Connection adjustment method and communication device

Abstract

A connection adjustment method and a communication apparatus can be applied to a scene in which co-frequency networking is performed and there is no communication connection between a source network device and a target network device, the source network device does not interact with the target network device, but indicates a message of establishing a connection between a terminal device and a target cell based on a measurement report. Therefore, the terminal equipment can establish the connection with the target cell, so that the connection adjustment of the terminal equipment can be realized in the scene of same-frequency networking and no communication connection between the source network equipment and the target network equipment. And the network equipment provides the identifier of the target cell for the terminal equipment, and the terminal equipment does not execute cell search and selection, so that the time delay of connection adjustment is reduced. Besides, the method and the device can also be applied to different-frequency networking and / or a scene with communication connection between the source network equipment and the target network equipment, and due to the fact that the source network equipment does not interact with the target network equipment, reduction of time delay of connection adjustment is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a connection adjustment method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Mobility management is an important part of wireless communications. Its main goal is to enable the terminal device to continuously change service nodes during movement, and the network device to enable the terminal device to enjoy uninterrupted wireless services through mobility management. Mobility management is based on the different RRC states of the terminal device. For the terminal device in the RRC connection state, mobility management includes switching and redirection. The connection of the terminal device can be adjusted through switching or redirection. However, there is currently no solution that can achieve connection adjustment of the terminal device in the scenario of same-frequency networking and no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides a connection adjustment method and a communication device, in order to support the connection adjustment of a terminal device in a scenario where there is no communication connection between a source network device and a target network device in the same frequency networking.

[0004] In a first aspect, a connection adjustment method is provided, which can be executed by a network device. Unless otherwise specified, "network device" can refer to the network device itself or a device that can support the network device to implement the function.

[0005] The method includes: receiving a measurement report from a terminal device; in response to the measurement report, sending a first message to the terminal device, the first message instructing the terminal device to establish a connection with a target cell, the first message including an identifier of the target cell, and the target cell is determined based on the measurement report.

[0006] "Sending a first message to the terminal device in response to the measurement report" can be understood as: after receiving the measurement report, sending a first message carrying the identifier of the target cell to the terminal device based on the measurement report, without interacting with the network device where the target cell is located.

[0007] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to the scenario where there is no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device in the same frequency networking. In this scenario, according to the prior art, it is not possible to implement the connection adjustment of the terminal device through the switching process, nor can it be implemented through the redirection process, because the switching process requires signaling interaction between the source network device and the target network device, and the redirection process only supports hetero-frequency redirection. The network device in the technical solution of the present application may not interact with the target network device, but send a first message to the terminal device based on the measurement report to indicate that the terminal device is connected to the target cell, so that the terminal device establishes a connection with the target cell based on the first message, thereby realizing the connection adjustment of the terminal device. Therefore, the technical solution of the present application can realize the connection adjustment of the terminal device in the scenario where there is no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device. Moreover, compared with the existing redirection process, the network device in the technical solution of the present application provides the terminal device with the identifier of the target cell instead of the information of the target frequency, so that the terminal device can directly establish a connection with the target cell based on the identifier of the target cell, without performing cell search and selection, which helps to reduce the delay of connection adjustment.

[0008] In addition, the technical solution of the present application can also be applied to scenarios where there is a communication connection between heterodyne networks and / or a source network device and a target network device. Compared with the existing switching process, the network device in the technical solution of the present application may not interact with the network device where the target cell is located, thereby helping to reduce the delay in connection adjustment. Compared with the existing redirection process, the network device in the technical solution of the present application provides the terminal device with the identifier of the target cell instead of the target frequency information, so that the terminal device can directly establish a connection with the target cell based on the identifier of the target cell, without performing cell search and selection, thereby helping to reduce the delay in connection adjustment.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the first message is a radio resource control (RRC) connection release message. Another description may be: the first message is used for RRC connection release.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, the network device can provide the terminal device with the identifier of the target cell through the RRC connection release message. In other words, during the redirection process, the network device provides the terminal device with the identifier of the target cell instead of the target frequency information, so that the terminal device can directly establish a connection with the target cell based on the identifier of the target cell without performing cell search and selection, thereby helping to reduce the delay of connection adjustment.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the RRC connection release message includes a first field, and the first field carries the identifier of the target cell. The first field can be a newly added field in the RRC connection release message, or can reuse an existing field in the RRC connection release message, without limitation.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the RRC connection release message further includes a second field, and the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell. In addition, the second field can also be used to indicate that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point. The second field can be a newly added field in the RRC connection release message, or it can reuse an existing field in the RRC connection release message, without limitation.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirecting the terminal device to the target cell, the terminal device can directly establish a connection with the target cell without performing a cell search and selection; when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirecting the terminal device to the target frequency point, the terminal device can perform a cell search and selection on the target frequency point, and then redirect to the selected cell. In this way, based on the second field, different redirection methods can be compatible.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the second field carries information about the target frequency of the redirection, the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the serving cell of the terminal device, and the frequency of the target cell is the target frequency. In addition, when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency, the second field carries information about the target frequency of the redirection, and the target frequency is different from the frequency of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0015] It can be understood that the service cell of the terminal device may refer to a cell that provides services to the terminal device under a network device that executes the method of the first aspect or any implementation method thereof or that is managed by the network device. During the connection adjustment process, the service cell may also be referred to as a source cell, and the network device may also be referred to as a source network device.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, when the second field carries information about a frequency that is the same as the frequency of the serving cell, it can indicate that the RRC connection release message is used for redirecting the terminal device to the target cell, so that the terminal device can learn from the second field that it is necessary to execute redirection of the terminal device to the target cell; when the second field carries information about a frequency that is different from the frequency of the serving cell, it can indicate that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency. In this case, the terminal device learns from the second field that it is necessary to execute redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency, and performs cell search and selection on the target frequency, and then redirects to the selected cell.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the first field is included in the cell reselection priority field. "The first field is included in the cell reselection priority field" may mean that the identifier of the target cell is carried in the cell reselection priority field. As an example, the cell reselection priority field only carries the identifier of the target cell. As another example, the cell reselection priority field carries the identifier of the target cell and the priority of the target cell. As yet another example, in addition to carrying the identifier of the target cell and the optional priority of the target cell, the cell reselection priority field may also carry information of one or more frequency points and the priorities corresponding to the one or more frequency points.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the method further includes: sending measurement configuration information to the terminal device, the measurement configuration information including same-frequency measurement configuration information, and the measurement report is obtained based on the measurement configuration information.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, the network device can configure the same-frequency measurement configuration information for the terminal device, and the above-mentioned measurement report can be a measurement report based on the same-frequency measurement configuration information. Therefore, this solution can realize connection adjustment in the same-frequency networking scenario.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the same-frequency measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following information: a measurement object, a report configuration, a trigger quantity or a measurement identifier; wherein the frequency of the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block or SSB) included in the measurement object is the same as the SSB frequency of the service cell of the terminal device, and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the subcarrier spacing of the SSB of the service cell.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the network device and the network device where the target cell is located are in the same frequency and there is no communication connection. The network device and the network device where the target cell is located do not have a communication connection, which may mean that there is no Xn interface or Ng interface between the network device and the network device where the target cell is located.

[0022] In a second aspect, a connection adjustment method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device. Unless otherwise specified, "terminal device" can refer to the terminal device itself or a device that can support the terminal device to implement the function.

[0023] The method includes: sending a measurement report to a network device; receiving a first message from the network device, the first message instructing the terminal device to establish a connection with a target cell, the first message including an identifier of the target cell, the target cell is determined based on the measurement report, and the first message is an RRC connection release message; and establishing a connection with the target cell according to the first message.

[0024] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to the scenario where there is a same-frequency networking and there is no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device. In this scenario, according to the prior art, it is impossible to achieve the connection adjustment of the terminal device through the switching process, nor can it be achieved through the redirection process, because the switching process requires signaling interaction between the source network device and the target network device, and the redirection process only supports heterogeneous frequency redirection. The terminal device in the technical solution of the present application can execute the redirection process based on the RRC connection release message sent by the network device. Therefore, the technical solution of the present application can achieve the connection adjustment of the terminal device in the scenario where there is a same-frequency networking and there is no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device. In addition, compared with the existing redirection process, the network device in the technical solution of the present application provides the terminal device with the identifier of the target cell instead of the information of the target frequency, so that the terminal device can directly establish a connection with the target cell based on the identifier of the target cell, without performing cell search and selection, which helps to reduce the delay of connection adjustment.

[0025] In addition, the technical solution of the present application can also be applied to scenarios where there is heterogeneous frequency networking and / or a communication connection between a source network device and a target network device, which helps to reduce the delay of connection adjustment compared to the existing redirection process.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the RRC connection release message includes a first field, and the first field carries an identifier of the target cell.

[0027] In combination with the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the RRC connection release message also includes a second field, and the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirecting the terminal device to the target cell.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect or any implementation method thereof, in some other possible implementation methods, the second field carries information of the redirected target frequency, the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the service cell of the terminal device, and the frequency of the target cell is the target frequency.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the first field is included in a cell reselection priority field.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving measurement configuration information from a network device, the measurement configuration information including same-frequency measurement configuration information; and determining the measurement report based on the measurement configuration information.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the same-frequency measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following information: measurement object, report configuration, trigger quantity or measurement identifier; wherein, the frequency of the SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the SSB frequency of the service cell of the terminal device, and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the subcarrier spacing of the SSB of the service cell.

[0032] In combination with the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the network device and the network device where the target cell is located are on the same frequency and there is no communication connection.

[0033] The terms or features in the second aspect or its implementation that are the same as those in the first aspect or its implementation can refer to the first aspect or its implementation, and the technical effects of the second aspect or its implementation can refer to the technical effects in the first aspect or its implementation, and will not be repeated in the second aspect.

[0034] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be a terminal device, or a device, module, circuit or chip configured in the terminal device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the terminal device. In one design, the communication device may include a module that corresponds to the method / operation / step / action described in the first aspect or its implementation, and the module may be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the communication device may include a processing module and a communication module.

[0035] Among them, the sending module is used to execute the sending action in the method described in the first aspect or its implementation method above, and the processing module is used to execute the processing-related actions in the method described in the first aspect or its implementation method above.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be a network device, or a device, module, circuit or chip configured in a network device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a network device. In one design, the communication device may include a module that corresponds to the method / operation / step / action described in the second aspect or its implementation, and the module may be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the communication device may include a processing module and a communication module.

[0037] Among them, the receiving module is used to execute the receiving action in the method described in the second aspect or its implementation method, and the processing module is used to execute the processing-related actions in the method described in the second aspect or its implementation method.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processing circuit and a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processing circuit, the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented, or the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented.

[0039] Optionally, the communication device may be a source network device or a terminal device.

[0040] Optionally, the communication device may be a chip applied to a source network device or a terminal device.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit is used to process data and / or information so that a method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented, or a method as in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented. Optionally, the device may also include a memory, wherein the memory is used to store programs or instructions. Optionally, the communication device may also include a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive data and / or information and transmit the received data and / or information to the processing circuit. Optionally, the communication interface is also used to output data and / or information processed by the processing circuit. The communication interface may also be referred to as an interface circuit or a transceiver circuit.

[0042] Optionally, the communication device may be a source network device or a terminal device.

[0043] Optionally, the communication device may be a chip applied to a source network device or a terminal device.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit is used to run a program or instruction so that the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented, or the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented. Optionally, the chip system may also include an input / output interface. Optionally, the chip system may also include a memory, wherein the memory is used to store programs or instructions. The processing circuit may also be referred to as a logic circuit.

[0045] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit, enables a method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented, or enables a method as in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented.

[0046] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer program code or instructions, which, when executed, enables the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented, or enables the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented.

[0047] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a combination of one or more of the following devices: a communication device executing the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or a communication device executing the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Figure 2 It is a schematic flowchart of the connection adjustment method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0050] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the device provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0051] Figure 4 It is another structural schematic diagram of the device provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0052] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are explained before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] "Indication" includes direct indication (also called explicit indication) and implicit indication. Wherein, direct indication of information A means including the information A; implicit indication of information A means indicating information A through the correspondence between information A and information B and direct indication of information B. Wherein, the correspondence between information A and information B can be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured. Information C is used to determine information D, including information D being determined only based on information C, and information D being determined based on information C and other information. In addition, information C is used to determine information D, and it can also be indirectly determined, for example, information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C. "Network element A sends information A to network element B", which can be understood as the destination end of the information A or the intermediate network element in the transmission path between the destination end and the network element B, and can include directly or indirectly sending information to network element B. "Network element B receives information A from network element A", which can be understood as the source end of the information A or the intermediate network element in the transmission path between the source end and the network element A, and can include directly or indirectly receiving information from network element A. The information may be processed as necessary between the source and destination of the information transmission, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. The first, second, and other digital numbers are only used for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application, such as distinguishing different messages, different information, etc. "Pre-definition" can be implemented by pre-saving the corresponding code, table or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device, and the present application does not limit its specific implementation method. The "protocol" involved may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the long term evolution (LTE) protocol, the new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this. "Example", "for example", "exemplarily", "as (another) example" and other words are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized. "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "At most one" means one or zero. "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. "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 and c can represent: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. A, b and c can be single or multiple. Descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, but do not limit the time, nor do they require the device to have a judgment action when implementing, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0055] In addition, the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0056] A communication system to which the embodiments of the present application can be applied is described below.

[0057] The technical solution provided in the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: the fifth generation (5G) or NR system, LTE system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, wireless local area network (WLAN) system, satellite communication system, future communication system, such as the sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a fusion system of multiple systems, etc. The technical solution provided in the present application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication system or other communication systems.

[0058] A device in a communication system can send a signal to another device or receive a signal from another device. The signal may include information, signaling, or data, etc. The device may also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a communication device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc., and the present disclosure is described by taking the device as an example. For example, the communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device may send a downlink signal to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device may send an uplink signal to the network device. It is understandable that the terminal device in the present application may be replaced by the first device, and the network device may be replaced by the second device, and the two perform the corresponding communication method in the present application.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device.

[0060] The terminal device can be a device that provides voice / data, for example, a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. At present, some examples of terminals are: mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MID), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDA), customer-premises devices (Customer-premises Equipment, CPE), handheld devices with wireless communication functions, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, terminal devices in 5G networks, or terminal devices in future evolved public land mobile communication networks (public land mobile network, PLMN), etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0061] As an example but not limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also powerful functions achieved through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include devices that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, and devices that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various types of smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring. In the embodiments of the present application, the device for realizing the function of the terminal device may be a terminal device, or a device that can support the terminal device to realize the function, and the device may be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device.

[0062] Exemplarily, the device supporting the terminal device to implement the terminal device function may be a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0063] Exemplarily, the device supporting the terminal device to implement the terminal device function may also be a part of the network device used to implement the terminal device function. For example, the network device may be an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, where the IAB node integrates a mobile terminal (mobile termination, MT) and a distributed unit (distributed unit, DU). Alternatively, the IAB node integrates an MT and a base station (base station, BS), where the BS includes a CU and a DU. When the IAB node faces its parent node, the IAB node plays the role of an MT and can be regarded as a terminal.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present application, only the apparatus for realizing the functions of the terminal device is taken as an example of the terminal device for description, and does not constitute a limitation on the scheme of the embodiments of the present application.

[0065] The network device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and the network device may also be referred to as an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. The network device may be a device with wireless transceiver functions or a chip that may be provided in the device, and may be deployed in a wireless access network to provide wireless communication services for the terminal device. The network device in the embodiment of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to a wireless network. The base station can broadly cover the following various names, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), relay station, access point, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TRP), transmission point (TP), integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, master station, auxiliary station, multi-standard wireless (motor slide retainer, MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RF head), etc. head, RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, etc. The base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof. Among them, the IAB node integrates the MT and the DU, or the IAB node integrates the MT and the base station (BS), where the BS includes the CU and the DU. When the IAB node faces its child node (the child node may be a terminal or the terminal part of another IAB node), it can be regarded as a network device. The DU part of an IAB node can provide access services to the terminal device or the MT part of another IAB node.

[0066] The base station may also refer to a communication module, modem or chip used to be set in the aforementioned equipment or device. The base station may also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs the base station function in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, a network side device in a 6G network, and a device that performs the base station function in future communication systems. The base station can support networks with the same or different access technologies. Optionally, the RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an on-board device, etc. For example, the access network device in the vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network equipment.

[0067] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0068] In some deployments, the network device mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a device including a CU, or a DU, or a device including a CU and a DU, or a control plane CU node (central unit control plane (central unit-control plane, CU-CP)) and a user plane CU node (central unit user plane (central unit-user plane, CU-UP)) and a DU node. For example, the network device may include a gNB-CU-CP, a gNB-CU-UP, and a gNB-DU.

[0069] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a CU, DU, CU-CP, CU-UP, or RU. The CU and DU can be set separately, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a BBU. The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as an RRU, AAU, or RRH.

[0070] The RAN node may support one or more types of fronthaul interfaces, and different fronthaul interfaces correspond to DUs and RUs with different functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and the RU is a common public radio interface (CPRI), the DU is configured to implement one or more baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement one or more radio frequency functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and the RU is another interface, relative to the CPRI, part of the downlink and / or uplink baseband functions, such as, for downlink, one or more of precoding, digital beamforming (BF), or inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / adding cyclic prefix (CP), are moved from the DU to the RU for implementation, and for uplink, one or more of digital beamforming (BF), or fast Fourier transform (FFT) / removing cyclic prefix (CP), are moved from the DU to the RU for implementation. In a possible implementation, the interface may be an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). In the eCPRI architecture, the division between DU and RU is different, corresponding to different types (category, Cat) of eCPRI, such as eCPRI Cat A, B, C, D, E, F.

[0071] Taking eCPRI Cat A as an example, for downlink transmission, based on layer mapping, the DU is configured to implement one or more functions before layer mapping (i.e., one or more functions of coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping), while other functions after layer mapping (e.g., one or more functions of resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), or inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / adding cyclic prefix (CP)) are moved to the RU for implementation. For uplink transmission, based on de-RE mapping, the DU is configured to implement one or more functions before de-mapping (i.e., one or more functions of decoding, de-rate matching, de-scrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, and de-RE mapping), while other functions after de-mapping (e.g., one or more functions of digital BF or fast Fourier transform (FFT) / removing CP) are moved to the RU for implementation. It can be understood that for the functional description of DU and RU corresponding to various types of eCPRI, reference can be made to the eCPRI protocol and will not be repeated here.

[0072] In one possible design, the processing unit for implementing the baseband function in the BBU is called a baseband high layer (BBH) unit, and the processing unit for implementing the baseband function in the RRU / AAU / RRH is called a baseband low layer (BBL) unit.

[0073] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. Any unit in the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0074] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for realizing the function of the network device may be a network device; or it may be a device capable of supporting the network device to realize the function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. The device may be installed in the network device or used in combination with the network device. In the embodiments of the present application, only the device for realizing the function of the network device is a network device as an example for explanation, and the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is not limited.

[0075] The network device and / or terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water surface; it can also be deployed on aircraft, balloons and satellites in the air. The scenarios in which the network device and the terminal device are located are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terminal device and the network device can be hardware devices, or they can be software functions running on dedicated hardware, software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or entities including dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. The present application does not limit the specific forms of the terminal device and the network device.

[0076] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to a variety of scenarios, such as any of the following scenarios: relay, wireless mesh network, IAB, or ad hoc network, etc. In the above scenarios, the networking nodes include nodes with all or part of the functions of a base station, or nodes with wireless backhaul functions and wireless access functions.

[0077] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application can be applied. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system may be composed of a base station, a relay device, and a terminal device. The terminal device may perform wireless communication with the base station directly or through one or more relay devices.

[0078] In order to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments of the present application, several concepts or terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are briefly explained. The concepts or terms introduced below are explained based on the concepts or terms specified in the reference protocol, but it does not mean that the embodiments of the present application can only be applied to currently existing systems. The concepts or terms involved in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to future systems. And the specific names of the concepts or terms (such as concepts or terms involving functional descriptions) can be adjusted with the development of future systems.

[0079] 1. Mobility Management

[0080] Mobility management is an important part of wireless communications. Its main goal is to enable terminal devices to continuously change service nodes during mobility, and network devices to enable terminal devices to enjoy uninterrupted wireless services through mobility management.

[0081] In the 5G control plane protocol stack, the protocol layers at and below the RRC layer are called the access stratum (AS), and the protocol layers above the RRC layer are called the non-access stratum (NAS). Simply put, the AS process is a process that requires the participation of terminal devices and network devices, and the NAS process is a process that only requires the terminal device and the core network to process. The network device only forwards and does not process. Different protocol layers define different layer states (such as NAS layer state, RRC layer state). Mobility management is usually based on the RRC layer state of the terminal device (hereinafter referred to as RRC state).

[0082] The RRC status of the terminal device reflects the AS connection status of the terminal device. AS connection refers to the signaling connection between the terminal device and the network device. AS signaling interaction establishes a signaling path between the terminal device and the core network, so that NAS signaling interaction can be carried out. In other words, AS connection plays a role in paving the way for NAS signaling interaction.

[0083] The RRC state includes the RRC connected state and the RRC idle state.

[0084] RRC connected state: When there is a signaling connection between the terminal device and the network device, that is, the two are "communicating" with each other, even if there is no data transmission but only RRC signaling, the terminal device is in the RRC connected state. However, in general, the RRC signaling between the terminal device and the network device is connected for data transmission.

[0085] RRC idle state: It is equivalent to no information interaction between the terminal device and the network device (that is, no data transmission and no RRC signaling transmission).

[0086] In addition, with the development of communication technology, an "intermediate" state is added to the RRC state, namely the RRC inactive state.

[0087] RRC inactive state: In order to allow the terminal device to recover to the RRC connected state faster, for the terminal device in the RRC inactive state, the network device will retain some information that does not need to be retained in the RRC idle state. In simple terms, the air interface state of the terminal device in the RRC inactive state is similar to that in the RRC idle state, but from the core network side, the terminal device in the RRC inactive state is still in the connection management (connection management, CM) connection state. When there is a need for data transmission and the terminal device needs to be migrated from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state, compared with migrating from the RRC idle state to the RRC connected state, there is no bearer establishment, authentication and other processes, and the terminal device's services can be restored more quickly.

[0088] The transition from RRC connected state to RRC idle state and from RRC connected state to RRC inactive state are both achieved through RRC connection release (RRCConnectionRelease). By checking whether the RRC connection release message carries the suspend configuration (suspendConfig), it can be determined whether the RRC connection is released and enters the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. If the RRC connection release message carries the suspend configuration, it indicates that the terminal device has entered the RRC inactive state. If the RRC connection release message does not carry the suspend configuration, it indicates that the terminal device has entered the RRC idle state.

[0089] Mobility management is based on the different RRC states of the terminal device. Mobility management in different RRC states is divided into:

[0090] 1) RRC connection state mobility management: handover or redirection;

[0091] 2) RRC idle state mobility management: cell reselection;

[0092] 3) RRC inactive mobility management: cell reselection or RAN-based Notification Area (RNA) update, etc.

[0093] 2. Switch

[0094] Switching, also known as cell switching, is a basic but very important function of the communication system. Simply put, it supports the terminal device to switch from one network device to another. In the RRC connection state, there is a connection between the terminal device and the network device, and signaling interaction can be performed. The network device can send measurement configuration information to the terminal device to request the terminal device to report a measurement report. The network device determines whether the status of the terminal device meets the switching conditions based on the measurement report, and executes the switching process when the terminal device meets the switching conditions.

[0095] The switching process may include: the source network device executes a switching decision to determine that the terminal device needs to switch; then the source network device and the target network device prepare for the switching, such as resource application and data forwarding between the source network device and the target network device; after receiving the switching request response sent by the target network device, the source network device sends a switching command to the terminal device, and the switching command may include the identifier of the target cell; then the terminal device executes the switching according to the switching command.

[0096] From the perspective of interfaces, switching can be divided into switching based on Xn interfaces and switching based on NG interfaces. Whether it is switching based on Xn interfaces or switching based on NG interfaces, signaling interaction is required between the source network device and the target network device.

[0097] During the switching process, the terminal device remains in the RRC connected state.

[0098] 3. Redirection

[0099] Redirection, also known as cell redirection, is mainly used in scenarios where the current service cell is overloaded or the terminal device has moved to the edge of the cell and needs to trigger a handover, but the terminal device does not support handover at this time. Redirection is usually a transitional measure prepared for terminal devices that do not support handover. Redirection adopts the method of RRC connection release plus redirection, that is, when it is determined that the terminal device needs to be redirected, the source network device will initiate an RRC release, and recommend a target frequency to the terminal device at the time of release. The target frequency can be indicated to the terminal device through the redirected carrier information (redirectedCarrierInfo) in the RRC connection release message. After the RRC connection with the source network device is released, the terminal device can search and select a cell based on the target frequency to access the new network device.

[0100] During the redirection process, the terminal device in the RRC connected state will first release the connection with the source network device, and then re-establish the connection on the target frequency recommended by the source network device. The current redirection process only supports different-frequency redirection, and redirection cannot be performed when the same-frequency network is used.

[0101] Currently, in the case of co-frequency networking, when there is no Xn interface or NG interface between the source network device and the target network device, the switching process cannot be implemented, the redirection process cannot be implemented, and therefore the connection adjustment of the terminal device cannot be achieved.

[0102] In response to the above problems, the present application proposes a connection adjustment method and a communication device to support connection adjustment of terminal devices in a scenario where there is same-frequency networking and there is no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device.

[0103] The following is a description of the method embodiments of the present application.

[0104] Figure 2 It is a schematic flow chart of a connection adjustment method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0105] Method 500 can be executed by a terminal device, a source network device, and a target network device. Unless otherwise specified, "terminal device", "source network device" or "target network device" may refer to the terminal device, the source network device or the target network device itself, or may refer to a device that can support the terminal device, the source network device or the target network device to implement the function. For the sake of convenience of description, the following text will uniformly use the terminal device, the source network device or the target network device for description.

[0106] It should be noted that the node corresponding to the terminal device, source network device or target network device may only include the functions of the terminal device, source network device or target network device, or may include other functions on the basis of the functions of the terminal device, source network device or target network device, without limitation. For example, the node corresponding to the terminal device may include the functions of the network device in addition to the functions of the terminal device, such as the node may be an IAB node, and the IAB node may integrate the MT and DU, or the IAB node may integrate the MT and the base station, that is, the node includes both the functions of the terminal device and the functions of the network device. For another example, the node corresponding to the source network device or the target network device may include the functions of the terminal device in addition to the functions of the source network device or the target network device, such as the node may be an IAB node. For another example, the node corresponding to the source network device or the target network device may include the functions of the core network device in addition to the functions of the source network device or the target network device.

[0107] Method 500 includes at least part of the following.

[0108] Step 501: After the terminal device establishes an RRC connection with the source network device, the source network device sends measurement configuration information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the measurement configuration information from the source network device.

[0109] The measurement configuration information may include one or more of the following information:

[0110] 1) Measurement object: It is the object on which the terminal device performs measurement, mainly including one or more of the following information: SSB frequency, SSB subcarrier spacing, SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC), whitelist cell list or blacklist cell list.

[0111] Each cell will periodically send multiple SSB beams in the time domain (i.e., SSB beam scanning), and the SSB beams of each cell are configured with the same frequency domain position in the frequency domain. In order to ensure that all SSB beams in each cell are measured accurately and completely, when the source network device sends the measurement configuration, in addition to indicating the SSB frequency to be measured, it can also indicate at least one of the time domain starting position and duration for starting the SSB measurement, i.e., SMTC. SMTC includes at least one of the SMTC period, SMTC duration, and SMTC bias. The time domain starting position may refer to the start time when the terminal device starts the SSB measurement, which may be determined based on the SMTC period and SMTC bias. It is understandable that at least one of the SMTC period, SMTC duration, and SMTC bias included in the SMTC that is not indicated may be a predefined value.

[0112] The source network device can also configure a specific list of cells to be measured, namely a blacklist cell list and a whitelist cell list. For cells listed in the blacklist, the terminal device does not measure or report them. For cells listed in the whitelist, the terminal device measures at the corresponding measurement frequency and reports the measurement report.

[0113] 2) Measurement gap: The measurement gap is the time period from when the terminal device leaves the current frequency point to measure at other frequencies. It is configured only during inter-frequency measurement and inter-system measurement.

[0114] 3) Report configuration: The report configuration indicates the standard for triggering the reporting of the measurement report and the format of the measurement report. Each report configuration has a separate identifier (reportConfigId).

[0115] 4) Trigger quantity: The trigger quantity is the strategy for triggering event reporting, which may include at least one of reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0116] 5) Measurement identity (ID): The measurement identity is used to combine the measurement object and the report configuration into a whole.

[0117] In an embodiment of the present application, the measurement configuration information may include measurement configuration information of inter-frequency measurement based on SSB and / or measurement configuration information of intra-frequency measurement based on SSB, without limitation.

[0118] Inter-frequency measurement based on SSB may mean that the frequency of the SSB used for measurement in the neighboring cell is different from the frequency of the SSB of the serving cell, and / or the subcarrier spacing of the SSB used for measurement in the neighboring cell is different from the subcarrier spacing of the SSB of the serving cell. The content included in the measurement configuration information of the inter-frequency measurement based on SSB may be as described above, and the measurement configuration information includes the measurement interval.

[0119] The co-frequency measurement based on SSB may mean that: the frequency of the SSB used for measurement in the neighboring cell is the same as the frequency of the SSB of the serving cell, and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB used for measurement in the neighboring cell is the same as the subcarrier spacing of the SSB of the serving cell. The measurement configuration information of the co-frequency measurement based on SSB may include one or more of the measurement object, report configuration, trigger quantity or measurement identifier, and may not include the measurement interval, wherein the frequency of the SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the frequency of the SSB of the serving cell, and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the subcarrier spacing of the SSB of the serving cell.

[0120] In a possible implementation manner, the source network device sends measurement configuration information to the terminal device via an RRC connection reconfiguration (RRC ConnectionReconfiguration) message.

[0121] In the embodiment of the present application, the serving cell may refer to a cell currently providing services to the terminal device. In the process of connection adjustment, the serving cell may also be referred to as a source cell, which is a cell under a source network device providing services to the terminal device.

[0122] Step 502: The terminal device performs measurement based on the received measurement configuration information, determines a measurement report, and sends the measurement report to the source network device. Correspondingly, the source network device receives the measurement report from the terminal device.

[0123] When the source network device sends measurement configuration information based on SSB inter-frequency measurement to the terminal device, the measurement report reported by the terminal device is the measurement result based on SSB inter-frequency measurement. When the source network device sends measurement configuration information based on SSB co-frequency measurement to the terminal device, the measurement report reported by the terminal device is the measurement result based on SSB co-frequency measurement.

[0124] In an embodiment of the present application, the measurement report reported by the terminal device can be an event-triggered report or a period-triggered report, without limitation.

[0125] Step 503: In response to the received measurement report, the source network device sends a first message to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first message from the source network device.

[0126] The first message indicates that the terminal device establishes a connection with the target cell, and the first message includes an identifier of the target cell. The identifier of the target cell is information used to uniquely identify the target cell, for example, the identifier of the target cell may be a physical cell identifier (PCI) of the target cell. For a detailed description of the first message, see the content after step 504.

[0127] In a possible implementation, in response to a received measurement report, the source network device sends a first message to the terminal device, including: the source network device determines the connection adjustment of the terminal device and the corresponding target cell according to the received measurement report, and sends a first message to the terminal device, wherein the first message includes an identifier of the target cell. Exemplarily, the source network device determines whether there is a suitable new cell according to the received measurement report, and if there is a suitable new cell, the new cell is used as the target cell to adjust the connection of the terminal device, and if there is no suitable new cell, the next measurement report is waited for. A suitable new cell may refer to a cell that is better than the serving cell in terms of signal quality, channel status, load status, or coverage. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific operation of the connection adjustment performed on the terminal device. Exemplarily, the connection adjustment may be a cell handover. Exemplarily, the connection adjustment may be a redirection.

[0128] Step 504: The terminal device establishes a connection with the target cell according to the first message.

[0129] In an embodiment of the present application, "in response to the received measurement report, the source network device sends a first message to the terminal device" can be understood as: after receiving the measurement report, the source network device sends a first message carrying the identifier of the target cell to the terminal device based on the measurement report. Compared with the existing switching process, the source network device of the embodiment of the present application does not perform interaction with the target network device, and sends a first message carrying the identifier of the target cell to the terminal device based on the measurement report, rather than sending the first message based on the handover request confirmation (HandoverRequestAck) message from the target network device or the handover command (HandoverCommand) of the core network device, which can save signaling overhead and reduce the delay of connection adjustment. Compared with the existing redirection process, the source network device directly provides the terminal device with the identifier of the target cell instead of the target frequency information, so that the terminal device can directly establish a connection with the target cell based on the identifier of the target cell, without performing cell search and selection, which helps to reduce the delay of connection adjustment.

[0130] In addition, in the scenario of same-frequency networking and no Xn interface or no NG interface between the source network device and the target network device, neither the switching process nor the redirection process can be executed, resulting in the inability to adjust the connection of the terminal device. Since the source network device of the embodiment of the present application does not interact with the target network device, and the source network device can provide the terminal device with same-frequency measurement configuration information, the method of the embodiment of the present application can realize connection adjustment in the scenario of same-frequency networking and no communication connection between the source network device and the target network device.

[0131] The first message of the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below.

[0132] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific type of the first message.

[0133] In a possible implementation, the first message may be a newly added type of RRC message, which includes at least an identifier of a target cell and is used for the terminal device to directly establish a connection with the target cell, such as initiating random access to the target cell.

[0134] Another possible implementation manner is that when the source network device determines to perform a cell handover on the terminal device, the first message may be an RRC connection reconfiguration message, which may carry a handover command including an identifier of the target cell.

[0135] Another possible implementation method is that when the source network device determines to redirect the terminal device, the first message can be an RRC connection release message. Different from the existing RRC connection release message, the RRC connection release message of the embodiment of the present application carries the identifier of the target cell instead of the target frequency information. In this case, "the first message is used to indicate that the terminal device accesses the target cell" can also be described as: the first message is used to indicate that the terminal device is redirected to the target cell.

[0136] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the manner in which the function of the first message is implemented through the RRC connection release message.

[0137] In a possible implementation, the RRC connection release message includes a first field, and the first field carries the identifier of the target cell. The first field may be a newly added field, so that after receiving the RRC connection release message, the terminal device can determine whether the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell according to whether the RRC connection release message carries the first field, and in the case where the RRC connection release message carries the first field, after releasing the current RRC connection, directly establish a connection with the target cell according to the identifier of the target cell in the first field, such as initiating random access to the target cell, without performing cell search and selection.

[0138] An example of the structure of the RRC connection release message in this manner is given below:

[0139]

[0140] For example, the information elements or fields in the RRC release message structure adapted to the above implementation method include a redirected carrier information field such as redirectedCarrierInfo, a cell reselection priority field such as cellReselectionPriorities, a suspend configuration field such as suspendConfig, a deprioritization type field such as deprioritisationReqType, a deprioritization timer field such as deprioritisationTimer and a first field such as TargetCellInfo. Among them, Optional indicates that the corresponding field is optional. When the function of the RRC release message is different, the information elements it carries are different or the information elements it carries indicate or carry different contents. For example, when the RRC release message is used for cell reselection, the RRC release message may carry a cell reselection priority field such as cellReselectionPriorities. For another example, when the RRC release message is used for redirection of a terminal device to a target frequency point, the RRC release message may carry a redirected carrier information field such as redirectedCarrierInfo. For another example, when the RRC release message is used for redirection of a terminal device to a target cell, the RRC release message may carry a first field such as TargetCellInfo.

[0141] In another possible implementation, the RRC connection release message includes a first field and a second field, wherein the first field carries an identifier of a target cell, and the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirecting a terminal device to the target cell.

[0142] Exemplarily, both the first field and the second field are newly added fields. When the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell, the RRC connection release message includes the first field. In this case, the terminal device learns from the second field that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell, and then directly establishes a connection with the target cell according to the first field without performing cell search and selection; when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point, the RRC connection release message may include the first field or may not include the first field. The redirected carrier information (redirectedCarrierInfo) field in the RRC connection release message carries information of the target frequency point for redirection. In this case, the terminal device learns from the second field that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point, and then performs cell search and selection on the target frequency point according to the information of the target frequency point carried by the redirected carrier information field, and then redirects to the selected cell.

[0143] An example of the structure of the RRC connection release message in this manner is given below:

[0144]

[0145] For example, the information elements or fields in the RRC release message structure adapted to the above implementation method include a redirected carrier information field such as redirectedCarrierInfo, a cell reselection priority field such as cellReselectionPriorities, a suspend configuration field such as suspendConfig, a deprioritization type field such as deprioritisationReqType, a deprioritization timer field such as deprioritisationTimer, a first field such as TargetCellInfo, and a second field such as redirectedCell. Among them, Optional means that the corresponding field is optional. When the function of the RRC release message is different, the information elements it carries are different or the information elements it carries indicate or carry different contents. For example, when the RRC release message is used for cell reselection, the cell reselection priority field may be carried in the RRC release message. For another example, when the RRC release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point, the RRC release message may carry a second field and a redirected carrier information field, wherein the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point. For another example, when the RRC release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target cell, the RRC release message may carry a first field and a second field, wherein the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target cell. Among them, Cond redirectedCell True indicates that the corresponding field is valid or required when redirectedCell is True, and Cond redirectedCell False indicates that the corresponding field is valid or required when redirectedCell is False.

[0146] Exemplarily, the first field carries the identifier of the target cell and the first field is also used to carry information about the target frequency point for redirection, and the second field is a newly added field. Specifically, when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell, the first field carries the identifier of the target cell. In this case, the terminal device learns from the second field that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell, and then directly establishes a connection with the target cell according to the first field without performing cell search and selection; when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point, the first field carries information about the target frequency point for redirection. In this case, the terminal device learns from the second field that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency point, and then performs cell search and selection on the target frequency point according to the information about the target frequency point carried by the first field, and then redirects to the selected cell.

[0147] An example of the structure of the RRC connection release message in this manner is given below:

[0148]

[0149]

[0150] "The first field carries the identifier of the target cell and the first field is also used to carry information on the target frequency point for redirection." Another way of describing it is that the first field is the redirection carrier information field, except that when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target cell, the redirection carrier information field carries the identifier of the target cell, and when the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target frequency point, the redirection carrier information field carries information on the frequency point for redirection.

[0151] For example, the information elements or fields in the RRC release message structure adapted to the above implementation method include a redirected carrier information field such as redirectedCarrierInfo, a cell reselection priority field such as cellReselectionPriorities, a suspend configuration field such as suspendConfig, a deprioritization type field such as deprioritisationReqType, a deprioritization timer field such as deprioritisationTimer, and a second field such as redirectedCell. Among them, Optional means that the corresponding field is optional. When the function of the RRC release message is different, the information elements it carries are different or the information elements it carries indicate or carry different contents. For example, when the RRC release message is used for cell reselection, the RRC release message may carry a cell reselection priority field. For another example, when the RRC release message is used for redirection of a terminal device to a target frequency point, the RRC release message may carry a second field and a redirected carrier information field, wherein the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of a terminal device to a target frequency point, such as redirectedCell is False, and the redirected carrier information field carries information of the target frequency point. For another example, when the RRC release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target cell, such as redirectedCell is True, the RRC release message may carry a second field and a redirection carrier information field, wherein the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target cell, and the redirection carrier information field carries the identifier of the target cell. Among them, CondredirectedCellTure indicates that the corresponding field is valid or required when redirectedCell is True, and CondredirectedCell False indicates that the corresponding field is valid or required when redirectedCell is False.

[0152] Exemplarily, the first field carries the identification of the target cell and is a newly added field, the second field carries the information of the frequency that is the same as the frequency of the serving cell, and the second field is also used to carry the information of the frequency that is different from the frequency of the serving cell. Specifically, when the second field carries the information of the frequency that is the same as the frequency of the serving cell (that is, the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the serving cell), it can indicate that the RRC connection release message is used for the redirection of the terminal device to the target cell. In this case, the terminal device learns from the second field that the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the serving cell, and then learns that it is necessary to perform the redirection of the terminal device to the target cell, and then directly establishes a connection with the target cell according to the first field, without performing cell search and selection; when the second field carries the information of the frequency that is different from the frequency of the serving cell (that is, the target frequency is different from the frequency of the serving cell), it can indicate that the RRC connection release message is used for the redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency, and the RRC connection release message may include the first field, or may not include the first field. In this case, the terminal device performs cell search and selection on the target frequency according to the second field, and then redirects to the selected cell.

[0153] An example of the structure of the RRC connection release message in this manner is given below:

[0154]

[0155] "The second field carries information about the same frequency as the frequency of the serving cell and the second field is also used to carry information about a frequency different from the frequency of the serving cell." Another way of describing it can be: the second field is the redirected carrier information field, except that when the source network device redirects the terminal device to the target cell, the redirected carrier information field carries information about the frequency of the serving cell; when the source network device redirects the terminal device to the target frequency cell, the redirected carrier information field carries information about a frequency different from the frequency of the serving cell.

[0156] For example, the information elements or fields in the RRC release message structure adapted to the above implementation method include a redirected carrier information field such as redirectedCarrierInfo, a cell reselection priority field such as cellReselectionPriorities, a suspend configuration field such as suspendConfig, a deprioritization type field such as deprioritisationReqType, a deprioritization timer field such as deprioritisationTimer, and a first field such as TargetCellInfo. Among them, Optional means that the corresponding field is optional. When the function of the RRC release message is different, the information elements it carries are different or the information elements it carries indicate or carry different contents. For example, when the RRC release message is used for cell reselection, the cell reselection priority field may be carried in the RRC release message. For another example, when the RRC release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target frequency, the RRC release message may carry a redirected carrier information field, wherein the redirected carrier information field carries information about the target frequency, and the target frequency is different from the frequency of the serving cell. For another example, when the RRC release message is used to redirect a terminal device to a target cell, the RRC release message may carry a first field and a redirection carrier information field, wherein the second field carries information on a frequency that is the same as that of the serving cell, and the first field carries an identifier of the target cell.

[0157] Exemplarily, the first field is included in the cell reselection priority field, and the second field carries information about the target frequency for redirection. Specifically, when the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the serving cell, it can be indicated that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target cell. In this case, the RRC connection release message includes the cell reselection priority field, and the cell reselection priority field includes the first field. In this way, the terminal device can learn from the second field that the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the serving cell, and then learn that it is necessary to perform redirection of the terminal device to the target cell, and then obtain the identifier of the target cell from the first field in the cell reselection priority field, and establish a connection with the target cell without performing cell search and selection; when the target frequency is different from the frequency of the serving cell, it can be indicated that the RRC connection release message is used for redirection of the terminal device to the target frequency, and the RRC connection release message may include the cell reselection priority field, or may not include the cell reselection priority field. In this case, the terminal device performs cell search and selection on the target frequency according to the second field, and then redirects to the selected cell.

[0158] An example of the structure of the RRC connection release message in this manner is given below:

[0159]

[0160] “The first field is included in the cell reselection priority field” may mean that the identifier of the target cell is carried in the cell reselection priority field. As an example, the cell reselection priority field only carries the identifier of the target cell. As another example, the cell reselection priority field carries the identifier of the target cell and the priority of the target cell. As yet another example, in addition to carrying the identifier of the target cell and the optional priority of the target cell, the cell reselection priority field may also carry information of one or more frequency points and the priorities corresponding to the one or more frequency points.

[0161] For example, the information elements or fields in the RRC release message structure adapted to the above implementation method include a redirected carrier information field such as redirectedCarrierInfo, a cell reselection priority field such as cellReselectionPriorities, a suspend configuration field such as suspendConfig, a deprioritization type field such as deprioritisationReqType, and a deprioritization timer field such as deprioritisationTimer. Among them, Optional means that the corresponding field is optional. When the function of the RRC release message is different, the information elements it carries are different or the information elements it carries indicate or carry different contents. For example, when the RRC release message is used for cell reselection, the RRC release message may carry a cell reselection priority field. For another example, when the RRC release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target frequency, the RRC release message may carry a redirected carrier information field, that is, the aforementioned second field, such as redirectedCarrierInfo, wherein the redirected carrier information field carries information about the target frequency, and the target frequency is different from the frequency of the serving cell. For another example, when the RRC release message is used to redirect the terminal device to the target cell, the RRC release message may carry a cell reselection priority field and a redirected carrier information field, that is, the aforementioned second field, such as redirectedCarrierInfo, wherein the redirected carrier information field carries information of the same frequency as the serving cell, and the cell reselection priority field includes a first field such as TargetCellInfo, and the first field carries an identifier of the target cell such as TargetCellID. That is, in this example, the existing redirected carrier information field is modified so that it can carry information of the same frequency as the serving cell, or carry information of a frequency different from the serving cell, based on the applied scenario.

[0162] Combination of the above Figure 2 , describes in detail the method embodiment provided by the present application, and will be combined with Figures 3 to 5 , describing an apparatus embodiment of the present application.

[0163] It can be understood that in order to realize the functions in the above embodiments, Figures 3 to 5 The device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software.

[0164] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the structure of possible devices provided by the embodiments of the present application. These devices can be used to implement the functions of the source network device or the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments.

[0165] like Figure 3 As shown, the device 10 includes a transceiver unit 11 and a processing unit 12 .

[0166] When the apparatus 10 is used to implement the function of the source network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the transceiver unit 11 is used to execute the transceiver steps of the production entity, such as steps 501 to 503, and the processing unit 12 is used to execute the processing steps of the source network device. When the apparatus 10 is used to implement the function of the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the transceiver unit 11 is used to execute the transceiver steps of the terminal device, such as steps 501 to 504, and the processing unit 12 is used to execute the processing steps of the terminal device.

[0167] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 11 and the processing unit 12, reference may be made to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, which will not be described again here.

[0168] like Figure 4 As shown, the device 20 includes a processing circuit 21. The processing circuit 21 is coupled to a memory 23, and the memory 23 is used to store instructions. When the device 20 is used to implement the method described above, the processing circuit 21 is used to execute the instructions in the memory 23 to implement the functions of the processing unit 12 described above.

[0169] Optionally, the device 20 further includes a memory 23 .

[0170] Optionally, the device 20 further includes a transceiver circuit 22. The transceiver circuit may be referred to as a communication interface. The processing circuit 21 and the transceiver circuit 22 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the transceiver circuit 22 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. When the device 20 is used to implement the method described above, the processing circuit 21 is used to execute instructions to implement the functions of the processing unit 12, and the transceiver circuit 22 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 11.

[0171] Optionally, the apparatus 20 may be a source network device or a terminal device, and correspondingly, the transceiver circuit may be a transceiver.

[0172] Optionally, the apparatus 20 may be a chip applied to a source network device or a terminal device, and correspondingly, the transceiver circuit may be an input / output interface.

[0173] Exemplarily, when the device 20 is a chip applied to a source network device or a terminal device, the chip implements the functions of the source network device or the terminal device in the above method embodiment. The chip receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the source network device or the terminal device, and the information is sent to the source network device or the terminal device by other devices; or, the chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the source network device or the terminal device, and the information is sent to other devices by the source network device or the terminal device.

[0174] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 30 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 31 and an input / output interface 32.

[0175] Among them, the logic circuit 31 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 can be coupled to the storage unit and call the instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 30 can implement the methods and functions of each embodiment of the present application. The input / output interface 32 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting information processed by the chip system 30, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0176] As a solution, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the source network device or the terminal device in the above various method embodiments.

[0177] For example, the logic circuit 31 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the source network device or the terminal device in the above method embodiment; the input / output interface 32 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the source network device or the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0178] The present application also provides a communication device, including a processing circuit, the processing circuit is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, and the processing circuit is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, or read the data stored in the memory to execute the methods in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the processing circuit is one or more. Optionally, the communication device includes a memory. Optionally, the memory is one or more. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processing circuit, or is separately arranged.

[0179] The present application also provides a chip, including a processing circuit, the processing circuit and a memory are coupled, the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions, and the processing circuit is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to implement the methods executed by the source network device or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The memory can be located in the chip, or it can be independent of the chip and located outside the chip, which is not limited here.

[0180] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which are stored computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the source network device or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0181] The present application also provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the source network device or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0182] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of the source network device or the terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0183] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] It is understood that the processing circuit in the embodiments of the present application can be a processor or a circuit in a processor for performing processing operations, and the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0185] 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 random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, register, hard disk, mobile hard disk, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or any other form of storage medium 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 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 source network device or a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also be present in a source network device or a terminal device as discrete components.

[0186] 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 website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, 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, data center, etc. 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.

[0187] 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.

[0188] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the present application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. It should be understood that the above is for illustration, and the examples above are only to help those skilled in the art understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit the application embodiments to the specific numerical values ​​or specific scenarios illustrated. It is obvious that various equivalent modifications or changes can be made by those skilled in the art according to the examples given above, and such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A connection adjustment method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a network device or a module in the network device, and the method comprises: receiving measurement reports from terminal equipment; In response to the measurement report, a first message is sent to the terminal device, the first message instructing the terminal device to establish a connection with a target cell, the first message including an identifier of the target cell, and the target cell is determined based on the measurement report.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first message is a radio resource control RRC connection release message.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Measurement configuration information is sent to the terminal device, where the measurement configuration information includes same-frequency measurement configuration information, and the measurement report is obtained based on the measurement configuration information.

4. A connection adjustment method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device, and the method includes: Send measurement reports to network devices; receiving a first message from the network device, the first message instructing the terminal device to establish a connection with a target cell, the first message including an identifier of the target cell, the target cell being determined based on the measurement report, and the first message being a radio resource control RRC connection release message; Establish a connection with the target cell according to the first message.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receiving measurement configuration information from a network device, the measurement configuration information including intra-frequency measurement configuration information; The measurement report is determined according to the measurement configuration information.

6. The method according to claim 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that: The RRC connection release message includes a first field, and the first field carries an identifier of the target cell.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The RRC connection release message also includes a second field, and the second field indicates that the RRC connection release message is used for redirecting the terminal device to the target cell.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second field carries information about the redirected target frequency, where the target frequency is the same as the frequency of the serving cell of the terminal device, and the frequency of the target cell is the target frequency.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The first field includes a cell reselection priority field.

10. The method according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that: The intra-frequency measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following information: Measurement object, report configuration, trigger quantity or measurement identification; Among them, the frequency of the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the frequency of the SSB of the service cell of the terminal device, and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB included in the measurement object is the same as the subcarrier spacing of the SSB of the service cell.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The network device and the network device where the target cell is located have the same frequency and no communication connection exists.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module or a unit for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 11 and a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 4 to 11.

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