Method, terminal device and network device for neighbor cell measurement

Abstract

Provided are a method, terminal device and network device for neighbor cell measurement, the method comprising: a terminal device determining whether to execute neighbor cell measurement according to one or more measurement criteria; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on a location of the terminal device. In addition, for neighbor cell measurement, a measurement criterion based on the position of the terminal device is introduced, and compared with RSRP measurement, measurement of the position of the terminal device is more accurate, and misoperation of the terminal device can be avoided.

Description

Method, terminal equipment and network equipment for neighboring area measurement Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more particularly to a method, terminal equipment, and network equipment for neighboring cell measurement. Background Art

[0002] Related technologies use a measurement criterion based on reference signal received power (RSRP) to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurements. In certain communication scenarios, such as non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), RSRP measurements can have significant measurement errors. Therefore, determining whether to perform neighboring cell measurements based on RSRP measurement criteria can lead to malfunctioning of terminal devices.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method, terminal device, and network device for neighboring cell measurement. The following introduces various aspects of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for neighboring cell measurement, the method comprising: a terminal device determines whether to perform neighboring cell measurement based on one or more measurement criteria; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

[0006] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for neighboring cell measurement, the method comprising: a network device configuring one or more measurement criteria, the one or more measurement criteria being used to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device.

[0007] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, comprising: a determination unit, configured to determine whether to perform neighboring area measurement based on one or more measurement criteria; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network device, comprising: a configuration unit, configured to configure one or more measurement criteria to determine whether to perform neighboring area measurement; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the terminal device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the network device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the second aspect.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a device comprising a processor for calling a program from a memory to execute the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to execute the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a communication device (for example, a terminal device or a network device) to execute the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a network device) to perform the method described in aspect 1 or aspect 2. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0015] For neighboring cell measurement, the embodiment of the present application introduces a measurement criterion based on the terminal device location. Compared with RSRP measurement, the measurement of the terminal device location is more accurate and helps to avoid erroneous operation of the terminal device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a transparent forwarding network architecture.

[0018] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a regeneration and forwarding network structure.

[0019] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of RSRP of a terminal at different locations within a cell in a terrestrial network and an NTN.

[0020] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a method for neighboring cell measurement provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 used in an embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120. The network device 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area and may communicate with the terminal device 120 within the coverage area.

[0026] FIG1 exemplarily shows a network device and two terminals. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include other numbers of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0027] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0028] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0029] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through the base station.

[0030] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and may also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device. For example, the network device may be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. A base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmission point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (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 (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A 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. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem or chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The base station can also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device D2D, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. The base station can support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the network equipment.

[0031] 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.

[0032] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0033] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0034] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0035] With the increasing demand for speed, latency, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency, coupled with the increasing diversity and complexity of future services, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an international standards organization, has begun developing 5G. Key 5G application scenarios include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra reliable low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC).

[0036] For ease of understanding, the communication process involved in the embodiments of the present application is introduced below.

[0037] Radio resource control (RRC) state and mobility management

[0038] Currently, the protocol defines three RRC states of terminal devices: RRC connected (RRC_connected) state, RRC idle (RRC-idle) state and RRC inactive (RRC-inactive) state.

[0039] The RRC connection state may refer to the state in which the terminal device is in when the RRC release is not performed after the random access process is completed. An RRC connection exists between the terminal device and a network device (e.g., an access network device). In the RRC connection state, the terminal device can transmit data with the network device, such as downlink data transmission and / or uplink data transmission. Alternatively, the terminal device can also transmit terminal device-specific data channels and / or control channels with the network device to transmit specific information or unicast information of the terminal device.

[0040] In the RRC connected state, the network device can determine the cell-level location information of the terminal device, that is, the network device can determine the cell to which the terminal device belongs. In the RRC connected state, after the terminal device moves, such as from one cell to another, the network device can control the terminal device to perform cell handover. Therefore, it can be seen that the mobility management of the terminal device in the RRC connected state may include cell handover. In addition, the mobility management of the terminal device in the RRC connected state can be controlled by the network device. Accordingly, the terminal device can switch to a designated cell according to the instructions issued by the network device.

[0041] The RRC idle state refers to the state of the terminal device when it is resident in a cell but is not performing random access. The terminal device usually enters the RRC idle state after being powered on or after RRC is released. In the RRC idle state, there is no RRC connection between the terminal device and the network device (such as the resident network device), the network device does not store the context of the terminal device, and no connection is established between the network device and the core network for the terminal device. If the terminal device needs to enter the RRC connected state from the RRC idle state, it is necessary to initiate the RRC connection establishment process.

[0042] In the RRC idle state, the core network (CN) can send a paging message to the terminal device, that is, the paging process can be triggered by the CN. Optionally, the paging area can also be configured by the CN. In some cases, for a terminal device in the RRC idle state, when the terminal device moves (for example, from one cell to another), the terminal device can initiate a cell reselection process. In other cases, for a terminal device in the RRC idle state, when the terminal device needs to access a cell, the terminal device can initiate a cell selection process. That is, the mobility management of the terminal device in the RRC idle state may include cell reselection and / or cell selection.

[0043] The RRC inactive state is defined to reduce air interface signaling, quickly restore wireless connections, and quickly resume data services. The RRC inactive state is a state between the connected and idle states. A terminal device previously entered the RRC connected state and then released the RRC connection with the network device, but the network device retained the terminal device's context. Furthermore, the connection established between the network device and the core network for the terminal device is not released. This means that the user plane and control plane bearers between the RAN and CN are still maintained, indicating a CN-NR connection.

[0044] In the RRC inactive state, the RAN can send a paging message to the terminal device, that is, the paging process can be triggered by the RAN. The RAN-based paging area is managed by the RAN, and the network equipment can know the location of the terminal device based on the RAN paging area level.

[0045] In some cases, for a terminal device in an RRC inactive state, when the terminal device moves (for example, from one cell to another), the terminal device may initiate a cell reselection process. In other cases, for a terminal device in an RRC inactive state, when the terminal device needs to access a cell, the terminal device may initiate a cell selection process. In other words, the mobility management of a terminal device in an RRC inactive state may include cell reselection and / or cell selection.

[0046] Radio resource management (RRM) measurements

[0047] RRM measurement is a type of mobility measurement. Cell selection, cell handover, and cell reselection can all be performed based on RRM measurement results.

[0048] RRM measurements include intra-frequency measurements and inter-frequency / inter-RAT measurements. Intra-frequency measurements involve measuring other frequencies within the same frequency band as the current serving cell and neighboring cell frequencies that share the same center frequency as the serving cell's supported frequency band. Inter-frequency / inter-RAT measurements involve measuring neighboring cell frequencies that differ from the serving cell's supported frequency band center frequency or that are not in the same system as the serving cell.

[0049] When the terminal device is in the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, there is no RRC connection between the terminal device and the network device. When the RRM measurement result of the cell where the terminal device resides (also known as the service cell) is lower than a certain threshold, the terminal device can perform RRM measurements on the service cell and the cells adjacent to the service cell (also known as neighboring cells) according to the same-frequency, different-frequency and / or different-system neighboring cell information configured by the network device in the system message. When the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, there is an RRC connection between the terminal device and the network device, and the network device configures the terminal device to perform same-frequency, different-frequency and / or different-system neighboring cell measurements through RRC signaling.

[0050] It should be noted that the above-mentioned RRM measurement results are used to indicate the communication quality of the terminal device. In some implementations, the above-mentioned RRM measurement results may include one or more of the following measurement quantities: signal level (Srxlev), signal strength (Squal), reference signal received power (reference signal received power, RSRP), reference signal received quality (reference signal received quality, RSRQ), signal to noise ratio (SNR), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), received signal strength indication (RSSI), etc.

[0051] The above RRM measurement thresholds may include a same-frequency measurement threshold and an different-frequency / different-system measurement threshold.

[0052] However, in versions before R17, terminal devices in the narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) do not support RRM measurements in the connected state. When the channel quality of a terminal device in the connected state deteriorates on the serving cell, mobility management is performed through the radio link failure (RLF) and RRC re-establishment process. After the terminal device triggers RLF, it is necessary to first select a suitable cell through search and measurement, and then initiate RRC connection re-establishment on the cell. In order to save the time of selecting the re-established cell after the terminal device triggers RLF, R17 introduces a neighbor measurement mechanism for terminal devices in the connected state of the NB-IoT system. The following is a brief introduction to the neighbor measurement mechanism.

[0053] The neighbor measurement mechanism can be based on the s-measurement criterion and the mobility state assessment criterion. For example, after the terminal device enters the RRC connected state, if the network configures the mobility state assessment criterion: the reference value (Ref) of the narrowband reference signal received power (NRSRP) is set to the NRSRP of the serving cell most recently measured for cell selection / reselection; if the terminal device does not meet the neighbor measurement relaxation criterion before entering the RRC connected state (the criterion will be described in detail later), the terminal device starts timer T326.

[0054] For a terminal device in the connected state, assuming the measurement result of the terminal device on the measured carrier is NRSRP, if the network configures the terminal device mobility state evaluation criterion: if (NRSRP Ref – (NRSRP – PowerOffsetNonAnchor)) > s-measureDeltaP, the terminal device sets NRSRP Ref = NRSRP - PowerOffsetNonAnchor, and at the same time the terminal device starts or restarts timer T326. Here, PowerOffsetNonAnchor is the non-anchor power offset. If the network does not configure the mobility state evaluation criterion, or T326 is running: if (NRSRP - PowerOffsetNonAnchor) < s-MeasureIntra, the terminal device performs measurements on the same-frequency neighboring cells; if (NRSRP - PowerOffsetNonAnchor) < s-MeasureInter, the terminal device performs measurements on the different-frequency neighboring cells. s-MeasureIntra represents the same-frequency measurement threshold mentioned above, and s-MeasureInter represents the different-frequency measurement threshold mentioned above.

[0055] In some protocols, it is stipulated that the terminal device needs to perform RRM measurements periodically, which results in relatively high energy consumption of the terminal device. Especially in some measurement scenarios (such as when the terminal device is in a stationary state or the moving speed of the terminal device is low), it is actually not necessary for the terminal device to perform RRM measurements frequently. Therefore, in order to reduce the energy consumption of the terminal device, a mechanism of RRM measurement relaxation is introduced.

[0056] RRM measurement relaxation mechanism

[0057] RRM measurement relaxation can also be referred to as neighboring cell measurement relaxation, or neighboring cell RRM measurement relaxation. There are various ways to implement RRM measurement relaxation. For example, the terminal device can achieve RRM measurement relaxation by increasing the period of RRM measurements (that is, reducing the number of RRM measurements). Another example is that the terminal device can achieve RRM measurement relaxation by reducing the number of measured neighboring cells. For another example, the terminal device can achieve RRM measurement relaxation by reducing the number of measured frequency points.

[0058] Regarding the RRM measurement relaxation of the terminal device in the RRC idle state and the RRC inactive state, it can be determined according to whether the terminal device is in the edge cell position of the serving cell and / or whether the terminal device is in a low mobility state.

[0059] Whether the terminal device is in a low-mobility state can be determined based on the RRM measurement results of the serving cell. For example, the terminal device can measure the RRM measurement results of the serving cell at different times. If the RRM measurement results of the serving cell change little at different times, that is, the signal quality of the serving cell is relatively stable, it indicates that the terminal device is in a low-mobility state, and the terminal device can perform RRM measurement relaxation.

[0060] Taking the determination of whether the terminal device in NB-IoT performs RRM measurement relaxation as an example, the determination process of measurement relaxation is introduced.

[0061] The network device configures an evaluation duration TSearchDeltaP for the change in RSRP and a threshold SSearchDeltaP for the change value of RSRP. When the change amount of the RSRP of the terminal device on the serving cell within a period of time TSearchDeltaP is less than SSearchDeltaP, it is considered that the terminal device meets the measurement relaxation criterion. That is, within a period of time TSearchDeltaP, (SrxlevRef – Srxlev) < SSearchDeltaP (Formula 1) is satisfied. Here, Srxlev represents the current signal amplitude of the serving cell, and SrxlevRef represents the signal amplitude reference value of the serving cell. Usually, the use of SrxlevRef can follow the following rules.

[0062] Rule 1: When the serving cell changes after the terminal device performs cell selection or cell reselection, the terminal device needs to set the signal reference value to the current measured value of the signal amplitude of the serving cell (i.e., Srxlev).

[0063] Rule 2: If the signal amplitude of the serving cell is greater than the signal amplitude reference value, that is, (Srxlev - SrxlevRef) > 0, the terminal device needs to set the signal reference value to the current measured value of the signal amplitude of the serving cell.

[0064] Rule 3: If the measurement relaxation criterion is not met within the t-SearchDelta time (i.e., Formula 1 is not satisfied), the terminal device needs to set the signal reference value to the current measured value of the signal amplitude of the serving cell.

[0065] In one implementation, when the terminal device meets the measurement relaxation criterion, the measurement interval for neighboring cells of the terminal device can be increased to 24 hours.

[0066] NTN

[0067] Currently, 3GPP is studying NTN technology. NTN generally uses satellite communication to provide communication services to ground users. Compared with terrestrial communication networks (e.g., terrestrial cellular network communication), satellite communication has many unique advantages.

[0068] First, satellite communications are not restricted by user geography. For example, conventional terrestrial communication networks cannot cover areas where network equipment cannot be deployed, such as oceans, mountains, and deserts. Similarly, terrestrial communication networks do not cover certain sparsely populated areas. However, because satellite communications can cover a large ground area and orbit the Earth, theoretically, every corner of the Earth can be covered by a satellite communication network.

[0069] Secondly, satellite communications have significant social value. They can provide low-cost coverage to remote, mountainous areas and impoverished countries and regions, enabling people in these areas to enjoy advanced voice communications and mobile internet technologies. From this perspective, satellite communications help narrow the digital divide with developed regions and promote their development.

[0070] Again, satellite communication has the advantage of long distance, and the increase in communication distance does not significantly increase the cost of communication.

[0071] Finally, satellite communications are highly stable and not affected by natural disasters.

[0072] Communication satellites are classified according to their orbital altitude into low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and high elliptical orbit (HEO). Currently, research focuses on LEO and GEO satellites.

[0073] LEO satellites typically operate at altitudes between 500 and 1500 km. Accordingly, their orbital period is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. For LEO satellites, the signal propagation delay for single-hop communication between users is typically less than 20 milliseconds. The maximum satellite visibility time for LEO satellites is approximately 20 minutes. LEO satellites offer advantages such as short signal propagation distances, low link loss, and low transmit power requirements for user devices.

[0074] GEO satellites orbit at an altitude of 35,786 km. They orbit the Earth every 24 hours. For GEO satellites, the signal propagation delay for single-hop communication between users is typically about 250 milliseconds.

[0075] To ensure satellite coverage and increase the capacity of the entire satellite communication system, satellites typically use multiple beams to cover the ground. Therefore, a single satellite can form dozens or even hundreds of beams to cover the ground. A single satellite beam can cover a ground area with a diameter of tens to hundreds of kilometers.

[0076] Currently, the NTN system includes the NR-NTN system and the Internet of Things (IoT)-NTN system.

[0077] Satellite network architecture

[0078] Currently, 3GPP is considering two types of satellites: those with transparent payloads and those with regenerative payloads. The following describes the network architectures for satellites with transparent payloads and those with regenerative payloads, respectively, using Figures 2 and 3.

[0079] In the satellite network architecture shown in Figures 2 and 3, the satellite network architecture may include a terminal device 210, a satellite node 222, and a ground receiving station 221 (referred to as a "ground station"). Wireless communication exists between the terminal device 210 and the satellite node 222. The terminal device 210 can send data to the satellite node 222 via the link between the terminal device 210 and the satellite node 222. For example, data can be sent to the satellite node 222 via a service link. Accordingly, after receiving the data, the satellite node 222 can send the data to the ground receiving station 221 via the link between the satellite node 222 and the ground receiving station 221. For example, the data can be transmitted to the ground receiving station 221 via a wireless link (such as a feeder link). Accordingly, after receiving the data from the satellite node 222, the ground receiving station 221 transmits the data to the core network (data network), which then processes the data via the core network, such as for data exchange with other terminals. It can be understood that the service link here refers to the link between the terminal device 210 and the satellite node 222, and the feeder link refers to the link between the satellite node 222 and the ground receiving station 221. In other possible embodiments, the link between the terminal device and the satellite node, and / or the link between the satellite node and the ground receiving station can also be expressed by other terms, which are not limited in this application.

[0080] The above-mentioned satellite nodes 222 can be divided into two types. The first type of satellite node is only used for forwarding, that is, it only has a transparent forwarding function. In some implementations, such satellite nodes can only provide one or more of the following functions: wireless frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and power amplification. For this type of satellite node, the received terminal device signal can be amplified and then sent to the ground receiving station. The terminal device signal is not processed at the satellite node, as shown in Figure 2; wherein, the terminal device and the satellite node can communicate through the NR-Uu interface, the satellite node and the ground receiving station (such as the NTN remote radio unit (RRU) and gNB) can communicate through the NR-Uu interface, the ground receiving station and the 5G core network (5G CN) can communicate through the N1, N2, and N3 interfaces, and the 5G CN and the data network can communicate through the N6 interface.

[0081] The second type of satellite node has complete base station processing functions. The satellite node is a base station for the terminal equipment on the ground. The communication between the satellite node and the terminal equipment is basically the same as normal 5G communication, as shown in Figure 3. In some implementations, such satellite nodes can also provide one or more of the following functions: demodulation function, decoding function, routing function, conversion function, encoding function, and modulation function. Among them, the terminal equipment and the satellite node can communicate through the NR-Uu interface, and the satellite node and the ground receiving station can communicate through the satellite radio interface (SRI). The SRI interface can be used to send interface messages between the satellite node and the 5G CN (such as N2 and N3 interface messages). The ground receiving station and the 5G CN can communicate through the N1, N2, and N3 interfaces, and the 5G CN and the data network can communicate through the N6 interface.

[0082] In terrestrial networks, the reference signal received power (N)RSRP of a terminal device at the cell center is significantly higher than that at the cell edge. Due to the significant "near-far effect" (see diagram a in Figure 4), the (N)RSRP measurement can be used to determine whether the neighboring cell measurement initiation conditions are met. That is, when the network equipment is configured with the s-measure criterion, the terminal device can determine whether its channel state is not good enough by measuring the (N)RSRP of the serving cell. When the network is configured with the mobility assessment criterion, the terminal device can determine whether it does not meet the low mobility or stationary state based on the change in its (N)RSRP on the serving cell.

[0083] However, in the NTN system, the RSRP difference between terminal devices at the center of the cell and terminal devices at the edge of the cell is not obvious (see schematic diagram b in Figure 4). If the RSRP measurement is used to determine whether the terminal device meets the s-measure criterion and / or the mobility assessment criterion, on the one hand, it is difficult for the network to set a suitable RSRP threshold. On the other hand, due to the error in the RSRP measurement, it is likely to cause malfunction of the terminal device. For example, when the network is configured with the s-measure criterion, for users at the center of the cell, the measured RSRP is too low, resulting in the activation of neighboring cell measurements, which increases unnecessary terminal power consumption; for users at the edge of the cell, the measured RSRP is too high, resulting in the failure to activate neighboring cell measurements. When the terminal device triggers RLF, the RRC reconstruction time is increased, thereby affecting the terminal experience.

[0084] In an NTN system, while the difference in received signal strength between a terminal device at the center of a serving cell and a terminal device at the edge of a serving cell is not significant, the location of the terminal devices is significantly different. For example, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) location of the terminal devices may differ significantly. Another example is the distance of the terminal devices from the cell center.

[0085] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for neighboring cell measurement, which can determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement based on the location of the terminal device, thereby avoiding erroneous operation of the terminal device.

[0086] The following will introduce the process of the method for neighboring cell measurement in an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figure 5.

[0087] 5 , in step S510 , the network device configures one or more measurement criteria. The one or more measurement criteria may be used to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement. The one or more measurement criteria may include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

[0088] In some embodiments, the network device may configure the one or more measurement criteria via a system message. For example, the network device may configure the one or more measurement criteria via a system information block (SIB) in a system message. In another example, the network device may configure the one or more measurement criteria via RRC signaling.

[0089] In step S520, the terminal device determines whether to perform neighboring cell measurement according to one or more measurement criteria.

[0090] For neighboring cell measurement, the embodiment of the present application introduces a measurement criterion based on the terminal device location. Compared with RSRP measurement, the measurement of the terminal device location can be more accurate, which helps to avoid erroneous operation of the terminal device.

[0091] In some embodiments, the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device may include one or more of the following: a first measurement criterion for evaluating the mobility state of the terminal device; and a second measurement criterion for indicating the threshold conditions for starting same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first measurement criterion may evaluate the mobility state of the terminal device based on one or more of: a first threshold; a second threshold; an RRC state of the terminal device; a current location of the terminal device; a reference location of the terminal device; and a first timer.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first threshold may include a threshold of a location change of the terminal device (eg, s-MeasureDeltaLocation). The location of the terminal device mentioned here may refer to a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the terminal device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first threshold may include a threshold for the change in the distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position (e.g., s-MeasureDeltaDistance). The cell reference position may include one or more of the following: the center position of the terminal device's serving cell; and the position of a satellite corresponding to the terminal device's serving cell. The center position of the terminal device's serving cell may also be referred to as a serving cell reference point. For example, it may refer to the center point of the cell's ground coverage.

[0095] In some embodiments, the second threshold can be used to indicate the evaluation duration of the mobile state. The first threshold and the second threshold can be used in combination, that is, the terminal device is evaluated to see whether it meets the first threshold within the evaluation duration specified by the second threshold. Taking the first threshold as the threshold s-MeasureDeltaLocation for the position change of the terminal device as an example, the second threshold can be represented by t-MeasureDeltaLocation, which is used to evaluate whether the position change of the terminal device exceeds s-MeasureDeltaLocation within the evaluation duration corresponding to the second threshold. Taking the first threshold as the threshold s-MeasureDeltaDistance for the distance change of the terminal device relative to the cell reference position as an example, the second threshold can be represented by t-MeasureDeltaDistance, which is used to evaluate whether the distance change of the terminal device relative to the cell reference position exceeds s-MeasureDeltaDistance within the evaluation duration corresponding to the second threshold.

[0096] The first timer may refer to a timer associated with the first measurement criterion. In some embodiments, the timing duration of the first timer may be determined based on the evaluation duration of the mobile state. For example, the timing duration of the first timer may be equal to the evaluation duration of the mobile state.

[0097] In some embodiments, during the evaluation of the mobile state of the terminal device based on the first measurement criterion, the reference location of the terminal device may be monitored and updated. The determination or update of the reference location of the terminal device may be based on a certain condition (hereinafter referred to as the first condition). For example, if the first condition is met, the reference location of the terminal device may be determined or updated to be the current location of the terminal device.

[0098] The first condition can be determined based on one or more of the following: whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; the relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold. As an example, if the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device. As another example, if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is the updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

[0099] As an implementation, the start or restart of the first timer may be determined by whether a second condition is satisfied. The second condition may be determined based on one or more of the following: whether the terminal device enters an RRC connected state from an RRC non-connected state; whether the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion; whether the terminal device satisfies a neighboring cell measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state; and a relationship between a difference between a current position of the terminal device and a reference position of the terminal device and a first threshold.

[0100] As an example, the second condition may include one or more of the following: if the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, then the first timer is started. If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, then the first timer is started or restarted.

[0101] When a terminal device enters an RRC connected state from an RRC non-connected state, there are usually two situations: the first situation is that the terminal device does not meet the neighboring cell measurement relaxation criteria in the RRC non-connected state; the second situation is that the terminal device meets the neighboring cell measurement relaxation criteria in the RRC non-connected state. When in the first situation, the terminal device usually needs to execute one or more measurement criteria to determine whether it turns on neighboring cell measurement. At this time, if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the first timer can be started or restarted. When in the second situation, that is, the terminal device is in a low mobility state or a stationary state in the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device may have a lower demand for neighboring cell selection, reselection or switching. Therefore, even if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the first timer may not be started at this time.

[0102] If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, that is, the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than s-MeasureDeltaLocation or s-MeasureDeltaDistance, the first timer can be started or restarted.

[0103] As an implementation manner, whether further measurement is required can be determined according to the running status of the first timer to determine whether to enable neighboring cell measurement.

[0104] In some embodiments, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device may further include a second measurement criterion. Whether the second measurement criterion is satisfied may be determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device, a cell reference location, and a third threshold.

[0105] As an implementation method, the third threshold can be a distance threshold (such as s-MeasureDistance) between the current location of the terminal device and the reference location of the cell. The reference location of the cell can refer to the center location of the serving cell of the terminal device or the location of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0106] As an implementation manner, if the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to a third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

[0107] The configuration of a terminal device with a measurement criterion based on the terminal device's location may include multiple situations. In some cases, the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion and a second measurement criterion. In other cases, the terminal device is configured with only the second measurement criterion. Depending on the different configurations of the measurement criterion, the measurement criterion that satisfies the terminal device's location may include the following situations: if the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device satisfies the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the terminal device's location is satisfied; if the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device satisfies the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the terminal device's location is satisfied.

[0108] As an implementation manner, if the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device are met, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

[0109] As another implementation, the one or more measurement criteria further include the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality as mentioned above. The measurement criteria based on cell signal quality may, for example, include a third criterion (i.e., neighCellMeasCriteria) based on (N)RSRP, and a fourth criterion (i.e., s-MeasureIntra and / or s-MeasureInter).

[0110] In some embodiments, satisfying the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality may include the following situations: if the terminal device is not configured with the third measurement criterion and the terminal device satisfies the fourth measurement criterion, then the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality is satisfied; if the timer associated with the third measurement criterion (such as T326 mentioned above) is in running state and the terminal device satisfies the fourth measurement criterion, then the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality is satisfied.

[0111] If at least one of the measurement criteria based on the terminal device's location and the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality is met, neighboring cell measurement is initiated. That is, if the measurement criteria based on the terminal device's location is met but the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality is not met, neighboring cell measurement is initiated; if the measurement criteria based on the terminal device's location is not met but the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality is met, neighboring cell measurement is initiated; and if the measurement criteria based on the terminal device's location and the measurement criteria based on cell signal quality are met, neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

[0112] The following describes in detail the method for neighboring area measurement provided in the embodiment of the present application, taking the first measurement criterion based on the position change threshold of the terminal device (s-MeasureDeltaLocation) and the second measurement criterion based on the distance threshold between the current position of the terminal device and the serving cell satellite (s-MeasureDistance) as an example.

[0113] If the network device configures a first measurement criterion for the terminal device, the first measurement criterion may include a location change threshold s-MeasureDeltaLocation and an evaluation duration t-MeasureDeltaLocation. If the network device configures a second measurement criterion for the terminal device, the second measurement criterion may include a distance threshold s-MeasureDistance.

[0114] In the first measurement criterion, a location reference value Lref of the terminal device is introduced, and a first timer T3YY is defined. The timing duration of the T3YY timer is t-MeasureDeltaLocation.

[0115] When the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state (ie, the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state), if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, Lref can be initialized (Lref is set to the current position of the terminal device).

[0116] When the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state (i.e., the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state), if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device can start the T3YY timer.

[0117] If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, it can determine whether the change in the current location L of the terminal device relative to Lref is greater than s-MeasureDeltaLocation. If the change in the current location L relative to Lref is greater than s-MeasureDeltaLocation, Lref can be updated to the current location L of the terminal device, and the T3YY timer can be started or restarted.

[0118] If the terminal device is configured with the second measurement criterion, the relationship between the distance between the terminal device and the serving cell satellite and the first distance threshold s-MeasureDistance is determined. If the distance between the terminal device and the serving cell satellite is greater than (or equal to) the first distance threshold s-MeasureDistance, the second measurement criterion is considered to be met.

[0119] If the terminal device is configured with both the first measurement criterion and the second measurement criterion, when the T3YY timer runs and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, it can be considered that the measurement criterion based on the terminal device's location is met. At this time, the terminal device can start neighboring cell measurement.

[0120] If the terminal device is configured with only the second measurement criterion, when the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, it can be considered that the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met. At this time, the terminal device can start neighboring cell measurement.

[0121] Neighboring cell measurement may include same-frequency and / or different-frequency measurement. It should be noted that the conditions for starting same-frequency or different-frequency measurement can be further set according to different situations, and this application does not limit this.

[0122] The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 5 , and the device embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 6 to 8 . It should be understood that the description of the method embodiment corresponds to the description of the device embodiment, and therefore, for portions not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiment.

[0123] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 600 may include a determining unit 610 .

[0124] The determining unit 610 may be configured to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement based on one or more measurement criteria; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

[0125] In one possible implementation, the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device include one or more of the following: a first measurement criterion for evaluating the mobility state of the terminal device; and a second measurement criterion for indicating the threshold conditions for starting same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement.

[0126] In one possible implementation, the first measurement criterion evaluates the mobility state based on one or more of the following: a first threshold, including a threshold for the change in position of the terminal device and / or a threshold for the change in distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position; a second threshold for indicating the evaluation duration of the mobility state; the radio resource control RRC state of the terminal device; the current location of the terminal device; the reference location of the terminal device; and a first timer, the timing duration of the first timer being determined based on the evaluation duration of the mobility state.

[0127] In one possible implementation, if a first condition is met, the reference position of the terminal device is determined or updated to the current position of the terminal device; wherein the first condition is determined based on one or more of the following: whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; whether the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion; and the relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first condition includes one or more of the following: if the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device; and if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is the updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

[0129] In one possible implementation, if the second condition is met, the first timer is started or restarted; wherein the second condition is determined based on one or more of the following: whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; whether the terminal device meets the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state; and the relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the second condition includes one or more of the following: if the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, then the first timer is started; and if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, then the first timer is started or restarted.

[0131] In one possible implementation, whether the second measurement criterion is met is determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device; the cell reference location; and a third threshold, where the third threshold is the distance threshold between the current location of the terminal device and the cell reference location.

[0132] In a possible implementation, if the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to a third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

[0133] In one possible implementation, if the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met; and if the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met.

[0134] In a possible implementation, if a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met, neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

[0135] In a possible implementation manner, the one or more measurement criteria further include: a measurement criterion based on cell signal quality.

[0136] In a possible implementation, if at least one of a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device and a measurement criterion based on the cell signal quality is satisfied, the neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

[0137] In a possible implementation, the cell reference position includes one or more of the following: a central position of a serving cell of the terminal device; and a position of a satellite corresponding to the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0138] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. The network device 700 may include a configuration unit 710 .

[0139] The configuration unit 710 may be configured to configure one or more measurement criteria, where the one or more measurement criteria are used to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device include one or more of the following: a first measurement criterion for evaluating the mobility state of the terminal device; and a second measurement criterion for indicating the threshold conditions for starting same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the first measurement criterion evaluates the mobility state based on one or more of the following: a first threshold, including a threshold for the change in position of the terminal device and / or a threshold for the change in distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position; a second threshold for indicating the evaluation duration of the mobility state; the radio resource control RRC state of the terminal device; the current location of the terminal device; the reference location of the terminal device; and a first timer, the timing duration of the first timer being determined based on the evaluation duration of the mobility state.

[0142] In one possible implementation, if a first condition is met, the reference position of the terminal device is determined or updated to the current position of the terminal device; wherein the first condition is determined based on one or more of the following: whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; whether the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion; and the relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the first condition includes one or more of the following: if the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device; and if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than a first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is the updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

[0144] In one possible implementation, if the second condition is met, the first timer is started or restarted; wherein the second condition is determined based on one or more of the following: whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; whether the terminal device meets the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state; and the relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the second condition includes one or more of the following: if the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with a first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, then the first timer is started; and if the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, then the first timer is started or restarted.

[0146] In one possible implementation, whether the second measurement criterion is met is determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device; the cell reference location; and a third threshold, where the third threshold is the distance threshold between the current location of the terminal device and the cell reference location.

[0147] In a possible implementation, if the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to a third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

[0148] In one possible implementation, if the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met; and if the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met.

[0149] In a possible implementation, if a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met, neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

[0150] In a possible implementation manner, the one or more measurement criteria further include: a measurement criterion based on cell signal quality.

[0151] In a possible implementation, if at least one of a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device and a measurement criterion based on the cell signal quality is satisfied, the neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

[0152] In a possible implementation, the cell reference position includes one or more of the following: a central position of a serving cell of the terminal device; and a position of a satellite corresponding to the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0153] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 8 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The device 800 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The device 800 may be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0154] The device 800 may include one or more processors 810. The processor 810 may support the device 800 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 810 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0155] The apparatus 800 may further include one or more memories 820. The memories 820 store programs that can be executed by the processor 810, causing the processor 810 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 820 may be independent of the processor 810 or integrated into the processor 810.

[0156] The apparatus 800 may further include a transceiver 830. The processor 810 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 830. For example, the processor 810 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 830.

[0157] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0158] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0159] The present application also provides a computer program that can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in the present application, and enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0160] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0161] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0162] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0163] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0164] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0165] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0166] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0167] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0168] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0169] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0170] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0171] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using 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 instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can 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 instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0172] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for neighboring cell measurement, characterized in that: include: The terminal device determines whether to perform neighboring cell measurement according to one or more measurement criteria; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device include one or more of the following: A first measurement criterion, used to evaluate the mobility state of the terminal device; as well as The second measurement criterion is used to indicate a threshold condition for starting intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first measurement criterion evaluates the movement state based on one or more of the following: The first threshold includes a threshold for a change in the position of the terminal device and / or a threshold for a change in the distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position; A second threshold is used to indicate the evaluation duration of the movement state; Radio Resource Control (RRC) status of the terminal device; the current location of the terminal device; a reference location of the terminal device; as well as A first timer, wherein a timing duration of the first timer is determined based on an evaluation duration of the movement state.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that If the first condition is met, the reference location of the terminal device is determined or updated to the current location of the terminal device; The first condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC unconnected state and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is an updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that If the second condition is met, the first timer is started or restarted; The second condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; Whether the terminal device meets the neighboring cell measurement relaxation criteria in the RRC non-connected state; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The second condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, starting the first timer; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the first timer is started or restarted.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that Whether the second measurement criterion is satisfied is determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device; Cell reference location; as well as The third threshold is a distance threshold between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that If the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

10. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that: If the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, then a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met; as well as If the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that If the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device are met, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The one or more measurement criteria further include: a measurement criterion based on cell signal quality.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that If at least one of the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device and the measurement criterion based on the cell signal quality is satisfied, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

14. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that The cell reference position includes one or more of the following: The central location of the serving cell of the terminal device; and The location of the satellite corresponding to the service cell of the terminal device.

15. A method for neighboring cell measurement, characterized in that: include: The network device configures one or more measurement criteria, where the one or more measurement criteria are used to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device include one or more of the following: A first measurement criterion, used to evaluate the mobility state of the terminal device; as well as The second measurement criterion is used to indicate a threshold condition for starting intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The first measurement criterion evaluates the movement state based on one or more of the following: The first threshold includes a threshold for a change in the position of the terminal device and / or a threshold for a change in the distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position; A second threshold is used to indicate the evaluation duration of the movement state; Radio Resource Control (RRC) status of the terminal device; the current location of the terminal device; a reference location of the terminal device; as well as A first timer, wherein a timing duration of the first timer is determined based on an evaluation duration of the movement state.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that If the first condition is met, the reference location of the terminal device is determined or updated to the current location of the terminal device; The first condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The first condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC unconnected state and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is an updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

20. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that If the second condition is met, the first timer is started or restarted; The second condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; Whether the terminal device meets the neighboring cell measurement relaxation criteria in the RRC non-connected state; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The second condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, starting the first timer; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the first timer is started or restarted.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, characterized in that Whether the second measurement criterion is satisfied is determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device; Cell reference location; as well as The third threshold is a distance threshold between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that If the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that: If the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, then a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met; as well as If the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that If the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device are met, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

26. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 24, characterized in that The one or more measurement criteria further include: a measurement criterion based on cell signal quality.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that If at least one of a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device and a measurement criterion based on the cell signal quality is satisfied, the neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

28. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 23, wherein: The cell reference position includes one or more of the following: The central location of the serving cell of the terminal device; and The location of the satellite corresponding to the service cell of the terminal device.

29. A terminal device, characterized in that: include: A determination unit is configured to determine whether to perform neighboring cell measurement according to one or more measurement criteria; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

30. The terminal device according to claim 29, characterized in that The measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device include one or more of the following: A first measurement criterion, used to evaluate the mobility state of the terminal device; as well as The second measurement criterion is used to indicate a threshold condition for starting intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement.

31. The terminal device according to claim 30, characterized in that The first measurement criterion evaluates the movement state based on one or more of the following: The first threshold includes a threshold for a change in the position of the terminal device and / or a threshold for a change in the distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position; A second threshold is used to indicate the evaluation duration of the movement state; Radio Resource Control (RRC) status of the terminal device; the current location of the terminal device; a reference location of the terminal device; as well as A first timer, wherein a timing duration of the first timer is determined based on an evaluation duration of the movement state.

32. The terminal device according to claim 31, characterized in that If the first condition is met, the reference location of the terminal device is determined or updated to the current location of the terminal device; The first condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

33. The terminal device according to claim 32, characterized in that The first condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC unconnected state and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is an updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

34. The terminal device according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that: If the second condition is met, the first timer is started or restarted; The second condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; Whether the terminal device meets the neighboring cell measurement relaxation criteria in the RRC non-connected state; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

35. The terminal device according to claim 34, characterized in that The second condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, starting the first timer; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the first timer is started or restarted.

36. The terminal device according to any one of claims 30 to 35, characterized in that: Whether the second measurement criterion is satisfied is determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device; Cell reference location; as well as The third threshold is a distance threshold between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position.

37. The terminal device according to claim 36, characterized in that If the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

38. The terminal device according to any one of claims 30 to 37, characterized in that: If the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, then a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met; as well as If the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met.

39. The terminal device according to claim 38, characterized in that If the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device are met, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

40. The terminal device according to any one of claims 29 to 38, characterized in that: The one or more measurement criteria further include: a measurement criterion based on cell signal quality.

41. The terminal device according to claim 40, characterized in that If at least one of the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device and the measurement criterion based on the cell signal quality is satisfied, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

42. The terminal device according to any one of claims 31 to 37, characterized in that: The cell reference position includes one or more of the following: The central location of the serving cell of the terminal device; and The location of the satellite corresponding to the service cell of the terminal device.

43. A network device, characterized in that include: A configuration unit is used to configure one or more measurement criteria, where the one or more measurement criteria are used to determine whether to perform neighboring area measurement; wherein the one or more measurement criteria include a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device.

44. The network device according to claim 43, wherein: The measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device include one or more of the following: A first measurement criterion, used to evaluate the mobility state of the terminal device; as well as The second measurement criterion is used to indicate a threshold condition for starting intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement.

45. The network device according to claim 44, characterized in that The first measurement criterion evaluates the movement state based on one or more of the following: The first threshold includes a threshold for a change in the position of the terminal device and / or a threshold for a change in the distance of the terminal device relative to a cell reference position; A second threshold is used to indicate the evaluation duration of the movement state; Radio Resource Control (RRC) status of the terminal device; the current location of the terminal device; a reference location of the terminal device; as well as A first timer, wherein a timing duration of the first timer is determined based on an evaluation duration of the movement state.

46. ​​The network device according to claim 45, characterized in that If the first condition is met, the reference location of the terminal device is determined or updated to the current location of the terminal device; The first condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

47. The network device according to claim 46, wherein: The first condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC unconnected state and the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, the current position of the terminal device is the initial value of the reference position of the terminal device; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the current position of the terminal device is an updated value of the reference position of the terminal device.

48. The network device according to claim 45 or 46, characterized in that If the second condition is met, the first timer is started or restarted; The second condition is determined based on one or more of the following: Whether the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state; Whether the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion; Whether the terminal device meets the neighboring cell measurement relaxation criteria in the RRC non-connected state; and The relationship between the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device and the first threshold.

49. The network device according to claim 48, wherein: The second condition includes one or more of the following: If the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC non-connected state, the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion, and the terminal device does not meet the neighboring area measurement relaxation criterion in the RRC non-connected state, starting the first timer; as well as If the terminal device is configured with the first measurement criterion and the difference between the current position of the terminal device and the reference position of the terminal device is greater than the first threshold, the first timer is started or restarted.

50. The network device according to any one of claims 44 to 49, characterized in that: Whether the second measurement criterion is satisfied is determined based on one or more of the following: the current location of the terminal device; Cell reference location; as well as The third threshold is a distance threshold between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position.

51. The network device according to claim 50, characterized in that If the distance between the current position of the terminal device and the cell reference position is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the second measurement criterion is met.

52. The network device according to any one of claims 44 to 51, characterized in that: If the terminal device is not configured with the first measurement criterion and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, then a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met; as well as If the first timer associated with the first measurement criterion is in a running state and the terminal device meets the second measurement criterion, the measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device is met.

53. The network device according to claim 52, wherein: If the measurement criteria based on the location of the terminal device are met, the neighboring cell measurement is started.

54. The network device according to any one of claims 43 to 52, characterized in that: The one or more measurement criteria further include: a measurement criterion based on cell signal quality.

55. The network device according to claim 54, characterized in that If at least one of a measurement criterion based on the location of the terminal device and a measurement criterion based on the cell signal quality is satisfied, the neighboring cell measurement is initiated.

56. The network device according to any one of claims 45 to 51, characterized in that: The cell reference position includes one or more of the following: The central location of the serving cell of the terminal device; and The location of the satellite corresponding to the service cell of the terminal device.

57. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory so that the terminal device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

58. A network device, characterized in that The network device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory so as to enable the network device to execute the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

59. A device, characterized in that The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so as to enable the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

60. A device, characterized in that The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so as to enable the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

61. A chip, characterized in that: The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

62. A chip, characterized in that: The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

63. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, and the program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

64. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, the program causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

65. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program enables a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

66. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

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