Network searching method, communication device and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a network searching method, a communication device and a computer readable storage medium. The network searching method comprises the steps of searching a guide cell, obtaining a first broadcast message in the guide cell, the first broadcast message carrying an effective frequency point used for deploying a narrowband Internet of Things NB-IoT signal, the guide cell being a cell corresponding to a frequency point agreed by a first device and a second device, searching a target cell in cells corresponding to the effective frequency point, and residing in the target cell. According to the embodiment of the invention, the network searching efficiency of the NB-IoT equipment can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network search method, a communication device and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) technology is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technology based on cellular networks, designed for IoT applications to meet the requirements of low power consumption, wide coverage, and large number of connections. NB-IoT technology supports operation within a narrow bandwidth of 180KHz and supports three deployment modes: in-band, stand-alone, and guard-band.

[0003] At present, the network search strategy of NB-IoT devices usually follows the definition of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 36304 specification: 1) First search for the frequency point that has been resident. 2) If the search for the frequency point that has been resident fails or the frequency point that has been resident is not saved, a full-band search is triggered. The above solution has the problem that the network search efficiency of the device in the NB-IoT network is very low.

[0004] Therefore, it is urgent to study a network search method to improve the network search efficiency of NB-IoT devices. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present invention provide a network search method, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can effectively improve the network search efficiency of NB-IoT devices.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a network search method, which can be applied to a first device (i.e., a terminal side device), such as an NB-IoT device, and includes:

[0007] Search for a guide cell, obtain a first broadcast message in the guide cell, the first broadcast message carries a valid frequency for deploying a narrowband Internet of Things NB-IoT signal, and the guide cell is a cell corresponding to the frequency agreed upon by the first device and the second device; search for a target cell in the cell corresponding to the valid frequency; and reside in the target cell.

[0008] In the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned effective frequency points and cells have a many-to-many correspondence relationship, and the first device needs to search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the effective frequency point, and the target cell is a cell that meets the first device's residence standard. In implementing the embodiment of the present application, the first device first searches for the guide cell in the cell corresponding to the frequency point agreed upon by the first device and the second device, and obtains the first broadcast message in the guide cell. The first broadcast message carries the effective frequency point for deploying the NB-IoT signal. Then, the first device only needs to search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the above-mentioned effective frequency point and reside in the target cell, without searching the cells corresponding to all frequency points in the entire frequency band, thereby reducing the number of search frequencies for the first device, speeding up the speed of the first device searching the network, and thus effectively improving the network search efficiency of the first device.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the frequency point agreed upon by the first device and the second device includes at least one frequency point among the frequency points at the edges and the center frequency point of a frequency band, and the frequency band is a frequency range supported by the first device.

[0010] That is, the frequency points corresponding to the guide cell include at least one of the three frequency points of the edge frequency points and the center frequency point of the frequency band, and these three frequency points are agreed upon by the first device and the second device. Optionally, the above three frequency points correspond to the same or different guide cells.

[0011] Optionally, if the first device fails to search for the target cell, the target cell is searched for in cells corresponding to all frequency points in the above frequency band.

[0012] In this implementation, the first device needs to search for a guide cell in the cell corresponding to the frequency agreed with the second device, so as to obtain the effective frequency for deploying the NB-IoT signal, and then search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the effective frequency. This can reduce the number of frequencies searched by the first device when searching for the target cell, thereby speeding up the network search speed of the first device and effectively improving the network search efficiency of the first device.

[0013] In a possible implementation, a second broadcast message is obtained in the guide cell; the second broadcast message carries first information, and the first information indicates that the guide cell supports the first device to reside; or the second broadcast message carries second information, and the second information indicates that the guide cell does not support the first device to reside.

[0014] Optionally, the second broadcast message and the first broadcast message belong to the same type of message, for example, a system information block (SIB). Exemplarily, the second broadcast message is a SIB1 message, which is used to broadcast key parameters and configuration information required for the first device to perform cell selection, cell reselection, and access to the network, and the first broadcast message is a SIB4 message or a SIB5 message. Optionally, the SIB4 message includes relevant information about the same-frequency cell of the guided cell, and the SIB5 message includes relevant information about the different-frequency cell of the guided cell.

[0015] In this implementation, the first device is informed of whether the guided cell can reside by broadcasting the second broadcast message. In other words, the terminal device is prevented from using the cell by broadcasting the second broadcast message, and the cell is restricted to broadcasting valid frequency points only. Exemplarily, if the second broadcast message carries the first message, it means that the guided cell supports the residency of NB-IoT devices, that is, the guided cell allows the terminal device to use it. If the second broadcast message carries the second message, it means that the guided cell does not support the residency of NB-IoT devices, that is, the guided cell does not allow the terminal device to use it. This implementation increases the flexibility of the functions of the guided cell, so that the functions of the guided cell can be determined according to the actual communication situation. Regardless of whether the guided cell can support the residency of the first device, this implementation can reduce the number of cells corresponding to the search frequency points of the first device, thereby speeding up the speed of the first device searching the network, thereby effectively improving the network search efficiency of the first device.

[0016] In a possible implementation, before searching for the guide cell, the method further includes: searching for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency point, where the reserved frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the cell where the first device has resided; if the search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency point fails, executing the step of searching for the guide cell.

[0017] Exemplarily, if the first device reserves the frequency corresponding to the cell where it has resided before, it will preferentially search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency. If the search for the target cell is successful, it will directly reside in the target cell without executing the step of searching for the guiding cell. If the first device does not have a reserved frequency, it will execute the step of searching for the guiding cell.

[0018] In this implementation, the first device preferentially searches for cells corresponding to reserved frequencies, which increases the probability of successful search and improves efficiency. If there are no reserved frequencies or the search fails, the step of searching for guided cells is performed, and there is no need to search for cells corresponding to frequencies in the entire frequency band, which can reduce the number of search frequencies, thereby speeding up the search and improving the network search efficiency of the first device.

[0019] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a network search method, which can be applied to a second device (ie, a network side device), such as a base station, and the method includes:

[0020] A first broadcast message is sent in a guide cell, where the first broadcast message carries a valid frequency for deploying a narrowband Internet of Things NB-IoT signal, and the guide cell is a cell corresponding to a frequency agreed upon by the first device and the second device.

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, the second device (network side device) informs the first device (terminal side device) of the effective frequency point for deploying NB-IoT signals by sending a first broadcast message in the guide cell. The first device searches for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the above effective frequency point, and does not need to search the cells corresponding to all frequency points in the whole frequency band, thereby reducing the number of search frequencies of the first device, speeding up the network search speed of the first device, and thus effectively improving the network search efficiency of the first device.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the frequency point agreed upon by the first device and the second device includes at least one frequency point among frequency points at both ends of a frequency band and a center frequency point, and the frequency band is a frequency range supported by the first device.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a second broadcast message in the guide cell; the second broadcast message carries first information, and the first information indicates that the guide cell supports the first device to reside; or, the second broadcast message carries second information, and the second information indicates that the guide cell does not support the first device to reside.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the effective frequency point includes at least one of the following: a frequency point corresponding to the guide cell and at least one frequency point different from the frequency point corresponding to the guide cell.

[0025] That is to say, the effective frequency point is the frequency point corresponding to the cell with the same frequency or different frequency as the guide cell. Optionally, the above-mentioned effective frequency point is only a valid frequency point for NB-IoT devices. In other words, the effective frequency point is a frequency point used to deploy NB-IoT signals. As an example, if the effective frequency point includes the frequency point corresponding to the guide cell, the first device searches for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the frequency point corresponding to the guide cell according to whether the guide cell is allowed to reside and the standard of the target cell. As another example, if the effective frequency point does not include the frequency point corresponding to the guide cell, the first device searches for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the effective frequency point.

[0026] In this implementation, the effective frequency may be the frequency corresponding to the guide cell or may not be the frequency corresponding to the guide cell. Both situations can reduce the number of cells corresponding to the search frequency of the first device, thereby speeding up the network search speed of the first device and further improving the network search efficiency.

[0027] The details of the second aspect are similar to those of the first aspect. For the description of the second aspect, reference can be made to the first aspect and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a transceiver, a processor, and a memory, wherein the transceiver is used to receive and send signals, the memory is used to store a computer program, the computer program includes program instructions, and the processor is configured to call the program instructions, and the processor executes some or all of the steps described in the first aspect or the second method of this embodiment.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising a logic circuit and an interface, wherein the logic circuit and the interface are coupled, and the logic circuit is used to enable the chip to execute part or all of the steps described in the first aspect or the second method of this embodiment.

[0030] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program includes program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed by an application processor, the application processor executes part or all of the method steps described in the first aspect or the second method of this embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the background technology, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present invention or the background technology will be described below.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a network search method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of another network search method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a frequency band provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 5 is another structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip provided in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned 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. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0040] Reference to "embodiments" in this application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application may be combined with other embodiments.

[0041] In the present application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. "Or" means that two relationships may exist, such as only A exists, only B exists; when A and B are not mutually exclusive, it can also mean that there are three relationships, such as only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0042] In this application, "indication" may include direct indication, indirect indication, explicit indication, and implicit indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0043] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information is XX, which can include direct sending through the air interface, and also include indirect sending through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receiving information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information is YY, which can include direct reception from YY through the air interface, and also include indirect reception from YY through the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, for example, between network devices and terminal devices, or can be performed within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within the device through a bus, wiring or interface.

[0044] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, but is not limited to the NB-IoT system. NB-IoT technology is a low power wide area network (LPWAN) technology based on cellular networks, which is specially designed for IoT applications to meet the requirements of low power consumption, wide coverage, and large number of connections. NB-IoT technology supports operation within a narrow bandwidth of 180KHz, and supports three deployment modes: in-band, stand-alone, and guard-band: 1) In-band deployment mode: NB-IoT signals share the same spectrum resources with long-term evolution (LTE) signals, that is, NB-IoT signals are transmitted within the spectrum of LTE signals. In this mode, NB-IoT devices can directly use existing LTE infrastructure, reducing deployment costs, but may have a certain impact on the performance of LTE networks. This mode is suitable for scenarios where the LTE network has good coverage and the number of NB-IoT devices is small. 2) Independent deployment mode: NB-IoT signals are transmitted on independent spectrum resources and do not share spectrum with LTE signals. In this mode, NB-IoT devices can achieve better coverage and performance, but additional spectrum resources are required. This mode is suitable for scenarios that require independent spectrum resources, such as remote areas or areas with insufficient LTE network coverage. 3) Guard band deployment mode: NB-IoT signals are transmitted within the guard band of the LTE network. In this mode, NB-IoT devices can utilize the edge band resources of the LTE network while reducing the impact on LTE network performance. This mode is suitable for scenarios where NB-IoT devices need to be deployed at the edge of the LTE network to reduce the impact on the LTE network.

[0045] When searching for a network, NB-IoT devices usually follow the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 36304 specification definition: 1) First search for the frequency point that has been resident. 2) If the search for the frequency point that has been resident fails or the frequency point that has been resident before is not saved, a full-band search is triggered. Since there are many ways to deploy NB-IoT network signals (that is, there are many ways to allocate frequency band resources to NB-IoT network signals), and the bandwidth of NB-IoT network signals is narrow, a frequency band code bandwidth is tens or even hundreds of MHZ, which can contain hundreds or even thousands of legal frequency points. When the NB-IoT device searches for a network, if the search for the frequency point that has been resident fails or the frequency point that has been resident before is not saved, the NB-IoT device directly searches for the full frequency band. At this time, the efficiency of the NB-IoT device searching for a network is very low, and searching a frequency band may even exceed 100 seconds. A device that supports multiple frequency bands may even search the full frequency band for more than 30 minutes.

[0046] Based on the above problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a network search method, which can improve the network search efficiency of NB-IoT devices. The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is specifically described below.

[0047] The first device (i.e., the terminal side device) involved in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application may be an NB-IoT device. An NB-IoT device is a low-power, narrow-bandwidth wireless communication device, which is specially used for the communication of IoT devices. It is an IoT device with the characteristics of low power consumption, low cost, wide coverage, and a large number of connections, such as: smart electricity meters, water meters, gas meters, smart city devices, smart wearable devices, etc., which will not be listed one by one here.

[0048] The second device (i.e., the network side device) involved in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be a base station in a cellular network, also known as a public mobile communication base station, which is an interface device for mobile devices to access the Internet. In the embodiment of the present application, the second device is an interface device for NB-IoT devices to access the NB-IoT network.

[0049] The guide cell involved in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is a cell used to guide the terminal device to find a target cell in which it can reside. The above-mentioned target cell needs to meet the standards of the NB-IoT device for the cell in which it can reside.

[0050] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 1 is a flow chart of a network search method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The description of the first device, the second device and the guide cell involved in the method can be referred to above and will not be described in detail here. Figure 1As shown in FIG. 1 , the flowchart is a flowchart of a process in which the first device searches for a cell and selects a cell to reside in, or performs a cell reselection after the first device is powered on. When the network search conditions are met, such as when the first device is powered on and powered on or needs to connect to the network, the following can be performed: Figure 1 The process of the network search method shown. Exemplarily, the above process includes but is not limited to the following steps: 1) Power-on initialization: The first device powers on and performs software and hardware self-tests to prepare necessary network search parameters. 2) Scanning frequency bands: The first device starts scanning the NB-IoT frequency bands it supports to find available frequencies for deploying NB-IoT signals. 3) Cell search: Search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the frequency of the available NB-IoT signal found. Usually, the selection of the target cell is determined based on the signal strength of the base station covering the cell, and the target cell needs to meet the NB-IoT device's standards for resident cells. 4) The cell resides and attaches to the network. The steps involved in the above process are described in detail below.

[0051] 1001. Determine whether the first device has a reserved frequency point. If yes, execute step 1002; if no, execute step 1005.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, the reserved frequency point is a frequency point corresponding to a cell where the first device has resided. Optionally, the reserved frequency point is a frequency point corresponding to a cell where the first device is configured to reside.

[0053] 1002. The first device searches for a target cell in cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, it is assumed that the first device has reserved frequency points and has priority search rights. Considering that in general, the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency point can meet the standard of the target cell of the first device and the probability of successful search is greater, the network search efficiency of the first device can be improved.

[0055] 1003. Determine whether the first device has successfully searched for the target cell in the cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points. If yes, execute step 1004; if no, execute step 1005.

[0056] For example, when the first device reselects a cell or the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency point does not support residence, it needs to search the network again, that is, the cell where the first device has resided may not be suitable for residence. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, it is necessary to determine whether the first device has successfully searched for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency point.

[0057] 1004. The first device resides in the searched target cell.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, the successful search for the target cell and the residency in the cell corresponding to the reserved frequency point is a case in which the time consumption for successful network search is the shortest, and the network search efficiency of the first device is the highest at this time.

[0059] 1005. The first device executes a step of searching for a guide cell.

[0060] The first device searches for a pilot cell at a frequency agreed with the second device, and the agreed frequency is a frequency agreed by the first device and the second device and supported by both. The agreed frequency may be one or more frequencies in at least one frequency band, and the frequency band may be an LTE frequency band or a fifth generation mobile communication technology (5th generation mobile networks, 5G) frequency band or a sixth generation mobile communication technology (6th generation mobile networks, 6G) frequency band. Exemplarily, the agreed frequency may be at least one of the protection frequency at both ends of the frequency band edge and the center frequency of the frequency band. It should be noted that this example is a possible example, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the position of the agreed frequency, and the agreed frequency may also be other frequencies in the frequency band except the protection frequency at both ends of the edge and the center frequency of the frequency band. In the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned agreed frequency may be determined according to the performance of the first device. For example, for the first device with relatively low performance, only the middle part of the frequency band is supported for cost considerations, and the frequency agreed by the first device and the second device may be the center frequency of the frequency band. For another example, for a first device with relatively high performance, in order to be compatible with more frequency bands, the frequency points agreed upon by the first device and the second device may include the protection frequency points at both ends of the frequency band edge and the center frequency point of the frequency band. For a detailed description of the protection frequency points at both ends of the frequency band edge and the center frequency point of the frequency band, please refer to the following description of Figure 3 Description.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first device fails to search for a target cell in a cell corresponding to a reserved frequency, or the first device does not have a reserved frequency, a step of searching for a guide cell is added instead of directly searching for cells corresponding to all frequencies in the entire frequency band. This can reduce the probability of searching all frequencies in the entire frequency band, thereby avoiding the problem of very slow network search speed due to searching the entire frequency band to a certain extent.

[0062] 1006. The first device obtains an effective frequency point for deploying an NB-IoT signal in a guiding cell.

[0063] Generally, the first device only needs to search for the guide cells of three frequency points, namely, the frequency points at the edge ends of the frequency band and the center frequency point, to obtain the frequency information of the same-frequency or different-frequency cells near the guide cell.

[0064] After searching for the guide cell, the first device obtains a first broadcast message in the guide cell, and the first broadcast message carries the effective frequency point for deploying the NB-IoT signal. Optionally, the first device obtains a second broadcast message in the guide cell, and the description of the second broadcast message can be referred to the above invention content part, which will not be described in detail here.

[0065] 1007. The first device searches for a target cell in cells corresponding to a valid frequency point.

[0066] The first device searches for a cell with the strongest signal among cells corresponding to the effective frequency point and a cell that meets the first device's criteria for a resident cell as a target cell.

[0067] 1008. Determine whether the first device successfully searches for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the valid frequency point. If yes, execute step 1010; if no, execute step 1009.

[0068] For example, if the first device fails to search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the valid frequency point, in order to ensure that the first device can successfully access the NB-IoT network, it is also necessary to search for the target cell in the cells corresponding to all frequency points in the entire frequency band supported by the first device. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application also needs to determine whether the first device successfully searches for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the valid frequency point.

[0069] 1009. The first device searches for a target cell in cells corresponding to all frequency points in the entire frequency band.

[0070] Searching for the target cell in the cells corresponding to all the frequency points of the full frequency band supported by the first device is the situation with the lowest network search efficiency. However, before performing the full frequency band search, the first device will first obtain the effective frequency points for deploying NB-IoT signals by searching the guide cells, thereby reducing the number of search frequency points. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application greatly reduces the probability of the first device performing a full frequency band search, and also improves the network search efficiency of the first device.

[0071] 1010. A first device resides in a target cell.

[0072] The embodiment of the present application greatly improves the network search efficiency while ensuring that the first device successfully searches the network.

[0073] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 2 is a flow chart of another network search method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The description of the first device 2001, the second device 2002 and the guide cell involved in the method can be referred to above and will not be described in detail here. Figure 2As shown, the flowchart is a process in which the first device and the second device jointly participate in the network search process of the first device. The steps involved in the above process will be described in detail below.

[0074] 2003. The first device searches for a target cell in cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points.

[0075] Before searching for the guide cell, the first device first searches for the target cell in the cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points, because the cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points are the cells where the first device has resided before, and the probability of successful search of the cells where the first device has resided before is the highest. If the residency is successful, there is no need to search for the guide cell. In the embodiment of the present application, searching for the cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points is the most efficient situation for searching the network.

[0076] 2004. The first device fails to search for a target cell in cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points.

[0077] The first device may fail to search for the target cell in the cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points. To ensure that the first device can successfully search the network and improve the network search efficiency, the first device needs to execute step 2004.

[0078] 2005. The first device searches for a guide cell in a cell corresponding to a frequency agreed upon with the second device.

[0079] For the description of the frequency point agreed between the first device and the second device, please refer to the above description of Figure 1 The description of step 1005 is not described in detail here. In the embodiment of the present application, the first device searches for the guide cell at the agreed frequency point to obtain the effective frequency point for deploying the NB-IoT signal. In the subsequent network search process, it only needs to search for the target cell in the cell corresponding to the above effective frequency point, thereby reducing the number of search frequencies and improving the efficiency of the first device in network search.

[0080] 2006. The second device sends a first broadcast message and a second broadcast message in the guide cell. Correspondingly, the first device obtains the first broadcast message and the second broadcast message in the guide cell.

[0081] The second device sends a first broadcast message in the guide cell to broadcast the effective frequency point for deploying the NB-IoT signal, which may be the frequency point corresponding to the cell with the same frequency or different frequency as the guide cell. Exemplarily, the first device can carry the effective frequency point by broadcasting a system information block (SIB) message, and includes a system information block type 4 (SIB4) message and a system information block type 5 (SIB5) message. The SIB4 message and the SIB5 message are respectively used to broadcast the effective frequency points corresponding to the cells with the same frequency and different frequency as the guide cell. Exemplarily, the structure of the SIB4 message and the SIB5 message in the narrowband Internet of Things R13 version is as follows:

[0082]

[0083]

[0084] Some fields of the above code are described below.

[0085] In the structure of the SIB4 message, the intraFreqNeighCellList-r13 field in the R13 version contains a list of intraFreq neighbor cells of the pilot cell. This field is optional. The intraFreqBlackCellList-r13 field in the R13 version contains a list of intraFreq blackCell cells of the pilot cell. This field is optional. The late non-critical extension (lateNonCriticalExtension) field is used for future expansion without changing the definition of the existing field. This field is optional.

[0086] In the structure of the SIB5 message, the interFreqCarrierFreqList-r13 field in the R13 version contains an interFreqCarrierFreqList of the guided cell. The t-Reselection-r13 field in the R13 version is used to indicate the time parameters that the first device needs to consider when performing cell reselection. The late non-critical extension field is used for future expansion without changing the definition of the existing field. This field is an optional field.

[0087] The second device sends a second broadcast message in the guide cell to inform the first device whether it can reside in the guide cell. Exemplarily, the first device can carry information on whether the guide cell can reside by broadcasting a system information block type 1 (SIB1) message. Exemplarily, the structure of the public land mobile network identity (PLMN-IdentityInfo-NB-r13) information in the narrowband Internet of Things R13 version in the SIB1 message is as follows:

[0088] PLMN-IdentityInfo-NB-r13::= SEQUENCE{

[0089] plmn-Identity-r13 PLMN-Identity,

[0090] cellReservedForOperatorUse-r13 ENUMERATED{reserved,notReserved},

[0091] attachWithoutPDN-Connectivity-r13 ENUMERATED{true}OPTIONAL--Need OP

[0092] }

[0093] Some fields of the above code are described below.

[0094] The Public Land Mobile Network Identity (plmn-Identity-r13) field in the R13 version is used to store the unique identity of the public land mobile network (PLMN). The Cell Reserved For Operator Use (cellReservedForOperatorUse-r13) field in the R13 version is used to indicate whether a cell is reserved for a specific operator. When the value of this field is reserved, it means that the cell is reserved for a specific operator and does not support NB-IoT retention. When the value of this field is not reserved, it means that the cell is not reserved for any operator and can allow any NB-IoT device that meets the requirements to reside. The attachWithoutPDN-Connectivity-r13 field in the R13 version allows connection attachment when there is no packet data network. The value of this field is true, indicating that the guiding cell allows NB-IoT devices to maintain basic connection with the network without the need for data connection, and this field is optional.

[0095] 2007. The first device obtains an effective frequency point for deploying NB-IoT signals.

[0096] After the first device searches for the guide cell, it obtains the first broadcast message and obtains the effective frequency point for deploying the NB-IoT signal. For the description of this step, please refer to the above description of Figure 1 The description of step 1006 will not be described in detail here.

[0097] 2008. The first device searches for a target cell in cells corresponding to a valid frequency point.

[0098] For instructions on this step, refer to the above Figure 1 The description of step 1007 is not described in detail here.

[0099] 2009. The first device resides in the target cell.

[0100] The first device searches for the target cell and resides in the target cell, and the first device successfully searches the network.

[0101] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a frequency band provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the frequency band may be a frequency band supported by LTE signals, the frequency band number may be 40 (band 40), the frequency range of band 40 is 2300 MHz to 2400 MHz, and the bandwidth of the frequency point supported by NB-IoT technology is 180 KHz.

[0102] In the embodiment of the present application, the frequency point agreed upon by the first device and the second device may be at least one of the protection frequency points at both ends of the frequency band edge and the center frequency point of the frequency band, such as Figure 3 As shown, the protection frequency points at both ends of the frequency band edge are the frequency points in the frequency range of 2300MHz to 2300.18MHz and the frequency points in the frequency range of 2399.82MHz to 2400MHz, and the frequency point in the center of the frequency band is the frequency point in the frequency range of 2349.91MHz to 2350.09MHz. That is to say, in the embodiment of the present application, the agreed frequency point can be at least one of the frequency points in the frequency range of 2300MHz to 2300.18MHz, the frequency points in the frequency range of 2399.82MHz to 2400MHz, and the frequency points in the frequency range of 2349.91MHz to 2350.09MHz.

[0103] The above-mentioned frequency bands may also be 5G frequency bands, 6G frequency bands, etc., or frequency bands with frequency band numbers of 33, 34, 35, etc. may be selected. Examples are not given one by one here.

[0104] The device provided by the embodiments of the present application will be introduced below.

[0105] The present application divides the functional modules of the device according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following will be combined with Figures 4 to 6 The device of the embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0106] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the communication device includes a processing module 401 and a transceiver module 402. The transceiver module 402 can realize the function of sending and receiving signals when searching the network, and the processing module 401 is used to realize the corresponding processing function. For example, the transceiver module 402 can also be called an interface, a communication interface or a communication module.

[0107] In some embodiments of the present application, the device can be used to execute the action performed by the first device in the above method embodiment. In this case, the device can be the device itself or a chip or functional module that can be configured in the device. The transceiver module 402 is used to execute the operations related to the network search of the first device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 401 is used to execute the operations related to the processing of the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0108] Reuse Figure 4 In some other embodiments of the present application, the device can be used to execute the actions executed by the second device in the above method embodiment. In this case, the device can be the device itself or a chip or functional module that can be configured in the device. The transceiver module 402 is used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 401 is used to execute the processing-related operations of the second station in the above method embodiment.

[0109] For example, the transceiver module 402 may be an antenna module. For another example, the transceiver module 402 may be an input / output module. Optionally, in each of the above embodiments, the apparatus may further include a storage module, which may be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing module 401 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module, so that the apparatus implements the above method embodiment. For example, the storage module may be used to store the frequency points corresponding to the cells where the first device has resided.

[0110] In one possible implementation, Figure 4In the device shown, the processing module 401 may be one or more processors, the transceiver module 402 may be a transceiver, or the transceiver module 402 may also be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module may be a transmitter, the receiving module may be a receiver, and the sending module and the receiving module are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver may be coupled, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection mode of the processor and the transceiver. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method may be a process in which the processor outputs the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that it is transmitted by the transceiver. After the above information is output by the processor, it may also need to be processed in other ways before it reaches the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method may be a process in which the processor receives the input information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to be processed in other ways before it is input into the processor.

[0111] The specific descriptions of the transceiver module and the processing module shown in the above embodiments are only examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver module and the processing module, reference may be made to the above method embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0112] It is understandable that the division of modules in the above device is only a division of logical functions. Each function may correspond to a functional module, or two or more functions may be integrated into one functional module. In actual implementation, all or part of the modules may be integrated into one physical entity, or distributed in different physical entities. In addition, the above functional modules may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0113] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 is another structural diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the apparatus includes one or more processors 502 and a transceiver 501 .

[0114] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned apparatus may be used to execute the steps, methods or functions executed by the first device, such as the processor 502 may be used to execute the following steps: Figure 4 The functions or steps implemented by the processing module 401 shown in FIG. 4A , the transceiver 501 can be used to perform the following steps: Figure 4 The functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 402 are shown in FIG. 4 . For detailed description of the processor 502 and the transceiver 501, please refer to FIG. Figure 4Or the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0115] In some other embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned apparatus is used to execute the steps, methods or functions executed by the second device, such as the processor 502 can be used to execute the following steps: Figure 4 The functions or steps implemented by the processing module 401 shown in FIG. 4A , the transceiver 501 can be used to perform the following steps: Figure 4 The functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 402 are shown in FIG. 4 . For detailed description of the processor 502 and the transceiver 501, please refer to FIG. Figure 4 Or the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0116] The following Figure 5 The device shown is a communication device for illustration.

[0117] exist Figure 5 In various implementations of the communication device shown, the transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is used to perform a receiving function (or operation) and the transmitter is used to perform a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is used to communicate with other devices / devices through a transmission medium.

[0118] Optionally, the communication device 500 may also include one or more memories 503 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 503 is coupled to the processor 502. The coupling in the embodiment of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between the communication device, unit or module, which may be electrical, mechanical or other forms, and is used for information exchange between the communication device, unit or module. The processor 502 may operate in conjunction with the memory 503. The processor 502 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 503. Optionally, at least one of the one or more memories may be included in the processor.

[0119] The specific connection medium between the transceiver 501, the processor 502 and the memory 503 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the transceiver 501, the processor 502 and the memory 503 are connected via a bus 504. Figure 5 The connections between the other components are shown in bold lines, which are only for illustration and are not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 5 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0120] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc., and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor, etc.

[0121] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable Programmable ROM, EPROM), a read-only memory (Re ad-Only Memory, ROM) or a portable read-only memory (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory, CD-ROM), etc. The memory is any storage medium that can be used to carry or store program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and can be read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in the present application), but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device that can realize a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0122] The processor 502 is mainly used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and to control the entire communication device, execute the software program, and process the data of the software program. The memory 503 is mainly used to store the software program and data. The transceiver 501 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used to convert the baseband signal and the radio frequency signal and to process the radio frequency signal. The antenna is mainly used to send and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input and output devices, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0123] When the communication device is turned on, the processor 502 can read the software program in the memory 503, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 502 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent, and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then sends the radio frequency signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 502. The processor 502 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0124] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be arranged independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be arranged remotely from the communication device.

[0125] The communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also have Figure 5 The embodiments of the present application do not limit the number of components and the like. The methods executed by the processor and the transceiver shown above are only examples, and the specific steps executed by the processor and the transceiver can refer to the methods described above.

[0126] In another possible implementation, Figure 4 In the communication device shown, the processing module 401 may be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver module 402 may be an input / output interface, or may be called a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver module 402 may also be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module may be an output interface, the receiving module may be an input interface, and the sending module and the receiving module may be integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface.

[0127] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the chip provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 The chip shown includes a logic circuit 601 and an interface 602. That is, the processing module 401 can be implemented by the logic circuit 601, and the transceiver module 402 can be implemented by the interface 602. The logic circuit 601 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit or a system on chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 602 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, a pin, etc. For example, Figure 6 The above device is shown as a chip as an example. The chip includes a logic circuit 601 and an interface 602 .

[0128] In the embodiment of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface may also be coupled to each other. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface. For example, the logic circuit 601 may be used to perform the following Figure 4 The functions or steps implemented by the processing module 401 shown in FIG. 6A and the interface 602 can be used to perform the following steps: Figure 4 The functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 402 are shown in FIG. Figure 6 Or the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0129] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program for electronic data exchange, and the computer program enables a computer to execute part or all of the steps of any method for implementing a key function as recorded in the above method embodiments.

[0130] It should be noted that, for the aforementioned method embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, they are all expressed as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should be aware that the present application is not limited by the described order of actions, because according to the present application, certain steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also be aware that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required by the present application.

[0131] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0132] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed device can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, such as the division of the units, which is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, 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, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the device or unit can be electrical or other forms.

[0133] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0134] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the 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. The above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software program modules.

[0135] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software program module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable memory. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a memory, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned memory includes: U disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), mobile hard disk, magnetic disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0136] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable memory, which can include: a flash drive, a read-only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0137] The embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present application. At the same time, for general technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A network search method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a first device, and the method includes: Searching for a guide cell, obtaining a first broadcast message in the guide cell, where the first broadcast message carries a valid frequency for deploying a narrowband Internet of Things NB-IoT signal, and the guide cell is a cell corresponding to a frequency agreed upon by the first device and the second device; Searching for a target cell in cells corresponding to the valid frequency point; Reside in the target cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frequency point agreed upon by the first device and the second device includes at least one frequency point among the frequency points at the edge ends of a frequency band and a center frequency point, and the frequency band is a frequency range supported by the first device.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Acquire a second broadcast message in the guide cell; The second broadcast message carries first information, where the first information indicates that the guide cell supports the first device to reside; or the second broadcast message carries second information, where the second information indicates that the guide cell does not support the first device to reside.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Before searching for a guiding cell, the method further includes: Searching for a target cell in cells corresponding to reserved frequencies, where the reserved frequencies are frequencies corresponding to cells in which the first device has resided; If the search for the target cell in the cells corresponding to the reserved frequency points fails, the step of searching for the guide cell is performed.

5. A network search method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a second device, and the method includes: A first broadcast message is sent in a guide cell, where the first broadcast message carries a valid frequency for deploying a narrowband Internet of Things NB-IoT signal, and the guide cell is a cell corresponding to a frequency agreed upon by the first device and the second device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The frequency point agreed upon by the first device and the second device includes at least one frequency point among the frequency points at the edges and the center frequency point of a frequency band, and the frequency band is a frequency range supported by the first device.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Sending a second broadcast message in the guide cell; The second broadcast message carries first information, where the first information indicates that the guide cell supports the first device to reside; or the second broadcast message carries second information, where the second information indicates that the guide cell does not support the first device to reside.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that: The effective frequency points include at least one of the following: At least one of a frequency point corresponding to the guide cell and a frequency point different from the frequency point corresponding to the guide cell.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a transceiver, a processor and a memory, wherein the transceiver is used to receive and send data, the memory is used to store a computer program, the computer program comprises program instructions, and the processor is configured to call the program instructions to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program includes program instructions, and the program instructions enable a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or the method according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

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