal to the sum of the second duration and the time difference threshold.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, the network equipment includes a base station. It can be understood that the network side interacting with the user equipment may include not only network equipment such as base stations, but also the core network that interacts with the base station to implement data communication services for the user equipment.

[0018] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, the user equipment includes electronic equipment supporting the LTE network standard and / or electronic equipment supporting the NR network standard.

[0019] In a second aspect, this application provides an electronic device comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories; the one or more memories storing one or more programs, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform the communication method provided by the first aspect and various possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0020] Thirdly, this application provides a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method provided by the first aspect and various possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0021] Fourthly, this application provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instruction that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method provided by the first aspect and various possible implementations of the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the communication scenario to which the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is applicable;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the paging process that a user equipment participates in before and after entering an idle state;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation principle of the paging mechanism corresponding to the base station sending a paging frame (PF) or sending a paging message at a specific paging time (PO) in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the paging timing or pager location detected by a user equipment in an idle state, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of a communication method provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 6a A typical DRX cycle diagram provided for embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 6b A schematic diagram of a typical discontinuous reception (DRX) process is provided for the implementation of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 A time analysis table of received paging messages recorded by the user equipment in connected and idle states, provided for embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applied to a user equipment is provided for the implementation of this application;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a user equipment provided for an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0033] As mentioned earlier, when the network side has business data to send to user equipment 100, if the user equipment status queried by the network side is not synchronized with the actual current status of user equipment 100, user equipment 100 may miss incoming calls.

[0034] For ease of understanding, based on the above... Figure 1 The scenario shown illustrates a paging process that a user device participates in before and after entering an idle state.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the paging process may include the following steps:

[0036] 201: User equipment 100 is in a connected state and currently has no service.

[0037] After user equipment 100 establishes a connection with base station 200 and enters the connected state, when there are no incoming calls or internet access services requiring data transmission or reception, there is no data transmission on the data channel between user equipment 100 and base station 200. At this time, user equipment 100 is in the connected state and currently has no service. It can continue to participate in the interaction process corresponding to steps 202 to 211 below and receive incoming calls normally. Correspondingly, base station 200 can also detect the state of user equipment 100, such as the connected state, based on whether there is data transmission on the data channel with user equipment 100, and then continue to execute step 202 below.

[0038] 202: When there is no service, base station 200 starts an inactivity timer T1. The inactivity timer T1 is used to count the duration of the user equipment being in an inactivity state. Based on the counting result, base station 200 can determine whether it is necessary to release the connection with user equipment 100, that is, whether it is necessary to send a connection release command to user equipment 100, etc.

[0039] 203: Base station 200 detected that inactivity timer T1 has timed out.

[0040] 204: Base station 200 sends a connection release command to user equipment 100. At the same time, base station 200 may perform the following step 205.

[0041] It can be understood that this connection release instruction is used to instruct user equipment 100 to disconnect from base station 200 and enter a more energy-efficient idle state from the current connected state. For example, the connection release instruction can be an RRC connection release instruction (RRCrelease), where RRC is the radio resource control (RRC) protocol on which base station 200 and the connected user equipment 100 transmit relevant service resources.

[0042] 205: Base station 200 records that the user equipment is in an idle state.

[0043] 206: User equipment 100 enters the idle state in response to the received connection release command, and listens for the corresponding paging opportunity in the idle state.

[0044] For example, user equipment 100 can listen for the corresponding paging opportunity during the discontinuous reception (DRX) function cycle (DRX cycle) in the idle state. If user equipment 100 detects a paging message at the corresponding paging opportunity, it can wake up from the idle state to receive signaling or data transmitted by base station 200. Details will be described in detail below and will not be repeated here. User equipment 100 can also listen for paging frames (PF) or paging occasions (PO) in the idle state to receive paging messages sent at the corresponding paging occasion.

[0045] 207: Base station 200 sends a paging message to user equipment 100 based on the paging timing corresponding to the idle state.

[0046] It is understandable that after recording that the user equipment is in an idle state, the base station 200 can calculate the paging opportunity (PO) based on the user equipment 100's identity document (ID, hereinafter referred to as UE_ID) and other parameters, and send a paging message to notify the user equipment 100 that signaling or data is about to be transmitted. This paging message can be used to wake up the user equipment 100 to receive the signaling or data that is about to be transmitted.

[0047] 208: User equipment 100 receives a paging message during the paging opportunity corresponding to the idle state. Afterwards, user equipment 100 can parse the received paging message and perform the following step 209 to respond to the paging.

[0048] 209: User equipment 100 responds to the paging and establishes a connection with base station 200 to receive service data.

[0049] 210: Base station 200 records that the user equipment is in a connected state.

[0050] 211: User equipment 100 re-enters the connected state.

[0051] It is understandable that after user equipment 100 is in a connected state but has no service for a period of time (e.g., T1 timeout), base station 200 can send an RRC connection release command to instruct user equipment 100 to disconnect and enter an idle state, thereby saving energy and reducing power consumption. While user equipment 100 is in an idle state, base station 200 can send a paging message to user equipment 100 at a specific paging time to wake it up, enabling it to receive service data and enter a connected state, thus allowing user equipment 100 to receive incoming calls normally.

[0052] However, during the communication connection between the user equipment 100 and the base station 200, due to abnormal reasons such as DCI missed detection / high bit error rate, the user equipment 100 may be unable to receive the connection release message sent by the base station 200 in step 204 above. At this time, the user equipment 100 may enter the process of missing incoming calls due to some abnormal reasons described in steps 212 to 217 below before executing step 206 above.

[0053] 212: User equipment 100 did not receive a connection release command and remains in the connected state.

[0054] For example, before the user equipment 100 receives the connection release instruction from the base station 200 in step 206 above, the user equipment 100 may fail to receive the connection release instruction from the base station 200 due to abnormal reasons such as DCI missed detection / high bit error rate, and therefore will remain in the connected state. The downlink control information (DCI) is a link message transmitted through the downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0055] 213: User equipment 100 listens for invitation messages in connected mode. This invitation message is a call request message, which is used to request (or invite) user equipment 100 to receive signaling or service data that will be transmitted from base station 200.

[0056] 214: User equipment 100 listens for paging messages when in connected state based on CDRX status.

[0057] For example, user equipment 100 of different network standards can select any paging time to listen for paging messages in the connected state based on the state of the connected mode discontinuous reception (CDRX) mechanism.

[0058] Understandably, according to the relevant provisions of protocol TS 36.331 in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), LTE-enabled user equipment 100 receives paging messages in connected mode to monitor changes in system messages. These system messages could be, for example, messages from the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) or the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS). These system messages are typically sent to all UEs, therefore the base station 200 will repeatedly send paging messages multiple times within a default paging cycle (DPC). At this time, user equipment 100 only needs to listen once within either the modification period (MP) or the default paging cycle (DPC), depending on its CDRX state. Here, "choosing the right time" refers to selecting the paging timing; specifically, user equipment 100 can choose any paging timing based on its CDRX state.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the relevant provisions of 3GPP protocol TS 38.331, changes in system messages under NR are generally not notified to User Equipment 100 via paging messages, but rather via short messages. For example, a short message indicator of 10 or 11 indicates a change in the system messages of User Equipment 100. Therefore, if the NR network side considers User Equipment 100 (i.e., the terminal) to be in a connected state, it will not send a paging message to User Equipment 100 to page the UE. In this case, User Equipment 100 does not need to listen for paging messages, but only needs to listen selectively during the change period (MP) to receive notifications of system message changes, and can also parse paging messages that may be sent by base station 200.

[0060] 215: Base station 200 sends a paging message to user equipment 100 based on the paging timing corresponding to the idle state of the user equipment. For example, when the core network 300 connected to base station 200 receives a call from another device to user equipment 100, it can query base station 200 for the current status of user equipment 100 (e.g., based on UE_ID), and then generate a paging message to send to user equipment 100 and send it to user equipment 100 through base station 200.

[0061] 216: User equipment 100 did not receive a paging message. This is because any paging opportunity (PO) that user equipment 100 listens for in the connected state does not match the paging opportunity corresponding to the idle state of the specific UE_ID on which the base station 200 sends the paging message.

[0062] 217: User equipment 100 missed incoming calls.

[0063] It is understandable that in some service scenarios, user equipment 100 may miss receiving RRC connection release commands sent by the network side due to anomalies such as DCI missed detections or high bit error rates. Consequently, the actual state of user equipment 100 (e.g., connected state) may not match the state of user equipment 100 recorded by base station 200 (e.g., idle state). In this case, the timing of paging listened for by user equipment 100 in the connected state does not match the paging timing corresponding to the idle state on which base station 200 and core network 300 send paging messages, ultimately leading to a high probability of not receiving subsequent paging messages from the network side. This results in problems such as user equipment 100 missing incoming calls, leading to a poor user experience.

[0064] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a communication method applied to a user equipment (UE).

[0065] Specifically, this method learns the timeout pattern of the inactivity timer T1 used by the network side and uses this learned timeout pattern to synchronize with the network side when the user equipment is in a connected state but without service. Therefore, after the network side records that the user equipment has entered an idle state when the inactivity timer T1 expires, it determines whether to switch to the idle state to listen for the corresponding paging opportunity. This ensures that the user equipment can receive paging messages sent by the network side based on the paging opportunity corresponding to the idle state, thus avoiding missed calls.

[0066] The user equipment (UE) can set the timeout duration L of its own inactive timer T2 based on the timeout duration of the network-side inactive timer T1. The timeout duration of T2 can be equal to the timeout duration of T1 plus a certain delay, also known as a time lag parameter Hy; that is, the timeout duration of T2 can be L + Hy. If T2 also times out after T1, the UE can adjust the paging timing for receiving paging messages, for example, by adjusting it to the idle-state paging timing calculated based on its own UE_ID, to receive paging messages sent by the network side at the corresponding paging timing. If the UE detects a service (e.g., receives a service message) or normally receives a connection release command before T2 times out, it can end the timing, for example, by turning off timer T2.

[0067] It is understandable that the base station 200 on the network side can start the aforementioned inactivity timer T1 when it detects that the connected UE has no service, so as to trigger the sending of a connection release command to the UE after T1 expires, causing the UE to enter the idle state. After obtaining the timeout pattern of T1, the UE can simultaneously start the aforementioned inactivity timer T2 when there is no service, so as to receive the paging message when switching to the idle state after T2 expires, without waiting for the connection release command to be triggered to enter the idle state.

[0068] In this way, the UE can avoid missing paging messages. That is, when an anomaly occurs where the state recorded by the user equipment and the network side is inconsistent, causing a mismatch in paging timing, the user equipment can actively switch states to align the paging timing and eliminate the anomaly. Correspondingly, this can reduce the probability of missed calls by user equipment such as mobile phones, which is beneficial to improving the user experience.

[0069] It is understandable that the time delay parameter Hy can be reasonably set based on empirical values. The process by which the user equipment learns the timeout pattern of the inactive timer T1 can be determined, for example, by statistically analyzing the time data of receiving connection release commands from the network side after no service in historical data, or by using some self-learning algorithms (such as self-training) or models. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0070] It is understood that the communication method provided in this application can be applied to user devices including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, desktops, laptops, handheld computers, netbooks, as well as augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) devices, smart TVs, smartwatches and other wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, portable game consoles, portable music players, and other electronic devices with one or more processors.

[0071] Continue to refer to the above. Figure 1 In the scenario shown, the base station 200 that interacts with the user equipment can be, for example, an evolved eNodeB (eNB). The core network 300 connected to this base station 200 can be, for example, a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) core network. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0072] It is understandable that after a UE accesses the eNB corresponding to a certain cell, the channels established between the UE and the eNB can include the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH, also known as the downlink control channel), the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH, also known as the downlink data channel), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH, also known as the uplink control channel), and the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH, also known as the uplink data channel). The data channel is used to actually transmit data. For example, the uplink data channel is used to transmit uplink data, such as data sent by the UE to the eNB; the downlink data channel is used to transmit downlink data, such as data sent by the eNB to the UE. The control channel is used to transmit signaling (which can also be requests, responses, etc.), informing the other party in which scheduling period and which location's resources to use for data transmission through the data channel. The downlink control channel (PDCCH) is used to transmit downlink control information (DCI), and its content can include common control messages (such as paging messages).

[0073] When User Equipment 100 enters an idle state due to a lack of service for a certain period, the network-side base station 200 typically sends an RRC connection release command to the User Equipment and records the idle state of User Equipment 100. Furthermore, the base station 200 can send a paging message to User Equipment 100 at a paging timing (PO) corresponding to the idle state. This paging message is typically generated and sent to the base station 200 by the core network 300 on the network side, and then forwarded to the User Equipment by the base station 200. At this time, User Equipment 100 can monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and receive the paging message from the base station 200 at the paging timing corresponding to the idle state. After parsing the received paging message, User Equipment 100 can trigger entry into the connected state. When User Equipment 100 is in the connected state, since the Radio Resource Control (RRC) link already exists, the base station 200 can directly send an invite message to transmit signaling or data.

[0074] To facilitate understanding of the specific implementation process of the communication method provided in this application, the paging mechanism corresponding to the base station 200 sending paging messages at a specific paging time (PO) will be introduced below.

[0075] refer to Figure 3As shown, within a paging period T, the base station 200 can send multiple paging frames (PF), and each paging frame (PF) can include multiple paging opportunities (PO). That is, a paging opportunity (PO) can be any subframe among the multiple subframes included in a paging frame (PF).

[0076] Continue to refer to Figure 4 As shown, a UE in idle state only listens for its own specific paging opportunity within each DRX cycle. If the UE hears a paging message sent to itself during the wake-up time, for example... Figure 4 The columns shown represent Points of Purchase (POs) sent by the base station to different UEs. Column 301 can represent a PO that the current UE is listening to, including POs with frame numbers 33 / 161 / 289 / 417 / 545 / 673 / 801 / 929, etc. At this point, the UE needs to determine whether to access the network, update system information, or receive public warning system (PWS) broadcast messages based on whether it has received its own paging message on the corresponding PO.

[0077] User equipment 100 can receive a paging message from the base station at a specific paging time (PO) depending on its current state, such as being in an idle state or an inactive state. This paging message can wake up the user equipment, enabling it to receive signaling and data from the base station.

[0078] The following section, in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams illustrating the interactive process, provides a detailed description of the specific implementation of the communication method provided in this application.

[0079] Figure 5 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of the implementation process of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0080] Understandable. Figure 5 Each step of the implementation process shown may involve the interaction between user equipment 100, base station 200 and core network 300, wherein base station 200 and the corresponding core network 300 can form the network side that interacts with user equipment as described above.

[0081] It should also be stated that the steps in the methods and processes in this application are numbered for ease of reference, not to limit the order of steps. If there is an order between the steps, the textual description shall prevail.

[0082] like Figure 5 As shown, the implementation process may include the following steps:

[0083] 501: Establish a service connection between user equipment 100, base station 200 and core network 300.

[0084] For example, the service connection established above may be triggered by the user equipment 100 in response to user operations such as making a call or accessing the internet. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0085] It is understood that after a service connection is established between user equipment 100, base station 200, and core network 300, user equipment 100 can enter the connected state and receive service-related signaling or data from the network side, such as receiving incoming calls. The specific process of user equipment 100 receiving incoming calls while in the connected state can be referred to the corresponding descriptions in steps 502 to 506 below, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0086] 502: User equipment 100 enters connected state and listens for invite messages.

[0087] For example, when the user equipment 100 is in a connected state, since the RRC link already exists, it can receive service messages sent by the core network 300 through the base station 200. These service messages may include downlink service signaling or service data transmitted through the base station 200.

[0088] Furthermore, in LTE, regardless of whether the user equipment 100 is in idle or connected mode, it can receive paging messages through the paging control channel (PCCH). Specifically, in connected mode, the LTE-enabled user equipment 100 only needs to listen for a paging message once during either the change period (MP) or the default paging period (DPC), depending on the state of its CDRX. As mentioned earlier, the user equipment 100 listens for paging messages in connected mode to monitor changes in system messages (such as ETWS / CMAS), which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0089] The PCCH channel used for transmitting paging messages can include two types of paging messages: one is a paging message for a specific UE, and the other is a paging message applicable to all UEs in a specific area.

[0090] Specifically, for a specific UE's paging message, the UE can receive the paging message according to the PDCCH monitored in the connected state or idle state.

[0091] For paging messages shared by all UEs, since the network side (e.g., base station 200) does not know which UE in a specific area supports Commercial Mobile Alert (CMA) / Earthquake and Tsunami Warning (ETW) or which cell the UE is camped in, it needs to send paging messages at each paging opportunity within the cell. This ensures that UEs in the corresponding tracking area are aware of the broadcast Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) or Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) notification. Correspondingly, User Equipment 100 can, in connected mode (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED), selectively ensure that it reads the paging message at least once in each default paging cycle to check for the presence of ETWS and / or CMAS notifications. Further details are omitted here.

[0092] It can be observed that the timing of user equipment 100 receiving paging messages in connected mode is calculated in a completely different way than in IDLE mode. This will be explained in detail below with reference to the relevant accompanying drawings, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0093] 503: Core network 300 received an incoming call request.

[0094] For example, other users can trigger an incoming call by calling user equipment 100 via a mobile phone or other user equipment, and the core network 300 can receive the corresponding incoming call request.

[0095] 504: The core network 300 query found that the UE is in connected state and sent an invite message.

[0096] For example, the core network 300 can query the base station 200 for the current status of the connected user equipment (UE) 100, such as the connected state mentioned above.

[0097] 505: Core network 300 initiates a call process to user equipment 100 through base station 200.

[0098] For example, the call process initiated by the core network 300 can enable the user equipment 100 to receive incoming calls and connect the call to conduct a conversation.

[0099] 506: The call service conducted by user equipment 100 based on base station 200 and core network 300 has ended.

[0100] For example, if a user operates user equipment 100 to hang up an incoming call or hang up after answering a call, the call service conducted by user equipment 100 based on base station 200 and core network 300 will end accordingly. At this time, if core network 300 does not receive a new call request and user equipment 100 does not detect the user's internet access request, then user equipment 100 is currently without service, and this no-service state can be synchronized to base station 200.

[0101] 507: User equipment 100 is in a connected state and currently has no service.

[0102] For example, after a user equipment 100 ends a call, it may not receive any new calls or access the internet for a certain period of time. During this time, user equipment 100 does not need to send or receive data, therefore there is no data transmission on the data channel between user equipment 100 and base station 200. At this point, user equipment 100 is in a connected state but currently has no service.

[0103] 508: User equipment 100 learns the timeout pattern of inactive timer T1.

[0104] For example, during historical interactions, user equipment 100 can statistically learn the timeout pattern of inactive timer T1 in the inactive timing mechanism used by base station 200, such as the timeout duration, by observing how long after the start of no service the base station 200 issues an RRC connection release command. For instance, user equipment 100 can record the start time of no service and the time of receiving the RRC connection release command based on steps 509 and 511 performed by base station 200 during historical interactions, thereby learning the timeout pattern of inactive timer T1 used by base station 200. In other embodiments, user equipment 100 can learn the timeout pattern of inactive timer T1 in other ways, which are not limited here.

[0105] It is understandable that the timeout duration set for the inactive timer of a base station may differ between different operators; similarly, the timeout duration set for the inactive timer of a base station may also differ between different cells of the same operator. Therefore, in the process of learning the timeout pattern of the inactive timer T1 through the aforementioned statistical methods, the user equipment 100 can generate a multivariate vector corresponding to the inactive timer T1, such as [plmn, tac, L]. In this multivariate vector, each element, such as "plmn", can represent operator identification information, "tac" can represent the tracking area (TA) under a specific operator, and "L" can represent the timeout duration set from the start of timing to the determination of timeout.

[0106] It is understood that the process of user equipment 100 executing this step 508 can be completed in advance during the historical period of the base station 200 executing the following step 509 to start the inactive timer T1 and executing step 511 to determine the timeout of T1. The corresponding learned timeout pattern can be applied to the following step 510 to set the inactive timer T2.

[0107] 509: Base station 200 starts inactivity timer T1 when there is no service.

[0108] For example, base station 200 can start an inactive timer in a no-service state where the connected user equipment 100 does not send or receive service data (i.e., there is no data transmission in the data channel). To distinguish it from the inactive timer set by user equipment 100 in step 511 below, the inactive timer started by base station 200 here can be denoted as T1, i.e., inactive timer T1.

[0109] It is understandable that the inactivity timing mechanism can be used to monitor whether the base station 200 sends and receives data from the user equipment 100 (i.e., whether a service has occurred). When there is no service, the base station 200 can start the inactivity timer T1 to begin timing.

[0110] 510: User equipment 100 sets and starts inactive timer T2.

[0111] For example, the timeout pattern of the inactive timer T1 learned by user equipment 100 in step 508 above can be represented as the vector group [plmn, tac, L]. Correspondingly, user equipment 100 can set the timeout pattern of the inactive timer T2 as the vector group [plmn, tac, L+Hy]. Here, Hy is the time delay parameter, and the timeout duration set for T2 can be L+Hy.

[0112] As an example, the timeout duration of T1 above can be a reasonably set general timeout duration, such as 10s, 20s, etc. The corresponding timeout duration of T2 can be set to 12s, 23s, etc., without any restrictions.

[0113] In other embodiments, the user equipment 100 may also set corresponding timeout durations for different operators and different signal tracking areas of each operator, respectively, as the timeout durations of T2 set under the corresponding conditions, and may record and maintain the above-mentioned timeout durations by means of parameter tables, etc., without limitation.

[0114] It is understood that user equipment 100 can execute step 510 synchronously with base station 200 executing step 509 above. That is, after the call service ends, user equipment 100 and base station 200 can synchronously start inactive timer T2 and inactive timer T1 respectively. In this way, when user equipment 100 and base station 200 synchronously start the inactive timers, it can ensure that user equipment 100 can promptly detect whether it can successfully receive the connection release message when base station 200 sends the connection release message. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in steps 515 to 522 below, which will not be repeated here.

[0115] 511: Base station 200 detected that inactivity timer T1 timed out.

[0116] For example, if base station 200 detects that the count exceeds a preset value, it can determine that the inactive timer T1 has timed out.

[0117] 512: Base station 200 sends a connection release command to user equipment 100 and notifies core network 300 that the UE has been released.

[0118] It is understandable that when base station 200 detects that the inactivity timer T1 has timed out, it can send a connection release command to user equipment 100 to interrupt the connected state of user equipment 100 and allow user equipment 100 to enter a more energy-efficient idle state. Simultaneously, base station 200 can notify core network 300 that user equipment 100 is in an idle state, so that core network 300 can query the status of user equipment 100 when receiving service requests such as incoming calls. For example, after receiving this notification, core network 300 can record relevant information about user equipment 100 entering the idle state, or change relevant flags or tags, etc. Then, if core network 300 receives an incoming call request, it can query that user equipment 100 is in an idle state, and then generate a paging message to send to user equipment 100 through base station 200.

[0119] 513: Base station 200 records that the user equipment is in an idle state.

[0120] For example, after sending a connection release command to the user equipment 100, the base station 200 can record that the user equipment 100 is in an idle state. This is because the connection release command is used to instruct the user equipment 100 to disconnect and enter an idle state. After the base station 200 sends the connection release command, it is usually assumed that the user equipment 100 can receive the connection release command, and therefore the user equipment 100 is recorded as being in an idle state by default.

[0121] However, user equipment 100 may fail to receive the aforementioned connection release command due to an anomaly. Details can be found in step 514 below, and will not be repeated here.

[0122] 514: User equipment 100 did not receive a connection release command and remains in the connected state.

[0123] For example, user equipment 100 may fail to receive the connection release command or miss receiving the connection release command due to abnormal reasons such as DCI missed detection / high bit error rate.

[0124] It is understandable that the connected state detected by the user equipment 100 at this time is inconsistent with the idle state of the user equipment 100 recorded by the base station 200 in step 513 above.

[0125] 515: User equipment 100 checks if T2 has timed out.

[0126] If the judgment result is yes, it indicates that the user equipment 100 may have missed receiving the connection release command for some reason (such as the above-mentioned DCI missed detection / high bit error rate, etc.). At this time, the user equipment 100 can continue to execute the following step 516 to listen for paging opportunity (PO).

[0127] If the judgment result is negative, user equipment 100 can return to continue executing step 515 and continue to detect inactive timer T2.

[0128] For example, based on the inactive timer T2 started in step 510 above, user equipment 100 can determine whether it might miss receiving a connection release command sent by base station 200, such as the aforementioned RRCrelease, by judging whether T2 has timed out. It can be understood that when user equipment 100 and base station 200 start inactive timers synchronously, given that the timeout duration of T2 is greater than the timeout duration of T1 (refer to the timeout duration relationship described in step 510 above), user equipment 100 can determine that it might miss receiving a connection release command after base station 200 determines that T1 has timed out and sends a connection release message, and then determines that T2 has also timed out, and then executes the following step 516 to receive paging messages using the idle state paging mechanism.

[0129] In this way, user equipment 100 can also avoid misjudgment and can promptly detect whether it has missed receiving the connection release message when the base station 200 sends it, thus improving the timeliness of user equipment receiving paging messages.

[0130] It is understandable that if T2 does not time out, it means that the timeout period of T2 has not yet been reached. At this time, user equipment 100 may have already received the service message or paging message and closed T2.

[0131] 516: User equipment 100 listens for paging opportunities based on a mechanism that receives paging messages in the idle state.

[0132] For example, after switching to the idle state mode for receiving paging messages, user equipment 100 can calculate the timing for receiving paging messages based on the idle state paging algorithm, and then receive the paging messages. If user equipment 100 is in a sleep state during the CDRX cycle at this time, it also needs to wake up in time to attempt to parse the paging messages. The specific process of user equipment 100 using the idle state paging mechanism to listen for paging timing and wake up to receive data will be described in detail below with reference to the corresponding figures, and will not be repeated here.

[0133] 517: Core network 300 received an incoming call request.

[0134] For details, please refer to the relevant description in step 503 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0135] 518: The core network 300 query found that the user equipment is in an idle state.

[0136] For example, the core network 300 can then determine that the user equipment 100 is in an idle state based on the notification record sent by the base station 200 in step 512 above. In other embodiments, the core network 300 can also query the base station 200 for the current state of the user equipment 100. The base station 200 can then feed back the relevant information about the user equipment 100 being in an idle state recorded in step 513 above to the core network 300, enabling the core network 300 to determine that the user equipment 100 is in an idle state.

[0137] 519: The core network 300 sends a paging message to the user equipment 100 through the base station 200 based on the paging timing corresponding to the idle state.

[0138] For example, if the core network 300 determines that the user equipment 100 is in an idle state, it can send the generated paging message to the base station 200, and then the base station 200 can send the paging message to the user equipment 100 according to the paging timing corresponding to the idle state.

[0139] 520: User equipment 100 receives and parses a paging message when it is listening for a paging message.

[0140] For example, user equipment 100 can calculate the corresponding paging timing based on the calculated paging frame (PF). Then, user equipment 100 can control itself to receive the paging message at the calculated paging timing (PO).

[0141] Specifically, the paging opportunity (PO) can be calculated based on the paging frame (PF) using the following formulas (1) and (2):

[0142] PF: (SNF+PF_offset)mod T = (T div N)* (UE_ID mod N) (1)

[0143] PO: i_s = floor(UE_ID / N) mod Ns (2)

[0144] Wherein, SFN (variable) represents the system frame number; T (constant) represents the discontinuous reception (DRX) function period of the user equipment in the idle state, i.e., the DRX period; N (variable) represents the number of PFs within the DRX period T, which can also be called PF density; UE_ID (variable) represents the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (TMSI), such as IMSI mod1024; Ns (variable) represents the number of POs in a PF.

[0145] It is understood that for the aforementioned discontinuous reception period T, if the system sets one or more discontinuous reception periods, then T can be the smallest period value among them. If the system is not configured, then T can be the system's preset default value. It is understood that in this embodiment of the application, the user equipment 100 can receive T system frames within the aforementioned period T. This system frame can be used to carry the paging frame (PF) received from the base station 200.

[0146] Regarding the paging opportunity (PO) mentioned above, 3GPP protocol 36.304 defines PO as follows:

[0147] When Ns = 1, there can only be one pager location within a paging frame (only one subframe carries the paging message), and the subframe number is 9. That is, the paging time (PO) is the 9th frame in the corresponding paging frame (PF).

[0148] When Ns = 2, there can be two paging positions within a paging frame (two subframes carrying the paging message), and the subframe numbers are 4 and 9. That is, the paging timing (PO) is the 4th and 9th frames in the corresponding paging frame (PF).

[0149] When Ns = 4, there can be four paging positions within a paging frame (four subframes carrying the paging message), and the subframes are numbered 0, 4, 5, and 9. That is, the paging timing (PO) is frames 0, 4, 5, and 9 of the corresponding paging frame (PF).

[0150] In the above formula (1), (UE_ID mod N) can be represented by taking the modulus of N for UE_ID. Its actual meaning is that UEs with different UE_ID numbers are evenly distributed among N PFs, and the N PFs are also evenly distributed within T. That is, base station 200 can control the uniform transmission of paging frames (PFs) to each user equipment.

[0151] In the above formula (1), (T div N) can be interpreted as dividing the T system frames received within period T into N equal parts, calculating and returning the number of frames contained in each part. In practical terms, it means distributing the N paging frames (PF) evenly across the T system frames.

[0152] In formula (1) above, (SNF+PF_offset)mod T can also be (SNFmod T) in some other embodiments, which can represent taking the modulus of SNF (or SNF+PF) by T. Its actual meaning is to evenly distribute system frames with different SNF numbers into T groups, or to represent the actual meaning: to evenly distribute UEs with different UE_IDs into N PFs.

[0153] The PO calculated by the above formula (2) can represent the position code of the PO of user equipment 100 (i.e., this terminal) on the received paging frame PF.

[0154] Furthermore, the process by which user equipment 100 receives a paging message at the calculated paging opportunity (PO) can be, for example, as follows: User equipment 100 determines the downlink control channel (PDCCH) that needs to be monitored, matching the pager location indicated by the calculated paging opportunity (PO). When user equipment 100 identifies the existence of a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) within the channel, it obtains the paging message from the corresponding PDSCH according to the RB allocation and modulation coding format indicated by the monitored PDCCH. It can be understood that the base station 200, or the network side, can typically use the PDSCH indicated by the PDCCH to carry the paging message. Furthermore, user equipment 100 can determine whether the paging message is for itself based on the UE_ID carried in the obtained paging message.

[0155] It is understood that the aforementioned radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) is a temporary identifier used for a specific purpose in NR / LTE, such as the P-RNTI used to identify paging messages, the SI-RNTI used to identify system information broadcasts, and the RA-RNTI used to identify random access responses. Additionally, the P-RNTI can also be used to identify system information update notifications, etc., without limitation.

[0156] After the above calculations, user equipment 100 can receive the paging message sent by base station 200 through the paging time corresponding to the idle state in the paging frame (PF) at the calculated and determined corresponding paging time (PO). Then, user equipment 100 can parse the received paging message and perform the following step 521 to respond to the paging and establish a connection with base station 200 and core network 300.

[0157] It is understandable that the transmission process and processing method of paging messages and ordinary system messages are the same; both can notify the UE to obtain user data from the corresponding PDSCH through the PDCCH. The difference lies in the fact that the PDSCH processing paging messages carries upper-layer signaling, such as call-related signaling transmitted by the core network 300 through the base station 200; while the PDSCH processing ordinary system messages typically carries the user data to be transmitted. Further details will not be elaborated upon here.

[0158] 521: User equipment 100 responds to the paging and triggers the establishment of an RRC connection with base station 200 and core network 300.

[0159] For example, in response to a parsed paging message sent to itself, if the user equipment 100 is actually in a connected state, it needs to locally release the established RRC connection and re-initiate an RRC establishment procedure with the base station 200. Then, it can receive signaling or data from the base station 200 based on the newly established RRC connection. If the user equipment 100 has actually entered an idle state for some reason, in response to the paging message, it can wake up from the idle state and re-establish an RRC connection with the base station 200 and the core network 300. Then, the user equipment 100 can receive signaling or data from the base station 200 based on the re-established RRC connection.

[0160] 522: Core network 300 confirms successful paging.

[0161] For example, the core network 300 can successfully send a paging message to the user equipment 100 through the base station 200, and can also transmit the signaling or data corresponding to the incoming call request to the user equipment 100 through the RRC connection. At this time, the core network 300 can determine that the paging was successful.

[0162] In other embodiments, if the user equipment 100 has received a service message or paging message during the period of confirming that T2 has not timed out in step 515 above, the user equipment 100 may close T2. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0163] Based on the above Figure 5 The implementation process described in steps 501 to 522 of the illustrated flow allows the communication method provided in this application to promptly adjust to an idle state to receive paging messages sent by the network side at the corresponding paging time in the idle state, even if the user equipment 100 misses a connection release message sent by the network side for some reason. This is because the method adjusts to an idle state in a timely manner based on the result of whether the set inactive timer T2 has expired. Therefore, the paging messages sent by the network side based on service requests such as incoming calls will not be missed. In this way, the user equipment 100 can avoid the problem of missing incoming calls.

[0164] The specific implementation process of user equipment 100 using the idle-state paging mechanism to listen for paging opportunities in step 516 above will be discussed below. Figure 6a , Figure 6b and Figure 7 A detailed introduction will be provided.

[0165] Discontinuous reception (DRX) is a function introduced by the user equipment (UE) to control the UE to stop listening to the PDCCH channel for a period of time in order to save power. It is usually controlled by the RRC layer (see below). Figure 8 Configure the system architecture shown below. When the user equipment is in connected state, if the RRC layer accesses the MAC layer (see below)... Figure 8 If the system architecture shown is configured with DRX function, the UE can monitor the PDCCH intermittently at the physical layer; otherwise, the UE must monitor the PDCCH continuously.

[0166] Continuous Discontinuous Reception (CDRX) refers to the DRX function initiated by the UE in connected mode. The DRX function in idle mode, as described above, is the paging function. CDRX allows the UE to periodically enter sleep mode at certain times, avoiding listening to PDCCH subframes. When listening is needed, the UE can wake up from sleep mode, thus saving power.

[0167] refer to Figure 6a As shown, within a typical DRX cycle, the period marked "on Duration" is the time during which the UE monitors downlink PDCCH subframes. During this period, the UE is in a wake-up state; therefore, this period can be called the "wake-up period." (Continue to refer to...) Figure 6aAs shown in Figure 6, the period marked "Opportunity for DRX" is the DRX sleep time, which is the time period during which the UE enters sleep mode and does not monitor PDCCH subframes in order to save power. Referring to Figure 6, it can be understood that the longer the DRX sleep time, the lower the UE's power consumption. However, during the DRX sleep period, if the UE needs to perform service transmission, it must first wake up from sleep mode, thus the corresponding latency will be higher.

[0168] Figure 6b A schematic diagram of a typical discontinuous reception (DRX) process is shown according to an embodiment of this application.

[0169] like Figure 6b As shown, the on Duration Timer parameter during wake-up represents the online duration of the UE after waking up within a DRX cycle. It uses the number of PDCCH subframes as the basic unit; for example, psf6 indicates that the UE is online for 6 PDCCH subframes. When the UE meets the DRX cycle conditions, the on Duration Timer is activated, entering the wake-up period.

[0170] The Discontinuous Receive Inactivity Timer (DRX-Inactivity Timer) parameter indicates the duration (i.e., how many PDCCH subframes) the UE needs to continue monitoring after successfully decoding a downlink PDCCH subframe before entering sleep mode. Similarly, it uses the number of PDCCH subframes as the basic unit; for example, psf80 means the UE needs to continue monitoring for 80 downlink PDCCH subframes before entering sleep mode. This timer can be started when a new uplink or downlink transmission is detected in a PDCCH subframe, for example, after the UE successfully blindly detects a downlink PDCCH. It can be stopped when the UE receives a Go-To-Sleep CE (i.e., DRX Command MAC CE) command.

[0171] When the DRX-Inactivity Timer times out, if short-cycle discontinuous reception (short DRX) is configured, short DRX is used and the discontinuous reception short-cycle timer (DRX-Short Cycle Timer) is triggered.

[0172] Conversely, if the DRX-InactivityTimer does not time out, long-period discontinuous reception (long DRX) is used.

[0173] Specifically, refer to Figure 6b As shown, a typical discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure is as follows:

[0174] When the UE successfully decodes a PDCCH subframe at time (0,0), the UE can start the DRX-InactivityTimer. The timeout duration of this timer is, for example, the time length corresponding to 3 subframes.

[0175] When the DRX-Inactivity Timer expires, the UE can enable the DRX-Short Cycle Timer. This parameter indicates how many subframes without receiving a PDCCH within the short cycle will trigger the long cycle.

[0176] When the timer reaches (0,5), the timing condition for entering the short cycle is met, and the UE can be woken up and enter the wake-up period (on Duration) corresponding to the short cycle, that is, the short cycle duration (shortDRX on-time). This wake-up period can last for, for example, the time length corresponding to 2 subframes.

[0177] When the timer reaches time (1,0) and time (1,5), the UE can enter the above duration corresponding to the short period multiple times.

[0178] When the timer reaches (1,9), it can be calculated whether the timing result of the discontinuous reception short-cycle timer and the subframe length corresponding to the short-cycle discontinuous reception period have reached a preset value, such as 1DRX-Short CycleTimer*short DRX Cycle = 15 (or other preset numbers). At this time, if the UE fails to decode the PDCCH subframe within the time length corresponding to the above 15 subframes, the UE can prepare to enter long-cycle discontinuous reception (longDRX).

[0179] If the timing result at time (2,0) meets the conditions for entering the long period, the UE enters the long period, and can continue to record the long period wake-up period (long DRX on-time) and the long period discontinuous reception (long DRX); then, the long period can end at time (2,9).

[0180] If the UE receives the PDCCH subframe at time (3,0), the DRX-Inactivity Timer can be turned off.

[0181] Subsequently, when the timing conditions for entering a short cycle are met again, for example... Figure 6b At time (3,5) shown, the short-period discontinuous reception can be triggered to start again.

[0182] Once user equipment 100 enters connected mode, it only needs to listen for a paging message once during either the change period (MP) or the default paging period (DPC), depending on the status of its CDRX. (Reference) Figure 7 As shown, based on the analysis of the times when user equipment 100 receives paging messages in connected and idle states, it can be seen that the timing of user equipment 100 receiving paging messages in connected state differs from the timing of receiving paging messages based on discontinuous reception (DRX) in idle state. (Reference) Figure 7 The time intervals between the two paging message parses in connected mode are 16.689 / 1.28 / 1.725 / 1.56 / 1.71 times the DRX cycle, respectively, none of which are integer multiples of the DRX cycle. This means that the user equipment (UE) dynamically adjusts the position (i.e., paging timing) of the paging message parse in connected mode to adapt to the discontinuous CDRX mechanism.

[0183] Therefore, if user equipment 100 is actually in a connected state, but the network side (e.g., base station 200) records that the user equipment is in an idle state, the timing of the paging message sent by the network side and the timing of the paging message listened to by the user equipment are likely to mismatch, resulting in a high probability that the user equipment will miss receiving the paging message. However, after user equipment 100 implements the communication method provided in this application, it can switch to an idle state in a timely manner based on the timing result of its own inactive timer T2 while in a connected state, and listen to the corresponding paging timing, thus avoiding the aforementioned situation of missing paging messages. In this way, user equipment 100 can avoid problems such as missing incoming calls, which also helps improve the user experience of the user terminal.

[0184] As an example, Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applied to a user equipment is shown according to an embodiment of this application.

[0185] It should be understood that the layered architecture currently used in communication systems 800 for user devices divides the software into several layers, with these layers communicating with each other through software interfaces. These layers may include, for example, the application layer, the application framework layer, and the Android layer. TM runtime (Android) TM The communication method provided in this application is illustrated using the following examples: runtime, system libraries, hardware abstraction layer, kernel layer, etc. The following description focuses on the layer containing the functional modules involved in the communication method.

[0186] exist Figure 8 From top to bottom, the layers are: application layer 801, application framework layer 802, kernel layer 803, and hardware 804. The application layer 801 can include a series of application packages.

[0187] See also Figure 8 Specifically, in the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the application layer 801 may include a telephone application 801A, a settings application 801B, and a compatibility function enabling application 801C, etc. Among them, the telephone application 801A allows users to initiate call service operations, and the compatibility function enabling application 801C provides an entry point for enabling compatibility functions.

[0188] See also Figure 8 The application framework layer 802 provides application programming interfaces (APIs) and programming frameworks for applications in the application layer. In some implementations, these programming interfaces and frameworks can be described as functions.

[0189] For example, the application framework layer 802 may include a telephone / IMS service 802A, a CS Phone 802B, a PSPhone 802C, etc. The telephone / IMS service 802A is the IP multimedia subsystem in the communication system of the user equipment 100, used to establish media sessions and implement voice services under packet-switched networks, such as switching between 4G and 5G networks. The 4G voice service supported by IMS is called VoLTE, and the 5G voice service supported by IMS is called VoNR. After the media session is established, i.e. during the call, the IMS service 802A calls the SIP module in the modem to send various SIP request messages, such as INVITE messages, ACK messages, and HTTP 800 OK messages, based on the network standard of the user equipment 100.

[0190] The CS Phone 802B is used for calls over circuit-switched (CS) networks. When the IMS service 802A is unavailable (the phone is camped on 2G / 3G or IMS registration has failed), calls can be made via CS. The CS Phone 802B can also be used to perform domain-switched redial (commonly known as CS redial) when an IMS call fails.

[0191] The PS Phone 802C is used for calls over packet-switched (PS) networks. When IMS service 802A is available, IMS calls (VOLTE, VONR) can be made through the PS domain.

[0192] It should be understood that the above description is merely an example provided to better understand the specific implementation of the communication method provided in this application, and does not constitute a limiting description of the embodiments of this application.

[0193] Furthermore, understandably, kernel layer 803 in the Android system is the layer between hardware 804 and software.

[0194] See also Figure 8 Specifically, in the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, kernel layer 803 may include a transmission control protocol / internet protocol stack (TCP / IP protocol stack). The TCP / IP protocol stack refers to a suite of protocols capable of transmitting information between multiple different networks. In practical applications, the TCP / IP protocol stack of kernel layer 803 primarily serves internet access services and also provides services for video-related data processing during voice calls.

[0195] See also Figure 8 The hardware 804 of the communication system 800 may include a modem 804A, an antenna 804B, etc. The antenna 804B is used to receive content sent from the network side, such as RRC connection configuration messages, SIP request messages, and SRS messages that need to be sent in rounds, as mentioned in the above embodiments. For example, data packets encrypted with PDCP will be transmitted sequentially through the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer to the antenna 804B, and finally sent to the network side through the antenna 804B. Correspondingly, data packets received by the antenna 804B from the network side will be transmitted sequentially through the PHY layer, MAC layer, and RLC layer to the PDCP layer for processing.

[0196] It is understood that during the process of a user initiating a call service based on the telephone application 801A of user equipment 100, the aforementioned telephone / IMS service 802A can create a call, conduct a VoLTE or VoNR call through the PS domain based on PS Phone 802C, and call the IMS module in Modem 804A to generate signaling for the call service. In this embodiment, after the communication system 800 detects no service at the PDCP layer, it can start the corresponding inactivity detection timer T2 set on user equipment 100.

[0197] Furthermore, it should be noted that the processing of various SIP signaling messages involved in the embodiments of this application can all be implemented by the SIP module in the Modem804A. Similarly, the processing of various RRC messages involved in the embodiments of this application, such as RRCrelease / invite messages, can all be implemented by the RRC module in the Modem804A.

[0198] Understandably, the above Figure 8The layers and components within each layer of the illustrated communication system software architecture do not constitute a specific limitation on the user equipment 100. In other embodiments of this application, the communication system of the user equipment 100 may include more than Figure 8 The diagram shows more or fewer layers, and each layer may contain more than [a certain number of layers]. Figure 8 This application does not limit the number of more or fewer components shown.

[0199] In this embodiment, the User Equipment (UE) monitors the PDCCH during Discontinuous Reception (DRX). After receiving a paging message sent to itself, it can respond to the paging message and establish an RRC connection with the base station 200. For example, the UE's response to the received paging message can trigger the RACH procedure, which is used to complete uplink time synchronization and is typically triggered by a PDCCH order, the MAC layer, or the RRC layer. Furthermore, the UE can enter a connected state to receive signaling (such as the aforementioned SIP signaling) or data sent by the network-side core network 300 through the base station 200.

[0200] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a user equipment 100 is shown according to an embodiment of this application.

[0201] like Figure 9 As shown, the user equipment 100 may include a processor 110, an external memory interface 120, an internal memory 121, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 130, a charging management module 140, a power management module 141, a battery 142, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 150, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a speaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, a headphone jack 170D, a sensor module 180, buttons 190, a motor 191, an indicator 192, a camera 193, a display screen 194, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 195, etc. The sensor module 180 may include a pressure sensor 180A, a gyroscope sensor 180B, a barometric pressure sensor 180C, a magnetic sensor 180D, an accelerometer sensor 180E, a distance sensor 180F, a proximity light sensor 180G, a fingerprint sensor 180H, a temperature sensor 180J, a touch sensor 180K, an ambient light sensor 180L, etc.

[0202] It is understood that the structures illustrated in the embodiments of the present invention do not constitute a specific limitation on the user equipment 100. In other embodiments of this application, the user equipment 100 may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0203] Processor 110 may include one or more processing units, such as application processors (APs), modem processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), image signal processors (ISPs), controllers, video codecs, digital signal processors (DSPs), baseband processors, and / or neural network processing units (NPUs). These different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors. The controller can generate operation control signals based on instruction opcodes and timing signals to control instruction fetching and execution.

[0204] The processor 110 may also include a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 110 is a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that the processor 110 has just used or that are used repeatedly. If the processor 110 needs to use the instruction or data again, it can retrieve it directly from the aforementioned memory. This avoids repeated accesses, reduces the waiting time of the processor 110, and thus improves the efficiency of the system.

[0205] The wireless communication function of user equipment 100 can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 150, wireless communication module 160, modem processor, and baseband processor.

[0206] Antenna 1 and antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in user equipment 100 can be used to cover one or more communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be multiplexed to improve antenna utilization. For example, antenna 1 can be multiplexed as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antennas can be used in conjunction with a tuning switch.

[0207] The mobile communication module 150 can provide solutions for wireless communication, including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G, applied to the user equipment 100. The mobile communication module 150 may include at least one filter, switch, power amplifier, low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 150 can receive electromagnetic waves via antenna 1, and perform filtering, amplification, and other processing on the received electromagnetic waves before transmitting them to a modem processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 150 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modem processor and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 may be housed in the processor 110. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 and at least some modules of the processor 110 may be housed in the same device.

[0208] The modem processor may include a modulator and a demodulator. The modulator modulates the low-frequency baseband signal to be transmitted into a mid-to-high frequency signal. The demodulator demodulates the received electromagnetic wave signal into a low-frequency baseband signal. The demodulator then transmits the demodulated low-frequency baseband signal to the baseband processor for processing. After processing by the baseband processor, the low-frequency baseband signal is transmitted to the application processor. The application processor outputs sound signals through an audio device (not limited to speaker 170A, receiver 170B, etc.) or displays images or videos through the display screen 194. In some embodiments, the modem processor may be a separate device. In other embodiments, the modem processor may be independent of the processor 110 and may be housed in the same device as the mobile communication module 150 or other functional modules.

[0209] The wireless communication module 160 can provide solutions for wireless communication applications on the user equipment 100, including wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), Bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), and infrared (IR) technologies. The wireless communication module 160 can be one or more devices integrating at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 160 receives electromagnetic waves via antenna 2, performs frequency modulation and filtering of the electromagnetic wave signals, and sends the processed signal to processor 110. The wireless communication module 160 can also receive signals to be transmitted from processor 110, perform frequency modulation and amplification, and convert them into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 2.

[0210] In some embodiments, antenna 1 of user equipment 100 is coupled to mobile communication module 150, and antenna 2 is coupled to wireless communication module 160, enabling user equipment 100 to communicate with networks and other devices via wireless communication technology. The aforementioned wireless communication technology may include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time-Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), BT, GNSS, WLAN, NFC, FM, and / or IR technologies, etc. The aforementioned GNSS may include the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and / or satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS).

[0211] User device 100 implements display functions through a GPU, display screen 194, and application processor. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing, connecting the display screen 194 and the application processor. The GPU is used to perform mathematical and geometric calculations and for graphics rendering.

[0212] The external storage interface 120 can be used to connect an external storage card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the user device 100. The external storage card communicates with the processor 110 through the external storage interface 120 to perform data storage functions. For example, music, video, and other files can be saved on the external storage card.

[0213] Internal memory 121 can be used to store computer executable program code, including instructions. Internal memory 121 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system, application programs required for at least one function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.), etc. The data storage area may store data created during the use of user equipment 100 (such as audio data, phonebook, etc.). In addition, internal memory 121 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, universal flash storage (UFS), etc. Processor 110 executes various functional applications and data processing of user equipment 100 by running instructions stored in internal memory 121 and / or instructions stored in memory disposed in the processor.

[0214] The SIM card interface 195 is used to connect a SIM card. The SIM card can be inserted into or removed from the SIM card interface 195 to make contact with and detach from the user equipment 100. The user equipment 100 can support one or N SIM card interfaces, where N is a positive integer greater than 1. The SIM card interface 195 can support Nano SIM cards, Micro SIM cards, SIM cards, etc. Multiple cards can be inserted into the same SIM card interface 195 simultaneously. The types of these multiple cards can be the same or different. The SIM card interface 195 is also compatible with different types of SIM cards. The SIM card interface 195 is also compatible with external memory cards. The user equipment 100 interacts with the network through the SIM card to realize functions such as calls and data communication. In some embodiments, the user equipment 100 uses an eSIM, i.e., an embedded SIM card. The eSIM card can be embedded in the user equipment 100 and cannot be separated from the user equipment 100.

[0215] This application also provides a computer program product for implementing the communication methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0216] Various embodiments of the mechanisms disclosed in this application can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or combinations of these implementation methods. Embodiments of this application can be implemented as computer program modules or module code executable on a programmable system, the programmable system including at least one processor, a storage system (including volatile and non-volatile memory and / or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device.

[0217] Computer program modules or module code can be applied to input instructions to perform the functions described in this application and generate output information. The output information can be applied to one or more output devices in a known manner. For the purposes of this application, the processing system includes any system having a processor such as, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a microprocessor.

[0218] Module code can be implemented using a high-level modular language or an object-oriented programming language to communicate with the processing system. Assembly language or machine language can also be used to implement module code when needed. In fact, the mechanisms described in this application are not limited to any particular programming language. In either case, the language can be a compiled language or an interpreted language.

[0219] In some cases, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. The disclosed embodiments may also be implemented as instructions carried or stored thereon on one or more temporary or non-temporary machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) storage media, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. For example, the instructions may be distributed via a network or through other computer-readable media. Therefore, machine-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) form, including but not limited to floppy disks, optical disks, optical discs, magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic cards or optical cards, flash memory, or tangible machine-readable storage for transmitting information (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.) using the Internet in the form of electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals. Therefore, machine-readable media include any type of machine-readable medium suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions or information in a machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) form.

[0220] In this specification, the reference to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one exemplary implementation or technology disclosed according to an embodiment of this application. The appearance of the phrase "in an embodiment" in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0221] The disclosure of embodiments of this application also relates to means for performing operations in text. This means may be specifically constructed for the claimed purpose or may include a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in a computer. Such a computer program may be stored on a computer-readable medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk, including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic or optical cards, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each may be coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, the computer mentioned in the specification may include a single processor or may employ an architecture involving multiple processors for increased computing power.

[0222] Furthermore, the language used in this specification has been primarily chosen for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been chosen to depict or limit the disclosed subject matter. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are intended to illustrate, and not limit, the scope of the concepts discussed herein.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The user equipment is in a communication connection state and no data communication service is detected; The user equipment starts the first timer; The user equipment (UE) determines that the duration of the first timer is greater than a first duration and enters an idle state, wherein the first duration is a timeout duration set by the UE based on a second duration, and the UE obtains the second duration of the network device's second timer in the following ways: The first moment when the user equipment determines the undetected data communication service; The user equipment determines the second moment it receives the connection release message; The user equipment calculates the second duration based on the time difference between the first time and the second time. Wherein, the first duration is equal to the sum of the second duration and the time difference threshold, the time difference threshold is determined based on the communication delay between the user equipment and the network device, the second duration is the preset value of the second timer of the network device to which the user equipment is connected, the network device sends a connection release message to the user equipment when the duration of the second timer is greater than the second duration, and the time when the user equipment starts the first timer is the same as the time when the network device starts the second timer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The user equipment determines that the duration of the first timer is greater than the first duration and enters an idle state, including: The user equipment detects that the duration of the first timer is greater than the first duration and determines that it has not received the connection release message; The user equipment listens for paging opportunities based on the first mechanism of receiving paging messages in the idle state, wherein the paging message is a paging message sent by the network device to the user equipment at the corresponding paging opportunity based on the first mechanism, and the paging message is used to wake up the user equipment from the idle state to receive data communication service data sent by the network device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The communication connection state refers to the state in which the user equipment and the network device establish and maintain a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection, and... The connection release message is used to instruct the user equipment to disconnect the RRC connection with the network device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The user equipment is in a communication connection state and no data communication service is detected; The user equipment receives the connection release message and determines that the duration of the first timer is less than the first duration; In response to the connection release message, the user equipment disconnects the RRC connection with the network device and shuts down the first timer.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The undetected data communication services include: The user equipment detects that there is no data transmission in the data channel between itself and the connected network device, and determines that no data communication service is detected.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The network equipment includes base stations.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The user equipment includes electronic devices that support the LTE network standard and / or electronic devices that support the NR network standard.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; One or more memories; the one or more memories storing one or more programs, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer-readable medium, characterized in that, The readable medium stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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