User equipment, network node, method executed by same and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to user equipment, a network node, a method executed by the network node and a storage medium. The method executed by the user equipment in the wireless communication system comprises the following steps: receiving information which is sent by a network node and is used for indicating timing deviation between a reference cell and a secondary cell; and uplink transmission is carried out on the auxiliary cell, and under the condition that the auxiliary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission moment of an uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of a reference cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a user equipment and a method executed therein, a network node and a method executed therein, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the increased demand for wireless data communication services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or quasi-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or quasi-5G communication systems are also referred to as "super 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems."

[0003] 5G communication systems are implemented in higher frequency (millimeter wave, mmWave) bands, such as the 60 GHz band, to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technology are discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, in the 5G communication system, development of system network improvements is underway based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, collaborative communications, coordinated multi-point (CoMP), receiving-end interference cancellation, etc.

[0005] In 5G systems, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as advanced coded modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as advanced access technologies have been developed. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method executed by a user equipment in a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: receiving information indicating a timing deviation between a reference cell and a secondary cell sent by a network node; performing uplink transmission on the secondary cell, wherein, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0007] Optionally, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell, including: the transmission time of the uplink frame meets the following requirements: the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a time before the first detectable path in the time domain of receiving the corresponding downlink frame from the reference cell, and the time is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0008] Optionally, the method further includes: determining a reference point for an initial transmission timing control requirement, wherein the reference point is determined based on a downlink timing of a reference cell, the timing deviation, and an uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0009] Optionally, the downlink timing of the reference cell is a first moment, the first moment corresponds to a reception moment of a first path in the time domain of a downlink frame, and the first moment is received from an antenna of the reference cell at a user equipment and is used by the user equipment to determine the downlink timing.

[0010] Optionally, the secondary cell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the secondary cell and the reference timing does not exceed the timing error limit value; wherein the reference timing is the second moment before the downlink timing of the reference cell, and the second moment is determined based on the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0011] Optionally, the method also includes: sending a notification to a network node that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated, receiving a command sent by the network node to activate or deactivate the secondary cell, and activating or deactivating the secondary cell according to the command; or, sending a notification to the network node to activate or deactivate the secondary cell, activating or deactivating the secondary cell at a predetermined time, wherein information on the predetermined time is included in the notification, or is a predefined value or a network high-level configuration value.

[0012] Optionally, the method also includes: receiving a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell in time slot n, and executing an action corresponding to the command no later than a third time, wherein the third time is determined based on a first offset and an activation or deactivation delay, wherein the first offset is related to the delay time, wherein the delay time is a predetermined value or is determined based on information of a reference cell.

[0013] Optionally, the delay time includes a first delay time and / or a second delay time, wherein the first delay time is a delay time determined based on a time difference between downlink data transmission and confirmation of a reference cell, and the second delay time is a delay time determined based on a channel state information reporting period of the reference cell.

[0014] Optionally, the activation or deactivation delay requirement of the secondary cell includes a requirement for a receiving timing deviation between the secondary cell and a reference cell and / or a requirement for a receiving power difference between the secondary cell and the reference cell; wherein the requirement for the receiving timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receiving power difference is determined based on the capabilities of the user equipment.

[0015] Optionally, the method further includes: determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell according to the uplink power control information of the reference cell and a power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell configured by the network node.

[0016] Optionally, the method further includes: reporting capability information to the network node, wherein the capability information includes at least one of the following items:

[0017] First capability information, indicating that the user equipment supports that the secondary cell does not carry a downlink signal in any carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the any carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario and an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario;

[0018] The second capability information indicates that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in a scenario of intra-band continuous carrier aggregation;

[0019] The third capability information indicates that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the intra-band carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band continuous carrier aggregation scenario and an intra-band non-contiguous carrier aggregation scenario;

[0020] Fourth capability information, indicating that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario;

[0021] The fifth capability information indicates that the user equipment supports a secondary cell whose frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval with the reference cell meets the first condition and does not carry a downlink signal.

[0022] Optionally, the capability information is reported according to component carrier CC, or is reported according to a combination of multiple CCs, or is reported according to user equipment.

[0023] Optionally, the reference cell is determined based on the following manner: determining the reference cell based on information received from the network node for indicating the reference cell; or determining the reference cell from the service cell based on at least one of the following information: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell, and the signal strength of the service cell, wherein the service cell includes a primary cell or a special cell and an activated secondary cell carrying a synchronization signal block.

[0024] According to the second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method executed by a network node in a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: sending information indicating a timing deviation between a reference cell and a secondary cell to a user equipment; receiving an uplink transmission on the secondary cell, wherein, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission moment of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0025] Optionally, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell, including: the transmission time of the uplink frame meets the following requirements: the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a time before the first detectable path in the time domain of receiving the corresponding downlink frame from the reference cell, and the time is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0026] Optionally, the reference point of the initial transmission timing control requirement of the uplink transmission is determined based on the downlink timing of a reference cell, the timing deviation, and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0027] Optionally, the downlink timing of the reference cell is a first moment, the first moment corresponds to a reception moment of a first path in the time domain of a downlink frame, and the first moment is received from an antenna of the reference cell at a user equipment and is used by the user equipment to determine the downlink timing.

[0028] Optionally, the secondary cell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the secondary cell and the reference timing does not exceed the timing error limit value; wherein the reference timing is the second moment before the downlink timing of the reference cell, and the second moment is determined based on the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0029] Optionally, the method also includes: receiving a notification from the user equipment that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated, and sending a command to the user equipment for activating or deactivating the secondary cell; or, receiving a notification from the user equipment to activate or deactivate the secondary cell, wherein information on the scheduled time for the user equipment to activate or deactivate the secondary cell is included in the notification, or the scheduled time is a predefined value or a network high-level configuration value.

[0030] Optionally, the method also includes: sending a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell to the user equipment in time slot n, wherein the user equipment performs an action corresponding to the command no later than a third time, and the third time is determined based on a first offset and an activation or deactivation delay, wherein the first offset is related to the delay time, and wherein the delay time is a predetermined value or is determined based on information of a reference cell.

[0031] Optionally, the delay time includes a first delay time and / or a second delay time, wherein the first delay time is a delay time determined based on a time difference between downlink data transmission and confirmation of a reference cell, and the second delay time is a delay time determined based on a channel state information reporting period of the reference cell.

[0032] Optionally, the activation or deactivation delay requirement of the secondary cell includes a requirement for a receiving timing deviation between the secondary cell and a reference cell and / or a requirement for a receiving power difference between the secondary cell and the reference cell; wherein the requirement for the receiving timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receiving power difference is determined based on the capabilities of the user equipment.

[0033] Optionally, the method further includes: sending information indicating a power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell to the user equipment, wherein uplink power control information of the secondary cell is determined based on the power deviation and uplink power control information of the reference cell.

[0034] Optionally, the method further includes: receiving capability information reported by the user equipment, wherein the capability information includes at least one of the following items:

[0035] First capability information, indicating that the user equipment supports that the secondary cell does not carry a downlink signal in any carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the any carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario and an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario;

[0036] The second capability information indicates that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in a scenario of intra-band continuous carrier aggregation;

[0037] The third capability information indicates that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the intra-band carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band continuous carrier aggregation scenario and an intra-band non-contiguous carrier aggregation scenario;

[0038] Fourth capability information, indicating that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario;

[0039] The fifth capability information indicates that the user equipment supports a secondary cell whose frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval with the reference cell meets the first condition and does not carry a downlink signal.

[0040] Optionally, the capability information is reported by the user equipment according to component carrier CC, or is reported according to a combination of multiple CCs, or is reported according to user equipment.

[0041] Optionally, the reference cell is determined based on the following manner: determining the reference cell based on information received from the network node for indicating the reference cell; or determining the reference cell from the service cell based on at least one of the following information: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell, and the signal strength of the service cell, wherein the service cell includes a primary cell or a special cell and an activated secondary cell carrying a synchronization signal block.

[0042] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a user equipment is provided, comprising: a transceiver; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to execute the method performed by the user equipment as described above.

[0043] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network node is provided, comprising: a transceiver; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to execute the method performed by the network node as described above.

[0044] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions is provided, which, when executed by at least one processor, prompts the at least one processor to execute any one of the methods described above.

[0045] According to the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, since the user equipment receives information indicating the timing deviation between the reference cell and the secondary cell from the network node, and when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell and the timing deviation, it is possible to ensure correct uplink transmission on the secondary cell while saving network energy.

[0046] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure, and do not constitute improper limitations on the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 1 Schematic diagram illustrating an example wireless network 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 2a and Figure 2b Example wireless transmit and receive paths according to the present disclosure are shown.

[0050] Figure 3aAn example UE 116 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0051] Figure 3b An example gNB 102 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0052] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of a method performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of a method performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method performed by a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Fig.11 is a block diagram illustrating a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Fig.12 is a block diagram illustrating a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. This description includes various specific details to facilitate understanding but should be considered as exemplary only. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted.

[0062] The terms and expressions used in the following specification and claims are not limited to their dictionary meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0063] It should be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component surface" includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

[0064] The term "include" or "may include" refers to the presence of the corresponding disclosed functions, operations or components that can be used in various embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than limiting the presence of one or more additional functions, operations or features. In addition, the term "include" or "have" may be interpreted as indicating certain characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof, but should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility of the presence of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0065] The term "or" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure includes any of the listed terms and all combinations thereof. For example, "A or B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0066] Unless defined differently, all terms (including technical terms or scientific terms) used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as understood by those skilled in the art described in the present disclosure. Common terms as defined in dictionaries are interpreted as having meanings consistent with the context in the relevant technical field, and should not be interpreted ideally or overly formally unless clearly defined in the present disclosure.

[0067] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The text and the accompanying drawings are provided only as examples to help readers understand the present disclosure. They are not intended to and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Although certain embodiments and examples have been provided, based on what is disclosed herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments and examples shown may be changed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] Figure 1 An example wireless network 100 is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The embodiment of the wireless network 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] Wireless network 100 includes gNodeB (gNB) 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one Internet Protocol (IP) network 130, such as the Internet, a private IP network, or other data network.

[0070] Depending on the network type, other well-known terms such as "base station" or "access point" can be used instead of "gNodeB" or "gNB". For convenience, the terms "gNodeB" and "gNB" are used in this patent document to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Also, depending on the network type, other well-known terms such as "mobile station", "subscriber station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal" or "user device" can be used instead of "user equipment" or "UE". For convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used in this patent document to refer to a remote wireless device that wirelessly accesses a gNB, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or a commonly thought of fixed device (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0071] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a first plurality of user equipment (UE) within coverage area 120 of gNB 102. The first plurality of UEs include: UE 111, which may be located in a small business (SB); UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise (E); UE 113, which may be located in a WiFi hotspot (HS); UE 114, which may be located in a first residence (R); UE 115, which may be located in a second residence (R); UE 116, which may be a mobile device (M), such as a cellular phone, a wireless laptop, a wireless PDA, etc. gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a second plurality of UEs within coverage area 125 of gNB 103. The second plurality of UEs include UE 115 and UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 may be capable of communicating with each other and with UEs 111-116 using 5G, long term evolution (LTE), LTE-A, WiMAX, or other advanced wireless communication technologies.

[0072] The dashed lines illustrate the approximate extents of coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as approximately circular for purposes of illustration and explanation only. It should be clearly understood that coverage areas associated with gNBs, such as coverage areas 120 and 125, can have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNB and variations in the radio environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0073] As described in more detail below, one or more of gNB 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103 include a 2D antenna array as described in embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more of gNB 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103 support codebook design and structure for a system with a 2D antenna array.

[0074] although Figure 1 One example of a wireless network 100 is shown, but Figure 1 Various changes may be made. For example, wireless network 100 can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. Also, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide those UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. In addition, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as an external telephone network or other type of data network.

[0075] Figure 2a and Figure 2b Example wireless transmit and receive paths according to the present disclosure are shown. In the following description, transmit path 200 can be described as being implemented in a gNB (such as gNB 102) and receive path 250 can be described as being implemented in a UE (such as UE 116). However, it should be understood that receive path 250 can be implemented in a gNB and transmit path 200 can be implemented in a UE. In some embodiments, receive path 250 is configured to support codebook design and structure for a system with a 2D antenna array as described in embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0076] The transmit path 200 includes a channel coding and modulation block 205, a serial to parallel (S to P) block 210, an N-point inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block 215, a parallel to serial (P to S) block 220, an add cyclic prefix block 225, and an upconverter (UC) 230. The receive path 250 includes a downconverter (DC) 255, a remove cyclic prefix block 260, a serial to parallel (S to P) block 265, an N-point fast Fourier transform (FFT) block 270, a parallel to serial (P to S) block 275, and a channel decoding and demodulation block 280.

[0077] In the transmit path 200, the channel coding and modulation block 205 receives a set of information bits, applies coding (such as low-density parity check (LDPC) coding), and modulates the input bits (such as using quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency-domain modulation symbols. The serial-to-parallel (S-to-P) block 210 converts (such as demultiplexes) the serial modulation symbols into parallel data to generate N parallel symbol streams, where N is the number of IFFT / FFT points used in the gNB 102 and the UE 116. The N-point IFFT block 215 performs an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams to generate a time-domain output signal. The parallel-to-serial block 220 converts (such as multiplexes) the parallel time-domain output symbols from the N-point IFFT block 215 to generate a serial time-domain signal. The add cyclic prefix block 225 inserts a cyclic prefix into the time-domain signal. The up-converter 230 modulates (such as up-converts) the output of the add cyclic prefix block 225 to an RF frequency for transmission via a wireless channel. The signal can also be filtered at baseband before conversion to RF frequency.

[0078] The RF signal transmitted from gNB 102 arrives at UE 116 after passing through a wireless channel, and an operation opposite to that at gNB 102 is performed at UE 116. Downconverter 255 downconverts the received signal to a baseband frequency, and remove cyclic prefix block 260 removes the cyclic prefix to generate a serial time-domain baseband signal. Serial-to-parallel block 265 converts the time-domain baseband signal into a parallel time-domain signal. N-point FFT block 270 performs an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency-domain signals. Parallel-to-serial block 275 converts the parallel frequency-domain signals into a sequence of modulated data symbols. Channel decoding and demodulation block 280 demodulates and decodes the modulated symbols to recover the original input data stream.

[0079] Each of gNBs 101-103 may implement a transmit path 200 similar to that for transmitting in the downlink to UEs 111-116 and may implement a receive path 250 similar to that for receiving in the uplink from UEs 111-116. Similarly, each of UEs 111-116 may implement a transmit path 200 for transmitting in the uplink to gNBs 101-103 and may implement a receive path 250 for receiving in the downlink from gNBs 101-103.

[0080] Figure 2a and Figure 2b Each of the components in can be implemented using hardware only, or a combination of hardware and software / firmware. As a specific example, Figure 2a and Figure 2bAt least some of the components in can be implemented with software, while other components can be implemented by configurable hardware or a mixture of software and configurable hardware. For example, FFT block 270 and IFFT block 215 can be implemented as a configurable software algorithm, in which the value of the number of points N can be modified according to the implementation.

[0081] In addition, although described as using FFT and IFFT, this is illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Other types of transforms can be used, such as discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) functions. It should be understood that for DFT and IDFT functions, the value of variable N can be any integer (such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), while for FFT and IFFT functions, the value of variable N can be any integer as a power of 2 (such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.).

[0082] although Figure 2a and Figure 2b An example of a wireless transmit and receive path is shown, but the Figure 2a and Figure 2b Make various changes. For example, Figure 2a and Figure 2b The various components in can be combined, further subdivided or omitted, and additional components can be added according to specific needs. Figure 2a and Figure 2b It is intended to illustrate examples of the types of transmit and receive paths that can be used in a wireless network. Any other suitable architecture can be used to support wireless communications in a wireless network.

[0083] Figure 3a An example UE 116 according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3a The embodiment of UE 116 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 can have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs have a variety of configurations, and Figure 3a The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of the UE.

[0084] UE 116 includes antenna 305, radio frequency (RF) transceiver 310, transmit (TX) processing circuit 315, microphone 320, and receive (RX) processing circuit 325. UE 116 also includes speaker 330, processor / controller 340, input / output (I / O) interface 345, input device(s) 350, display 355, and memory 360. Memory 360 includes operating system (OS) 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0085] The RF transceiver 310 receives incoming RF signals from the antenna 305 transmitted by the gNB of the wireless network 100. The RF transceiver 310 downconverts the incoming RF signals to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is sent to the RX processing circuit 325, where the RX processing circuit 325 generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. The RX processing circuit 325 sends the processed baseband signal to the speaker 330 (such as for voice data) or to the processor / controller 340 (such as for web browsing data) for further processing.

[0086] The TX processing circuit 315 receives analog or digital voice data from the microphone 320, or receives other outgoing baseband data (such as network data, email, or interactive video game data) from the processor / controller 340. The TX processing circuit 315 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceiver 310 receives the outgoing processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 315 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal that is transmitted via the antenna 305.

[0087] The processor / controller 340 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute an OS 361 stored in the memory 360 to control the overall operation of the UE 116. For example, the processor / controller 340 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals through the RF transceiver 310, the RX processing circuit 325, and the TX processing circuit 315 according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, the processor / controller 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0088] The processor / controller 340 is also capable of executing other processes and programs resident in the memory 360, such as operations for channel quality measurement and reporting for a system with a 2D antenna array as described in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The processor / controller 340 is capable of moving data into or out of the memory 360 as needed for the executed process. In some embodiments, the processor / controller 340 is configured to execute applications 362 based on the OS 361 or in response to signals received from the gNB or operator. The processor / controller 340 is also coupled to the I / O interface 345, where the I / O interface 345 provides the UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptops and handheld computers. The I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and the processor / controller 340.

[0089] The processor / controller 340 is also coupled to input device(s) 350 and a display 355. An operator of the UE 116 can input data into the UE 116 using the input device(s) 350. The display 355 can be a liquid crystal display or other display capable of presenting text and / or at least limited graphics (such as from a website). A memory 360 is coupled to the processor / controller 340. A portion of the memory 360 can include random access memory (RAM), while another portion of the memory 360 can include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0090] although Figure 3a An example of UE 116 is shown, but it is possible to Figure 3a Make various changes. For example, Figure 3a The various components in can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added according to specific needs. As a specific example, processor / controller 340 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Moreover, although Figure 3a The UE 116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smart phone, but the UE can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or stationary devices.

[0091] Figure 3b An example gNB 102 according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3b The embodiment of the gNB 102 shown in FIG. is for illustration only, and Figure 1 Other gNBs can have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs have a variety of configurations, and Figure 3b The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of the gNB. It should be noted that gNB 101 and gNB 103 can include the same or similar structure as gNB 102.

[0092] like Figure 3b As shown in FIG. 1 , gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 370a-370n, multiple RF transceivers 372a-372n, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 374, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 376. In some embodiments, one or more of the multiple antennas 370a-370n include a 2D antenna array. gNB 102 also includes a controller / processor 378, a memory 380, and a backhaul or network interface 382.

[0093] The RF transceivers 372a-372n receive incoming RF signals from the antennas 370a-370n, such as signals transmitted by a UE or other gNB. The RF transceivers 372a-372n downconvert the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are sent to the RX processing circuitry 376, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. The RX processing circuitry 376 sends the processed baseband signals to the controller / processor 378 for further processing.

[0094] The TX processing circuit 374 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, network data, email, or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 378. The TX processing circuit 374 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceivers 372a-372n receive the outgoing processed baseband or IF signals from the TX processing circuit 374 and up-convert the baseband or IF signals to RF signals that are transmitted via the antennas 370a-370n.

[0095] The controller / processor 378 can include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 378 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals through the RF transceivers 372a-372n, the RX processing circuitry 376, and the TX processing circuitry 374 in accordance with well-known principles. The controller / processor 378 can also support additional functionality, such as more advanced wireless communication functionality. For example, the controller / processor 378 can perform a Blind Interference Sensing (BIS) process, such as performed through a Blind Interference Sensing (BIS) algorithm, and decode a received signal with an interference signal subtracted. The controller / processor 378 can support any of a variety of other functions in the gNB 102. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 378 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0096] The controller / processor 378 can also execute programs and other processes resident in the memory 380, such as a basic OS. The controller / processor 378 can also support channel quality measurement and reporting for systems with 2D antenna arrays as described in embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 378 supports communications between entities such as web RTC. The controller / processor 378 can move data into or out of the memory 380 as needed by the executing process.

[0097] The controller / processor 378 is also coupled to a backhaul or network interface 382. The backhaul or network interface 382 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or via a network. The backhaul or network interface 382 can support communication via any suitable (multiple) wired or wireless connections. For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as a cellular communication system supporting 5G or new radio access technology or NR, LTE or LTE-A), the backhaul or network interface 382 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, the backhaul or network interface 382 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with a larger network (such as the Internet) via a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection. The backhaul or network interface 382 includes any suitable structure that supports communication via a wired or wireless connection, such as an Ethernet or RF transceiver.

[0098] The memory 380 is coupled to the controller / processor 378. A portion of the memory 380 can include RAM, while another portion of the memory 380 can include flash memory or other ROM. In some embodiments, a plurality of instructions such as a BIS algorithm are stored in the memory. The plurality of instructions are configured to cause the controller / processor 378 to perform the BIS process and decode the received signal after subtracting at least one interference signal determined by the BIS algorithm.

[0099] As described in more detail below, the transmit and receive paths of the gNB 102 (implemented using the RF transceivers 372a-372n, the TX processing circuitry 374, and / or the RX processing circuitry 376) support aggregated communications with FDD cells and TDD cells.

[0100] although Figure 3b An example of a gNB 102 is shown, but the Figure 3b For example, gNB 102 can include any number of Figure 3a . As a specific example, an access point can include a number of backhaul or network interfaces 382, ​​and the controller / processor 378 can support routing functions to route data between different network addresses. As another specific example, while shown as including a single instance of TX processing circuitry 374 and a single instance of RX processing circuitry 376, the gNB 102 can include multiple instances of each (such as one for each RF transceiver).

[0101] With the continuous development of wireless communication systems, in order to obtain higher data rates, the network needs to use more antennas, larger bandwidths and more frequency bands. High energy consumption has gradually become one of the problems that plague operators. At the same time, in order to support wider transmission bandwidth in wireless networks to achieve the purpose of improving the throughput of a single user device, two or more component carriers (CC) are allocated to the same user device for data transmission. This aggregation of component carriers is called carrier aggregation (CA). When multiple component carriers are in the same frequency band and their spectra are continuous, it is called intra-band contiguous CA; when multiple component carriers are in the same frequency band and there is a certain interval between their spectra, it is called intra-band non-contiguous CA; when multiple component carriers are in different frequency bands, it is called inter-band CA. Multiple cells combined by carrier aggregation CA technology form a cell group. The cell used to initiate initial access in this cell group is the primary cell (PCell) or the special cell (SpCell). The other cells in this cell group except the primary cell PCell or the special cell SpCell are secondary cells (SCell).

[0102] The energy consumed by network equipment for uplink reception only accounts for 0.2 to 0.5 of the energy consumed for downlink transmission. Therefore, for some scenarios that require more uplink services, such as remote driving, machine vision, and factory video monitoring, it is possible to consider turning off downlink transmission for SCell and only using uplink transmission to achieve network energy saving. How to ensure that uplink transmission can be carried out correctly while saving network energy is an issue worthy of attention. The present disclosure proposes a concept of ensuring that uplink transmission can be carried out correctly while saving network energy. Specifically, according to the concept of the present disclosure, at least one user equipment, a method executed by the user equipment, a network node, and a method executed by the network node are provided. The concept of the present disclosure can be applied at least to achieve network energy saving in a carrier aggregation scenario while ensuring that uplink transmission can be carried out correctly.

[0103] Next, we will refer to Figures 4 to 12 The concepts of the present disclosure are described in detail.

[0104] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Reference Figure 4In step S410, information indicating the timing offset between the reference cell and the secondary cell is received from the network node. As an example, the user equipment may receive first information sent by the network node, wherein the first information may include information indicating the timing offset between the reference cell and the secondary cell.

[0106] According to an embodiment, the reference cell is determined based on the following method: determining the reference cell based on information received from the network node for indicating the reference cell; or determining the reference cell from the service cell based on at least one of the following information: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell, and the signal strength of the service cell, wherein the service cell includes a primary cell or a special cell and an activated secondary cell carrying a synchronization signal block.

[0107] In the present disclosure, the information used to indicate the reference cell may be referred to as "second information". For example, there are three options for selecting the reference cell:

[0108] In a first solution, the user equipment determines the reference cell based on the second information received from the network node. For example, the user equipment can obtain from the network node through the second information which activated cell is the reference cell of the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal.

[0109] The second scheme is to determine the reference cell from the serving cell based on at least one of the following information: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell, and the signal strength of the serving cell. In the following, determining the reference cell from the serving cell based on at least one of the above information is also referred to as determining the reference cell based on the first rule. For example, determining the reference cell based on the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell of the user equipment may include: selecting the serving cell with the smallest frequency interval as the reference cell, or selecting the serving cell with a frequency interval greater than a first threshold as the reference cell, wherein the first threshold is a threshold configured or predefined by the network node. For example, determining the reference cell based on the frequency interval relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell of the user equipment includes: selecting the serving cell with the smallest relative frequency interval as the reference cell, or selecting the serving cell with a relative frequency interval greater than a second threshold as the reference cell, wherein the second threshold is a threshold configured or predefined by the network node. For example, determining a reference cell according to the signal strength of the service cell includes: selecting a service cell with the largest signal strength as a reference cell, or selecting a service cell with a signal strength greater than a third threshold as a reference cell, wherein the third threshold is a threshold configured by the network node or predefined. For example, the user equipment may select a reference cell for the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal in the activated cell of the current cell group based on at least one of the above information. For example, an activated cell with the smallest carrier frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval in the same cell group as the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal is selected as a reference cell, or the reference cell may be selected according to the principle of maximizing the signal strength (such as RSRP / SINR / RSRQ), or it may be selected according to a predefined threshold, and the activated cell carrying SSB that meets the predefined threshold requirements is selected as the reference cell.

[0110] In a third solution, the user equipment determines the reference cell based on at least one of the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell, and the signal strength of the serving cell, and the second information. For example, the user equipment first determines the reference cell from the network node through the second information, and then the user equipment can change the reference cell based on at least one of the following information according to the change of the activated cell in the cell group: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the serving cell, and the signal strength of the serving cell.

[0111] The reference cell can provide a reference for correctly performing activation, deactivation and uplink transmission on the secondary cell for the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal. For example, the information of the reference cell may include uplink timing synchronization information and / or uplink power control information of the reference cell. The user equipment can use the information of the reference cell to provide a reference for uplink timing synchronization and / or uplink power control information for the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal, to perform activation, deactivation and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal. Optionally, in addition to providing a reference for correctly performing activation, deactivation and uplink transmission on the secondary cell for the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal with the help of the information of the reference cell, the activation, deactivation and uplink transmission on the secondary cell can also be further performed on this basis in combination with the first information sent from the network node. Alternatively, the activation, deactivation and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell can also be performed using only the first information.

[0112] According to an embodiment, the first information may include at least one of the following items: information indicating the timing deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell and / or information indicating the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell; timing deviation information and / or power deviation information of the secondary cell. For example, if the first information includes information indicating the timing deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell and / or information indicating the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell, activation, deactivation and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell may be performed together with the information of the reference cell and the first information. For another example, if the first information includes the timing deviation information and / or power deviation information of the secondary cell, activation, deactivation and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell may be performed only using the first information.

[0113] As an example, the first information may be RRC or MAC-CE or DCI signaling.

[0114] In step S420, uplink transmission is performed on the secondary cell. According to an embodiment, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame may be related to the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell and the timing offset.

[0115] According to the method executed by the user equipment in the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the user equipment receives information indicating the timing deviation between the reference cell and the secondary cell from the network node, and when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell and the timing deviation, it is possible to ensure correct uplink transmission on the secondary cell while saving network energy.

[0116] Optionally, Figure 4 The method shown may also include: reporting capability information to a network node. As an example, the network node may be any network device (such as a base station device, a bypass device, etc.), or a network function entity. According to an embodiment, the capability information is used to indicate that the user equipment supports a secondary cell (SCell) that does not carry a downlink signal. According to an embodiment, the SCell may be a cell other than a PCell or SpCell in a cell group formed by multiple cells united together by carrier aggregation CA technology. As an example, the capability information may include at least one of the following items: first capability information, indicating that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals in any carrier aggregation scenario, wherein any carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario and an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario; second capability information, indicating that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals in an intra-band continuous carrier aggregation scenario; third capability information, indicating that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals in an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the intra-band carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band continuous carrier aggregation scenario and an intra-band discontinuous carrier aggregation scenario; fourth capability information, indicating that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals in an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario; fifth capability information, indicating that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals when the frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval with the reference cell meets the first condition. Here, if the user equipment reports the fifth capability information, it indicates that the user equipment supports the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal when the frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval with the reference cell meets the first condition, and the user equipment supports the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal when the frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval with the reference cell meets the first condition, which can implicitly indicate that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in the carrier aggregation scenario. Here, the frequency interval and / or frequency interval with the reference cell, and the first condition can be predefined.

[0117] For example, the frequency interval with the reference cell can be defined as the frequency interval between the SCell CC and the reference cell CC, or the frequency interval between the SCell CC and the frequency band where the reference cell CC is located. The frequency interval between the SCell CC and the reference cell CC can be defined as one of the following: the difference between the upper frequency limit of the SCell CC and the lower frequency limit of the reference cell CC, the difference between the center frequency of the SCell CC and the center frequency of the reference cell CC, the difference between the upper frequency limit of the SCell CC and the upper frequency limit of the reference cell CC, the difference between the lower frequency limit of the SCell CC and the lower frequency limit of the reference cell CC, and the difference between the lower frequency limit of the SCell CC and the upper frequency limit of the reference cell CC. If the SCell CC and the reference cell CC are in the same frequency band, the frequency interval between the SCell CC and the reference cell CC in the frequency band may be defined as one of the following: the difference between the upper frequency limit of the CC with the highest frequency and the lower frequency limit of the CC with the lowest frequency in the same frequency band, the difference between the center frequency of the CC with the highest frequency and the center frequency of the CC with the lowest frequency in the same frequency band, the difference between the upper frequency limit of the CC with the highest frequency and the upper frequency limit of the CC with the lowest frequency in the same frequency band, the difference between the lower frequency limit of the CC with the highest frequency and the lower frequency limit of the CC with the lowest frequency in the same frequency band, and the difference between the lower frequency limit of the CC with the highest frequency and the upper frequency limit of the CC with the lowest frequency in the same frequency band. If the SCell CC and the reference cell CC are in different frequency bands, the frequency interval between the SCell CC and the reference cell CC in the frequency band may be defined as one of the following: the difference between the upper frequency limit of the highest frequency CC in the highest frequency band and the lower frequency limit of the lowest frequency CC in the lowest frequency band, the difference between the center frequency of the highest frequency CC in the highest frequency band and the center frequency of the lowest frequency CC in the lowest frequency band, the difference between the upper frequency limit of the highest frequency CC in the highest frequency band and the upper frequency limit of the lowest frequency CC in the lowest frequency band, the difference between the lower frequency limit of the highest frequency CC in the highest frequency band and the lower frequency limit of the lowest frequency CC in the lowest frequency band, and the difference between the lower frequency limit of the highest frequency CC in the highest frequency band and the upper frequency limit of the lowest frequency CC in the lowest frequency band, but not limited to these.

[0118] For example, the relative frequency interval with respect to the reference cell may be defined as one of the following: the frequency interval between the SCell and the reference cell divided by the upper frequency limit or center frequency or lower frequency limit of the CC of the SCell, the frequency interval between the SCell and the reference cell divided by the upper frequency limit or center frequency or lower frequency limit of the CC of the reference cell, the frequency interval between the SCell and the reference cell divided by the upper frequency limit or center frequency or lower frequency limit of the CC with the highest or lowest frequency in the frequency band where the SCell is located, the frequency interval between the SCell and the reference cell divided by the upper frequency limit or center frequency or lower frequency limit of the CC with the highest or lowest frequency in the frequency band where the reference cell is located, but not limited thereto.

[0119] For example, the first condition may include at least one of the following: a frequency interval between the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal and a reference cell is within a certain range, and a relative frequency interval is within a certain ratio range, but is not limited thereto.

[0120] According to the embodiment, the capability information may be reported by component carrier CC, or may be reported by a combination of multiple CCs, or may be reported by user equipment. If the capability information is reported by component carrier CC, it indicates that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals on the component carrier. If the capability information is reported by CC combination, it indicates that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals on the CC combination. If the capability information is reported by user equipment, it indicates that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying downlink signals on any CC and any CC combination.

[0121] According to an embodiment, the network node may not send a downlink signal to the secondary cell according to the capability information. According to an embodiment, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, there are three schemes for determining the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell:

[0122] Solution 1: Determine the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell according to the uplink timing synchronization information of the reference cell. For example, the uplink timing synchronization information of the reference cell may include the uplink timing advance N of the reference cell. TA Information and the fixed timing advance deviation N of the secondary cell TA_offset In this case, the uplink timing advance N of the reference cell can be directly borrowed. TA information, combined with the fixed timing advance deviation N of the secondary cell TA_offset , determine the uplink timing synchronization information of the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal. For example, directly use the uplink timing advance N of the reference cell TA As the uplink timing advance of the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal, and the fixed timing advance deviation N of the secondary cell TA_offsetAs the fixed timing advance offset of the SCell not carrying the downlink signal, then according to the determined uplink timing advance of the SCell not carrying the downlink signal and the fixed timing advance offset, the uplink timing synchronization information of the SCell not carrying the downlink signal is determined.

[0123] Solution 2: Determine the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell according to the uplink timing synchronization information of the reference cell and the information about the timing deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell included in the first information. For example, the uplink timing advance N of the reference cell is used. TA information, combined with the fixed timing advance deviation N of the secondary cell TA_offset , and at the same time, the timing deviation deltaT included in the first information is used in combination to jointly determine the uplink timing synchronization information of the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal, where deltaT describes the timing deviation between the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal and the reference cell.

[0124] Solution 3: Determine the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell according to the timing deviation information about the secondary cell included in the first information. In solution 3, the network node may directly indicate the timing deviation information required for determining the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell through the first information.

[0125] The specific adoption of Scheme 1, Scheme 2 or Scheme 3 may depend on whether there is the first information or the content included in the first information. If the user equipment does not receive the first information from the network node, the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell that does not carry the downlink signal may be determined based on the uplink timing synchronization information of the reference cell. If the user equipment receives the first information from the network node and the first information includes information about the timing deviation between the secondary cell that does not carry the downlink signal and the reference cell, the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell may be determined based on the uplink timing synchronization information of the reference cell and the first information. If the user equipment receives the first information from the network node and the first information includes timing deviation information about the secondary cell that does not carry the downlink signal, the uplink timing synchronization information of the secondary cell may be determined based on the first information without using the information of the reference cell.

[0126] The transmission time of the uplink frame belongs to a type of uplink timing synchronization information. According to the above-mentioned scheme 2, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame can be related to the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell and the timing deviation between the reference cell and the secondary cell.

[0127] According to an embodiment, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell, including: the transmission time of the uplink frame meets the following requirements: the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a moment before the first detectable path in the time domain of receiving the corresponding downlink frame from the reference cell, and the moment is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0128] For example, when uplink transmission is performed on the secondary cell, the transmission time of the uplink frame should meet the following requirements: if the user equipment has the ability to support SCell without carrying downlink signals indicated by any of the aforementioned capability information, then the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a time before the first detectable path in the time domain of the corresponding downlink frame is received from the reference cell, for example, the time is (N TA +N TA_offset )×T c At this time, the user equipment uses the uplink transmission timing advance N of the reference cell TA As the uplink reference transmission timing advance of the secondary cell; for example, the time is (N TA +N TA_offset +deltaT)×T c At this time, the user equipment uses the uplink transmission timing advance N of the reference cell TA As the uplink reference transmission timing advance of the secondary cell, the timing deviation deltaT indicated in the first information is used; for another example, the time is (N TA_NEW +N TA_offset )×T c At this time, the user equipment uses the timing offset information of the secondary cell in the aforementioned first information (expressed as N TA_NEW ) as the uplink transmission timing advance of the secondary cell. TA_offset is the fixed timing advance deviation of the secondary cell, T c The basic unit of time.

[0129] According to the embodiment, when uplink transmission is performed on the secondary cell in step S420, the uplink timing requirement of the secondary cell may include at least one of the following items: the initial transmission timing control requirement of the user equipment; the minimum transmission timing error requirement that the secondary cell should meet, but is not limited thereto.

[0130] Optionally, Figure 4The method shown may also include: determining a reference point for the initial transmission timing control requirement, wherein the reference point is determined based on the downlink timing of the reference cell, the timing deviation, and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell. According to an embodiment, the downlink timing of the reference cell may be a first moment, the first moment corresponds to the reception moment of the first path in the time domain of the downlink frame, and the first moment is received from the reference cell at the antenna of the user equipment for the user equipment to determine the downlink timing. For example, if the user equipment has the capability of supporting SCell not carrying downlink signals indicated by any one of the aforementioned capability information, then after obtaining the information of the reference cell, for example, the user equipment may use the uplink transmission timing advance N of the reference cell. TA As the uplink reference transmission timing advance of the SCell that does not carry downlink signals, the fixed timing advance deviation N of the secondary cell is used. TA_offset As a reference fixed timing advance deviation of the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal, if there is the aforementioned first information, the timing deviation deltaT indicated in the first information can be further used to determine the reference point of the initial transmission timing control requirement of the user equipment for the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal. For example, if the user equipment receives the first information from the network node and the first information includes the aforementioned timing deviation deltaT, the reference point can be the downlink timing of the reference cell minus (N TA +N TA_offset +deltaT)×T c , where T c is a basic time unit, and the downlink timing is defined as a first moment, which is a reception moment of a first path in the time domain corresponding to a downlink frame, and the first moment is received from a reference cell at a user equipment antenna for the user equipment to determine the downlink timing. If the user equipment does not receive the first information, then the above (N TA +N TA_offset For another example, if the user equipment receives first information from the network node and the first information includes timing deviation information of the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal (expressed as N TA_NEW ), then the timing offset N of the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal can be used TA_NEW The fixed timing advance offset N of the SCell that does not carry downlink signals TA_offset To determine the reference point, for example, the reference point may be the downlink timing of the reference cell minus (N TA_NEW +N TA_offset )×T cFor another example, when the user equipment does not obtain the reference cell information of the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal or does not have a reference cell that meets the reference cell selection threshold requirement, the PCell or SpCell may be used as its reference cell.

[0131] According to an embodiment, the secondary cell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the secondary cell and the reference timing does not exceed the timing error limit value, wherein the reference timing is a second moment before the downlink timing of the reference cell, and the second moment is determined based on the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell. For example, the SCell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the SCell and the reference timing does not exceed ±T e , when the transmission timing error between the SCell and the reference timing exceeds ±T e When e Within , the user equipment can transmit uplink signals on the SCell, where T e The reference timing is the second time before the downlink timing of the reference cell. For example, the second time is (N TA +N TA_offset )×T c At this time, the user equipment uses the uplink transmission timing advance N of the reference cell TA As the uplink reference transmission timing advance of the secondary cell; for example, the second time is (N TA +N TA_offset +deltaT)×T c At this time, the user equipment uses the uplink transmission timing advance N of the reference cell TA As the uplink reference transmission timing advance of the secondary cell, the timing deviation deltaT indicated in the aforementioned first information is used; for another example, the second time is (N TA_NEW +N TA_offset )×T c At this time, the user equipment uses the timing offset information of the secondary cell in the aforementioned first information (expressed as N TA_NEW ) as the uplink transmission timing advance of the secondary cell. TA_offset is the fixed timing advance deviation of the secondary cell, T c The basic unit of time.

[0132] Optionally, Figure 4The method may further include: determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell according to the uplink power control information of the reference cell and the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell configured by the network node. For example, the network node may configure the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell through the first information mentioned above. As mentioned above, the first information may include at least one of the following items: information indicating the timing deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell and / or information indicating the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell; timing deviation information and / or power deviation information of the secondary cell.

[0133] Determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell according to the uplink power control information of the reference cell and the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell configured by the network node is a scheme for determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell. However, determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell is not limited to this scheme, but may alternatively be other schemes.

[0134] For example, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there are three schemes for determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell:

[0135] Solution 1: Determine the uplink power control information of the secondary cell according to the uplink power control information of the reference cell. For example, the uplink power control information of the reference cell can be borrowed, and the path loss difference between the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal and the reference cell can be calculated through the respective carrier frequencies of the reference cell and the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal, and the path loss compensation factor can be optionally adjusted. Finally, the uplink power control information of the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal is determined by the uplink power control information of the reference cell and the aforementioned path loss difference and / or the adjusted path loss compensation factor.

[0136] Solution 2: Determine the uplink power control information of the secondary cell according to the uplink power control information of the reference cell and the information about the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell included in the first information. For example, the uplink power control information of the reference cell is used, and the power deviation deltaP indicated in the first information is used in combination to determine the uplink power control information of the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal, wherein deltaP describes the uplink path loss deviation between the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal and the reference cell estimated from the network device.

[0137] Solution 3: Determine the uplink power control information of the secondary cell according to the power deviation information about the secondary cell included in the first information. In solution 3, the network node may directly indicate the power deviation information of the secondary cell required for determining the uplink power control information of the secondary cell through the first information.

[0138] The specific adoption of Scheme 1, Scheme 2 or Scheme 3 may depend on whether there is the first information or the information content included in the first information. If the user equipment does not receive the first information from the network node, the uplink power control information of the secondary cell that does not carry the downlink signal may be determined based on the uplink power control information of the reference cell. If the user equipment receives the first information from the network node and the first information includes information about the power deviation between the secondary cell that does not carry the downlink signal and the reference cell, the uplink power control information of the secondary cell may be determined based on the uplink power control information of the reference cell and the first information. If the user equipment receives the first information from the network node and the first information includes the power deviation information of the secondary cell that does not carry the downlink signal, the uplink power control information of the secondary cell may be determined based on the first information without using the information of the reference cell.

[0139] According to an embodiment, optionally, when the uplink timing synchronization information and / or uplink power control information of the secondary cell is determined, activation, deactivation and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell can be performed based on the uplink timing synchronization information and / or uplink power control information of the secondary cell.

[0140] Optionally, the present disclosure further proposes that the activation and / or deactivation of the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal can be initiated by the user equipment, thereby solving the problem that the network equipment cannot judge when to initiate the activation and / or deactivation of the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal. For example, there can be two schemes for the user equipment to initiate the activation and / or deactivation of the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal. One scheme is that the user equipment first sends a notification to the network node that the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal needs to be activated and / or deactivated, and then activates and / or deactivates the secondary cell according to the signaling received from the network node to notify it to activate and / or deactivate the secondary cell. Another scheme is that the user equipment directly notifies the network node that the user equipment will activate and / or deactivate the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal at a predetermined time. In this case, the user equipment does not need to receive a signaling from the network node to notify the user equipment to activate and / or deactivate the secondary cell to activate and / or deactivate the secondary cell.

[0141] To implement the above two solutions, although not shown, optionally, Figure 4The method shown may also include: sending a notification to a network node that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated, receiving a command sent by the network node to activate or deactivate the secondary cell, and activating or deactivating the secondary cell according to the command; or, sending a notification to the network node to activate or deactivate the secondary cell, and activating or deactivating the secondary cell at a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined time is included in the notification, or the predetermined time is a predefined value or a network high-level configuration value.

[0142] For example, the user equipment may send third information to the network node, and receive signaling sent by the network node for activating or deactivating the secondary cell, wherein the third information is used to notify the network node that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated. Alternatively, the user equipment may send third information to the network node, wherein the third information is used to notify the activation or deactivation of the secondary cell, and the third information includes information on the scheduled time for activating or deactivating the secondary cell, and then the user equipment may activate or deactivate the secondary cell at the scheduled time. Alternatively, the user equipment may send third information to the network node, wherein the third information is used to notify the activation or deactivation of the secondary cell, and then the user equipment may activate or deactivate the secondary cell at a predefined value or a network high-level configuration value time. As an example, the third information may be Radio Resource Control (RRC) information or Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-Control Element, MAC-CE) information.

[0143] For example, the user equipment determines based on the uplink data service situation that when an SCell needs to be added to share the uplink data service, the user equipment can use the third information through the PCell or SpCell or the reference cell to notify the network device that the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal needs to be activated, and then the network device can notify the user equipment through MAC-CE signaling to activate the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal. For another example, the user equipment determines based on the uplink data service situation that when an SCell needs to be added to share the uplink data service, the user equipment can use the third information through the PCell or SpCell or the reference cell to notify the network device that the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal will be activated in the n+kth time slot, where n is the current time slot, k can be a predefined value or a network high-level configuration value, or k can be included in the third information.

[0144] By initiating activation and / or deactivation of the secondary cell that does not carry downlink signals by the user equipment, not only the problem that the network equipment cannot judge when to initiate activation and / or deactivation of the SCell that does not carry downlink signals is solved, but also it helps to reduce network delay and improve system throughput.

[0145] According to an embodiment, the activation or deactivation delay requirement of the secondary cell may include a requirement for a receive timing deviation (RTD) between the secondary cell and the reference cell and / or a requirement for a receive power difference between the secondary cell and the reference cell, but is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the requirement for the receive timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receive power difference may be determined based on the capability of the user equipment. For example, if the user equipment has a stronger ability to support SCell not carrying downlink signals, the requirement for the receive timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receive power difference may be broader, and the user equipment has a weaker ability to support SCell not carrying downlink signals, the requirement for the receive timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receive power difference may be more stringent. By determining the requirement for the receive timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receive power difference according to the capability of the user equipment, and formulating activation or deactivation delay requirements for user equipment with different capabilities, unnecessary waiting time can be avoided, and network delay can be reduced, system throughput can be improved, and network energy saving can be achieved better.

[0146] As an example, the above requirements may all be minimum requirements, but are not limited thereto. According to the embodiment, different user equipment capabilities may correspond to different minimum requirements for receiving timing deviation and / or receiving power difference. In addition, the requirements for RTD and / or the requirements for receiving power difference may affect the activation delay T of the secondary cell that does not carry downlink signals. activation_time , or it may not affect the activation delay T of the secondary cell that does not carry downlink signals activation_time .

[0147] According to the embodiment, if the activated SCell belongs to FR1 and has an activated reference cell, if the SCell does not carry a downlink signal and has no SSB measurement timing configuration (SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration, SMTC), the user equipment has the ability to support SCell not carrying a downlink signal as indicated in any one of the capability information in the aforementioned capability information, then the activation delay T of the SCell is when the following conditions are met activation_time There are many possible values ​​for X, such as 3ms:

[0148] -When the frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval of the SCell and the reference cell are within a certain range, or when the user equipment has different capabilities to support the SCell not carrying downlink signals, their receive timing deviation (Receive Timing Difference, RTD) is within the range of Y, corresponding to different frequency intervals and / or relative frequency interval ranges. Y has different values, and there are multiple possible values, such as ±260ns; such as ±min (cyclic prefix length, 3μs), where the cyclic prefix is ​​the cyclic prefix corresponding to the maximum subcarrier interval between the SCell and the reference cell; such as ±(3μs+Y1), and there are multiple possible values ​​for Y1. And

[0149] -The received power difference between the SCell and the reference cell is within the range of Z, and there are multiple possible values ​​of Z, such as 6dB+Z1, corresponding to different frequency intervals and / or relative frequency interval ranges Z1 has different values, such as 0dB.

[0150] Specifically, for example, if the activated SCell belongs to FR1 and has an activated reference cell, if the SCell does not carry a downlink signal and has no SSB measurement timing configuration (SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration, SMTC), the user equipment has the ability to support SCell not carrying a downlink signal as indicated in any one of the capability information in the aforementioned capability information, then the activation delay T of the SCell is met when the following conditions are met activation_time There are many possible values ​​for X1, such as 3ms:

[0151] - When the SCell and the reference cell belong to a frequency interval and / or a relative frequency interval within a certain range, or when the user equipment has different capabilities of supporting SCell not carrying downlink signals, their receive timing deviation (RTD) is within the range of Y, and Y has different values, such as ±260ns; and

[0152] -The received power difference between the SCell and the reference cell is within the range of Z, and there are multiple possible values ​​of Z, such as 6dB+Z1, corresponding to different frequency intervals and / or relative frequency interval ranges Z1 has different values, such as 0dB.

[0153] For another example, if the activated SCell belongs to FR1 and has an activated reference cell, if the SCell does not carry a downlink signal and has no SSB measurement timing configuration (SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration, SMTC), the user equipment has the ability to support SCell not carrying a downlink signal as indicated in any one of the capability information in the aforementioned capability information, the activation delay T of the SCell is when the following conditions are met activation_time There are many possible values ​​for X2, such as 3ms:

[0154] - When the SCell and the reference cell belong to a frequency interval and / or a relative frequency interval within a certain range, or when the user equipment has different capabilities of supporting the SCell not carrying a downlink signal, their receive timing deviation (Receive Timing Difference, RTD) is within the range of Y, and Y has different values, such as ±min (cyclic prefix length, 3μs), where the cyclic prefix is ​​the cyclic prefix corresponding to the maximum subcarrier spacing of the SCell and the reference cell; and

[0155] -The received power difference between the SCell and the reference cell is within the range of Z, and there are multiple possible values ​​of Z, such as 6dB+Z1, corresponding to different frequency intervals and / or relative frequency interval ranges Z1 has different values, such as 0dB.

[0156] For another example, if the activated SCell belongs to FR1 and has an activated reference cell, if the SCell does not carry a downlink signal and has no SSB measurement timing configuration (SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration, SMTC), and the user equipment has the capability of supporting the SCell not carrying a downlink signal as indicated in any capability information in the aforementioned capability information, then the activation delay T of the SCell is when the following conditions are met activation_time X3 has many possible values, such as 3ms:

[0157] - When the SCell and the reference cell belong to a frequency interval and / or a relative frequency interval within a certain range, or when the user equipment has different capabilities of supporting the SCell not carrying a downlink signal, their receive timing deviation (Receive Timing Difference, RTD) is within the range of Y, where Y has different values, such as ±(3μs+Y1), and Y1 has multiple possible values; and

[0158] -The received power difference between the SCell and the reference cell is within the range of Z, and there are multiple possible values ​​of Z, such as 6dB+Z1, corresponding to different frequency intervals and / or relative frequency interval ranges Z1 has different values, such as 0dB.

[0159] In the above example, the values ​​of X1, X2, and X3 may be different or the same.

[0160] According to an embodiment, optionally, Figure 4 The method shown may also include: receiving a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell in time slot n, executing an action corresponding to the command no later than a third time, the third time being determined based on a first offset and an activation or deactivation delay, wherein the first offset is related to a delay time, wherein the delay time is a predetermined value or is determined based on information of a reference cell. According to an embodiment, the delay time may include a first delay time and / or a second delay time. For example, the first delay time may be a delay time determined based on a time difference between downlink data transmission and confirmation of a reference cell, for example, it may be equal to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) confirmation reporting period of a reference cell. For example, the second delay time may be a delay time determined based on information of the reference cell, for example, it may be a delay time determined based on a channel state information reporting period of a reference cell, for example, it may be equal to a channel state information reporting period of a reference cell. For example, when the activated SCell is an SCell that does not carry a downlink signal, if an activation command for the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal is received in time slot n, the user equipment should be able to activate the secondary cell no later than time slot n. Execute the first behavior and / or execute related actions corresponding to the SCell activation command that does not carry a downlink signal, wherein T activation_time is the SCell activation delay in milliseconds; T duration1 is the first delay time (e.g., in milliseconds), which may be, for example, the T HARQ ; T duration2 is the second delay time (e.g., in milliseconds), which may be, for example, the T CSI_reporting NR slot length is the time slot length in milliseconds corresponding to the activated SCell NR mode numerology (for example, mode 0 corresponds to 1ms, mode 1 corresponds to 0.5ms, mode 2 corresponds to 0.25ms, mode 3 corresponds to 0.125ms, etc.). The first behavior includes but is not limited to the reference cell transmitting a valid CSI report to the reference cell.

[0161] The above has been referred to Figure 4A method executed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in combination with an example. According to the method, network energy saving can be achieved while ensuring that uplink transmission can be carried out normally.

[0162] To facilitate the understanding of the above methods, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Two examples of methods performed by a user device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are briefly introduced. However, the method performed by the user device is not limited to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , but there are many possible variations.

[0163] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of a method performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] Reference Figure 5 In step S510, the user equipment reports capability information to the network node. The capability information is used to indicate that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal.

[0165] Next, in step S520, the user equipment obtains the information of the reference cell based on the first rule and / or the second information received from the network node. For example, the user equipment selects the reference cell based on the first rule and / or the second information received from the network node, and then obtains the information of the reference cell.

[0166] Subsequently, in step S530, the user equipment determines uplink timing synchronization information and / or uplink power control information of the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal according to the information of the reference cell and / or the first information received from the network node.

[0167] Finally, in step S540, the user equipment performs activation, deactivation of the secondary cell, and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell based on the uplink timing synchronization information and / or the uplink power control information. For example, when uplink transmission is performed on the secondary cell, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame may be related to the timing offset between the secondary cell and the reference cell indicated in the first information and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0168] The details of the above steps are described in Figure 4 It is mentioned in the description, so it will not be repeated here.

[0169] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of a method performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0170] Reference Figure 6In step S610, the user equipment reports capability information to the network node. The capability information is used to indicate that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal.

[0171] Next, in step S620, the user equipment obtains the information of the reference cell based on the first rule and / or the second information received from the network node. For example, the user equipment selects the reference cell based on the first rule and / or the second information received from the network node, and then obtains the information of the reference cell.

[0172] Subsequently, in step S630, the user equipment determines uplink timing synchronization information and / or uplink power control information of the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal according to the information of the reference cell and / or the first information received from the network node.

[0173] In step S640, the user equipment sends third information to the network equipment. For example, the third information is used to notify the network node that the secondary cell that does not carry a downlink signal needs to be activated and / or deactivated, or the third information is used to notify the network node that the secondary cell will be activated and / or deactivated at a predetermined time.

[0174] Finally, in step S650, the user equipment performs activation, deactivation, and / or uplink transmission on the secondary cell based on the uplink timing synchronization information and / or the uplink power control information. For example, when uplink transmission is performed on the secondary cell, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame may be related to the timing offset between the secondary cell and the reference cell indicated in the first information and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0175] The details of the above steps are described in Figure 4 It is mentioned in the description, so it will not be repeated here.

[0176] The above has been referred to Figures 4 to 6 The method performed by the user equipment is described below, and reference will be made to Figure 7 A method executed by a network node is described. In the present disclosure, a network node may be any network device (such as a base station device, a bypass device, etc.), or a network function entity.

[0177] Reference Figure 7 In step S710, information indicating the timing offset between the reference cell and the secondary cell is sent to the user equipment. For example, the network node may send first information to the user equipment, wherein the first information may include information indicating the timing offset between the reference cell and the secondary cell.

[0178] According to an embodiment, the reference cell can be determined based on the following method: determining the reference cell based on information received from the network node for indicating the reference cell; or, determining the reference cell from the service cell based on at least one of the following information: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell, and the signal strength of the service cell, wherein the service cell includes a primary cell or a special cell and an activated secondary cell carrying a synchronization signal block.

[0179] In step S720, uplink transmission is received on the secondary cell. According to an embodiment, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell. For example, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell, including: the transmission time of the uplink frame meets the following requirements: the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a time before the first detectable path in the time domain of receiving the corresponding downlink frame from the reference cell, and the time is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0180] Optionally, according to an embodiment, the reference point of the initial transmission timing control requirement of the uplink transmission can be determined based on the downlink timing of the reference cell, the timing deviation, and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell. For example, the downlink timing of the reference cell is a first moment, the first moment corresponds to the reception moment of the first path in the time domain of the downlink frame, and the first moment is received from the reference cell at the antenna of the user equipment for the user equipment to determine the downlink timing.

[0181] Optionally, the secondary cell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the secondary cell and the reference timing does not exceed the timing error limit value; wherein the reference timing is the second moment before the downlink timing of the reference cell, and the second moment is determined based on the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

[0182] As mentioned above, optionally, the activation or deactivation of the secondary cell may be initiated by the user equipment. In this case, optionally, Figure 7The method shown may also include: receiving a notification from the user equipment that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated, and sending a command to the user equipment for activating or deactivating the secondary cell; or, receiving a notification from the user equipment to activate or deactivate the secondary cell, wherein information about the scheduled time for the user equipment to activate or deactivate the secondary cell is included in the notification, or the scheduled time is a predefined value or a network high-level configuration value. The activation or deactivation delay requirement of the secondary cell has been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0183] Optionally, Figure 7 The method shown may also include: sending a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell to the user equipment in time slot n, wherein the user equipment performs an action corresponding to the command no later than a third time, and the third time is determined based on a first offset and an activation or deactivation delay, wherein the first offset is related to a delay time, wherein the delay time is a predetermined value or is determined based on information of a reference cell. For example, the delay time includes a first delay time and / or a second delay time, wherein the first delay time is a delay time determined based on a time difference between downlink data transmission and confirmation of a reference cell, and the second delay time is a delay time determined based on a channel state information reporting period of the reference cell.

[0184] Optionally, Figure 7 The method shown may also include: sending information indicating a power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell to the user equipment, wherein uplink power control information of the secondary cell is determined based on the power deviation and uplink power control information of the reference cell.

[0185] Optionally, Figure 7 The method shown may also include: receiving capability information reported by the user equipment. According to an embodiment, the capability information may be used to indicate that the user equipment supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal. Figure 4 The capability information has been described in the description of , and the description of the capability information above is applicable to Figure 7 According to the capability information, the network node may not send a downlink signal to the secondary cell.

[0186] according to Figure 7 In the method shown, since the network node sends information indicating the timing deviation between the reference cell and the secondary cell to the user equipment, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell. Therefore, it is possible to ensure correct reception of uplink transmission on the secondary cell while saving network energy.

[0187] Figures 8 to 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0188] In order to more intuitively understand the concept of the present disclosure, the following Figures 8 to 10 An example of communication between a user equipment and a network node is briefly described. However, it should be understood that Figures 8 to 10 This is only an example and does not mean that the communication between the user equipment and the network node can only be Figures 8 to 10 Execute the process shown.

[0189] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0190] like Figure 8 As shown, first, the user equipment may report the capability information as described above to the network node (such as a base station device). Subsequently, the network node may instruct the addition / modification / release of the SCell through an RRC reconfiguration message. Through the RRC reconfiguration message, the user equipment knows which SCell or SCells need to be added / modified / released, and after completing the addition / modification / release, the user equipment may send an RRC reconfiguration completion response to the network node. Next, the network node may send the second information and the first information to the user equipment. For example, the second information may be information indicating a reference cell. For example, the first information may be used to indicate the timing deviation and / or power deviation between the SCell and the reference cell. In addition, the network node may send a MAC-CE message to the user equipment to inform the user equipment which SCell or SCells to activate. Thereafter, the user equipment may activate the SCell that does not carry a downlink signal according to the message.

[0191] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0192] like Fig. 9As shown, first, the user equipment may report the capability information as described above to the network node (such as a base station device). Subsequently, the network node may instruct the addition / modification / release of the SCell through an RRC reconfiguration message. Through the RRC reconfiguration message, the user equipment knows which SCell or SCells need to be added / modified / released, and after completing the addition / modification / release, the user equipment may send an RRC reconfiguration completion response to the network node. Next, the network node may send the second information and the first information to the user equipment. For example, the second information may be information indicating a reference cell. For example, the first information may be used to indicate the timing deviation and / or power deviation between the SCell and the reference cell. Subsequently, the user equipment may send the third information to the network node. Fig. 9 In the example of , the third information is used to notify the network node that the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal needs to be activated and / or deactivated. After receiving the third information, the network node can send a MAC-CE message to the user equipment to notify the user equipment to activate and / or deactivate the SCell. Afterwards, the user equipment can perform activation and / or deactivation of the SCell according to the message.

[0193] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of communication between a user equipment and a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0194] like Fig.10 As shown, first, the user equipment may report the capability information as described above to the network node (such as a base station device). Subsequently, the network node may instruct the addition / modification / release of the SCell through an RRC reconfiguration message. Through the RRC reconfiguration message, the user equipment knows which SCell or SCells need to be added / modified / released, and after completing the addition / modification / release, the user equipment may send an RRC reconfiguration completion response to the network node. Next, the network node may send the second information and the first information to the user equipment. For example, the second information may be information indicating a reference cell. For example, the first information may be used to indicate the timing deviation and / or power deviation between the SCell and the reference cell. Subsequently, the user equipment may send the third information to the network node. Fig.10 In the example of , the third information is used to notify the network node that the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal will be activated and / or deactivated at a predetermined time. Thereafter, at the predetermined time, the user equipment can directly perform activation and / or deactivation of the SCell that does not carry the downlink signal.

[0195] It should be noted that although Figures 8 to 10In the example, the second information, the first information, the MAC-CE message and the third information are shown to be sent in a certain order, but there is no fixed order for sending the second information, the first information, the MAC-CE and the third information. The second information and the first information can be sent before or after the third information and / or the MAC-CE message. In addition, there is no fixed order for sending the second information and the first information. The second information can be sent first and then the first information, or the first information can be sent first and then the second information, or the second information and the first information can be sent together.

[0196] In addition, it should be noted that although Figures 8 to 10 The example only shows that the activation or deactivation of the SCell is performed when the SCell does not have a downlink signal, but it should be understood that Figures 8 to 9 The basic communication process between the user equipment and the network node in FIG. 1 is also applicable to uplink transmission on the SCell when the SCell has no downlink signal.

[0197] Fig.11 is a block diagram showing a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.11 The user equipment 1100 may include a transceiver 1101 and a processor 1102, wherein the processor 1102 is coupled to the transceiver 1101 and is configured to execute the method performed by the user equipment as described above.

[0198] As an example, the user device may be a PC, a tablet device, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, or other device capable of executing the above instruction set. In addition, the user device is not necessarily a single user device, but may also be any collection of devices or circuits capable of executing instructions (or instruction sets) individually or in combination. The user device may also be part of an integrated control system or system manager, or may be any portable electronic device.

[0199] In the user equipment, the processor 1102 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a programmable logic device, a dedicated processor system, a microcontroller or a microprocessor, etc. By way of example and not limitation, the processor may also include an analog processor, a digital processor, a microprocessor, a multi-core processor, a processor array, etc.

[0200] Fig.12 is a block diagram showing a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.12The network node 1200 may include a transceiver 1201 and a processor 1202, wherein the processor 1202 is coupled to the transceiver 1201 and configured to execute the method performed by the network node described above. As an example, the network node may be any network entity (such as a base station device, a bypass device, etc.), or a network function entity.

[0201] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions may also be provided, wherein when the instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor is prompted to execute any one of the methods mentioned above. Examples of computer-readable storage media here include: read-only memory (ROM), random access programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), flash memory, non-volatile memory, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD+R, CD-RW, CD+RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-R LTH, BD-RE, Blu-ray or optical disk storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), card storage (such as, multimedia card, secure digital (SD) card or extreme digital (XD) card), magnetic tape, floppy disk, magneto-optical data storage device, optical data storage device, hard disk, solid state disk and any other device, any other device is configured to store computer programs and any associated data, data files and data structures in a non-transitory manner and provide the computer programs and any associated data, data files and data structures to a processor or computer so that the processor or computer can execute the computer program. The instructions or computer programs in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can be run in an environment deployed in a computer device such as a client, a host, an agent device, a server, etc. In addition, in one example, the computer program and any associated data, data files and data structures are distributed on a networked computer system, so that the computer program and any associated data, data files and data structures are stored, accessed and executed in a distributed manner by one or more processors or computers.

[0202] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment in a wireless communication system, comprising: receiving information sent by a network node indicating a timing offset between a reference cell and a secondary cell; Uplink transmission is performed on the secondary cell, wherein when the secondary cell has no downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell, including: The transmission time of the uplink frame meets the following requirements: the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a time before the first detectable path in the time domain of receiving the corresponding downlink frame from the reference cell, and the time is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A reference point for an initial transmission timing control requirement is determined, wherein the reference point is determined based on a downlink timing of a reference cell, the timing deviation, and an uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The secondary cell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the secondary cell and the reference timing does not exceed the timing error limit value; The reference timing is a second moment before the downlink timing of the reference cell, and the second moment is determined based on the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending a notification that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated to a network node, receiving a command sent by the network node for activating or deactivating the secondary cell, and activating or deactivating the secondary cell according to the command; or, A notification of activating or deactivating the secondary cell is sent to a network node, and the secondary cell is activated or deactivated at a predetermined time, wherein information of the predetermined time is included in the notification, or is a predefined value or a network high-layer configuration value.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell in time slot n, An action corresponding to the command is performed no later than a third time, wherein the third time is determined based on a first offset and an activation or deactivation delay, wherein the first offset is related to the delay time, wherein the delay time is a predetermined value or is determined based on information of a reference cell.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The delay time includes a first delay time and / or a second delay time, wherein the first delay time is a delay time determined based on a time difference between downlink data transmission and confirmation of a reference cell, and the second delay time is a delay time determined based on a channel state information reporting period of the reference cell.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The activation or deactivation delay requirement of the secondary cell includes a requirement for a reception timing deviation between the secondary cell and a reference cell and / or a requirement for a reception power difference between the secondary cell and the reference cell; The requirement for the receiving timing deviation and / or the requirement for the receiving power difference is determined based on the capability of the user equipment.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The uplink power control information of the secondary cell is determined according to the uplink power control information of the reference cell and the power deviation between the secondary cell and the reference cell configured by the network node.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Report capability information to the network node, wherein the capability information includes at least one of the following items: First capability information, indicating that the user equipment supports that the secondary cell does not carry a downlink signal in any carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the any carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario and an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario; The second capability information indicates that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in a scenario of intra-band continuous carrier aggregation; The third capability information indicates that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in an intra-band carrier aggregation scenario, wherein the intra-band carrier aggregation scenario includes an intra-band continuous carrier aggregation scenario and an intra-band non-contiguous carrier aggregation scenario; Fourth capability information, indicating that the user equipment only supports the secondary cell not carrying a downlink signal in an inter-band carrier aggregation scenario; The fifth capability information indicates that the user equipment supports a secondary cell whose frequency interval and / or relative frequency interval with the reference cell meets the first condition and does not carry a downlink signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The capability information is reported per component carrier CC, or is reported per a combination of multiple CCs, or is reported per user equipment.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The reference cell is determined based on the following method: determining a reference cell based on information indicating the reference cell received from the network node; or, Based on at least one of the following information: the frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell of the user equipment, the relative frequency interval between the secondary cell and the service cell, and the signal strength of the service cell, a reference cell is determined from the service cell, wherein the service cell includes a primary cell or a special cell and an activated secondary cell carrying a synchronization signal block.

13. A method performed by a network node in a wireless communication system, comprising: Sending information indicating a timing offset between a reference cell and a secondary cell to a user equipment; receiving an uplink transmission on the secondary cell, Wherein, when the secondary cell does not have a downlink signal, the transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The transmission time of the uplink frame is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell, including: The transmission time of the uplink frame meets the following requirements: the transmission of the uplink frame should occur at a time before the first detectable path in the time domain of receiving the corresponding downlink frame from the reference cell, and the time is related to the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The reference point of the initial transmission timing control requirement of the uplink transmission is determined based on the downlink timing of the reference cell, the timing deviation, and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The secondary cell should meet the minimum transmission timing error requirement to ensure that the transmission timing error between the secondary cell and the reference timing does not exceed the timing error limit value; The reference timing is a second moment before the downlink timing of the reference cell, and the second moment is determined based on the timing deviation and the uplink transmission timing advance of the reference cell.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: receiving a notification from the user equipment that the secondary cell needs to be activated or deactivated, and sending a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell to the user equipment; or A notification of activating or deactivating the secondary cell is received from the user equipment, wherein information of a scheduled time for the user equipment to activate or deactivate the secondary cell is included in the notification, or the scheduled time is a predefined value or a network high-layer configuration value.

18. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: sending a command for activating or deactivating the secondary cell to the user equipment in time slot n, The user equipment executes the action corresponding to the command no later than a third moment, and the third moment is determined based on a first offset and an activation or deactivation delay, wherein the first offset is related to the delay time, and wherein the delay time is a predetermined value or is determined based on information of a reference cell.

19. A user equipment, comprising: Transceiver; A processor is coupled to the transceiver and configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

20. A network node, comprising: Transceiver; A processor is coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

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