Communication method and device

Abstract

According to the communication method and device, in the method, terminal equipment receives configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, and the configuration information of the BWP is used for configuring a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. Wherein the first BWP is used for communication of a first communication module of the terminal equipment, and the second BWP is used for communication of a second communication module of the terminal equipment. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. The mode is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the terminal equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] With the development of mobile communication technologies, the network has increasingly higher requirements for the capabilities of terminal devices. For example, terminal devices are required to have higher speeds, support more frequency bands and larger bandwidths, etc. However, the higher the requirements for the capabilities of terminal devices, the more hardware the terminal devices will have, thus increasing the power consumption of the terminal devices.

[0003] Therefore, how to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices remains an issue to be studied. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus, which are beneficial to reducing the power consumption of terminal devices.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a terminal device, where the terminal device can refer to the terminal device itself, or a processor, module, chip, or chip system in the terminal device that implements this method. In this method, the terminal device receives configuration information of a bandwidth part (BWP). The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. Among them, the first BWP is used for a first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0006] It can be seen that in embodiments of this application, the terminal device is configured with a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type, which is beneficial for the terminal device to coordinate the first communication module and the second communication module to communicate. Among them, when the terminal device communicates through the second communication module, it is in a low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0007] In an optional implementation, the first communication module is the main communication module, and the second communication module is the low-power communication module, which is beneficial for the terminal device to coordinate the main communication module and the low-power module to communicate.

[0008] In an optional implementation, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP are less than those allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This method can make the power consumption of the terminal device when communicating using the second BWP less than that when communicating using the first BWP, and further is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second BWP.

[0009] In an alternative embodiment, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, as well as a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. The first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type. This way enables the terminal device to know the first BWP of the first type through the first type indication and the second BWP of the second type through the second type indication.

[0010] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the first condition, it communicates through the second communication module on the second BWP. Wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device is in the connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the terminal device is in the dormant period. Wherein, the first threshold value is configured by the network device for the terminal device or is pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device.

[0011] When the terminal device is in the idle state or the inactive state, or when the DRX of the terminal device is in the dormant period, it indicates that the terminal device is in the low-power mode. Then the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP with lower power consumption. When the terminal device is in the connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a small amount of data and its power consumption is also low. Then the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP. Therefore, when the terminal device meets the first condition and communicates through the second communication module on the second BWP in the low-power mode, the power consumption of the terminal device can be reduced.

[0012] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the first condition and before communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP, it also receives first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first condition. This way enables the terminal device to know the condition for communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the first condition and before communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP, it also receives second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the activation of the second BWP. This is beneficial for the terminal device to activate the second BWP after receiving the second indication information, so that when the first condition is met, it can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP. Or, this is beneficial for the terminal device to be able to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP after receiving the second indication information and when the first condition is met.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second condition, it communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP. Herein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in the connected state, or the terminal device is in the connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0015] When the terminal device is in the connected state, it indicates that the terminal device is in the working state, so the terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP. When the terminal device is in the connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a large amount of data. To ensure the communication quality, the terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP with a relatively high power. It can be seen that when the terminal device meets the second condition, it communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP to ensure the communication quality.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second condition, before communicating via the first communication module on the first BWP, it also receives the third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the second condition. This method enables the terminal device to know the condition for communicating via the first communication module on the first BWP.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second condition, before communicating via the communication module on the first BWP, it also receives the fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information is used to indicate the activation of the first BWP. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to activate the first BWP after receiving the fourth indication information, so that when the second condition is met, it can communicate via the first communication module on the first BWP. Or, this method is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate via the second communication module on the second BWP when the first condition is met after receiving the second indication information.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the first switching condition, it switches from the second BWP to the third BWP, and the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; the terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the third BWP. Herein, the first switching condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the non-activated state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0019] When the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the non-activated state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal, it indicates that the terminal device enters or is about to enter the working state. Then it switches from the second type of BWP with relatively low power consumption to the first type of BWP with relatively high power consumption, such as switching from the second BWP to the third BWP, and communicates via the first communication module on the third BWP. This method can ensure the communication quality.

[0020] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the first handover condition and before switching from the second BWP to the third BWP, the terminal device also receives a fifth indication message, which is used to indicate the first handover condition for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication message is used to indicate the first handover condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the first BWP. This method enables the terminal device to know the handover condition for switching from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, the fifth indication message is further used to indicate the first handover latency for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication message is further used to indicate the first handover latency for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP, so that the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first handover latency.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second handover condition, it switches from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, and the fourth BWP is the second type of BWP; the terminal device communicates through the second communication module on the fourth BWP. The second handover condition is that the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, or the first timer expires. The first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0023] When the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, it indicates that the terminal device enters the low-power mode. Then the terminal device switches from the first type of BWP with higher power consumption to the second type of BWP with lower power consumption. For example, it switches from the first BWP to the fourth BWP and communicates through the second communication module on the fourth BWP. This method can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0024] In addition, the duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or can be preset by the network device and the terminal device in advance. If the first timer expires, it indicates that the terminal device needs to switch from the first communication module to the second communication module. Therefore, the terminal device switches from the first BWP of the first type to the fourth BWP of the second type.

[0025] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second handover condition and before switching from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, the terminal device also receives a sixth indication message, which is used to indicate the second handover condition for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication message is used to indicate the second handover condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. This method enables the terminal device to know the handover condition for switching from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate the second handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate the second handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, so that the time interval for the terminal device to hand over from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second handover latency.

[0027] In an alternative embodiment, the terminal device further receives seventh indication information, which is used to indicate the third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over between BWPs of the same type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over between BWPs of the first type, or is used to indicate the third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over between BWPs of the second type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the fourth BWP, so that the time interval for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the fourth BWP is the third handover latency, and the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. For another example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from the first BWP to the third BWP, so that the time interval for the terminal device to hand over from the first BWP to the third BWP is the third handover latency, and the third BWP is a BWP of the first type. This method enables the terminal device to perform handovers between BWPs of the same type based on the third handover latency.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, the terminal device further sends eighth indication information, which is used to indicate that the terminal device communicates through the first communication module or through the second communication module. This method helps the network device to know the communication module currently used by the terminal device for communication, and further helps the network device to determine whether the terminal device needs to switch the communication module it uses.

[0029] In an alternative embodiment, the terminal device further receives ninth indication information, which is used to indicate one or more of the following: the maximum power allowed by the second BWP, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum modulation and coding strategy, the maximum subcarrier spacing, the maximum number of beams, or the minimum scanning period. This method enables the terminal device to determine whether to use the second BWP for communication based on the ninth indication information.

[0030] Second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be executed by a network device. Here, the network device can refer to the network device itself, or a processor, module, chip, or chip system in the network device that implements this method. In this method, the network device sends configuration information of a bandwidth part (BWP). The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. Among them, the first BWP is used for a first communication module of a terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. The power consumption when the terminal device communicates using the second communication module is less than that when communicating using the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0031] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the network device configures a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type for the terminal device through the configuration information of the BWP, which is beneficial for the terminal device to coordinate the first communication module and the second communication module to communicate. Among them, when the terminal device communicates through the second communication module, it is in a low-power mode, which is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0032] In an optional implementation manner, the first communication module is the main communication module, and the second communication module is the low-power communication module, which is beneficial for the terminal device to coordinate the main communication module and the low-power module to communicate.

[0033] In an optional implementation manner, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP are less than those allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This method can make the power consumption when the terminal device communicates using the second BWP less than that when communicating using the first BWP, and further is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second BWP.

[0034] In an optional implementation manner, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, as well as a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. Among them, the first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to learn about the first BWP of the first type through the first type indication and learn about the second BWP of the second type through the second type indication.

[0035] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first condition for the terminal device to communicate via a second communication module on a second BWP. The first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or a non-active state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the terminal device is in a dormant period.

[0036] When the terminal device is in an idle state or a non-active state, or when the DRX of the terminal device is in a dormant period, it indicates that the terminal device is in a low-power mode. Then the network device instructs the terminal device to communicate via a second communication module on a second BWP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. When the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a small amount of data and its power consumption is also low. Then the network device also instructs the terminal device to communicate via a second communication module on a second BWP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0037] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the activation of a second BWP. This is beneficial for the terminal device to activate the second BWP based on the second indication information and communicate using the second BWP when the first condition is met. Or it is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate using the second BWP when the first condition is met after receiving the second indication information.

[0038] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate via a first communication module on a first BWP. The second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

[0039] When the terminal device is in a connected state, it indicates that the terminal device is in a working state. When the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a large amount of data. Then the network device instructs the terminal device to communicate via a first communication module on a first BWP to ensure communication quality.

[0040] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the activation of a first BWP. This is beneficial for the terminal device to activate the first BWP based on the fourth indication information and communicate using the first BWP when the second condition is met. Or it is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate using the first BWP when the second condition is met after receiving the fourth indication information.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends fifth indication information, which is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from a second type of BWP to a first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from a second BWP to a third BWP, and the third BWP is a first type of BWP. The first switching condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0042] When the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal, it indicates that the terminal device enters or is about to enter the working state. Then the network device instructs the terminal device to switch from a second type of BWP with lower power consumption to a first type of BWP with higher power consumption, such as switching from a second BWP to a third BWP, to ensure communication quality.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from a second type of BWP to a first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from a second BWP to a third BWP. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to switch from a second type of BWP to a first type of BWP based on the first switching delay.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends sixth indication information, which is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from a first type of BWP to a second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from a first BWP to a fourth BWP, and the fourth BWP is a second type of BWP. The second switching condition is that the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, or a first timer expires. The first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from a first communication module to a second communication module.

[0045] When the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, it indicates that the terminal device enters the low-power mode. Then the network device instructs the terminal device to switch from a first type of BWP with higher power consumption to a second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as switching from a first BWP to a fourth BWP, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0046] In addition, the duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or can be preset by the network device and the terminal device in advance. If the first timer expires, it indicates that the terminal device needs to switch from a first communication module to a second communication module. Therefore, the network device instructs the terminal device to switch from a first type of BWP with higher power consumption to a second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as switching from a first BWP to a fourth BWP, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0047] In an optional implementation, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from a first type of BWP to a second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from a first BWP to a fourth BWP. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to hand over from a first type of BWP to a second type of BWP based on the second handover latency.

[0048] In an optional implementation, the network device sends seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over between BWPs of the same type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over between first type BWPs, or is used to indicate a third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over between second type BWPs. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from a second BWP to a fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is a second type of BWP. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the fourth BWP based on the third handover latency. For another example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from a first BWP to a third BWP, where the third BWP is a first type of BWP. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to hand over from the first BWP to the third BWP based on the third handover latency.

[0049] In an optional implementation, the network device receives eighth indication information, and the eighth indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device communicates through a first communication module or through a second communication module; the network device determines whether to switch the communication module based on the eighth indication information. It can be seen that the network device can determine whether the terminal device needs to switch the communication module based on the communication module currently used by the terminal device for feedback.

[0050] In an optional implementation, the network device sends and receives ninth indication information, and the ninth indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the maximum power allowed by the second BWP, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum modulation and coding strategy, the maximum subcarrier spacing, the maximum number of beams, or the minimum scanning period. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to determine whether it can communicate using the second BWP based on the ninth indication information.

[0051] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device. The communication device has some or all of the functions of the terminal device described in the first aspect above, or some or all of the functions of the network device described in the second aspect above. For example, the functions of the communication device may have some or all of the functions of the terminal device in the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application, or may have the functions of any one of the embodiments of the present application implemented separately. The functions may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0052] In a possible design, the structure of the communication device may include a processing unit and a communication unit. The processing unit is configured to support the communication device to execute the corresponding functions in the above method. The communication unit is used to support the communication between the communication device and other communication devices. The communication device may further include a storage unit, and the storage unit is used to be coupled with the processing unit and the communication unit, and stores necessary program instructions and data of the communication device.

[0053] In one implementation, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a communication unit. The device is applied to a terminal device, and the processing unit is used to process signals / signals.

[0054] The communication unit is used to receive configuration information of a bandwidth part (BWP). The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for a first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate.

[0055] The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0056] In addition, in this aspect, for other optional implementations of the communication device, reference may be made to the relevant content of the first aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0057] In another implementation, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a communication unit. The device is applied to a network device, and the processing unit is used to process signals / signals.

[0058] The communication unit is used to send configuration information of a bandwidth part (BWP). The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for a first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate.

[0059] The power of the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power when communicating using the first communication module.

[0060] In addition, in this aspect, for other optional implementation manners of the communication device, reference may be made to the relevant content of the second aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0061] As an example, the communication unit may be a transceiver or a communication interface, the storage unit may be a memory, and the processing unit may be a processor.

[0062] In one implementation manner, the communication device includes: a processor and a transceiver. The device is applied to a terminal device, and the processor is configured to process signals / signals.

[0063] The transceiver is configured to receive configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP. The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for the first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for the second communication module of the terminal device to communicate.

[0064] The power of the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power when communicating using the first communication module.

[0065] In addition, in this aspect, for other optional implementation manners of the communication device, reference may be made to the relevant content of the first aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0066] In another implementation manner, the communication device includes: a processor and a transceiver. The device is applied to a network device, and the processor is configured to process signals / signals.

[0067] The transceiver is configured to send configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP. The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for the first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for the second communication module of the terminal device to communicate.

[0068] The power of the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power when communicating using the first communication module.

[0069] In addition, in this aspect, for other optional implementation manners of the communication device, reference may be made to the relevant content of the second aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0070] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. The processing unit can also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit; the communication unit can be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or a related circuit, etc. on the chip or the chip system.

[0071] In the implementation process, the processor can be used for, for example but not limited to, baseband-related processing, and the transceiver can be used for, for example but not limited to, radio frequency transceiver. The above-mentioned devices can be respectively arranged on independent chips, or at least partially or entirely arranged on the same chip. For example, the processor can be further divided into an analog baseband processor and a digital baseband processor. Among them, the analog baseband processor can be integrated with the transceiver on the same chip, and the digital baseband processor can be arranged on an independent chip. With the continuous development of integrated circuit technology, more and more devices can be integrated on the same chip. For example, the digital baseband processor can be integrated with multiple application processors (such as but not limited to a graphics processor, a multimedia processor, etc.) on the same chip. Such a chip can be called a system on a chip (SoC). Whether to arrange the various devices independently on different chips or to integrate them on one or more chips often depends on the needs of product design. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the implementation forms of the above-mentioned devices.

[0072] Fourthly, the embodiments of the present application further provide a processor for executing the above various methods. In the process of executing these methods, the processes of sending the above information and receiving the above information in the above methods can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above information, and the process of the processor receiving the input above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver for transmission by the transceiver. After the above information is output by the processor, other processing may be required before it reaches the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives the input above information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it to the processor. Further, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to be processed otherwise before it is input to the processor.

[0073] For operations such as sending and receiving involved in the processor, if there is no special description, or if it does not conflict with its actual role or internal logic in the relevant description, they can generally be understood as operations of the processor outputting, receiving, and inputting, rather than the sending and receiving operations directly performed by the radio frequency circuit and the antenna.

[0074] In the implementation process, the above-mentioned processor can be a processor specifically designed to execute these methods, or a processor that executes computer instructions in a memory to execute these methods, such as a general-purpose processor. The above-mentioned memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as a read only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or can be separately provided on different chips. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the memory and the setting manner of the memory and the processor.

[0075] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices / functional network elements that interact with the terminal device and the network device.

[0076] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions, and when the instructions are run by a computer, the methods described in the first aspect or the second aspect above are implemented.

[0077] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product including instructions, and when it runs on a computer, the methods described in the first aspect or the second aspect above are implemented.

[0078] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and an interface. The interface is used to obtain a program or instructions, and the processor is used to call the program or instructions to implement or support the terminal device to implement the functions involved in the first aspect, or to implement or support the network device to implement the functions involved in the second aspect. For example, determining or processing at least one of the data and information involved in the above methods. In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data of the terminal. The chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0079] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor for executing a computer program or executable instructions stored in a memory. When the computer program or executable instructions are executed, the device executes the methods in each possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0080] In a possible implementation, the processor and the memory are integrated together;

[0081] In another possible implementation, the above-mentioned memory is located outside the communication device.

[0082] The beneficial effects of the third aspect to the ninth aspect can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be elaborated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0083] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture;

[0084] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for stand-alone networking;

[0085] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for dual connectivity;

[0086] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the capability evolution from a 4G terminal to a 5G terminal;

[0087] Figure 5 is an interaction schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the collaborative work of a main communication module and a low-power communication module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0091] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0092] To better understand the embodiments of the present application, the system architecture related to the embodiments of the present application will be introduced first:

[0093] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to systems evolved after 5G such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems, sixth generation (6G) mobile communication systems, satellite communications, and short-range wireless communication systems. The system architecture is as Figure 1 shown. The wireless communication system may include one or more network devices and one or more terminal devices. The wireless communication system can also perform point-to-point communication, such as communication between multiple terminal devices.

[0094] The communication scenarios applicable to the embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to, terrestrial cellular communication, non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication, satellite communication, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), integrated access and backhaul (IAB), reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) communication, and other scenarios.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device is a device with wireless transceiver functions and is used to communicate with terminal devices. It can be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a base station in a 5G / 6G network, or a base station, broadband network gateway (BNG), aggregation switch, or non-3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). Optionally, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, devices that will implement base station functions in the future, access points (APs) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, and devices that undertake base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), V2X, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, devices that implement base station functions in a communication system evolved after 5G, IAB. It may also include a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) system, network devices in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, that is, they can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites, and can also be various devices that constitute access nodes, such as active antenna units (AAUs), baseband units (BBUs), etc. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0096] The network device can communicate and interact with core network devices to provide communication services to terminal devices. The core network device is, for example, a device in the core network (CN) of a 5G network. The core network, as a bearer network, provides an interface to the data network and provides communication connections, authentication, management, policy control, and bearer of data services for terminals.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem that have wireless communication functions. The terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal. The terminal device may also refer to a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a user agent, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a tablet computer, a wireless modem, a handset, a laptop computer, a smart point of sale (POS) machine, a customer-premises equipment (CPE), a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a communication device carried on a high-altitude aircraft, a wearable device, a drone, a robot, a terminal in D2D, a terminal in V2X, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, 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, or a terminal device in a future communication network, etc., which are not limited in the present application.

[0098] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to a standalone (SA) communication scenario. The SA communication scenario means that the terminal device is connected to a single base station, and the base station to which the terminal device is connected and the core network to which the base station is connected are of the same system type. For example, the core network is 5G core, the base station to which the terminal device is connected is a 5G base station, and the 5G base station is directly connected to 5G core. Another example is that the core network is 6G core, the base station to which the terminal device is connected is a 6G base station, and the 6G base station is directly connected to 6G core. Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 which is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a standalone network. Specifically, Figure 2 which is a schematic diagram of the SA system architecture under a 6G mobile communication system. As Figure 2As shown, the terminal device is connected to a 6G base station, and the 6G base station is directly connected to the 6G core.

[0099] The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to a dual connectivity (DC) scenario. The dual connectivity scenario means that the terminal device is simultaneously connected to base stations of different / same radio access technologies, and is applicable to terminal devices in the connected state. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for dual connectivity. As Figure 3 shown, the core network is 5G core, and the terminal device is simultaneously connected to a 5G base station and a 6G base station, where the 5G base station serves as the master station and the 6G base station serves as the secondary station. Another example is that the core network is 5G core, and the terminal device is simultaneously connected to two 5G base stations, that is, both the master station and the secondary station are 5G base stations. Another example is that the core network is 6G core, and the terminal device is simultaneously connected to a 6G base station and a 5G base station, where the 6G base station serves as the master station and the 5G base station serves as the secondary station. Another example is that the core network is 6G core, and the terminal device is simultaneously connected to two 6G base stations, that is, both the master station and the secondary station are 6G base stations.

[0100] The embodiments disclosed in the present application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features of the present application around a system including multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In addition, combinations of these solutions can also be used.

[0101] With the development of communication technologies (such as 5G technology), the network has higher and higher requirements for the capabilities of terminals. For example, the improvement of network capabilities places higher requirements on the rate of 5G terminals. Another example is that diverse applications require 5G terminals in various forms, such as smartphones, customer premise equipment (CPE), routers, laptops, televisions (TVs), tablets, virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR), drones, autonomous driving, wearable devices, and other terminal forms involved in applications. Another example is that the network requires 5G terminals to preferably support both non-Standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) networking. Another example is that the network requires 5G terminals to support more frequency bands and larger bandwidths.

[0102] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the capability evolution from 4G terminals to 5G terminals. As Figure 4As shown, 4G terminals or 4.5G terminals support up to 1 transmit antenna and 2 receive antennas, with a maximum power of 23 dBm and a maximum bandwidth of 20 MHz; 5G terminals support up to 2 transmit antennas and 2 receive antennas, with a maximum power of 29 dBm and a maximum bandwidth of 100 MHz. It can be seen that the capabilities of 5G terminals are significantly greater than those of 4G terminals or 4.5G terminals.

[0103] With the increasing requirements of 5G terminals, the hardware of the terminals will increase accordingly, and thus the power consumption of the terminals will inevitably increase. Under typical services (such as comprehensive web browsing, instant messaging, gaming, and video), the average power consumption increase of 5G terminal communication compared to 4G terminal communication reaches more than 200%. In addition, the long-term battery life of the terminal is also an important aspect of the user experience and will affect the use of 5G terminals or services. Therefore, the long-term battery life of 5G terminals faces great challenges, and researching how to reduce the power consumption of 5G terminals is the key to solving this problem.

[0104] In recent years, the Internet of Things has received extensive attention in the field of wireless communication. 3GPP has also introduced relevant technologies for different types of Internet of Things terminals, such as machine type communication (MTC), enhanced machine type communication (eMTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), and reduced capability (RedCap). In order to further reduce the size, complexity, and power consumption of Internet of Things devices, Ambient IoT, an Internet of Things based on supporting battery-free or limited-energy-storage devices, has become a recent research hotspot. For this type of terminal, energy is provided by collecting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable power source. Among them, Ambient IoT can also be called zero-power terminal, near-zero-power terminal, passive IoT, ambient backscatter communication (AmBC), communication based on passive reflection, etc. Compared with low-power wide-coverage services (such as NB IoT, eMTC), Ambient IoT has lower complexity and lower power consumption, enabling more application scenarios.

[0105] Among them, the zero-power device receives the carrier signal sent by the reader-writer, collects energy through the radio frequency energy harvesting module, and supplies energy to the low-power processing module. After obtaining energy, the zero-power device drives the corresponding circuit by the backscatter tag to adjust the incoming wave signal and perform backscattering. It can be seen that the zero-power device can obtain the relevant information of the terminal device in a low-power manner with the help of the low-power module. However, the zero-power device operates independently with this low-power module and does not cooperate with the main communication module.

[0106] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method 100. In this method, the network device sends the configuration information of the bandwidth part (BWP) to the terminal device, and the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure the first BWP of the first type and the second BWP of the second type. Among them, the first BWP is used for the first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for the second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to cooperate with the first communication module and the second communication module to communicate. Among them, when the terminal device communicates through the second communication module, it is in a low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0107] An embodiment of the present application proposes a communication method 100, Figure 5 which is an interaction schematic diagram of the communication method 100. The communication method 100 is described from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device and the network device. The communication method 100 includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0108] S101. The network device sends the configuration information of the BWP. The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure the first BWP of the first type and the second BWP of the second type. The first BWP is used for the first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for the second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the configuration information of the BWP.

[0109] Among them, when the terminal device communicates, it can be the terminal device communicating with the network device or the terminal device communicating with other terminal devices. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0110] In addition, the first BWP is used for communication by the first communication module of the terminal device. It can be understood that: the terminal device can use the first BWP to communicate through the first communication module, or it can be understood that: the terminal device can use the first communication module to communicate on the first BWP, or it can be understood that: the first communication module of the terminal device can work on the first BWP, or it can be understood that: the first communication module of the terminal device can be carried by the first BWP. Similarly, the second BWP is used for communication by the second communication module of the terminal device. It can be understood that: the terminal device can use the second BWP to communicate through the second communication module, or it can be understood that: the terminal device can use the second communication module to communicate on the second BWP, or it can be understood that: the second communication module of the terminal device can work on the second BWP, or it can be understood that: the second communication module of the terminal device can be carried by the second BWP.

[0111] Optionally, the first communication module can also be referred to as the main communication module, and the second communication module can also be referred to as the low-power module. Therefore, the terminal device can use the main communication module to communicate on the first BWP, and can use the low-power communication module to communicate on the second BWP, that is, the terminal device can communicate in coordination with the main communication module and the low-power communication module.

[0112] It can be seen that the network device configures, through the configuration information of the BWP, the first type of first BWP used by the terminal device when communicating through the first communication module, and the second type of second BWP used when communicating through the second communication module. Or it can be understood that: the network device, through the configuration information of the BWP, configures the first communication module and the second communication module to be carried by different types of BWPs, the first communication module is carried by the first type of first BWP, and the second communication module is carried by the second type of second BWP. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate in coordination with the first communication module and the second communication module, that is, the terminal device can communicate through the first communication module on the first BWP, and communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0113] Optionally, the network device can also, through the configuration information of the BWP, configure other BWPs of the first type for the terminal device, and configure other BWPs of the second type for the terminal device, such as configuring the third BWP of the first type and the fourth BWP of the second type. The BWPs of the first type configured by the network device for the terminal device are all used for communication by the first communication module of the terminal device, and the BWPs of the second type are all used for communication by the second communication module of the terminal device. It can be seen that the network device configures the first communication module to be carried by the BWP of the first type and the second communication module to be carried by the BWP of the second type through the configuration information of the BWP, which is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate in coordination with the first communication module and the second communication module.

[0114] In addition, the maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. Thus, the power consumption of the terminal device when communicating through the second communication module is less than that when communicating through the first communication module. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP in a low-power mode, and can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0115] In an optional implementation, one or more of the following allowed by the second type of BWP is less than that allowed by the first type of BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This method can make the power consumption of the terminal device when using the second type of BWP less than that when using the first type of BWP, and can enable the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second type of BWP.

[0116] For example, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. The maximum power allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum power allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum power allowed by the second BWP is less than the maximum power allowed by the first BWP. The maximum bandwidth allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second BWP is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first BWP. For example, the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second BWP is 5 MHz, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first BWP is 20 MHz. The maximum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum MCS allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum MCS allowed by the second BWP is less than the maximum MCS allowed by the first BWP. For example, the maximum transmission modulation method allowed by the second BWP is 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and the maximum transmission modulation method allowed by the first BWP is 64QAM.

[0117] The maximum subcarrier spacing (SCS) allowed for the second BWP is different from that allowed for the first BWP, and the maximum SCS allowed for the second BWP is less than that allowed for the first BWP. For example, the maximum SCS of the second BWP is 30 KHz, and the maximum SCS of the first BWP is 60 KHz. The number of beams allowed for the second BWP is different from the maximum number of beams allowed for the first BWP, and the maximum number of beams allowed for the second BWP is less than the maximum number of beams allowed for the first BWP. For example, the second BWP allows a maximum of 2 synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) beams, and the first BWP allows a maximum of 6 SSB beams.

[0118] Further, one or more of the following allowed for the second BWP are different from those allowed for the first BWP: maximum transmit power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams, and one or more of the following allowed for the second BWP are less than those allowed for the first BWP: maximum transmit power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This way enables the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second BWP.

[0119] Optionally, the minimum scanning period allowed for the second type of BWP is different from that allowed for the first type of BWP. For example, the minimum scanning period allowed for the second BWP is different from that allowed for the first BWP. For instance, the minimum scanning period allowed for the second BWP is 40 ms, and the minimum scanning period allowed for the first BWP is 10 ms.

[0120] Optionally, the waveform allowed for the second type of BWP is different from that allowed for the first type of BWP. For example, the waveform allowed for the second BWP is different from that allowed for the first BWP.

[0121] In summary, the network device and the terminal device can distinguish the first type of BWP from the second type of BWP by one or more of the following: maximum transmit power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, maximum number of beams, minimum scanning period, or waveform. This way enables the terminal device to effectively reduce the power consumption of the terminal device in terms of resource utilization when using the second type of BWP.

[0122] In an optional implementation manner, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, as well as a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. The first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

[0123] Among them, the first type is indicated as "1", and the second type is indicated as "0". Optionally, the first type is indicated as "0", and the second type is indicated as "1". The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific forms of the indication of the first type and the indication of the second type. For the convenience of description, the following takes the indication of the first type as "1" and the indication of the second type as "0" as an example.

[0124] Exemplarily, the configuration information of the BWP includes "1" and the identifier of the first BWP associated with "1", and "0" and the identifier of the second BWP associated with "0". Thus, the terminal device can learn from the configuration information of the BWP that the first BWP is a BWP of the first type, and the second BWP is a BWP of the second type.

[0125] Optionally, for different types of BWPs, a new field needs to be added to the downlink control information (DCI) to describe the type of the BWP. Therefore, the configuration information of the BWP includes two-level indications of the BWP. Optionally, the first-level indication in the BWP configuration information uses 1 bit to indicate the BWP type, and the second-level indication uses 2 bits to indicate the BWP index.

[0126] Optionally, the configuration information of the BWP further includes the subcarrier spacing SCS, cyclic prefix (CP), and bandwidth (BW) of the first BWP, as well as the SCS, CP, and BW of the second BWP. Optionally, the configuration information of the BWP may further include other information related to the first BWP and other information related to the second BWP. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0127] Optionally, if the network device further configures other first-type BWPs other than the first BWP and other second-type BWPs other than the second BWP through the configuration information of the BWP, then the first-type indication is further used to indicate other first-type BWPs, and the second-type indication is further used to indicate other second-type BWPs. For example, if the network device further configures a third BWP of the first type and a fourth BWP of the second type through the configuration information of the BWP, then the first-type indication is further used to indicate that the third BWP is a BWP of the first type, and the second-type indication is further used to indicate that the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. Optionally, the BWP configuration information further includes information related to the third BWP and information related to the fourth BWP, such as the SCS, CP, and BW of the third BWP and the fourth BWP.

[0128] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends ninth indication information to the terminal device. The ninth indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the maximum transmit power allowed by the second BWP, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum modulation and coding scheme, the maximum subcarrier spacing, the maximum number of beams, or the minimum scanning period. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the ninth indication information from the network device. Optionally, the ninth indication information is carried in DCI to reduce signaling overhead.

[0129] It can be seen that the network device indicates to the terminal device one or more of the maximum transmit power allowed by the second BWP, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum modulation and coding scheme, the maximum subcarrier spacing, the maximum number of beams, or the minimum scanning period through the ninth indication information. Thus, the terminal device learns one or more of the above items allowed by the second BWP, which is conducive to the terminal device determining whether it can adopt the second BWP based on one or more of the above items allowed by the second BWP.

[0130] Optionally, after the terminal device obtains the configured first BWP of the first type and the second BWP of the second type, the following embodiments can also be executed:

[0131] Embodiment 1: When the terminal device meets the first condition, it communicates through the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0132] Wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device is in the connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold, or the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the terminal device is in the sleep period. The first threshold can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or can be pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device.

[0133] It can be understood that when the terminal device is in the idle state or the inactive state, or when the DRX of the terminal device is in the sleep period, it indicates that the terminal device is in the low-power mode. Therefore, the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP with lower power. When the terminal device is in the connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a small amount of data and its power consumption is also low. The terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0134] It can be seen that when the terminal device meets the first condition, the network is relatively idle, and the power consumption of the terminal device for communication is small. Thus, the terminal device communicates through the second communication module on the second BWP, that is, communicates in the low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0135] In an alternative embodiment, the network device also sends first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first condition. Correspondingly, when the terminal device meets the first condition, it receives the first indication information from the network device before communicating via the second communication module on the second BWP. It can be seen that the terminal device can learn about the first condition for communicating via the second communication module on the second BWP through the first indication information from the network device.

[0136] In an alternative embodiment, the network device also sends second indication information to the terminal device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the activation of the second BWP. Correspondingly, when the terminal device meets the first condition, it also receives the second indication information from the network device before communicating via the second communication module on the second BWP. It can be seen that the network device also indicates to the terminal device to activate the second BWP through the second indication information.

[0137] After receiving the second indication information, the terminal device activates the second BWP and, when meeting the first condition, communicates via the second communication module on the second BWP. Optionally, after receiving the second indication information, when meeting the first condition, the terminal device directly communicates via the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0138] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets a first handover condition, it hands over from the second BWP to the third BWP, and the third BWP is a BWP of the first type. The terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the third BWP. Among them, the first handover condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0139] It can be understood that when the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, it indicates that the terminal device will communicate in the connected state. To ensure communication quality, the terminal device hands over from the second BWP to the third BWP. When the terminal device receives a wake-up signal, it indicates that the terminal device will enter the working state from the sleep state. To ensure communication quality, the terminal device also hands over to the third BWP from the second BWP.

[0140] In an alternative embodiment, the network device also sends fifth indication information to the terminal device, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first handover condition for the terminal device to hand over from a BWP of the second type to a BWP of the first type. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first handover condition for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the third BWP. Correspondingly, when the terminal device meets the first handover condition, it also receives the fifth indication information before handing over from the second BWP to the third BWP. Thus, the terminal device learns about the handover condition for handing over from a BWP of the second type to a BWP of the first type, such as learning about the handover condition for handing over from the second BWP to the third BWP.

[0141] Optionally, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. In this way, the terminal device can hand over from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP based on the first handover latency. For example, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first handover latency for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the third BWP. Thus, the terminal device can hand over from the second BWP to the third BWP based on the first handover latency, that is, the time interval for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first handover latency.

[0142] Optionally, one or more of the first indication information, the second indication information, and the fifth indication information are carried in the downlink control information DCI to reduce signaling overhead.

[0143] Optionally, the first handover condition is not configured by the network device for the terminal device, and can be pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device, such as through a predetermined rule.

[0144] Embodiment 2: When the terminal device meets the second condition, it communicates through the first communication module on the first BWP.

[0145] Wherein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in the connected state, or the terminal device is in the connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0146] It can be understood that when the terminal device is in the connected state, it indicates that the terminal device is in the working state, so the terminal device communicates through the first communication module on the first BWP. When the terminal device is in the connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a large amount of data. Therefore, to ensure the normal transmission of data, the terminal device communicates through the first communication module on the first BWP with a larger power. It can be seen that when the terminal device meets the second condition, it communicates through the first communication module on the first BWP to improve communication quality.

[0147] In an optional embodiment, the network device further sends third indication information to the terminal device, and the third indication information is used to indicate the second condition for the terminal device to communicate through the first communication module on the first BWP. Correspondingly, when the terminal device meets the second condition, before communicating through the first communication module on the first BWP, it receives the second condition from the network device. It can be seen that the terminal device can learn the condition for communicating through the first communication module on the first BWP through the third indication information from the network device.

[0148] In an alternative embodiment, the network device also sends fourth indication information to the terminal device, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the activation of the first BWP. Correspondingly, when the terminal device meets the second condition, before communicating via the first communication module on the first BWP, it receives the fourth indication information from the network device. It can be seen that the network device also uses the fourth indication information to instruct the terminal device to activate the first BWP.

[0149] After receiving the fourth indication information, the terminal device activates the first BWP and, when meeting the second condition, communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP. Optionally, after receiving the fourth indication information, when meeting the second condition, the terminal device directly communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP.

[0150] In an alternative embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second handover condition, it hands over from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, and the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. The terminal device communicates via the second communication module on the fourth BWP. Wherein, the second handover condition is that the terminal device moves from the connected state to the idle state or the inactive state, or the first timer expires, and the first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0151] When the terminal device receives a radio resource control release (RRC release) message or a suspend message, it moves from the connected state to the idle state or the inactive state, indicating that the terminal device enters the low-power mode. Then the terminal device hands over from the first type of BWP with higher power consumption to the second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. This method enables the terminal device to communicate in the low-power mode on the fourth BWP and can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0152] In addition, the first timer is configured by the network device for the terminal device, or pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device, and is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module. The duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or can be pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device. When the network device configures the duration of the first timer for the terminal device, it can determine the duration of the first timer based on the communication service of the terminal device.

[0153] If the first timer expires, it indicates that the terminal device needs to switch from the first communication module to the second communication module. Therefore, the terminal device hands over from the first BWP of the first type to the fourth BWP of the second type and communicates via the second communication module on the fourth BWP.

[0154] In an alternative embodiment, the network device sends sixth indication information to the terminal device. The sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. Thus, the terminal device can learn the switching condition for switching from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP through the sixth indication information. For example, the sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. Correspondingly, before the terminal device switches from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, it receives the sixth indication information from the network device.

[0155] In an alternative embodiment, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate the second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. This way enables the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP based on the second switching delay. For example, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate the second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. Thus, it enables the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP based on the second switching delay, that is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0156] Optionally, one or more of the third indication information, the fourth indication information, and the sixth indication information are carried in the DCI to reduce signaling overhead.

[0157] Optionally, the second switching condition is not configured by the network device for the terminal device. The second switching condition is pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device, such as through a predetermined rule.

[0158] It can be understood that when the subcarrier spacing of the BWP is different, the switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP is different, and the switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP is different. The larger the subcarrier spacing of the BWP, the smaller the switching delay for the terminal device to switch between different types of BWP.

[0159] Optionally, the network device can indicate the first switching delay or the second switching delay to the terminal device in the form of a table, that is, the fifth indication information or the sixth indication information can be in the form of a table. For example, the network device indicates the second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP to the terminal device through Table 1 below. As shown in Table 1, when the parameter set μ of the new radio (NR) is different, the value of the second switching delay is different.

[0160] Table 1

[0161] μ Second handover delay (ms) 0 3 1 6 2 9 3 12

[0162] Optionally, the terminal device can also switch between BWPs of the same type. For example, the terminal device can also switch from the first BWP of the first type to the third BWP of the first type. For another example, the terminal device can also switch from the second BWP of the second type to the fourth BWP of the second type. Additionally, the larger the subcarrier spacing of the BWP, the smaller the handover delay for the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the same type.

[0163] Optionally, the network device also sends seventh indication information to the terminal device, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third handover delay for the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the same type. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the seventh indication information from the network device. Thus, the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the same type based on the third handover delay.

[0164] For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third handover delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the first type, so that the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the first type based on the third handover delay. For instance, the terminal device switches from the first BWP to the third BWP of the first type based on the third handover delay, that is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the third BWP is the third handover delay. For another example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third handover delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the second type, so that the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the second type based on the third handover delay. For instance, the terminal device switches from the second BWP to the fourth BWP of the second type based on the third handover delay, that is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the fourth BWP is the third handover delay.

[0165] Optionally, in the NR system, the network device can indicate the third handover delay to the terminal device through Table 2 below.

[0166] Table 2

[0167]

[0168] As shown in Table 2, when the value of μ is 0, if the terminal device switches between BWPs of the first type (Type 1), the third handover delay is 1 * 1 = 1 ms, and if the terminal device switches between BWPs of the second type (Type 2), the third handover delay is 1 * 3 = 3 ms. Similarly, when the value of μ is 1, if the terminal device switches between BWPs of Type 1, the third handover delay is 0.5 * 2 = 1 ms, and if the terminal device switches between BWPs of Type 2, the third handover delay is 0.5 * 5 = 2.5 ms. When the value of μ is 2, 3, 5, and 6, the calculation method of the third handover delay is similar and will not be elaborated.

[0169] In an alternative embodiment, the terminal device may further send eighth indication information to the network device, where the eighth indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device communicates through the first communication module or through the second communication module. Among them, the eighth indication information may be carried in the UE assistance information (UAI) to reduce signaling overhead. For example, the terminal device adds 1 bit to the UAI to indicate that the terminal device communicates through the first communication module or through the second communication module.

[0170] The manner in which the terminal device sends the eighth indication information to the network device enables the network device to know the communication module used by the terminal device for current communication. Furthermore, the network device can determine whether the terminal device needs to switch the communication module according to the communication module used by the terminal device for current communication and the communication service of the terminal device. When the network device determines that the terminal device needs to switch the communication module, it indicates to the terminal device to switch the communication module.

[0171] For example, the terminal device indicates to the network device through the eighth indication information that the communication module used by the terminal device for current communication is the second communication module. The network device determines based on the communication service of the terminal device that the terminal device needs to switch from the second communication module to the first communication module. Then, the network device sends indication information for indicating that the terminal device switches from the second communication module to the first communication module to the terminal device, so that the terminal device switches from the second communication module to the first communication module and communicates through the first communication module on the first type of BWP to ensure communication quality.

[0172] In summary, when the terminal device meets the first condition, it can communicate through the second communication module on the second type of BWP; when it meets the second condition, it can communicate through the first communication module on the first type of BWP, enabling the first communication module and the second communication module to work together. Among them, when the terminal device communicates through the second communication module, it communicates in a low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0173] In addition, when the terminal device meets the first switching condition, it can switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP to ensure communication quality. When the terminal device meets the second switching condition, it can switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0174] Exemplarily, the first communication module is the main communication module, and the second communication module is the low-power communication module. Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the main communication module and the low-power communication module. As Figure 6As shown, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle state / inactive state, or when it is in the RRC connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than the first threshold, the terminal device uses the second type of BWP to communicate through the low-power communication module to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. In addition, when the terminal device is in the RRC connected state and there is no data transmission, it also uses the second type of BWP to listen through the low-power communication module to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. When the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, or when it is in the connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it uses the first type of BWP to communicate with the network device through the main communication module to ensure the communication quality. When the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC idle state, it can switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP, that is, from the low-power module to the main communication module, to ensure the communication quality. When the terminal device enters the RRC idle state / inactive state from the RRC connected state, it can switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP, that is, from the main communication module to the low-power module, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0175] It can be seen that the terminal device can use the first type of BWP to communicate through the first communication module for a period of time, and use the second type of BWP to communicate through the second communication module for another period of time. That is to say, the terminal device can make the first communication module with higher power consumption and the second communication module with lower power consumption work together, so that the terminal device can perform data transmission in a low-power mode for a period of time, effectively reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0176] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device configures the first BWP of the first type and the second BWP of the second type for the terminal device through the configuration information of the BWP. Among them, the first BWP is used for the first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for the second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. This method is beneficial for the terminal device to cooperate with the first communication module and the second communication module to communicate. Among them, the terminal device communicates through the second communication module in a low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0177] For the technical solution described above, the corresponding device implementation solution is further described below.

[0178] To implement the various functions in the method provided in the embodiments of the present application above, the terminal device and the network device may include a hardware structure and / or software module, and implement the above-mentioned various functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a combination of a hardware structure and a software module. Whether a certain function among the above-mentioned various functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a combination of a hardware structure and a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0179] As Figure 7 shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 700. The communication device 700 may be a component of a terminal device (for example, an integrated circuit, a chip, etc.), or a component of a network device (for example, an integrated circuit, a chip, etc.). The communication device 700 may also be other communication units for implementing the method in the method embodiments of the present application. The communication device 700 may include: a communication unit 701 and a processing unit 702. Optionally, a storage unit 703 may also be included.

[0180] In a possible design, as Figure 7 one or more of the units in may be implemented by one or more processors, or by one or more processors and a memory; or by one or more processors and a transceiver; or by one or more processors, a memory, and a transceiver. The embodiments of the present application do not make limitations in this regard. The processor, the memory, and the transceiver may be provided separately or integrated.

[0181] The communication device 700 has the functions of implementing the terminal device or the network device described in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the communication device 700 includes a reader / writer to execute the modules, units, or means corresponding to the steps involved in the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The functions, units, or means may be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software, or by a combination of software and hardware. For details, reference may be further made to the corresponding descriptions in the foregoing corresponding method embodiments.

[0182] In a possible design, the communication device 700 may include: a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 701. The device is applied to a terminal device, and the processing unit 702 is used to process signals / signals;

[0183] The communication unit 701 is used to receive configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP. The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for a first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate;

[0184] The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0185] In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

[0186] In an alternative embodiment, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, as well as a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; the first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

[0187] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 satisfies a first condition, communication is performed on the second BWP through the second communication module; wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or a non-active state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the terminal device is in a dormant period.

[0188] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 satisfies the first condition, before communicating on the second BWP through the second communication module, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first condition.

[0189] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 satisfies the first condition, before communicating on the second BWP through the second communication module, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate activation of the second BWP.

[0190] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 satisfies a second condition, communication is performed on the first BWP through the first communication module; wherein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

[0191] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 satisfies the second condition, before communicating on the first BWP through the first communication module, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the second condition.

[0192] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 meets the second condition, before communicating on the first BWP through the first communication module, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate activation of the first BWP.

[0193] In an alternative embodiment, the processing unit 702 is further configured to: when meeting the first switching condition, switch from the second BWP to the third BWP, where the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; and communicate on the third BWP through the first communication module; where the first switching condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0194] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 meets the first switching condition and before switching from the second BWP to the third BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first switching condition.

[0195] In an alternative embodiment, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first switching delay.

[0196] In an alternative embodiment, the processing unit 702 is further configured to: when meeting the second switching condition, switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; and communicate on the fourth BWP through the second communication module; where the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, or a first timer expires, and the first timer is a timer for timing the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0197] In an alternative embodiment, when the processing unit 702 meets the second switching condition and before switching from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition.

[0198] In an alternative embodiment, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0199] The embodiments of the present application and the above-described method embodiments are based on the same concept and have the same technical effects. For the specific principle, please refer to the description of the above-described embodiments and will not be elaborated herein.

[0200] In another possible design, the communication device 700 may include a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 701. The device is applied to a network device. The processing unit 702 is configured to process signals / signaling.

[0201] The communication unit 701 is configured to send configuration information of a bandwidth part (BWP). The configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for a first communication module of a terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. The power when the terminal device communicates using the second communication module is less than the power when it communicates using the first communication module.

[0202] In an optional implementation, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP are less than those allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

[0203] In an optional implementation, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, as well as a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. The first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

[0204] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first condition for the terminal device to communicate on the second BWP through the second communication module. Wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or a non-active state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold, or the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the terminal device is in a dormant period.

[0205] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate activation of the second BWP.

[0206] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate on the first BWP through the first communication module. Wherein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0207] In an alternative embodiment, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send fourth indication information for indicating activation of the first BWP.

[0208] In an alternative embodiment, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send fifth indication information; the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP, where the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; wherein, the first switching condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0209] In an alternative embodiment, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP.

[0210] In an alternative embodiment, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send sixth indication information for indicating a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; wherein, the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, or a first timer expires, and the first timer is a timer for timing the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0211] In an alternative embodiment, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0212] The embodiments of the present application and the above-described method embodiments are based on the same concept and have the same technical effects. For the specific principle, please refer to the description of the above-described embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0213] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication device 800. Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the communication device 800. The communication device 800 may be a terminal device, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor, etc. that supports the terminal device to implement the above method; or, it may be a network device, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor, etc. that supports the network device to implement the above method. The device can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments, and for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0214] The communication device 800 may include one or more processors 801. The processor 801 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband 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 or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor may be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a distributed unit (DU) or a centralized unit (CU), etc.), execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs.

[0215] Optionally, the communication device 800 may include one or more memories 802, on which instructions 804 may be stored, and the instructions may be executed on the processor 801, so that the communication device 800 performs the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, data may also be stored in the memory 802. The processor 801 and the memory 802 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0216] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a transceiver 805 and an antenna 806. The transceiver 805 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit, etc., for implementing a transceiver function. The transceiver 805 may include a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver may be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., for implementing a receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., for implementing a transmitting function.

[0217] In one possible design, the communication apparatus 800 may be applied to a terminal device, and specifically, the transceiver 805 is used to execute S101 in the above-mentioned communication method 100.

[0218] In another possible design, the communication device 800 can be applied to a network device. Specifically, the transceiver 805 is used to execute S101 in the above-mentioned communication method 100.

[0219] Optionally, the processor 801 may store an instruction 803, and the instruction 803 runs on the processor 801, so that the communication device 800 can execute the method described in the above method embodiment. The instruction 803 may be fixed in the processor 801, in which case the processor 801 may be implemented by hardware.

[0220] The embodiments of the present application and the method embodiments shown in the above-mentioned communication method 100 are based on the same concept, and the technical effects brought by them are also the same. For the specific principle, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown in the above-mentioned communication method 100, and details will not be repeated here.

[0221] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which may include a terminal device and a network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices / functional network elements that interact with the terminal device and the network device.

[0222] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0223] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0224] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program, which, when running on a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0225] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first" and "second" in the description, claims, and drawings of the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. "First", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0226] In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. 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 further includes steps or units not listed, or optionally further includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0227] Referring to "embodiment" in the embodiments of the present application means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The phrase appearing in various positions in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0228] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "a plurality" means two or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously. Here, A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (one)" or its similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item (one) or plural items (ones). For example, at least one (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", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0229] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to give examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present relevant concepts in a specific manner for easy understanding.

[0230] 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 instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center in a wired manner (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wirelessly (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more integrated available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (such as an SSD), etc.

[0231] As described above, it is only the specific implementation manner of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claimed rights.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, the method includes: receiving configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for a first communication module of a terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate; the maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, as well as a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; the first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the method further includes: when a first condition is met, communicating on the second BWP through the second communication module; wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or a non-active state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception DRX of the terminal device is in a dormant period.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, before communicating on the second BWP through the second communication module when the first condition is met, the method further includes: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first condition.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, before communicating on the second BWP through the second communication module when the first condition is met, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate activating the second BWP.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the method further includes: when a second condition is met, communicating on the first BWP through the first communication module; wherein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, before communicating on the first BWP through the first communication module when the second condition is met, the method further includes: receiving third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the second condition.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, When the second condition is satisfied, before communicating on the first BWP through the communication module, the method further includes: Receiving fourth indication information for indicating activation of the first BWP.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, the method further includes: When a first handover condition is satisfied, handing over from the second BWP to a third BWP, where the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; Communicating on the third BWP through the first communication module; wherein the first handover condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the non-active state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Before handing over from the second BWP to the third BWP when the first handover condition is satisfied, the method further includes: Receiving fifth indication information for indicating the first handover condition.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first handover delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to hand over from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first handover delay.

13. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein, the method further includes: When a second handover condition is satisfied, handing over from the first BWP to a fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; Communicating on the fourth BWP through the second communication module; wherein the second handover condition is that the terminal device enters the idle state or the non-active state from the connected state, or a first timer expires, and the first timer is a timer for timing the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Before handing over from the first BWP to the fourth BWP when the second handover condition is satisfied, the method further includes: Receiving sixth indication information for indicating the second handover condition.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second handover delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to hand over from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second handover delay.

16. A communication method, wherein, the method includes: Sending configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of the first type and a second BWP of the second type; The first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of the terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device; The power when the terminal device communicates using the second communication module is less than the power when communicating using the first communication module.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, One or more of the following permitted by the second BWP is less than that permitted by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; the first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein, the method further includes: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate a first condition for the terminal device to communicate on the second BWP through the second communication module; wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or a non-active state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the terminal device is in a dormant period.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, the method further includes: sending second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate activation of the second BWP.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein, the method further includes: sending third indication information, the third indication information being used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate on the first BWP through the first communication module; wherein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the data volume to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the method further includes: sending fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to indicate activation of the first BWP.

23. The method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein, the method further includes: sending fifth indication information; the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to a third BWP, and the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; wherein, the first switching condition is that the terminal device enters a connected state from the idle state or the non-active state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP.

25. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein, the method further includes: sending sixth indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to a fourth BWP, and the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; Wherein, the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state from the connected state, or a first timer times out, and the first timer is a timer for timing the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP.

27. A communication device, wherein, the communication device includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

28. A communication device, wherein, the communication device includes a processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

29. A communication system, wherein, comprises: a device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and a device for executing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, the computer-readable storage medium is used to store instructions, which when running on a computer, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 to be executed, or cause the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26 to be executed.

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