Cell switching method, electronic device, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention provides a cell switching method, electronic equipment, a storage medium and a program product, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for improving mobility performance and service continuity of a RedCap terminal. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a measurement report reported by a RedCap terminal under the condition of determining that the same frequency interference risk of a non-RedCap functional cell exists in a source cell in which the RedCap terminal currently resides; the measurement report is used for indicating signal quality information of a source cell and signal quality information of a target cell except the source cell; under the condition that the signal quality information of the source cell meets a switching threshold and the target cell has the same-frequency interference risk of a non-RedCap functional cell, determining whether the signal quality information of the target cell meets a preset threshold condition or not; the preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree of the same frequency interference of the non-RedCap functional cell on the target cell; and triggering the RedCap terminal to be switched from the source cell to the target cell under the condition that the preset threshold condition is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a cell switching method, an electronic device, a storage medium and a program product. Background Art

[0002] The reduced capability (RedCap) terminal can only reside on the NR cell that supports the RedCap function in the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) new radio (NR) network, and cannot reside on the ordinary NR cell that does not support the RedCap function.

[0003] In the area of ​​continuous network coverage, if some base stations do not support the RedCap function due to insufficient equipment capabilities, low software and hardware versions, or base station failures, the base station will cause strong co-channel interference to the RedCap terminals moving near the base station, affecting the mobility performance of the RedCap terminals. The RedCap terminals will experience poor service perception due to the co-channel interference, and may even cause service disconnection and voice dropped calls on the RedCap terminals. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a cell switching method, electronic device, storage medium and program product, which are used to improve the mobility performance and service continuity of RedCap terminals.

[0005] In the first aspect, the present application provides a cell switching method, which is applied to a base station, including: when it is determined that the source cell where the RedCap terminal is currently residing has a risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell, obtaining a measurement report reported by the RedCap terminal; the measurement report is used to indicate the signal quality information of the source cell, and the signal quality information of the target cell other than the source cell; when the signal quality information of the source cell meets the switching threshold and the target cell has a risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell, determining whether the signal quality information of the target cell meets a preset threshold condition; the preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree to which the target cell is subject to co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell; when the preset threshold condition is met, triggering the RedCap terminal to switch from the source cell to the target cell.

[0006] The technical solution provided by the present application brings at least the following beneficial effects: when there is a risk of co-channel interference from non-RedCap functional cells in the target cell, it can configure differentiated switching thresholds from the source cell to the target cell for the RedCap terminal based on the degree of co-channel interference of the target cell by non-RedCap functional cells. It can not only ensure that the RedCap terminal will not experience service disconnection due to co-channel interference when switching cells, but also increase the access threshold for the RedCap terminal to switch to the target cell when the target cell is highly affected by co-channel interference from non-RedCap functional cells. The technical solution provided by the present application improves the service continuity of the RedCap terminal when it is on the move.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner, the measurement report includes one of the following: an intra-frequency measurement report, an inter-frequency measurement report, and an inter-system measurement report.

[0008] In another possible implementation, the signal quality information of the target cell includes a signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR and a reference signal received power RSRP; the preset threshold conditions include at least one of the following: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold; the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold; wherein the fourth preset threshold and the fifth preset threshold are positively correlated with the degree of co-channel interference to the target cell by non-RedCap functional cells.

[0009] Another possible implementation method is that the degree to which the target cell is affected by co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells is determined based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells existing in the neighboring cells of the target cell; among which, the co-frequency high-interference cell is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell that receives a frequency of switching initiated by surrounding co-frequency cells greater than a preset frequency.

[0010] In another possible implementation manner, the source cell and the target cell satisfy one of the following conditions: the source cell and the target cell are same-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-system cells.

[0011] Another possible implementation method is to determine that the source cell where the RedCap terminal is currently located has the risk of co-frequency interference from a non-RedCap functional cell, including: when it is determined that there is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell in the neighboring cell of the source cell, determining that the source cell has the risk of co-frequency interference from a non-RedCap functional cell.

[0012] In another possible implementation, the non-RedCap function cell includes at least one of the following: a cell that does not support the RedCap function; a cell that does not enable the RedCap function; and a cell that denies access by RedCap terminals.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application provides a cell switching device, including:

[0014] A communication module, used to obtain a measurement report reported by a RedCap terminal when it is determined that a source cell where the RedCap terminal currently resides has a co-channel interference risk of a non-RedCap functional cell; the measurement report is used to indicate signal quality information of the source cell and signal quality information of a target cell other than the source cell;

[0015] A processing module, used to determine whether the signal quality information of the target cell meets a preset threshold condition when the signal quality information of the source cell meets the switching threshold and the target cell has a risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell; the preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree to which the target cell is subject to co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell;

[0016] The processing module is also used to trigger the RedCap terminal to switch from the source cell to the target cell when a preset threshold condition is met.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, the measurement report includes one of the following: an intra-frequency measurement report, an inter-frequency measurement report, and an inter-system measurement report.

[0018] In another possible implementation, the signal quality information of the target cell includes a signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR and a reference signal received power RSRP; the preset threshold conditions include at least one of the following: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold; the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold; wherein the fourth preset threshold and the fifth preset threshold are positively correlated with the degree of co-channel interference to the target cell by non-RedCap functional cells.

[0019] Another possible implementation method is that the degree to which the target cell is affected by co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells is determined based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells existing in the neighboring cells of the target cell; among which, the co-frequency high-interference cell is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell that receives a frequency of switching initiated by surrounding co-frequency cells greater than a preset frequency.

[0020] In another possible implementation manner, the source cell and the target cell satisfy one of the following conditions: the source cell and the target cell are same-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-system cells.

[0021] Another possible implementation manner is that the processing module is specifically used to determine that the source cell has a co-frequency interference risk of a non-RedCap functional cell when it is determined that there is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell in a neighboring cell of the source cell.

[0022] In another possible implementation, the non-RedCap function cell includes at least one of the following: a cell that does not support the RedCap function; a cell that does not enable the RedCap function; and a cell that denies access by RedCap terminals.

[0023] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory stores instructions executable by the processor; when the processor is configured to execute the instructions, the electronic device implements the method of the first aspect above.

[0024] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which includes: computer software instructions; when the computer software instructions are executed in an electronic device, the electronic device implements the method of the first aspect above.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program; when the computer program runs in an electronic device, the electronic device implements the method of the first aspect.

[0026] The beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above refer to the corresponding description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a terminal switching between cells provided in the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a hardware implementation environment of a cell switching method provided in this application;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication scenario of a cell switching method provided in this application;

[0030] Figure 4 A flowchart of a cell switching method provided in this application;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another cell switching method provided by the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an application environment of a cell switching method provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the composition of a cell switching device provided in this application;

[0034] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The cell switching method provided in the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] The term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0037] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, or to distinguish different processing of the same object, rather than to describe a specific order of objects.

[0038] In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof mentioned in the description of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0039] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0040] In order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the words "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that the words "first", "second", etc. are not limiting the quantity and execution order.

[0041] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “plurality” means two or more.

[0042] The technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various mobile communication networks, for example, 5G NR mobile communication networks, future mobile communication networks or multiple communication convergence systems, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0043] In the wireless communication environment, RedCap terminals are also called lightweight new radio light (NR Light) terminals. Their main application scenarios include industrial sensors, video surveillance and other industry applications, as well as consumer applications of wearable devices. Most of the RedCap terminals for industrial applications are unattended and require remote upgrades and maintenance. Therefore, RedCap terminals have high requirements for network coverage and connection reliability, and they also need to maintain low power consumption.

[0044] Whether a RedCap terminal can access a cell is mainly determined by the technical specification (TS) of the third generation partnership project (3GPP) of the existing communication protocol. The parameters in the System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1) indicate whether the corresponding cell allows RedCap terminals to access. The RedCap terminal determines the indication information and can reside in the cell and initiate random access only when the requirements for access are met.

[0045] In order to clearly describe the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the RedCap flower arrangement scene of the present application is briefly introduced below.

[0046] In a wireless communication environment, the interlaced scenario refers to a scenario that adopts a discontinuous or intermittent deployment strategy, in which network coverage or service provision is discontinuous.

[0047] In the early stage of RedCap deployment and application, especially in the process of opening RedCap functions in large consumer (2C) networks, there are cases where the opening of functions in early cities is discontinuous due to differences in the capabilities of manufacturers' equipment and inconsistent opening and deployment rhythms. In areas with continuous network coverage, if there are sporadic base stations in the area that cannot carry some specific services due to equipment capabilities, software and hardware versions, or base station failures, a RedCap patch scenario will occur.

[0048] like Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of terminal switching between cells in a RedCap flower arrangement scenario, including: cell 110, cell 120, cell 130, terminal 140 and terminal 150.

[0049] Cell 110 and cell 120 are both RedCap function cells, that is, the base station of cell 110 and the base station of cell 120 both support and enable the RedCap function. Cell 110 and cell 130 are co-frequency cells, and cell 130 is a non-RedCap function cell. Terminal 140 and terminal 150 are both RedCap terminals, terminal 140 resides in cell 110 and is about to initiate a handover to cell 120, and terminal 150 resides in cell 120 and is about to initiate a handover to cell 120.

[0050] When the RedCap terminal moves around the cell 110, for example, when the terminal 140 initiates a switch from the cell 110 to the cell 120, or when the terminal 150 initiates a switch from the cell 120 to the cell 110, since the cell 130 is a non-RedCap terminal and has the same frequency as the cell 120, the RedCap terminal will be affected by the same frequency interference, and the RedCap terminal may not be able to complete the cell switch in time, resulting in poor service quality or voice service disconnection, data service disconnection, etc.

[0051] In one possible situation, the cell 130 and the cell 120 have the same frequency. When the terminal 140 initiates a handover from the cell 110 to the cell 120 or when the terminal 150 initiates a handover from the cell 120 to the cell 110, both are subject to co-frequency interference.

[0052] In another possible situation, the frequencies of cell 130 and cell 120 are different. When terminal 140 initiates a handover from cell 110 to cell 120, it will be subject to co-frequency interference. When terminal 150 initiates a handover from cell 120 to cell 110, it will also be subject to co-frequency interference after the handover is completed.

[0053] In the RedCap flower arrangement scenario, since the RedCap terminal can only reside in the NR cell that supports RedCap in the 5G NR network, and cannot reside in the ordinary NR cell that does not support RedCap, the cell that does not enable the RedCap service will form a strong co-channel interference to the RedCap terminal moving near the base station, affecting the mobility of the RedCap terminal. Due to the co-channel interference, the RedCap terminal will experience a deterioration in service perception, and may even cause the RedCap terminal's service disconnection and voice drop.

[0054] In response to the above technical problems, the present application provides a cell switching method, the idea of ​​which is that: when there is a risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell in the target cell, a differentiated switching threshold from the source cell to the target cell can be configured for the RedCap terminal based on the degree of co-channel interference of the target cell by the non-RedCap functional cell. In this way, it can not only ensure that the RedCap terminal will not experience service disconnection due to co-channel interference when switching cells, but also increase the access threshold for the RedCap terminal to switch to the target cell when the target cell is highly affected by the co-channel interference of the non-RedCap functional cell. The technical solution provided by the present application improves the service continuity of the RedCap terminal when it is on the move.

[0055] The embodiments provided in this application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0056] The cell switching method provided in this application can be applied to Figure 2 The hardware implementation environment shown in the figure is Figure 2 As shown, the hardware implementation environment includes a base station 210 and a terminal 220 .

[0057] In some embodiments, the base station 210 is used to provide wireless access services for multiple terminals 220. Specifically, a base station provides a service coverage area (also called a cell). The terminals 220 entering the area can communicate with the base station 210 via wireless signals to receive the wireless access services provided by the base station 210.

[0058] In some embodiments, the base station 210 can be a base station or an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in long term evolution (LTE), long term evolution advanced (LTEA), a base station device in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system, etc. The base station may include various macro base stations, micro base stations, home base stations, wireless remote stations, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), routers, wireless fidelity (WIFI) devices, and other network side devices.

[0059] In some embodiments, terminal 220 may be a device supporting RedCap function.

[0060] In some embodiments, the terminal 220 may be a device with wireless transceiver function, which may be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it may also be deployed on the water surface (such as a ship, etc.); it may also be deployed in the air (such as an airplane, a balloon, and a satellite, etc.). The terminal may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios. The terminal may sometimes also be referred to as a user, user equipment (UE), access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication equipment, UE agent or UE device, etc., but the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0061] It should be noted that Figure 2 This is only a schematic diagram of an exemplary hardware implementation environment. Figure 2 The number of devices included in the Figure 2 In addition to the devices shown, the communication system may also include other devices, such as core network devices.

[0062] In some embodiments, the wireless communication environment where the terminal 220 is located includes multiple base stations 210, and the terminal 220 can perform service migration between different service coverage areas, that is, the terminal 220 can switch between cells.

[0063] For example, Figure 3 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication scenario in which a terminal 220 switches between cells provided by two base stations 210. Figure 3 As shown, the communication scenario includes: a source base station 211, a target base station 212 and a terminal 220.

[0064] Among them, the terminal 220 accepts the wireless access service provided by the source base station 211, and the service coverage area provided by the source base station 211 is the source cell; after switching, the terminal 220 accepts the wireless access service provided by the target base station 212, and the service coverage area provided by the target base station 212 is the target cell.

[0065] In some embodiments, the source base station 211 may be a base station supporting the RedCap function.

[0066] In some embodiments, the target base station 212 may be a base station supporting the RedCap function, or the target base station 212 may be a common 4G base station.

[0067] In some embodiments, the source base station 211 and the target base station 212 may use the same radio frequency resources to provide communication services, or the source base station 211 and the target base station 212 may use different radio frequency resources to provide communication services.

[0068] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the source cell where the RedCap terminal 220 is currently residing is at risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell, the source base station 211 obtains the measurement report reported by the RedCap terminal 220; when the signal quality information of the source base station 211 meets the switching threshold and the target base station 212 is at risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell, it is determined whether the signal quality information of the target base station 212 meets the preset threshold condition; the preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree to which the target base station 212 is affected by co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell; when the preset threshold condition is met, the source base station 211 instructs the RedCap terminal 220 to switch from the source cell to the target cell.

[0069] It should be noted that the system architecture described in the embodiments of the present application is for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. A person of ordinary skill in the art can know that with the evolution of the system architecture, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0070] See also Figure 4 , is a flow chart of a cell switching method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the cell switching method provided in the present application can be implemented by the above-mentioned base station, and specifically includes the following steps S301 to S303.

[0071] S301. When it is determined that a source cell where a RedCap terminal currently resides has a co-channel interference risk from a non-RedCap functional cell, a measurement report reported by the RedCap terminal is obtained.

[0072] The measurement report is used to indicate the signal quality information of the source cell and the signal quality information of the target cell other than the source cell.

[0073] In some embodiments, the non-RedCap function cell includes at least one of the following: a cell that does not support the RedCap function; a cell that does not enable the RedCap function; and a cell that denies access by RedCap terminals.

[0074] In some embodiments, the source cell and the target cell satisfy one of the following conditions: the source cell and the target cell are same-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-system cells.

[0075] In some embodiments, determining that the source cell where the RedCap terminal currently resides has a risk of co-frequency interference from a non-RedCap functional cell includes: determining that the source cell has a risk of co-frequency interference from a non-RedCap functional cell when determining that there is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell in a neighboring cell of the source cell.

[0076] The neighboring cells refer to other cells that are adjacent to the source cell where the RedCap terminal currently resides and that may become target cells.

[0077] In some embodiments, the base station of the source cell periodically queries the capability information of the neighboring cells through an interface, for example, whether the neighboring cells support the RedCap function, and then confirms whether there are non-RedCap function cells with the same frequency among the neighboring cells of the source cell.

[0078] Exemplarily, the base station of the source cell periodically queries the capability information of the neighboring cell through the Xn or next generation (NG) interface. Exemplarily, the base station of the source cell obtains the SIB1 sent by the same-frequency neighboring cell through the Xn or NG interface, and determines the capability of the same-frequency neighboring cell to support and enable the RedCap function based on the parameters in the SIB1 of the same-frequency neighboring cell.

[0079] In some embodiments, the source cell base station initiates a switching request to the base station of the neighboring cell to switch the RedCap terminal residing in the source cell to the neighboring cell, and then receives a reply message from the base station of the neighboring cell to confirm whether there is a non-RedCap functional cell with the same frequency in the neighboring cell of the source cell.

[0080] Exemplarily, the source cell base station obtains the handover request confirmation message received after the RedCap terminal residing in the source cell initiates a handover request to the neighboring cell based on a certain statistical period. If the neighboring cell rejects the handover of the RedCap terminal in the handover request acknowledgement message replied within the statistical period, then the neighboring cell is a non-RedCap functional cell.

[0081] In some embodiments, a measurement report (measurement report, MR) includes one of the following: an intra-frequency measurement report, an inter-frequency measurement report, and an inter-system measurement report.

[0082] Exemplarily, if the target cell and the source cell are co-frequency cells, the RedCap terminal residing in the source cell will periodically perform measurements based on the measurement configuration of the radio resource control (RRC) message, generate a co-frequency measurement report, and send the co-frequency measurement report to the base station. Among them, the source cell base station will perform measurement configuration on the RedCap terminal by sending an RRC message to the RedCap terminal when the RedCap terminal first accesses the source cell, or when the source cell base station believes that the measurement configuration of the RedCap terminal needs to be updated.

[0083] If the target cell and the source cell are inter-frequency cells, the source cell base station sends the measurement configuration to the RedCap terminal through RRC signaling, stipulating that the RedCap terminal performs inter-frequency measurement when the signal quality of the source cell is lower than the switching threshold, conducts frequency search, generates an inter-frequency measurement report and sends the inter-frequency measurement report to the base station. The signal quality of the source cell can be measured by the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), for example, the switching threshold of the source cell signal quality can be 0 decibels (dB).

[0084] If the target cell and the source cell are heterogeneous system cells, the source cell sends measurement configuration to the RedCap terminal through RRC signaling, stipulating that the RedCap terminal performs heterogeneous system measurement when the signal quality of the source cell is lower than the switching threshold, generates a heterogeneous system measurement report and sends it to the base station. The signal quality of the source cell can be measured by SINR, for example, the switching threshold of the signal quality of the source cell can be -2dB.

[0085] In some embodiments, neighboring cells of the source cell may be labeled, and the labels may be used to determine whether there are co-frequency non-RedCap function cells among the neighboring cells of the source cell.

[0086] Exemplarily, the source cell base station can send the acquired capabilities of the surrounding neighboring cells to support RedCap terminals to the operations maintenance center (OMC), and the OMC will label the neighboring cells, marking the neighboring cells that support and enable the RedCap function as RedCap functional cells, and marking the cells that do not support the RedCap function, the cells that have not enabled the RedCap function, and the cells that deny access to RedCap terminals as non-RedCap functional cells.

[0087] Exemplarily, the source cell base station can label the neighboring cells according to the acquired capabilities of the surrounding neighboring cells to support RedCap terminals. For example, the neighboring cells that support and enable the RedCap function can be marked as RedCap functional cells, and the cells that do not support the RedCap function, the cells that do not enable the RedCap function, and the cells that deny access to RedCap terminals can be marked as non-RedCap functional cells.

[0088] In some embodiments, the source cell may be labeled, and the label may be used to determine whether the source cell has a risk of co-channel interference with a non-RedCap functional cell.

[0089] Exemplarily, the OMC labels the source cell. If there is a non-RedCap functional cell with the same frequency among the neighboring cells of the source cell, the source cell is marked as a potential cell with the risk of co-frequency interference; if there is no non-RedCap functional cell among the neighboring cells of the source cell, the source cell is marked as a cell without the risk of co-frequency interference.

[0090] It should be noted that unified management and issuance of cell labels by OMC can avoid the source cell base station from repeatedly initiating confirmation of the RedCap function of the neighboring cell, and can also avoid repeated confirmation of whether the source cell has the risk of co-frequency interference from non-RedCap function cells, saving computing resources and improving cell switching efficiency.

[0091] In some embodiments, a base station of a RedCap functional cell may determine whether a terminal residing in the cell is a RedCap terminal based on user equipment (UE) capabilities reported by the terminal residing in the cell.

[0092] S302: When the signal quality information of the source cell meets the switching threshold and the target cell has the risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap function cell, determine whether the signal quality information of the target cell meets a preset threshold condition.

[0093] The preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree to which the target cell is subjected to co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell.

[0094] In some embodiments, the handover threshold may be determined based on the type of the target cell, and may also be adjusted according to the environment in which the source cell is located.

[0095] Exemplarily, the source cell and the target cell are co-frequency cells, and the switching threshold is that the SINR of the source cell is lower than 0 dB.

[0096] Exemplarily, the source cell and the target cell are cells of different frequencies, and the switching threshold is that the SINR of the source cell is lower than 0 dB.

[0097] Exemplarily, the source cell and the target cell are cells of different systems, and the switching threshold is that the SINR of the source cell is lower than -2dB.

[0098] For example, if the source cell is located in an environment where base stations are sparsely distributed, for example, in a rural environment, the switching threshold may be lowered to reduce resource waste caused by measuring the signal quality of the target cell.

[0099] It should be noted that if the source cell and the target cell are cells of different systems, when the RedCap terminal performs different system switching, the measurement complexity is high, the switching delay is large, and cross-system coordination is required. Therefore, the switching threshold for different system switching is more stringent than the switching threshold for same-frequency switching and different-frequency switching.

[0100] In some embodiments, the degree to which the target cell is subject to co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells is determined based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells existing in the neighboring cells of the target cell; wherein, the co-frequency high-interference cell is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell that receives a frequency of switching initiated by surrounding co-frequency cells greater than a preset frequency.

[0101] For example, Figure 5 As shown, determining the degree to which the target cell is subject to co-channel interference from a non-RedCap function cell can be implemented as the following steps S3021-S3023.

[0102] S3021. Obtain the frequency at which the same-frequency non-RedCap function cell receives handovers initiated by surrounding same-frequency cells.

[0103] In some embodiments, the frequency of receiving handover requests initiated by non-RedCap terminals residing in surrounding same-frequency cells may be determined based on handover requests received by the same-frequency non-RedCap functional cell base station.

[0104] S3022. Determine a same-frequency high-interference cell based on the frequency at which the same-frequency non-RedCap function cell receives handovers initiated by surrounding same-frequency cells.

[0105] In some embodiments, a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell that receives a frequency of non-RedCap terminal-initiated handover greater than a preset frequency threshold within a statistical period may be determined as a co-frequency high-interference cell.

[0106] Exemplarily, the statistical period may be 14 days, and the preset frequency threshold may be 100 times.

[0107] In some embodiments, neighboring cells of the target cell may be labeled, and the same-frequency non-RedCap functional cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell that receive the frequency of non-RedCap terminal-initiated handover greater than a preset frequency threshold may be marked as same-frequency high-interference cells.

[0108] It should be noted that labeling of cells can be implemented in OMC, and the cell labels will not change in a short period of time, which can avoid repeated evaluation of whether the neighboring cells of the target cell are co-frequency high-interference cells.

[0109] S3023: Determine the degree of co-frequency interference of the target cell by the non-RedCap function cell based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell.

[0110] It should be noted that the more co-frequency high-interference cells there are in the neighboring cells of the target cell, the more serious the degree of co-frequency interference to the target cell by non-RedCap functional cells. Therefore, the degree of co-frequency interference to the target cell by non-RedCap functional cells can be reflected according to the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell.

[0111] In some embodiments, the signal quality information of the target cell includes SINR and reference signal received power (RSRP); the preset threshold conditions include at least one of the following: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold; the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold; wherein the fourth preset threshold and the fifth preset threshold are positively correlated with the degree of co-channel interference to the target cell by non-RedCap functional cells.

[0112] Exemplarily, if the target cell and the source cell are co-frequency cells, the preset conditions include: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold and the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold, wherein, when the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell is 0, the fourth preset threshold may be 2dB, and the fifth preset threshold may be -100 decibel milliwatts (dBm), and for every increase in the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell, the fourth preset threshold increases by 1dB, and the fifth preset threshold increases by 1dBm.

[0113] If the target cell and the source cell are different-frequency cells, the preset conditions include: the SINR of the target cell is greater than the fourth preset threshold and the RSRP of the target cell is greater than the fifth preset threshold, wherein, when the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell is 0, the fourth preset threshold may be 0dB, and the fifth preset threshold may be -105dBm, and the fourth preset threshold increases by 1dB and the fifth preset threshold increases by 1dBm for every increase in the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell.

[0114] S303: When a preset threshold condition is met, trigger the RedCap terminal to switch from the source cell to the target cell.

[0115] In some embodiments, if the source cell and the target cell are co-frequency cells, or the source cell and the target cell are hetero-frequency cells, the source cell base station will send a handover request message to the target cell base station to request the target cell base station to prepare resource reservation and receive the RedCap terminal; if the target cell base station is able to receive the RedCap terminal, it will send a handover request acknowledgement to the source cell base station; after receiving the handover request acknowledgement message, the source cell base station will send a handover command to the RedCap terminal, instructing the RedCap terminal to switch to the target cell; the RedCap terminal will establish a connection with the target cell base station according to the handover command and complete the handover process; the RedCap terminal will send a handover complete message to the target cell base station, indicating that the handover is successful.

[0116] In some embodiments, if the source cell and the target cell are cells of different systems, exemplarily, the source cell can be a 5GNR cell, and the target cell can be a 4G cell. The source cell base station instructs the RedCap terminal to redirect access. After the RedCap terminal switches to the target cell, it falls back from 5G to 4G and becomes a normal terminal.

[0117] It should be noted that due to the access policy restrictions of non-RedCap functional cells, RedCap terminals cannot reside in non-RedCap functional cells. When the signal strength of the source cell where the RedCap terminal resides meets the switching threshold, initiating a switch to a non-RedCap functional cell will affect the continuity of the RedCap terminal service and may even cause voice drops or service disconnection. Taking into account the continuity of user-side services, when there is no same-frequency or different-frequency RedCap functional cell as the target cell for the RedCap terminal to switch, you can consider selecting a suitable different-system cell as the target cell to initiate the switch. The RedCap terminal becomes an ordinary terminal after the switch is completed, but can be transformed into a RedCap terminal again when it is subsequently switched to the RedCap functional cell, ensuring the continuity of user-side communication services.

[0118] In some embodiments, the neighboring cells of the source cell can be tagged by OMC, and the neighboring cells can be marked as RedCap function cells or non-RedCap function cells. By tagged the neighboring cells of the source cell, the source cell base station can be prohibited from sending a handover request instruction to the non-RedCap function cell in OMC to avoid affecting the service continuity of the RedCap terminal.

[0119] The cell switching method of the embodiment of the present application is introduced below with reference to a specific embodiment.

[0120] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the application environment of an embodiment of the present application, including: an OMC system 501, a source base station 211, a target base station 212, and a RedCap terminal 502.

[0121] The OMC system 501 and the source base station 211 and the target base station 212 may be connected by wired connection or wireless connection. Exemplarily, the connection between the OMC system 501 and the source base station 211 and the target base station 212 includes: optical fiber access, Ethernet cable (twisted pair) access, digital subscriber line (DSL) access, wireless local area network (WLAN) access, and mobile communication network access.

[0122] exist Figure 6 The specific implementation process of the cell switching method provided in the present application in the application environment shown is as follows Sa1-Sa9.

[0123] Sa1. The source base station 211 obtains the capability of the neighboring cells of the source cell to support the RedCap function and reports it to the OMC system 501.

[0124] Sa2. The OMC system 501 labels the neighboring cells of the source cell based on the capability of the neighboring cells of the source cell to support the RedCap function.

[0125] Exemplarily, the cells in the neighboring cells of the source cell that support and enable the RedCap function are marked as RedCap function cells; and the cells in the neighboring cells of the source cell that do not support or do not enable the RedCap function are marked as non-RedCap function cells.

[0126] Sa3. The OMC system 501 labels the source cell based on the labels of the neighboring cells of the source cell.

[0127] Exemplarily, if there is a co-frequency non-RedCap function cell in the neighboring cells of the source cell, the source cell is marked as a potential interference risk cell; otherwise, the source cell is marked as a non-interference risk cell.

[0128] Sa4. The target base station 212 obtains the RedCap function support capability of the neighboring cells of the target cell and reports it to the OMC system 501.

[0129] Sa5, OMC system 501 labels the neighboring cells of the target cell based on the ability of the neighboring cells of the target cell to support the RedCap function.

[0130] Exemplarily, the cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell that support and enable the RedCap function are marked as RedCap function cells; and the cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell that do not support or do not enable the RedCap function are marked as non-RedCap function cells.

[0131] Sa6. The OMC system 501 labels the target cell based on the labels of the neighboring cells of the target cell.

[0132] Exemplarily, if there is a co-frequency non-RedCap function cell in the neighboring cells of the target cell, the target cell is marked as a potential interference risk cell; otherwise, the target cell is marked as a non-interference risk cell.

[0133] Sa7. The target base station 212 obtains the frequency of the same-frequency non-RedCap function cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell receiving handovers initiated by the surrounding same-frequency cells and sends it to the OMC system 501.

[0134] Sa8. The OMC system 501 labels the same-frequency non-RedCap function cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell based on the switching frequency.

[0135] Exemplarily, if the frequency of the same-frequency non-RedCap functional cell receiving handovers initiated by the surrounding same-frequency cells is greater than 100 times within 14 days, the same-frequency non-RedCap functional cell is marked as a same-frequency high-interference cell, otherwise, it is marked as a same-frequency normal-interference cell.

[0136] Sa9. The OMC system 501 configures a mobility strategy for the RedCap terminal 502 residing in the source cell based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the source cell and the target cell are co-frequency cells and both the source cell and the target cell are at risk of co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells, the RedCap terminal 502 periodically reports MR under the instruction of the source base station 211. After the signal quality information of the source cell meets the switching threshold, when it is detected that the signal quality information of the target cell meets the preset threshold condition, the source base station 211 instructs the RedCap terminal 502 to initiate a switch to the target cell.

[0138] Exemplarily, the preset threshold conditions include: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold and the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold, wherein, when the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell is 0, the fourth preset threshold may be 2dB, and the fifth preset threshold may be -100dBm, and for every increase in the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell by 1, the fourth preset threshold increases by 1dB, and the fifth preset threshold increases by 1dBm.

[0139] In some embodiments, when the source cell and the target cell are heterofrequency cells and both the source cell and the target cell are at risk of co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells, the source base station 211 instructs the RedCap terminal 502 to initiate a handover to the target cell.

[0140] Exemplarily, the preset threshold conditions include: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold and the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold, wherein, when the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell is 0, the fourth preset threshold may be 0dB, and the fifth preset threshold may be -105dBm, and for every increase in the number of co-frequency high-interference cells in the neighboring cells of the target cell, the fourth preset threshold increases by 1dB, and the fifth preset threshold increases by 1dBm.

[0141] In some embodiments, when the source cell and the target cell are cells of different systems and there is a risk of co-channel interference between the source cell and the non-RedCap functional cell, the RedCap terminal 502 reports MR under the instruction of the source base station 211, and the source base station 211 instructs the RedCap terminal 502 to initiate a handover to the target cell based on the MR.

[0142] The technical solution provided by the above-mentioned embodiment brings at least the following beneficial effects. The cell switching method provided by the embodiment of the present application can configure differentiated switching thresholds from the source cell to the target cell for the RedCap terminal based on the degree of co-channel interference of the target cell by the non-RedCap functional cell when the target cell is at risk of co-channel interference by the non-RedCap functional cell. In this way, it can not only ensure that the RedCap terminal will not experience service disconnection due to co-channel interference when switching cells, but also increase the access threshold for the RedCap terminal to switch to the target cell when the target cell is highly affected by the co-channel interference of the non-RedCap functional cell. The technical solution provided by the present application improves the service continuity of the RedCap terminal when it is on the move.

[0143] It can be seen that the above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the method. In order to achieve the above functions, the embodiment of the present application provides a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to each function. It should be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in combination with the modules and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiment disclosed herein, the embodiment of the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present invention.

[0144] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the cell switching according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. Optionally, the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0145] In some embodiments, the present application further provides a cell switching device, which may include one or more functional modules for implementing the cell switching method of the above method embodiment.

[0146] For example, Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the composition of a cell switching device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the cell switching device 800 includes: a communication module 801 and a processing module 802 .

[0147] The communication module 801 is used to obtain the measurement report reported by the RedCap terminal when it is determined that the source cell where the RedCap terminal currently resides has the risk of co-channel interference with the non-RedCap functional cell; the measurement report is used to indicate the signal quality information of the source cell and the signal quality information of the target cell other than the source cell;

[0148] The processing module 802 is used to determine whether the signal quality information of the target cell meets the preset threshold condition when the signal quality information of the source cell meets the switching threshold and the target cell has the risk of co-channel interference from the non-RedCap functional cell; the preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree of co-channel interference of the target cell by the non-RedCap functional cell;

[0149] The processing module 802 is further configured to trigger the RedCap terminal to switch from the source cell to the target cell when a preset threshold condition is met.

[0150] In some embodiments, the measurement report includes one of the following: an intra-frequency measurement report, an inter-frequency measurement report, and an inter-system measurement report.

[0151] In other embodiments, the signal quality information of the target cell includes a signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR and a reference signal received power RSRP; the preset threshold conditions include at least one of the following: the SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold; the RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold; wherein the fourth preset threshold and the fifth preset threshold are positively correlated with the degree of co-channel interference to the target cell from non-RedCap functional cells.

[0152] In some other embodiments, the degree to which the target cell is subject to co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells is determined based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells existing in the neighboring cells of the target cell; wherein, the co-frequency high-interference cell is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell that receives a frequency of switching initiated by surrounding co-frequency cells greater than a preset frequency.

[0153] In some further embodiments, the source cell and the target cell satisfy one of the following conditions: the source cell and the target cell are same-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-frequency cells; the source cell and the target cell are different-system cells.

[0154] In some other embodiments, the processing module 802 is specifically configured to determine that the source cell has a co-frequency interference risk of a non-RedCap functional cell when it is determined that a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell exists in a neighboring cell of the source cell.

[0155] In some other embodiments, the non-RedCap function cell includes at least one of the following: a cell that does not support the RedCap function; a cell that does not enable the RedCap function; and a cell that denies access by RedCap terminals.

[0156] In the case of implementing the functions of the above-mentioned integrated modules in the form of hardware, the embodiment of the present invention provides a possible structural diagram of the electronic device involved in the above-mentioned embodiment. Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 900 includes: a processor 902 , a communication interface 903 , and a bus 904 . Optionally, the electronic device 900 may further include a memory 901 .

[0157] The processor 902 may be a processor that implements or executes various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of the present application. The processor 902 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of the present application. The processor 902 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and the like.

[0158] The communication interface 903 is used to connect with other devices via a communication network, such as Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0159] The memory 901 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0160] As a possible implementation, the memory 901 may exist independently of the processor 902, and the memory 901 may be connected to the processor 902 via a bus 904 for storing instructions or program codes. When the processor 902 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 901, the cell switching method provided in the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented.

[0161] In another possible implementation, the memory 901 may also be integrated with the processor 902 .

[0162] The bus 904 may be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 904 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 8 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0163] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the service calling device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0164] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by computer instructions to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in the above computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it may include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be the memory or memory of any of the above embodiments. The above computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the above service calling device, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flash card), etc. equipped on the above service calling device. Further, the above computer-readable storage medium can also include both the internal storage unit of the above service calling device and an external storage device. The above computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above computer program and other programs and data required by the above service calling device. The above computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0165] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute any one of the cell switching methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0166] The above are only specific implementations of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cell switching method, characterized in that: Applied to a base station, the method comprises: When it is determined that the source cell where the RedCap terminal currently resides has a co-channel interference risk of a non-RedCap functional cell, obtaining a measurement report reported by the RedCap terminal; the measurement report is used to indicate signal quality information of the source cell and signal quality information of target cells other than the source cell; When the signal quality information of the source cell meets the switching threshold and the target cell has the risk of co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell, determine whether the signal quality information of the target cell meets a preset threshold condition; the preset threshold condition is determined based on the degree to which the target cell is subject to co-channel interference from a non-RedCap functional cell; When the preset threshold condition is met, the RedCap terminal is triggered to switch from the source cell to the target cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The measurement report includes one of the following: an intra-frequency measurement report, an inter-frequency measurement report, and an inter-system measurement report.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The signal quality information of the target cell includes a signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR and a reference signal received power RSRP; the preset threshold condition includes at least one of the following: The SINR of the target cell is greater than a fourth preset threshold; The RSRP of the target cell is greater than a fifth preset threshold; The fourth preset threshold and the fifth preset threshold are positively correlated with the degree to which the target cell is subjected to co-channel interference from a non-RedCap function cell.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The degree to which the target cell is affected by co-frequency interference from non-RedCap functional cells is determined based on the number of co-frequency high-interference cells existing in the neighboring cells of the target cell; wherein the co-frequency high-interference cell is a co-frequency non-RedCap functional cell that receives switching initiated by surrounding co-frequency cells at a frequency greater than a preset frequency.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The source cell and the target cell meet one of the following conditions: The source cell and the target cell are co-frequency cells; The source cell and the target cell are cells of different frequencies; The source cell and the target cell are cells of different systems.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining that the source cell where the RedCap terminal currently resides has a co-channel interference risk from a non-RedCap functional cell includes: In the case where it is determined that there is a non-RedCap functional cell with the same frequency in a neighboring cell of the source cell, it is determined that there is a risk of co-frequency interference of the non-RedCap functional cell in the source cell.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The non-RedCap functional cells include at least one of the following: Cells that do not support the RedCap function; Residential areas where the RedCap function is not enabled; Deny access to the cell by RedCap terminals.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is coupled to the memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and the computer instructions are loaded and executed by the processor to enable the computer device to implement the cell switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium includes computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the cell switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is executed on an electronic device, the electronic device executes the cell switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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