Cell measurement method and device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication, discloses a cell measurement method and device, and aims to enable a measurement relaxation mechanism to be better matched with an NTN communication scene and reduce the measurement overhead of terminal equipment. The method comprises: a first communication device (such as a terminal device) determining whether a serving cell and / or a target cell satisfies a set measurement relaxation condition, the serving cell and / or the target cell being an NTN cell; and when the serving cell and / or the target cell satisfies the set measurement relaxation condition, the first communication device starts RRM measurement relaxation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a cell measurement method and device. Background Art

[0002] Non-terrestrial network (NTN) has the advantages of wide coverage, long communication distance, high reliability, great flexibility, high throughput, and no impact from geographical environment, climate conditions and natural disasters. It has been widely used in aviation communication, maritime communication, military communication and other fields. Introducing NTN into mobile communication systems, such as the fifth generation (5G) system, can not only provide communication services for areas that are difficult to cover by terrestrial networks, such as oceans and forests, but also enhance the reliability of communication, such as providing more stable and high-quality communication services for users on trains, airplanes and these vehicles, and providing more data transmission resources, such as supporting a larger number of terminal device connections.

[0003] At present, the radio resource management (RRM) measurement relaxation criteria are defined in the mobile communication system. When the terminal device meets the RRM measurement relaxation conditions, the terminal device in the idle state or inactive state can relax the measurement of the neighboring cell to reduce power consumption. Among them, two RRM measurement relaxation conditions are determined in the RRM measurement relaxation criteria, namely the cell edge criterion based on the terminal device location and the low mobility criterion based on the terminal device rate. The cell edge criterion is specifically defined as the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and / or reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ) of the serving cell is higher than a given threshold, and the measurement relaxation of the neighboring cell can be considered; the low mobility criterion is specifically defined as the change in the measurement result of the serving cell within a certain time period does not exceed the threshold value, such as the change degree of the serving cell RSRP within a time range is less than a given threshold, and the measurement relaxation of the neighboring cell can be considered.

[0004] However, all current RRM measurement relaxation criteria are based on signal measurements and are mainly applicable to terrestrial communication scenarios. In NTN, measurements are mainly caused by the movement of non-terrestrial network equipment such as satellites. Therefore, a measurement relaxation mechanism that better matches NTN can be considered. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a cell measurement method and device, so as to make the measurement relaxation mechanism better match the NTN communication scenario and reduce the measurement overhead of the terminal device.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a cell measurement method, which can be performed by a first communication device, where the first communication device can refer to the terminal device itself, or to a processor, module, chip, or chip system in the terminal device that implements the method, etc. The method includes: the first communication device determines whether the serving cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation conditions, and the serving cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell; when the serving cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation conditions, the first communication device turns on RRM measurement relaxation.

[0007] By way of example, the measurement relaxation conditions may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold.

[0008] Through the above method, the characteristics of NTN cells broadcasting coverage areas, service time and other information can be utilized. According to the geometric relationship between the first communication device (such as terminal equipment) and the NTN cell, the remaining service time of the NTN cell and other information, it is determined whether to turn on RRM measurement relaxation. This can reduce unnecessary measurements in NTN communication scenarios, so that the measurement relaxation mechanism can better match the NTN communication scenarios and reduce the measurement overhead of the first communication device (such as terminal equipment).

[0009] In one possible design, the first communication device turns on RRM measurement relaxation, including: the first communication device determines a target RRM measurement relaxation rule according to a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation rule; the first communication device turns on RRM measurement relaxation according to the target RRM measurement relaxation rule. Optionally, the measurement type includes one or more of the following: same-frequency measurement, different-frequency measurement, and different radio access technology (inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT) measurement.

[0010] Through the above design, different measurement relaxation rules can be configured for different measurement types, which is conducive to adapting the RRM measurement relaxation of the terminal device to different measurement scenarios.

[0011] In one possible design, the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined based on a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

[0012] Through the above design, different measurement thresholds can be configured for different measurement types, which is conducive to meeting differentiated measurement relaxation requirements in different measurement scenarios.

[0013] In one possible design, RRM measurement relaxation includes one or more of the following: increasing the duration of the RRM measurement period; skipping one or more RRM measurement opportunities; and postponing the next RRM measurement opportunity.

[0014] Through the above design, it is possible to support the terminal device to perform RRM measurement relaxation in multiple ways.

[0015] In one possible design, the method also includes: the first communications device acquires resources for enabling RRM measurement relaxation release.

[0016] Through the above design, the first communication device can obtain the resources released by enabling RRM measurement relaxation, and use them for communication with other communication devices, etc., which is conducive to improving resource utilization.

[0017] In one possible design, the method also includes: the first communication device sends the acquired resource information to the second communication device, and the second communication device is the communication device corresponding to the service cell.

[0018] Through the above design, the first communication device can report the resources released for RRM measurement relaxation to the second communication device corresponding to the serving cell, which is used for data communication between the second communication device and the first communication device, which is conducive to improving resource utilization.

[0019] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a cell measurement method, which can be executed by a first communication device, where the first communication device can refer to the terminal device itself, or to a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the terminal device, etc. The method includes: the first communication device sends first information to the second communication device, the first information including the measurement result of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, or the measurement value of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, wherein the service cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell; the first communication device receives first indication information from the second communication device, wherein the first indication information is determined by the second communication device based on the first information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration; the first communication device turns on the RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

[0020] For example, the measurement results of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell may include one or more of the following: whether the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; whether the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; whether the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold. The measurement values ​​of the serving cell and / or the target cell by the first communication device may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell; the remaining service time of the serving cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device.

[0021] Through the above method, the characteristics of NTN cells broadcasting coverage areas, service times and other information can be utilized. The second communication device (such as a network device) indicates the RRM measurement relaxation duration of the first communication device based on the geometric relationship between the first communication device and the NTN cell reported by the first communication device (such as a terminal device), the remaining service time of the NTN cell and other information. This can reduce unnecessary measurements in the NTN communication scenario, so that the measurement relaxation mechanism can better match the NTN communication scenario, reduce the measurement overhead of the first communication device, and the second communication device indicates the RRM measurement relaxation duration of the first communication device without occupying too many processing resources of the terminal device.

[0022] In one possible design, the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined according to a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold. Optionally, the measurement type may include one or more of the following: same-frequency measurement, different-frequency measurement, and inter-RAT measurement.

[0023] Through the above design, different measurement thresholds can be configured for different measurement types, which is conducive to meeting differentiated measurement relaxation requirements in different measurement scenarios.

[0024] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a cell measurement method, which can be performed by a second communication device, where the second communication device may refer to the network device itself, or to a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the network device, and the method includes: the second communication device receives first information from the first communication device, the first information including the measurement result of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, or the measurement value of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, wherein the service cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell; the second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device based on the first information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

[0025] For example, the measurement results of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell may include one or more of the following: whether the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; whether the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; whether the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold. The measurement values ​​of the serving cell and / or the target cell by the first communication device may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell; the remaining service time of the serving cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device.

[0026] In one possible design, the second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device based on the first information, including: when the second communication device determines that the service cell and / or target cell of the first communication device meets the set measurement relaxation condition, the second communication device sends the first indication information to the first communication device; wherein the measurement relaxation condition may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the service cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; the remaining service time of the service cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the service cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold.

[0027] In one possible design, before sending the first indication information to the first communication device, the method also includes: the second communication device determines the RRM measurement relaxation duration based on the target measurement type configured for the first communication device and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

[0028] In one possible design, the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined based on a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

[0029] In one possible design, the measurement type may include one or more of the following: intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, and inter-RAT measurement.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the method of the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect, and the function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above functions, such as a communication unit and a processing unit.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is used to execute the method described in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect above.

[0032] Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory for storing instructions executed by the processor or storing input data required by the processor to execute the instructions or storing data generated after the processor executes the instructions. The memory may be a physically independent unit or may be coupled to the processor, or the processor may include the memory (i.e., the processor and the memory are integrated together).

[0033] In a possible implementation, the communication device is a chip.

[0034] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device (such as a terminal device) and a second communication device (such as a network device), wherein the first communication device has the function of implementing the method of the second aspect above, and the second communication device has the function of implementing the method of the third aspect above.

[0035] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instructions are stored. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method provided in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect above.

[0036] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program code, which, when executed (such as executed by a processor), can implement the method of the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect mentioned above.

[0037] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which is used to read a computer program stored in a memory and execute the method provided in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect above.

[0038] Optionally, the chip is coupled to a memory, or the memory is a part of the chip.

[0039] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, which includes a processor for supporting a computer device to implement the method provided in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect above.

[0040] In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory, which is used to store programs and data necessary for the computer device. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0041] The technical effects that can be achieved in the third to tenth aspects mentioned above can refer to the technical effects that can be achieved in the first or second aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C A schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 3 One of the satellite cell takeover schematic diagrams provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 4 One of the schematic diagrams of the measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 5 The second schematic diagram of the measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 6 One of the structural schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 7 The second structural diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5G communication system, NTN communication system, etc., and can also be applied to the sixth generation (6G) communication system and other communication systems evolved after 5G. Figure 1 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system includes a network device and a terminal device, wherein the number of network devices is 1 and the number of terminal devices is 2 (terminal device A and terminal device B) as an example. Terminal device A and terminal device B can communicate with the network device separately or simultaneously. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit Figure 1 The number of terminal devices and network devices in the communication system shown.

[0050] The above-mentioned terminal equipment may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal, etc., and is a device or equipment with wireless communication function. The terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, for example, machine type of communication (MTC), Internet of things (IoT), vehicle to everything (V2X), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, automatic driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal equipment may be a subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a tablet computer, a wireless modem, a handheld device (handset), a laptop computer, a customer-premises equipment (CPE), a smart point of sale (POS) machine, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, an MTC device, a ground station, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0051] The above network equipment may also be referred to as access network (AN) equipment or radio access network (RAN) equipment, which is a device or equipment that can be deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The network equipment may be a base station for wireless communication such as an artificial earth satellite and a high-altitude aircraft, such as a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite in a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO), a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a high altitude platform station (HAPS), an evolved NodeB (eNB) and a 5G base station (gNB). Optionally, the network devices in the embodiments of the present application may include various forms of base stations, such as macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, devices that implement base station functions in communication systems that evolve after 5G (such as 6G), transmission points (transmitting and receiving points, TRP), transmitting points (transmitting points, TP), mobile switching centers, and devices that perform base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, etc., and may also include centralized units (CU) and distributed units (DU) in cloud access network (C-RAN) systems. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0052] Taking the network device as a satellite as an example, the communication scenario of the specific application of the embodiment of the present application can be as follows: Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C shown.

[0053] exist Figure 2A In the scenario shown, the base station is deployed on the ground, the satellite is connected to the ground station through the air interface, and the ground station can be connected to the base station through a wireless or wired link. The terminal equipment on the ground accesses the mobile communication network through the air interface (the air interface can be various types of air interfaces, such as 5G air interfaces), and the satellite acts as a transmission node to forward the information of the terminal equipment.

[0054] exist Figure 2BIn the scenario shown, the base station is deployed on the satellite, and the satellite is connected to the ground station through the air interface, and the ground station can be connected to the core network through a wireless or wired link. The terminal equipment on the ground communicates with the satellite base station through the air interface to access the mobile communication network. The satellite as a base station is connected to the ground station through the NG interface, and the ground station is connected to the core network through the NG interface. The NG interface can be wireless or wired.

[0055] Figure 2C The scene shown is similar to Figure 2B Compared with the scenario shown in FIG. 1 , a communication scenario between satellite base stations is added. Specifically, satellite base stations can communicate with each other through an Xn interface.

[0056] exist Figure 2A-2C In the present invention, the terminal equipment may include various types of terminal equipment supporting the new air interface, such as the various types of terminals listed above. The terminal equipment may access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, surf the Internet and other services.

[0057] Base stations are mainly used to provide wireless access services, dispatch wireless resources to access terminal devices, provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, etc.

[0058] The core network is mainly used to provide functions such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. The core network consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into functional entities of the control plane and the data plane.

[0059] The ground station is mainly responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between the satellite and the base station, or between the satellite and the core network.

[0060] Air interface: refers to the wireless link between the terminal device and the base station.

[0061] Xn interface: represents the interface between satellite base stations, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0062] NG interface: refers to the interface between the base station and the core network, or the interface between the ground station and the core network, or the interface between the satellite base station and the ground station (in this case, the interface is a wireless link), which mainly interacts with the core network's non-access stratum (NAS) and other signaling, as well as user service data.

[0063] Before introducing the embodiments of the present application, some terms in the present application are first explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0064] 1) Staring beam and non-staring beam.

[0065] A staring beam means that the satellite's beam always serves a specific service area during the satellite's movement. The network side continuously adjusts the direction of the beam according to the satellite's movement needs to ensure that the specific area is covered by the satellite's beam during the period of time that the satellite is visible.

[0066] A non-staring beam means that the direction of the satellite's beam hardly changes during the movement of the satellite, and the area served by the beam moves with the movement of the satellite.

[0067] 2) Gaze mode and non-gaze mode.

[0068] Staring mode can be understood as the satellite using a staring beam to serve a certain service area. In staring mode, the satellite can serve the same service area by adjusting the beam forming and beam pointing. When the satellite elevation angle is too large and needs to be switched, the users in the service area switch to the next satellite.

[0069] The non-staring mode can be understood as the satellite using a non-staring beam to serve a certain service area. In the non-staring mode, the satellite hardly adjusts the beam pointing, and the service area on the ground corresponding to the satellite beam moves with the movement of the satellite. Therefore, users at different locations in the same service area do not switch to the next satellite at the same time.

[0070] For the staring mode, the existing standard discusses that the satellite will broadcast a service time t (t-service) to indicate the time when the cell ends service. If the satellite serves many cells and the t-services of different cells are different, batch switching may be possible. However, if the area served by a satellite is the same cell (such as a super-large cell), users will switch to the next satellite almost at the same time according to t-service. Figure 3 As shown, the t-service corresponding to cell 2 broadcast by satellite 1 (sat 1) is T1, satellite 1 ends the service for cell 2 at time T1, and satellite 2 takes over the service for cell 2 at time T1.

[0071] 3) RRM measurement relaxation criteria:

[0072] When the measurement relaxation conditions are met, the terminal device (such as UE) in the radio resource control (RRC) idle / inactive state can relax the neighboring cell measurement to reduce power consumption. Currently, two RRM measurement relaxation conditions have been determined, namely the cell edge criterion based on the terminal device location and the low mobility criterion based on the terminal device rate.

[0073] (1) Cell edge criterion: When the terminal device is located at the center of the cell, the quality of the serving cell is usually good, and the measurement of the neighboring cell can be relaxed. The specific definition is that the RSRP and / or RSRQ of the serving cell is higher than the given reference signal received power threshold P (SSearchThresholdP) and / or reference signal received quality threshold Q (SSearchThresholdQ).

[0074] (2) Low mobility criterion: When the terminal device moves at a low rate, the measurement can be relaxed. The specific definition is that the change in the serving cell's measurement results within a certain period of time does not exceed the threshold value. When the change in the serving cell RSRP of the terminal device within a time range (TSearchDeltaP) is less than a given threshold (SSearchDeltaP), the terminal device is considered to meet the "low mobility" condition and the neighboring cell measurement can be relaxed.

[0075] However, all current RRM measurement relaxation criteria are based on signal measurements and are mainly applicable to terrestrial communication scenarios. In NTN, measurements are mainly caused by the movement of non-terrestrial network equipment such as satellites. Therefore, a measurement relaxation mechanism that better matches NTN can be considered.

[0076] Based on this, the present application provides a cell measurement method and device, so as to make the measurement relaxation mechanism better match the NTN communication scenario and save the resource overhead of the terminal device. The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0077] In addition, it should be understood that the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first threshold and the second threshold do not mean that the priority or importance corresponding to the two thresholds is different.

[0078] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, means "singular noun or plural noun", that is, "one or more". "At least one" means one or more, and "plural" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c means: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0079] The cell measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be performed by a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device here can refer to the terminal device itself, or a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the terminal device; the second communication device can refer to the network device itself, or a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the network device. The cell measurement method provided in the present application is introduced below by taking the first communication device and the second communication device as an example, respectively, as the terminal device and the network device.

[0080] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a cell measurement method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the method comprising:

[0081] S401: The terminal device determines whether the serving cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation condition, wherein the serving cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell.

[0082] In the communication system, in order to ensure business continuity, the terminal equipment can obtain continuous services of the wireless network by switching or reselecting cells with different coverage. For example, when the terminal equipment moves to the edge of the cell, the network equipment will send measurement configuration information such as the same frequency, different frequency or different system, so that the terminal equipment can switch to the neighboring cell of the same frequency, different frequency or different system.

[0083] Among them, there are many cell switching scenarios, for example, scenario 1, after the terminal device accesses the service cell, the location of the terminal device moves, for example, when it is far away from the service cell, the terminal device can perform cell switching or cell reselection. Scenario 2, when the service quality of the service cell currently providing services to the terminal device is poor (for example, the signal strength is low), the terminal device can perform cell switching or cell reselection to access a neighboring cell with a better signal. The service cell here is the cell currently providing services to the terminal device, and the neighboring cell can be understood as other cells that the terminal device can search for in the service cell except the service cell.

[0084] For example, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle (RRC_idle) state and the RRC inactive (RRC_inactive state), there is no RRC link between the terminal device and the serving cell. When the signal quality of the serving cell where the terminal device resides is lower than a certain threshold, the serving cell can send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, indicating that the terminal device can perform neighboring cell measurements to measure the signal quality of the neighboring cell. If the signal quality meets the conditions, it switches to the neighboring cell and resides in the neighboring cell. When the terminal device is in the RRC_idle state and the RRC_inactive state, the process of switching from the serving cell to other cells is the cell reselection process.

[0085] For another example, when the terminal is in the RRC connection (RRC_connected) state, there is an RRC link between the terminal device and the serving cell. The serving cell can send measurement configuration information to the terminal device through RRC signaling, etc., instructing the terminal device to perform neighboring cell measurements. The terminal device can report the measurement results of the neighboring cell to the serving cell, and the serving cell switches the terminal device to a cell with better signal quality based on the measurement results. When the terminal device is in the RRC_connected state, the process of switching from the serving cell to the neighboring cell is a cell handover process.

[0086] In an embodiment of the present application, the service cell is a cell that currently provides services to the terminal device, and may also be referred to as the current cell, current service cell, current resident cell, etc.; the target cell may be a neighboring cell in which the service cell (or the network device of the service cell) instructs the terminal device to perform measurements by sending measurement configuration information to the terminal device.

[0087] Unlike terrestrial communications, non-terrestrial network equipment such as satellites and high-altitude platforms will broadcast cell information such as the coverage area (or coverage range), service time range (or end of service time), and reference point (such as center point) location of the NTN cell. In the implementation of this application, the coverage area, service time, and other information of the service cell (or target cell) can also be considered to determine whether the service cell and / or target cell meet the measurement relaxation conditions to avoid unnecessary measurements.

[0088] In a possible implementation, the measurement relaxation condition may include: the distance between the terminal device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; the measurement time of the terminal device on the target cell is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the terminal device on the target cell is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold, etc. One or more of the following. The terminal device can determine that the serving cell and / or the target cell of the terminal device meets the set measurement relaxation condition when the serving cell and / or the target cell meet any one or more of the above measurement relaxation conditions. The measurement thresholds such as the first threshold and the second threshold can be defined by the protocol, or can be configured to the terminal device by the network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0089] Among them, if the distance between the terminal device and the edge of the service cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it can be said that the terminal device is far away from the edge of the service cell and is in the central area of ​​the service cell. It will not move out of the coverage of the service cell for a period of time. The terminal device can turn on RRM measurement relaxation.

[0090] If the remaining service time of the service cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it can be indicated that the service cell will not stop serving for a period of time, and the terminal device can enable RRM measurement relaxation.

[0091] If the distance between the terminal device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it can be indicated that the terminal device will not move to the coverage area of ​​the target cell or out of the coverage area of ​​the service cell within a period of time, and the terminal device can enable RRM measurement relaxation.

[0092] If the distance between the terminal device and the center of the service cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold, it can be indicated that the terminal device is in the central area of ​​the service cell and will not move out of the coverage of the service cell for a period of time. The terminal device can turn on RRM measurement relaxation.

[0093] If the measurement duration of the terminal device on the target cell is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold, it may mean that the terminal device has moved slowly or has not moved in the direction of the target cell in the past period of time. The terminal device may not move to the coverage of the target cell for a period of time. The terminal device can turn on RRM measurement relaxation.

[0094] The number of measurements of the target cell by the terminal device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold, which may also indicate that the terminal device has moved slowly in the past period of time or has not moved in the direction of the target cell. The terminal device may not move to the coverage of the target cell for a period of time. The terminal device can turn on RRM measurement relaxation.

[0095] For information such as the edge of the serving cell, the remaining service time of the serving cell, the center of the serving cell, and the center of the target cell, the terminal device can determine the information based on the cell information such as the broadcast coverage area (or coverage range) of the serving cell or the target cell, the service time range (or the time to end the service), and the location of the reference point (such as the center point). For example, the terminal device can determine the remaining service time of the serving cell based on the current time and the service time range of the serving cell.

[0096] S402: When the serving cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation conditions, the terminal device starts RRM measurement relaxation.

[0097] When the serving and / or target cell of the terminal device satisfies any one or more of the above measurement relaxation conditions, the terminal device may enable RRM measurement relaxation.

[0098] In some implementations, the terminal device may enable RRM measurement relaxation by increasing the duration of the RRM measurement cycle, skipping one or more RRM measurement opportunities, postponing the next RRM measurement opportunity (i.e., not performing RRM measurements for a period of time), or one or more of the above.

[0099] As an example: the duration of the RRM measurement period of the terminal device before turning on RRM measurement relaxation is 10ms. When the terminal device determines that any one or more of the above measurement relaxation conditions are met, the terminal device can increase the duration of the RRM measurement period to 20ms, 30ms, etc. to turn on RRM measurement relaxation, so as to reduce the number of RRM measurements performed by the terminal device per unit time and reduce the RRM measurement overhead.

[0100] As another example: the duration of the RRM measurement cycle of the terminal device before starting the RRM measurement relaxation is 10ms, and the terminal device performs RRM measurement at an RRM measurement opportunity every 10ms. The terminal device may not perform RRM measurement at M RRM measurement opportunities after determining that any one or more of the above measurement relaxation conditions are met, so as to reduce the number of RRM measurements performed by the terminal device and reduce the RRM measurement overhead, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0101] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device turning on RRM measurement relaxation may include the terminal device turning on RRM measurement relaxation for the serving cell and / or neighboring cell. Taking the terminal device turning on RRM measurement relaxation for the neighboring cell as an example, the terminal device may not perform RRM measurement on the neighboring cell (such as the target cell, etc.) during a period of time when the RRM measurement relaxation is turned on, thereby reducing the RRM measurement overhead.

[0102] In some implementations, if the terminal device turns on RRM measurement relaxation, the terminal device can also obtain the resources (such as time domain resources, etc.) released by turning on RRM measurement relaxation for communication with other communication devices, etc., to improve resource utilization. As an example: the terminal device can use the acquired resources to communicate with other terminal devices sideways, and can also send the information of the acquired resources to the service cell (or the network equipment of the service cell) for the service cell to schedule the uplink and downlink data of the terminal device, etc.

[0103] According to whether the target cell and the service cell configured by the network device correspond to the same frequency band (or frequency point) and the same radio access technology (radio access technology, RAT), the RRM measurement can be divided into co-frequency measurement, hetero-frequency measurement and different RAT (inter-RAT) measurement, among which the inter-RAT measurement can also be called hetero-system measurement. For example: the target cell and the service cell correspond to the same frequency band (or frequency point) for co-frequency measurement, the target cell and the service cell correspond to different frequency bands (or frequencies) for hetero-frequency measurement, and the target cell and the service cell correspond to different radio access technologies (such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) for inter-RAT measurement. Among them, the target measurement type (such as co-frequency measurement, hetero-frequency measurement or inter-RAT, etc.) for the terminal device to perform RRM measurement can also be configured (or indicated) to the terminal device by the network device through signaling such as measurement configuration information sent to the terminal device.

[0104] In some implementations, in order to adapt to different measurement scenarios, different measurement types can be mapped to different RRM measurement relaxation rules. When the terminal device turns on RRM measurement relaxation, the target RRM measurement relaxation rule can be determined according to the target measurement type configured by the network device and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation rule, and the RRM measurement relaxation can be turned on according to the target RRM measurement relaxation rule.

[0105] As an example: there is a mapping relationship between same-frequency measurement and RRM measurement relaxation rule 1 (including skipping 5 RRM measurement opportunities), there is a mapping relationship between different-frequency measurement and RRM measurement relaxation rule 2 (including skipping 10 RRM measurement opportunities), there is a mapping relationship between inter-RAT measurement and RRM measurement relaxation rule 3 (including skipping 15 RRM measurement opportunities), the target measurement type configured by the network device is same-frequency measurement, the terminal device can determine that the target RRM measurement relaxation rule is RRM measurement relaxation rule 1, and can enable RRM measurement relaxation according to RRM measurement relaxation rule 1, for example: skipping 5 RRM measurement opportunities.

[0106] Among them, the mapping relationship between measurement types (such as in-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement) and RRM measurement relaxation rules can be defined by protocols, etc. and saved in terminal devices and network devices, or can be determined by network devices and configured or indicated to terminal devices. This application does not limit this.

[0107] In some implementations, in order to adapt to different measurement scenarios, different measurement types may also be mapped to different measurement thresholds (such as one or more of the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, the sixth threshold, etc.). The terminal device may also determine the measurement threshold for determining whether the serving cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation condition based on the target measurement type configured by the network device and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold. Among them, the mapping relationship between the measurement type (such as same-frequency measurement, different-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement) and the measurement threshold may be defined by a protocol, etc., and stored in the terminal device and the network device, or may be determined by the network device, and configured or indicated to the terminal device, which is not limited in this application.

[0108] Above Figure 4 The illustrated embodiment mainly introduces RRM measurement relaxation from the perspective of the terminal device determining whether the serving cell and / or the target cell meet the set measurement relaxation conditions. In some implementations, the network device may also determine whether the serving cell and / or the target cell meet the set measurement relaxation conditions based on the measurement information of the serving cell and / or the target cell reported by the terminal device, and instruct the terminal device to perform RRM measurement relaxation. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another cell measurement method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the method comprising:

[0109] S501: The terminal device sends first information to the network device, and accordingly, the network device receives the first information, wherein the first information includes the measurement result of the terminal device on the serving cell and / or the target cell, or the measurement value of the terminal device on the serving cell and / or the target cell, and the serving cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell.

[0110] S502: The network device sends first indication information to the terminal device according to the first information, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the RRM measurement relaxation time.

[0111] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can determine whether the service cell and / or target cell of the terminal device meets the set measurement relaxation conditions based on the measurement results of the service cell and / or target cell reported by the terminal device, or the measurement values ​​of the service cell and / or target cell, and indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration to the terminal device based on whether the set measurement relaxation conditions are met.

[0112] Taking the example of a terminal device reporting the measurement results of the service cell and / or the target cell to the network device through the first information, the measurement results of the service cell and / or the target cell reported by the terminal device may include: whether the distance between the terminal device and the edge of the service cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; whether the remaining service time of the service cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; whether the distance between the terminal device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; whether the distance between the terminal device and the center of the service cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; whether the measurement time of the target cell by the terminal device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the terminal device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold, etc., one or more of the following.

[0113] The network device may indicate an RRM measurement relaxation duration greater than 0 to the terminal device through a first indication message when the measurement results of the terminal device on the service cell and / or the target cell meet one or more measurement relaxation conditions, including: the distance between the terminal device and the edge of the service cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the remaining service time of the service cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the service cell is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; the measurement time of the terminal device on the target cell is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the target cell by the terminal device is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold; and the measurement result of the terminal device on the target cell meets one or more measurement relaxation conditions. When the measurement results of the terminal device on the service cell and / or the target cell do not meet any measurement relaxation condition, the network device may indicate an RRM measurement relaxation duration equal to 0 to the terminal device through a first indication message, or may not indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration to the terminal device, so that the terminal device does not perform RRM measurement relaxation.

[0114] Taking the example of a terminal device reporting the measurement values ​​of the service cell and / or the target cell to the network device through the first information, the measurement values ​​of the service cell and / or the target cell reported by the terminal device may include: the distance between the terminal device and the edge of the service cell; the remaining service time of the service cell; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the target cell; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the service cell; the measurement time of the target cell by the terminal device; the number of measurements of the target cell by the terminal device, etc. Similarly, the network device may indicate an RRM measurement relaxation duration greater than 0 to the terminal device through a first indication message when the measurement value of the terminal device on the service cell and / or the target cell satisfies one or more measurement relaxation conditions, including: the distance between the terminal device and the edge of the service cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the remaining service time of the service cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; the distance between the terminal device and the center of the service cell is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; the measurement time of the terminal device on the target cell is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the target cell by the terminal device is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold; and the measurement result of the terminal device on the service cell and / or the target cell does not satisfy any of the measurement relaxation conditions, indicate an RRM measurement relaxation duration equal to 0 to the terminal device through the first indication message, or do not indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration to the terminal device, so that the terminal device does not perform RRM measurement relaxation.

[0115] In some implementations, the first information may also be referred to as auxiliary information, that is, information used to assist a network device in controlling or instructing a terminal device to perform RRM measurement relaxation.

[0116] The above-mentioned measurement thresholds (such as the first threshold, the second threshold, ..., the sixth threshold, etc.) can be pre-defined or stored in the terminal device and the network device through protocols, pre-configuration, etc. If different measurement types (such as same-frequency measurement, different-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement) are mapped to different measurement thresholds, the mapping relationship between the measurement threshold and the measurement type can also be pre-defined or stored in the terminal device and the network device through protocols, pre-configuration, etc. The terminal device or the network device determines the measurement threshold to be used according to the target measurement type (such as the target measurement type configured by the network device for the terminal device) and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold. For specific implementation, please refer to Figure 4 The implementation of determining the measurement threshold in the measurement method shown is not described in detail again.

[0117] In some implementations, in order to save signaling overhead, the network device may send a first indication message to the terminal device to indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration only when the service cell and / or target cell of the terminal device meets the set measurement relaxation conditions. If the service cell and / or target cell of the terminal device does not meet the set measurement relaxation conditions, the network device may not send the first indication message to the terminal device. If the terminal device does not receive the first indication message from the network device after sending the first message to the network device, the terminal device does not turn on the RRM measurement relaxation, or the default RRM measurement relaxation duration is 0.

[0118] S503: The terminal device starts RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

[0119] After the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device, it can start RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration indicated by the first indication information. For example: the terminal device starts RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration. During the effective time of the RRM measurement relaxation duration (such as the time after the RRM measurement relaxation is turned on does not exceed the RRM measurement relaxation duration), even if the network device sends measurement configuration information to the terminal device and there is a measurement event that requires RRM measurement, the terminal device will not perform RRM measurement; after the effective time of the RRM measurement relaxation duration expires (such as the time after the RRM measurement relaxation is turned on exceeds the RRM measurement relaxation duration), the terminal device can perform RRM measurement according to the measurement configuration information sent by the network device.

[0120] In some implementations, in order to adapt to different measurement scenarios, different measurement types (such as co-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement) can be mapped to different RRM measurement relaxation durations. When the network device determines the RRM measurement relaxation duration, it can determine the indicated RRM measurement relaxation duration according to the target measurement type configured for the terminal device and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation duration. The mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation duration can be agreed upon through a protocol or the like.

[0121] Taking the example that a longer RRM measurement relaxation time can be configured for inter-RAT measurement and a shorter RRM measurement relaxation time can be configured for intra-frequency measurement, there is a mapping relationship between intra-frequency measurement and RRM measurement relaxation time 1, there is a mapping relationship between inter-frequency measurement and RRM measurement relaxation time 2, there is a mapping relationship between inter-RAT measurement and RRM measurement relaxation time 3, RRM measurement relaxation time 1 can be less than RRM measurement relaxation time 2, RRM measurement relaxation time 2 can be less than RRM measurement relaxation time 3, the network device configures the terminal device according to the target measurement type as inter-RAT measurement, and the network device determines that the indicated RRM measurement relaxation time is RRM measurement relaxation time 3.

[0122] In some implementations, the terminal device may also be controlled to perform RRM measurement relaxation through a timer. For example, the terminal device may start a timer according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration indicated by the first indication information, and does not perform RRM measurement when the timer is running.

[0123] As an example: one or more timers can be configured in the terminal device. When the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device, the timing duration of the timer can be set and started according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration indicated by the first indication information, or a timer with a timing duration equal to the RRM measurement relaxation duration indicated by the first indication information can be selected from multiple timers and started. When the started timer is running (that is, the started timer has not timed out), the terminal device does not perform RRM measurement.

[0124] It is understandable that if a plurality of timers with different timing durations are configured in the terminal device, the network device can also indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration by indicating the timer through the first indication information. For example: the terminal device is configured with timer A1 corresponding to RRM measurement relaxation duration 1, timer A2 corresponding to RRM measurement relaxation duration 2, and timer A3 corresponding to RRM measurement relaxation duration 3, and the RRM measurement relaxation duration determined by the network device is RRM measurement relaxation duration 2. The network device can send a first indication message carrying the identifier of timer A2 to the terminal device, indicating that the RRM measurement relaxation duration of the terminal device is RRM measurement relaxation duration 2 corresponding to timer A2. The timing durations corresponding to different timers can be agreed upon by protocol or configured by the network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0125] In addition, in some implementations, the timer can also be retriggered by the first indication information from the network device while it is running. For example, if the timer duration is 10 seconds, and when the timer runs to 5 seconds, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device, and the RRM measurement relaxation duration indicated by the first indication information is 10 seconds, the terminal device can re-trigger the timer and reconfigure the timer duration to 10 seconds, so the timer can still run for 10 seconds.

[0126] It can be understood that the RRM measurement relaxation mode (or mechanism or criterion) involved in the measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be compatible with other RRM measurement relaxation modes (or mechanisms or criteria), for example, it can be compatible with the existing RRM measurement modes including the cell edge criterion based on the terminal device location and the low mobility criterion based on the terminal device rate. Different RRM measurement relaxation modes can correspond to different measurement configurations (such as RRM measurement relaxation conditions, measurement reporting methods, etc.).

[0127] In addition, different RRM measurement relaxation modes may correspond to different timers, and the timers corresponding to different RRM measurement relaxation modes may also be defined by the protocol or configured by the network device with different priorities. For example: the RRM measurement relaxation mode involved in the present application corresponds to timer A, and the existing RRM measurement relaxation mode corresponds to timer B. The priority of timer A is higher than the priority of timer B. When timer A is running, it can be stipulated by the protocol or configured by the network device that timer B is not allowed to be interrupted. Even if the measurement relaxation conditions corresponding to the existing RRM measurement relaxation mode are met, timer B can only be started after timer A ends or can only be run when timer A is not running; when timer B is running, it is allowed to start timer A and end timer B, etc.

[0128] The following describes the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device of the embodiment of the present application. The communication device may include units or modules corresponding to all or part of the steps in the above method embodiment, and may be used to execute the steps executed by the first communication device (such as a terminal device) or the second communication device (such as a network device) in the above embodiment. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction in the above method embodiment.

[0129] like Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 610 and a communication unit 620, wherein the processing unit 610 can be a processor or a processing circuit, and the communication unit 620 can also be a transceiver unit or an input / output interface. The communication device 600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device.

[0130] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device (such as a terminal device) in the above embodiment: the processing unit 610 is used to determine whether the service cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation conditions, and the service cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell; and when the service cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation conditions, RRM measurement relaxation is enabled.

[0131] In a possible design, the measurement relaxation condition may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold. Exemplarily, the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined based on the target measurement type configured for the first communication device, and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

[0132] In one possible design, when the processing unit 610 turns on RRM measurement relaxation, it is specifically used to determine the target RRM measurement relaxation rule according to the target measurement type configured for the first communication device and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation rule; and turn on RRM measurement relaxation according to the target RRM measurement relaxation rule. Exemplarily, the measurement type includes one or more of same-frequency measurement, different-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement, etc. Exemplarily, RRM measurement relaxation includes: increasing the duration of the RRM measurement cycle; skipping one or more RRM measurement opportunities; postponing the next RRM measurement opportunity, etc.

[0133] In a possible design, the processing unit 610 is further used to obtain resources released by opening the RRM measurement relaxation. Correspondingly, the communication unit 620 can also be used to send the information of the obtained resources to the second communication device, which is the communication device corresponding to the serving cell.

[0134] In one possible design, the communication unit 620 can also be used to send first information to the second communication device, the first information including the measurement results of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, or the measurement values ​​of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, wherein the service cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell; and receive first indication information from the second communication device, wherein the first indication information is determined by the second communication device based on the first information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration; the processing unit 610 is used to start the RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

[0135] In a possible design, the measurement result of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell may include one or more of the following: whether the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; whether the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; whether the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold. The measurement value of the serving cell and / or the target cell by the first communication device may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell; the remaining service time of the serving cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device. Exemplarily, the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold may be determined according to the target measurement type configured for the first communication device, and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

[0136] In one possible design, the processing unit 610 turns on the RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration, and is specifically used to start a timer according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration; and control not to perform RRM measurement when the timer is running.

[0137] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the steps performed by the second communication device (such as a network device) in the above embodiment: the communication unit 620 is used to receive first information from the first communication device, the first information including the measurement results of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, or the measurement value of the first communication device on the service cell and / or the target cell, wherein the service cell and / or the target cell is an NTN cell; the processing unit 610 is used to determine the RRM measurement relaxation duration according to the first information; the communication unit 620 is also used to send first indication information to the first communication device, and the first indication information is used to indicate the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

[0138] In one possible design, the measurement results of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell may include one or more of the following: whether the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; whether the remaining service time of the serving cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; whether the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold. The measurement values ​​of the serving cell and / or the target cell by the first communication device may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the serving cell; the remaining service time of the serving cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device.

[0139] Before the communication unit 620 sends the first indication information to the first communication device, the processing unit 610 is also used to determine whether the service cell and / or target cell of the first communication device meets the set measurement relaxation conditions, and the measurement relaxation conditions may include one or more of the following: the distance between the first communication device and the edge of the service cell is greater than or equal to the first threshold; the remaining service time of the service cell is greater than or equal to the second threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to the third threshold; the distance between the first communication device and the center of the service cell is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; the measurement time of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold; the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the sixth threshold.

[0140] Exemplarily, the first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined according to a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

[0141] In one possible design, when the processing unit 610 determines the RRM measurement relaxation duration according to the first information, it is specifically used to determine the RRM measurement relaxation duration according to the target measurement type configured for the first communication device and the mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation duration. Exemplarily, the measurement type includes one or more of the same-frequency measurement, different-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement, etc.

[0142] like Figure 7 As shown, the present application also provides a communication device 700, including a processor 710, and may also include a communication interface 720. The processor 710 and the communication interface 720 are coupled to each other. It can be understood that the communication interface 720 can be a transceiver, an input-output interface, an input interface, an output interface, an interface circuit, etc. Optionally, the communication device 700 may also include a memory 730 for storing instructions executed by the processor 710 or storing input data required for the processor 710 to run the instructions or storing data generated after the processor 710 runs the instructions. Among them, the memory 730 may be a physically independent unit, or it may be coupled to the processor 710, or the processor 710 may include the memory 730.

[0143] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device (such as a terminal device) or the second communication device (such as a network device) in the above embodiments, the processor 710 can be used to implement the functions of the above processing unit 610, and the communication interface 720 can be used to implement the functions of the above communication unit 620.

[0144] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), logic circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0145] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware, or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and can write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a network device or a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also be present in a network device or a terminal device as discrete components.

[0146] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is executed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device or other programmable device. The computer program or instruction may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer program or instruction may be transmitted from one network device, terminal, computer, server or data center to another network device, terminal, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape; it may also be an optical medium, for example, a digital video disc; it may also be a semiconductor medium, for example, a solid-state hard disk. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0147] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or provided for in any logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the different embodiments are consistent and may be referenced to each other, and the technical features in the different embodiments may be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0148] In addition, it should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the word "exemplary" is used to indicate an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" in the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a specific way.

[0149] It is understood that the various numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A cell measurement method, characterized in that: include: The first communication device determines whether the serving cell and / or the target cell meet the set measurement relaxation condition, and the serving cell and / or the target cell are non-terrestrial network NTN cells; When the serving cell and / or the target cell meets the set measurement relaxation condition, the first communication device starts radio resource management RRM measurement relaxation.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The measurement relaxation conditions include one or more of the following: The distance between the first communication device and the serving cell edge is greater than or equal to a first threshold; The remaining service duration of the serving cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; The distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; The distance between the first communication device and the serving cell center is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; The measurement duration of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; The number of measurements performed by the first communication device on the target cell is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first communication device starts RRM measurement relaxation, including: The first communication device determines the target RRM measurement relaxation rule according to the target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation rule; The first communications device enables RRM measurement relaxation according to the target RRM measurement relaxation rule.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined according to a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that The measurement types include one or more of the following: Intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, and inter-RAT measurement of different radio access technologies.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The RRM measurement relaxation includes one or more of the following: Increase the duration of the RRM measurement cycle; Skipping one or more RRM measurement opportunities; The next RRM measurement opportunity is postponed.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first communications device acquires resources for enabling RRM measurement relaxation release.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first communication device sends the acquired information of the resource to a second communication device, where the second communication device is a communication device corresponding to the serving cell.

9. A cell measurement method, characterized in that: include: The first communication device sends first information to the second communication device, where the first information includes a measurement result of the first communication device on a serving cell and / or a target cell, or a measurement value of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell, wherein the serving cell and / or the target cell is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell; The first communication device receives first indication information from the second communication device, wherein the first indication information is determined by the second communication device according to the first information, and the first indication information is used to indicate a radio resource management RRM measurement relaxation duration; The first communication device starts RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The measurement result of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell includes one or more of the following: whether the distance between the first communication device and the serving cell edge is greater than or equal to a first threshold; Whether the remaining service duration of the serving cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; whether a measurement duration of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold; The measurement value of the serving cell and / or the target cell by the first communication device includes one or more of the following: a distance between the first communication device and the serving cell edge; The remaining service time of the serving cell; The distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell; The distance between the first communication device and the serving cell center; A measurement duration of the target cell by the first communication device; The number of measurements performed by the first communication device on the target cell.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first communication device starts RRM measurement relaxation according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration, including: The first communication device starts a timer according to the RRM measurement relaxation duration; The first communications device does not perform RRM measurement when the timer is running.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined according to a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The measurement types include one or more of the following: Intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, and inter-RAT measurement of different radio access technologies.

14. A cell measurement method, characterized in that: include: The second communication device receives first information from the first communication device, where the first information includes a measurement result of the first communication device on a serving cell and / or a target cell, or a measurement value of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell, wherein the serving cell and / or the target cell is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell; The second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device according to the first information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a radio resource management RRM measurement relaxation duration.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The measurement result of the first communication device on the serving cell and / or the target cell includes one or more of the following: whether the distance between the first communication device and the serving cell edge is greater than or equal to a first threshold; Whether the remaining service duration of the serving cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; whether the distance between the first communication device and the center of the serving cell is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; whether a measurement duration of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; whether the number of measurements of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold; The measurement value of the serving cell and / or the target cell by the first communication device includes one or more of the following: a distance between the first communication device and the serving cell edge; The remaining service time of the serving cell; The distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell; The distance between the first communication device and the serving cell center; A measurement duration of the target cell by the first communication device; The number of measurements performed by the first communication device on the target cell.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device according to the first information, including: When the second communication device determines that the serving cell and / or the target cell of the first communication device meets the set measurement relaxation condition, the second communication device sends first indication information to the first communication device; The measurement relaxation conditions include one or more of the following: The distance between the first communication device and the serving cell edge is greater than or equal to a first threshold; The remaining service duration of the serving cell is greater than or equal to a second threshold; The distance between the first communication device and the center of the target cell is greater than or equal to a third threshold; The distance between the first communication device and the serving cell center is less than or equal to a fourth threshold; The measurement duration of the target cell by the first communication device is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold; The number of measurements performed by the first communication device on the target cell is greater than or equal to a sixth threshold.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that Before sending the first indication information to the first communication device, the method further includes: The second communication device determines the RRM measurement relaxation duration according to the target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the RRM measurement relaxation duration.

18. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The first threshold, the second threshold, the third threshold, the fourth threshold, the fifth threshold, or the sixth threshold is determined according to a target measurement type configured for the first communication device and a mapping relationship between the measurement type and the measurement threshold.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that The measurement types include one or more of the following: Intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, and inter-RAT measurement of different radio access technologies.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A communication unit for receiving and sending information; A processing unit, configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 through the communication unit.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

22. A communication system, characterized in that: include: A first communication device, configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 9 to 13; The second communication device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 14 to 19.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is implemented.

24. A chip, characterized in that: The chip reads a computer program stored in a memory and executes a method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises: a computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is implemented.

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