Communication method and device and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and device and a storage medium, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for improving the energy-saving effect of a terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal. The method comprises the steps that the terminal enters a first state; the first state is one state except an idle state, a connected state and an inactive state; the terminal communicates in a first state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication technologies are driving the world towards an increasingly interconnected and networked society. The rapid growth and progress of wireless communication technologies have led to higher capacity and connectivity requirements. In other aspects, such as energy consumption, device cost, spectral efficiency, and latency, meeting the needs of various communication scenarios is also important. Compared with existing wireless networks, sixth generation mobile communication technology (6G) systems and wireless communication technologies need to support an increasing number of Internet of Things devices, provide higher user data rates, more reliable and low-latency services, and thus need to balance the energy-saving effect of terminals and service performance (such as traffic transmission latency and / or user data rate). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium for improving the energy-saving effect of a terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method including:

[0006] The terminal enters a first state; the first state is a state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state;

[0007] The terminal communicates in the first state.

[0008] In a second aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus including:

[0009] A processing unit, configured to enter a first state; the first state is a state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state;

[0010] A communication unit, configured to communicate in the first state.

[0011] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, including: a processor and a memory; the memory stores instructions executable by the processor; when the processor is configured to execute the instructions, the communication apparatus implements any method provided in the first aspect or the second aspect above.

[0012] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when running on a computer, cause the computer to execute any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0013] Fifthly, a computer program product containing computer instructions is provided. When the computer instructions run on a computer, they cause the computer to execute any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0014] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terminal enters a first state, which is a state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state. Furthermore, when the terminal communicates in the first state, it can avoid frequent state switching of the terminal, which helps to reduce the power consumption of the terminal, and realizes improving the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the technical solutions of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present disclosure to explain the technical solutions of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of an eDRX Cycle provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 It is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 It is a schematic composition diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third-person singular form "comprises" and the present participle form "comprising", are interpreted in an open, inclusive sense, i.e., "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc., are intended to indicate that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics related to the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable manner.

[0024] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0025] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present disclosure 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 the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0026] In addition, the use of "based on" means open and inclusive, because a process, step, calculation, or other action "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values may, in practice, be based on additional conditions or values beyond those stated.

[0027] Currently, in order to improve the energy-saving effect of terminals, in narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) and enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) systems, terminal power saving is achieved by supporting the user plane Internet of Things enhanced packet system / 5G system (CIoT EPS / 5GS) optimization solution. In this case, extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) can be supported to save the power of the terminal, the context of the terminal can be paused in the idle state, and the context of the terminal can be quickly restored, which can improve the energy-saving effect and service performance of the terminal. However, for the signaling overhead of the Uu interface, the efficiency of this mechanism is not high. In the new radio (NR) system, the radio resource control inactive state (RRC_INACTIVE) state with eDRX is supported to achieve the energy-saving effect of the terminal. In this state, eDRX can be supported to save the power of the terminal, a specific connection between the terminal and the next-generation base station (gNodeB, gNB) can be paused, a specific connection between the gNB and the core network can be maintained, and the context of the terminal can be quickly restored, which can improve the energy-saving effect of the terminal. However, this mechanism is not efficient for the signaling overhead of the Uu interface. Therefore, how to improve the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0028] Based on this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium. The terminal enters a first state, where the first state is a state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state. Then the terminal communicates in the first state, that is, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a new state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state. The terminal communicates in the first state, which can avoid frequent state switching of the terminal, help reduce the power consumption of the terminal, and achieve the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal.

[0029] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the new radio (NR) communication system using 5G communication technology, future evolved systems, or various communication convergence systems, etc. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 1As shown, the communication system 10 includes multiple base stations (such as base station 21 and base station 22) and multiple terminals (such as terminal 31, terminal 32, terminal 33, and terminal 34). Among them, the multiple base stations and the multiple terminals can be connected through a wired network or a wireless network. The wired network or the wireless network may include routers, switches, or other devices that facilitate communication between the multiple base stations and the multiple terminals, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] In some embodiments, the base station is used to provide wireless access services for multiple terminals. Specifically, one base station provides one service coverage area (also known as a cell). Terminals entering this area can communicate with the base station through wireless signals to receive the wireless access services provided by the base station. There may be an overlap between the service coverage areas of the base stations, and terminals in the overlapping area can receive wireless signals from multiple base stations.

[0032] In some embodiments, each of the multiple base stations can be connected to multiple terminals. For example, base station 21 is connected to terminal 31 and terminal 32. Among them, terminal 31 and terminal 32 can be located in the same cell, or terminal 31 and terminal 32 can be located in different cells. That is, one base station can provide network services for terminals in one cell or can also provide network services for terminals in multiple cells at the same time.

[0033] In some embodiments, each of the multiple base stations (such as base station 21) can be any one of an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNB), a transmission-receive point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), and some other access nodes. According to the size of the provided service coverage area, the base station can be further divided into a macro base station for providing a macro cell, a pico base station for providing a pico cell, and a femto base station for providing a femto cell. With the continuous evolution of wireless communication technology, future base stations may also adopt other names.

[0034] In some embodiments, each of the multiple terminals (e.g., terminal 31) may be a device with wireless transceiver functions, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, a laptop computer, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. The specific types of terminals are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] It should be understood that Figure 1 is an exemplary structural diagram, Figure 1 the number of devices included in the illustrated communication system is not limited. For example, the number of base stations is not limited and the number of terminals is not limited. And, in addition to Figure 1 the devices shown, Figure 1 the illustrated communication system may further include other devices, which are not limited herein.

[0036] Next, as Figure 2 shown, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, which is applied to a terminal. The terminal may be any one of the terminals shown above Figure 1 such as terminal 31. The method includes the following steps:

[0037] S101. The terminal enters the first state.

[0038] wherein the first state is a state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first state is a semi-connected state, a shared connection state, or a light connection state. The first state may also have other names, such as an energy-saving state, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] As an example, for the terminal to enter the first state, it may be that when the terminal receives the indication information sent by the base station for indicating that the terminal enters the first state, in response to the indication information, the terminal enters the first state. Among them, for the base station to send the indication information for indicating that the terminal enters the first state to the terminal, it may be that after the base station monitors that the terminal is in a stationary state for a preset duration, the base station sends the indication information for indicating that the terminal enters the first state to the terminal; or it may be that when the base station monitors that the data transmission frequency of the terminal within a unit time is less than a preset frequency threshold, the base station sends the indication information for indicating that the terminal enters the first state to the terminal. The specific implementation manner for the base station to send the indication information for indicating that the terminal enters the first state to the terminal is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] As another example, for the terminal to enter the first state, it may be that when the terminal detects that the entry condition for the first state is satisfied, the terminal enters the first state. Among them, the entry condition for the first state may include at least one of the following: the duration of the terminal in the stationary state is greater than a preset duration, and the data transmission frequency of the terminal within a unit time is less than a preset frequency threshold.

[0042] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters of the first state are pre-configured or configured by the access network device, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this. Among them, the access network device may be a base station. For the convenience of description, the following embodiments will all take the access network device as a base station as an example for illustration.

[0043] It should be noted that the configuration and pre-configuration in the embodiments of the present disclosure generally refer to: the configuration generally comes from the network or the base station and is sent to the communication node (such as the terminal) from the network or the base station through signaling; the pre-configuration is generally the configuration provided by other higher-layer entities, such as the higher layer of the communication node itself, other network entities, etc. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the higher-layer entity is used to represent the base station, the network or other higher-layer entities.

[0044] S102. The terminal communicates in the first state.

[0045] As an example, for the terminal to communicate in the first state, it includes:

[0046] The terminal uses the resources of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) to send uplink data and / or signaling, and / or the terminal uses the resources of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to receive downlink data and / or signaling.

[0047] It should be understood that frequent state switching of the terminal will cause an increase in the power consumption of the terminal. After the terminal enters the first state, the terminal can use the common PUSCH resources to send uplink data and / or signaling, and can use the common PDSCH resources to receive downlink data and / or signaling. In this way, the terminal can send uplink data and / or signaling and receive downlink data and / or signaling without performing state switching (such as switching to the connected state), without the terminal frequently performing state switching, reducing the number of terminal state switches, and achieving the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal.

[0048] In some embodiments, when the terminal uses the common PUSCH resources to send uplink data and / or signaling, the terminal does not need to send a random access preamble, which can improve the energy-saving effect of the terminal.

[0049] In some embodiments, in the first state, the terminal further performs at least one of the following:

[0050] Monitor the common search space;

[0051] Monitor the dedicated search space of the predefined terminal;

[0052] Perform radio quality measurement and cell reselection;

[0053] Perform radio channel sounding and feedback;

[0054] Perform sensing indication;

[0055] Perform positioning operation;

[0056] Send an uplink reference signal.

[0057] Among them, performing radio channel sounding and feedback may be performing uplink sounding reference signal feedback.

[0058] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned common search space, common PUSCH resource, and PDSCH resource are configured by the access network device through a system information block (SIB) or dedicated signaling.

[0059] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned dedicated signaling may be sent by the access network device when establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection, reconfiguring the RRC connection, or instructing the terminal to enter the first state.

[0060] In some embodiments, when a terminal in the first state initiates service establishment (RRC establishment or restoration), it enters the connected state or the small data transfer state according to the indication of the access network device; when the data transfer is completed, it enters the idle state, the semi-connected state, or the RRC_INACTIVE state according to the indication of the access network device. That is to say, the terminal communicates in the first state, including: when there is a data service to be transmitted in the first state, the terminal sends a service establishment request to the access network device to request to establish a service with the access network device; correspondingly, the access network device receives the service establishment request sent by the terminal, and in response to the service establishment request, sends a first indication message to the terminal, and the first indication message is used to indicate the terminal to enter the connected state or the small data transfer state. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first indication message from the access network device and enters the connected state or the small data transfer state according to the first indication message to perform data transfer.

[0061] In some embodiments, the method further includes: when the data transmission is completed, the access network device sends second indication information to the terminal, and the second indication information is used to indicate the terminal to enter the idle state, the first state, or the inactive state. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the second indication information from the access network device and enters the idle state, the first state, or the inactive state according to the second indication information.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first state is valid within the cell to which the terminal is connected before entering the first state, that is, the first state is valid within the cell to which the terminal is connected before entering the first state. When the terminal moves out of the cell to which the terminal is connected before entering the first state, the method may further include the following steps: the terminal exits the first state; or, triggers a cell update and uses the resource configuration of the first state corresponding to the new cell for communication. That is, each cell corresponds to a resource configuration of the first state. After the terminal moves out of the currently connected cell and enters the network coverage of the next new cell, the terminal exits the first state, or uses the resource configuration of the first state corresponding to the new cell for communication.

[0063] In some embodiments, in the first state, the context and dedicated configuration of the terminal are maintained on the terminal and the access network device. It should be understood that maintaining the context and dedicated configuration of the terminal on the terminal and the access network device in the first state can enable the terminal to avoid re-signaling interaction with the access network device to restore the context and dedicated configuration of the terminal after switching states, can reduce signaling overhead, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal, and improving the energy-saving effect of the terminal.

[0064] In some embodiments, in the first state, the access network device configures the UE specific radio resource control (UE specific RRC) resource configuration for the UE; at least one of the following in the resource configuration is maintained on the terminal and the access network device:

[0065] The specific search space of the terminal;

[0066] The uplink dedicated resources of the terminal;

[0067] The downlink dedicated resources of the terminal;

[0068] The low power mode wake-up signal (LP-WUS).

[0069] It should be understood that maintaining at least one of the above in the UE specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal on the terminal and the access network device can avoid frequent updates of at least one of the above in the UE specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal on both sides of the terminal and the access network device, can avoid frequent state switching of the terminal, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal, and realizing the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal.

[0070] In some embodiments, the UE specific RRC configuration is maintained or valid while the UE resides within a specific area range.

[0071] In some embodiments, the UE specific RRC configuration may also include a specific physical random access channel (PRACH) of the terminal. That is to say, in the first state, the UE specific PRACH may also be maintained on the terminal and the access network device.

[0072] In some embodiments, the uplink dedicated resources of the terminal include at least one of the following: configured grant (CG), scheduling request (SR), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), sounding reference signal (SRS), access message, etc. The downlink dedicated resources of the terminal include at least one of the following: downlink reference signal (DL RS), paging.

[0073] In some embodiments, the specific search space of the terminal is used for at least one of the following: downlink data scheduling, uplink data scheduling, SRS triggering, system change indication, state switching, physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) indication, etc.

[0074] In some embodiments, the CG is used for uplink data transmission, the SR is used as an uplink data request, the PUCCH is used for feedback of downlink information such as hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) or channel state information (CSI), or for uplink information transmission, and the SRS is used for the access network device to determine the location of the terminal and measure the uplink / downlink channels, perform beam switching or selection; the UE-specific PRACH is used for dedicated access; the DL RS is used for downlink measurement or downlink synchronization; the above paging, that is, the UE-specific paging, is used to quickly wake up the UE, etc. The LP-WUS is used for at least one of the following: quickly waking up the terminal, triggering the terminal to perform PDCCH detection, triggering the state transition of the terminal, triggering the terminal to release the RRC configuration, triggering the terminal to perform inter-cell handover, and triggering the terminal to perform handover between transmission reception points (TRPs).

[0075] In some embodiments, at least one of the following in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained between the terminal and the access network device, and may be that at least one of the following in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained between the terminal and the access network device when a first preset condition is met. The first preset condition includes at least one of the following:

[0076] The terminal is located within a specified cell;

[0077] The terminal is located within a specified transmission reception point;

[0078] The terminal is located within a specified beam;

[0079] The terminal is located within the area corresponding to a specified reference signal identifier (RS ID);

[0080] The terminal is located within a predefined plurality of cells;

[0081] The terminal is located within a predefined plurality of transmission reception points;

[0082] The terminal is located within a specified plurality of carriers;

[0083] The terminal is located within a predefined plurality of beams;

[0084] The terminal is located within the area corresponding to a predefined plurality of reference signal identifiers;

[0085] The change in the reference signal received power (RSRP) within a predefined time is less than or equal to a preset change threshold;

[0086] The reference signal received power is greater than or equal to a preset power threshold;

[0087] The duration for which the terminal enters the first state is less than or equal to a preset duration;

[0088] The degree of matching between the movement trajectory of the terminal and a preset movement trajectory within a predefined time is greater than a preset degree threshold.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first preset condition is configured for the terminal by the access network device. As an example, the access network device may predict the movement trajectory of the terminal based on artificial intelligence (AI), and then configure the above first preset condition for the terminal based on the predicted movement trajectory of the terminal, and different first preset conditions may correspond to different times. The terminal can adaptively switch the first preset condition based on time.

[0090] In some embodiments, in the first state, the terminal may further perform at least one of the following:

[0091] Within a specific area range, perform downlink data reception, uplink data transmission, access, synchronization, etc. based on downlink resources. Among them, the downlink resources include the terminal-specific search space, the terminal-specific LP-WUS, DL RS, etc.

[0092] Within a specific area range, send uplink data, SRS, SR, etc. based on uplink resources.

[0093] In some embodiments, after the terminal communicates in the first state, the method may further include the following steps:

[0094] When the second preset condition is met, the terminal switches from the first state to the idle state or the inactive state. Among them, the second preset condition includes at least one of the following:

[0095] The terminal moves out of the effective area of the terminal's specific radio resources;

[0096] The duration for which the terminal enters the first state is greater than a preset duration;

[0097] Receiving indication information for indicating a state switch;

[0098] The reference signal received power is less than a preset power threshold;

[0099] The change in the reference signal received power within a predefined time is greater than a preset change threshold.

[0100] In some embodiments, the second preset condition may further include at least one of the following:

[0101] The terminal moves into an area that does not support the first state;

[0102] The number of times the terminal undergoes area updates is greater than a preset number;

[0103] The terminal receives a paging message in the idle state.

[0104] It should be noted that in the 5G NR system, only one notification area can be configured for the terminal, and this notification area may include one or more cells. A terminal in the RRC_INACTIVE state will monitor RAN paging within the radio access network (RAN) notification area. If the UE moves out of the RAN notification area (RNA), an RNA update process will be executed (for example, initiate an RRC connection resume process and set the resume reason value to RNA-Update). When downlink data arrives, RAN paging will be used to trigger the RRC connection resume; when uplink data arrives, the RRC connection resume process will be triggered. However, this process is disadvantageous for downlink small data transmission.

[0105] Based on this, embodiments of the present disclosure propose that the paging area of the terminal includes multiple configurations. Among them, the paging area of the terminal may have other names, for example, the notification area of the terminal, the RAN notification area of the terminal, etc.

[0106] It should be understood that in the case where the paging area of a terminal includes multiple configurations, when the terminal switches between multiple paging areas, the terminal does not need to perform a state switch to report its location to the access network device every time it switches to a paging area. That is to say, in the case where the paging area of a terminal includes multiple ones, it is possible to avoid the terminal from frequently performing state switches, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal, achieving the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal.

[0107] In some embodiments, the paging area of the terminal includes multiple configurations, which may be that when the terminal is in the inactive state or the first state, the paging area of the terminal includes multiple configurations.

[0108] In some embodiments, the paging area of the terminal includes at least one of the following:

[0109] The beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected;

[0110] One or more configured cell beam groups;

[0111] The cell to which the terminal was last connected;

[0112] One or more configured cells.

[0113] As an example, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, the terminal monitors RAN paging or DL data in the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected.

[0114] As another example, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, and when the paging area of the terminal is the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected, the terminal monitors RAN paging or DL data in the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected.

[0115] As another example, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, and when the paging area of the terminal is the cell to which the terminal was last connected, the terminal monitors RAN paging or DL data in the cell to which the terminal was last connected.

[0116] As another example, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, and when the paging area of the terminal is one or more configured cells, the terminal monitors RAN paging or DL data in one or more configured cells.

[0117] As another example, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, and when the paging area of the terminal is one or more configured cell beam groups, the terminal monitors RAN paging or DL data in one or more configured cell beam groups.

[0118] In some embodiments, when the paging area of the terminal includes multiple ones, the terminal may switch from one paging area to another based on a timer, based on a RAN notification area update event, based on a RAN notification area update event counter, or based on a RAN indication.

[0119] For example, when the terminal enters the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state, and when the paging area used by the terminal is the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected, a first timer is started; when data is transmitted and / or received, the first timer is stopped or restarted; when the first timer expires, the terminal is transferred to the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state of another paging area (i.e., one of one or more configured cell beam groups, the cell to which the terminal was last connected, one or more configured cells).

[0120] For another example, when the terminal enters the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state, and the paging area used by the terminal is the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected, when the terminal moves to the beam of another cell, a beam update process is triggered (for example, initiating an RRC connection restoration process and setting the restoration cause value to beam-Update), and the RAN sends a beam update confirmation message to the terminal to confirm the beam update process; during the beam update process (for example, in the beam update confirmation message), the RAN may instruct the terminal to transfer to the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state of other paging areas.

[0121] For another example, when a beam update is triggered or several beam updates are triggered (for example, the number of times the beam is triggered is equal to or greater than a counter), the RAN may instruct the terminal to transfer to the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state of other paging areas.

[0122] In some embodiments, when the terminal enters the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state, and the paging area of the terminal is one or more configured cell beam groups, when the terminal moves out of the one or more configured cell beam groups, a beam group update process is triggered (for example, initiating an RRC connection restoration process and setting the restoration cause value to beams-Update), and the RAN sends a beam group update confirmation message to the UE to confirm the beam group update process.

[0123] In some embodiments, when the terminal enters the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state, and the paging area of the terminal is the cell to which the terminal was last connected, when the terminal moves into another cell, a cell update process is triggered (for example, initiating an RRC connection restoration process and setting the restoration cause value to cell-Update).

[0124] In some embodiments, when the terminal enters the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state, and the paging area of the terminal is one or more configured cells, when the terminal moves out of the one or more configured cells, a cell update process is triggered (for example, initiating an RRC connection restoration process and setting the restoration cause value to cells-Update), and the RAN sends a cell update confirmation message to the UE to confirm the cell update process; during the cell update process (for example, in the cell update confirmation message), the RAN may instruct the UE to transfer to the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state of other paging areas.

[0125] In some embodiments, RNA updates can be used to indicate beam updates, beam group updates, cell updates, and / or cell group updates, and the RAN sends an RNA update confirmation message to the UE to confirm the RNA update process; during the RNA update process (e.g., in the RNA update confirmation message), the RAN can instruct the UE to transfer to the RRC_INACTIVE state or the first state of other paging areas.

[0126] In some embodiments, the RAN can send a paging area update indication (e.g., via an RRC reconfiguration message) to update the UE from one paging area to another paging area (e.g., from one of the following to another of the following: the beam of the cell where the terminal was last connected, one or more configured cell beam groups, the cell where the terminal was last connected, one or more configured cells). Among them, the paging area update indication includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the target paging area, the configuration of the target paging area (e.g., one or more configured cell beam groups, one or more configured cells).

[0127] In some embodiments, the paging area of the terminal and the update parameters of the paging area are configured for the terminal by the access network device through the core network. Exemplarily, the access network device can transfer the paging area of the terminal and the update parameters of the paging area to the core network through specific signaling of the terminal, and the core network sends the paging area of the terminal and the update parameters of the paging area to the terminal.

[0128] When the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, the terminal can update the paging area of the terminal based on the update parameters of the paging area and the update rule, and the update rule is used for the terminal and the core network to update the paging area of the terminal.

[0129] In some embodiments, the update rule can also be used for the access network device to update the paging area of the terminal, and the access network device can send downlink data to the terminal or page the terminal in the updated paging area of the terminal.

[0130] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, the access network device can configure an indication to indicate whether the downlink data (e.g., instead of RAN paging) is directly sent to the terminal. Exemplarily, a terminal-specific search space for data transmission can be configured to implicitly indicate that the terminal should listen for downlink data instead of listening for RAN paging in the first state or the inactive state.

[0131] Based on this, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, the method can further include the following steps:

[0132] A1. Receive the third indication information.

[0133] Among them, the third indication information is used to indicate whether to directly send downlink data to the terminal.

[0134] In some embodiments, directly sending downlink data to the terminal can be understood as that the terminal does not listen for paging messages, and after the terminal is woken up, it receives downlink data, but directly listens for the terminal-specific PDCCH to receive downlink data.

[0135] A2. When the third indication information indicates directly sending downlink data to the terminal, the terminal receives downlink data in the first paging area.

[0136] Among them, the first paging area includes at least one of the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected, one or more configured cell beam groups, and the cell to which the terminal was last connected.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, and when the paging area of the terminal is one of the above-mentioned one or more configured beam groups, the method may further include the following steps:

[0138] B1. The terminal listens for paging messages in one or more configured beam groups.

[0139] After that, the terminal can receive downlink data based on the paging message.

[0140] That is to say, when the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, when the paging area of the terminal is the above-mentioned first paging area, after the terminal receives the third indication information, the terminal can directly listen for the terminal-specific PDCCH to receive downlink data. When the paging area of the terminal is one of the above-mentioned one or more configured beam groups, the terminal listens for paging messages in one or more configured beam groups and receives downlink data based on the paging message.

[0141] It should be understood that when the paging area of the terminal includes multiple ones, that is, when multiple paging areas are configured for the terminal, the access network device can more effectively determine the location of the terminal, thereby reducing unnecessary paging messages and notification messages, without the terminal frequently switching states to report its own location, saving the power consumption of the terminal, and being able to ensure the service performance of the terminal while improving the energy-saving effect of the terminal.

[0142] Based on Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, after the terminal enters the first state, the terminal uses the common physical uplink shared channel resource to send uplink data and / or signaling; the terminal uses the common physical downlink shared channel resource to receive downlink data and / or signaling. In this way, the terminal can receive and send data / signaling without performing state switching, reducing the power consumption of the terminal, achieving the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal. Moreover, after the terminal enters the first state, at least one item in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained on the terminal and the access network device. Thus, after the terminal performs state switching, there is no need to re-apply to the access network device to establish at least one item in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal, which can reduce the signaling overhead of the terminal, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal, achieving the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal. When the terminal is in the first state or the inactive state, there are multiple paging areas for the terminal. In this way, it is possible to avoid the terminal from frequently performing state switching, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal, achieving the improvement of the energy-saving effect of the terminal while ensuring the service performance of the terminal.

[0143] In some embodiments, in the current RRC_INACTIVE state in the NR system, the access network device can configure long extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) for the terminal. Among them, the DRX cycle is at most 2.91 hours. Outside the paging time window (PTW) of eDRX, the terminal can refrain from monitoring the PDCCH to save energy. However, the RRC connection of the terminal in the RRC_INACTIVE state is suspended (RRCSuspend). When the access network device needs to transmit downlink data to the terminal, it needs to send a downlink paging message. Only after the terminal resumes the RRC connection (RRC Resume) can the downlink data be scheduled; when the terminal needs to transmit uplink data, it needs to resume the RRC connection (RRC Resume) before it can send the downlink data. The suspension and resume of the RRC connection will result in additional signaling overhead and unnecessary service delays. For the RRC_CONNECTED state in the NR system, the access network device can configure short discontinuous reception (short DRX) and long discontinuous reception (long DRX) for the terminal. As Figure 3 shown, the terminal can refrain from monitoring the PDCCH during the Off timing ( Figure 3 Off Duration in it) of DRX to save energy. However, the DRX Cycle is at most 10240 ms, that is, the duration during which the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH cannot exceed 10240 ms. Therefore, the energy-saving effect of the terminal is limited. Among them, Figure 3The UE in shall monitor the PDCCH, where "On Duration" represents the duration for which the UE monitors the downlink control channel, "Off Duration" represents the time when the UE does not monitor the downlink control channel, and "DRXCycle" represents the length of the discontinuous reception cycle.

[0144] Based on this, as Figure 4 shown, a communication method for a UE is provided. The method may include the following steps:

[0145] S201. Receive the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state.

[0146] In some embodiments, when the terminal switches to the connected state or after switching to the connected state, the terminal receives the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state sent by the access network device. That is, it receives the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the connected state sent by the access network device. Among them, the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state include at least one of the following: the length of the discontinuous reception cycle; the length of the data transmission window (DTW). Among them, the value unit of the length of the discontinuous reception cycle is the number of hyper system frame numbers (H-SFN).

[0147] In some embodiments, for the terminal to receive the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state sent by the access network device, it may be that the access network device sends the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state to the core network, and then the terminal receives the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state sent by the core network.

[0148] In some embodiments, after the terminal receives the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state, the terminal monitors the physical downlink control channel PDCCH within the data transmission window. In the case where an indication for scheduling the PDCCH is not received within the data transmission window, the monitoring of the PDCCH stops after the end of the data transmission window. Or, in the case where an indication for scheduling the PDCCH is received within the data transmission window, a timer for waiting for data (for example: DRX-InactiveTimer) is started after the data transmission ends. In the case where there is data to be transmitted within the set duration of the timer, the timer is restarted after the data transmission ends; in the case where there is no data to be transmitted within the set duration of the timer, the monitoring of the PDCCH stops, and the reporting of channel state information or the measurement feedback of channel state information stops, and the terminal enters the muting state.

[0149] In some embodiments, after the terminal receives the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state, when the terminal moves out of the predefined area, the terminal releases or suspends the radio resource control connection and enters the idle state or the inactive state. When the terminal suspends the radio resource control connection, the configuration parameters of the inactive state (RRC_INACTIVE) of the terminal are configured by the access network device for the terminal during the radio resource control connection establishment process, the radio resource control connection restoration process, or the radio resource control connection reconfiguration process. Herein, the terminal moving out of the predefined area can be understood as the terminal moving. The predefined area can be pre-configured or pre-indicated by the access network device, or can be pre-negotiated between the terminal and the access network device. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0150] In some embodiments, when the terminal receives the configuration parameters of the inactive state and the terminal moves out of the predefined area, the terminal defaults to enter the inactive state.

[0151] In some embodiments, the start position of the data transmission window is determined based on the identifier of the terminal and the cycle length of discontinuous reception. Wherein, the start position of the data transmission window can be the H-SFN or subframe (SubFrame) where the start position of the data transmission window is located. The identifier of the terminal includes at least one of the following: radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); shortened temporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI). That is to say, the H-SFN where the start position of the DTW is located can be determined based on the identifier RNTI of the access stratum (AS) terminal and the cycle length of discontinuous reception, or the H-SFN where the start position of the DTW is located can be determined based on the identifier S-TMSI of the non-access stratum (NAS) terminal and the cycle length of discontinuous reception.

[0152] Exemplarily, the start position of the data transmission window is determined based on the identifier of the terminal and the cycle length of discontinuous reception, as shown in the following formula:

[0153] H-SFN mod T eDRX =(UE ID mod T eDRX );

[0154] Wherein, T eDRX is the cycle length of discontinuous reception, UE ID is the identifier of the AS layer terminal or the NAS layer terminal, or, UE IDThe n lowest - order bits of the identifier of the AS - layer terminal or the NAS - layer terminal, where n is a positive integer.

[0155] In some embodiments, the H - SFN or sub - frame where the start position of the data transmission window is located can also be determined in a predefined or pre - configured manner. For example, it can be as shown in the following formula:

[0156] SFN = X * i eDRX_CN , where;

[0157]

[0158] where X * Y = 1024.

[0159] In some embodiments, the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the connected state is the same as the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the idle state.

[0160] In some embodiments, the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the connected state is an integer factor of the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the idle state.

[0161] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the connected state, the terminal can monitor the paging messages in the idle state based on the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the idle state. Among them, the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the idle state are configured by the core network through NAS messages, pre - configured, or configured by the access network device. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0162] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the connected state, the terminal can monitor the paging messages in the inactive state based on the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the inactive state. Among them, the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the active state are received by the terminal before receiving the indication for releasing the radio resource control connection of the terminal when the terminal enters the connected state or is in the connected state. The indication for releasing the radio resource control connection of the terminal can be RRCRelease.

[0163] In some embodiments, when the access network device sends the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state to the terminal, it will also send the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state or the indication for configuring the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state for the UE to the core network; after the terminal receives the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state, in the case where the terminal does not receive the indication for releasing the communication connection of the terminal, the terminal maintains a communication connection with the core network. That is to say, for the terminal configured with the configuration parameters of eDRX in the connected state, the core network will not actively trigger the release of the communication connection with the terminal. In this way, the terminal does not need to monitor the paging messages in the idle state and / or the inactive state in the connected state, thereby improving the energy - saving effect of the terminal.

[0164] In some embodiments, before starting the timer for waiting for data, the core network may send downlink data / signaling to the terminal before the DTW window and close to the start position of the PTW (e.g., within 1 second) or within the PTW window; if there is no data transmission or reception within the DTW, stop sending downlink data / signaling to the access network device after the end of the DTW; if downlink data is sent within the DTW, start the timer for waiting for data (e.g., drx-InactiveTimer) after the end of the data transmission. If there is data transmission within the timer for waiting for data (e.g., drx-InactiveTimer), restart the timer for waiting for data after the end of the data transmission; after the timer for waiting for data times out, stop data transmission and enter the Muting state.

[0165] In some embodiments, considering that outside the PTW window of eDRX, the C-RNTI configured by the access network device for the terminal may be reallocated to other terminals to improve the utilization efficiency of the C-RNTI. The access network device may reallocate the C-RNTI to the terminal through an RRC reconfiguration message or a media access control control element (MAC CE) message to avoid C-RNTI conflict problems. For example, the C-RNTI configured by the access network device for the terminal is allocated to another terminal outside the PTW window, but the terminal still has data to transmit after the end position of the PTW. At this time, the access network device may reallocate a C-RNTI to the terminal through an RRC reconfiguration message or a MAC CE message.

[0166] Based on Figure 4 In the shown embodiments, when the terminal receives the configuration parameters of eDRX, it can extend the duration during which the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH based on the configuration parameters of eDRX, reduce the power consumption of the terminal, and thus improve the energy-saving effect of the terminal.

[0167] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the present disclosure from the perspective of the interaction between various nodes. It can be understood that each node, such as a base station or a terminal, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for implementing the above functions. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, combining the algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving the hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present disclosure.

[0168] Figure 5The following is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 5 shown, the communication device 30 includes a processing unit 301 and a communication unit 302.

[0169] The communication device 30 may be the above-mentioned terminal or a chip in the terminal. When the communication device 30 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the above embodiments, each unit is specifically used to implement the following functions.

[0170] The processing unit 301 is used to enter a first state; the first state is a state other than the idle state, the connected state, and the inactive state;

[0171] The communication unit 302 is used to communicate in the first state.

[0172] In some embodiments, the communication unit 302 is specifically used to send uplink data and / or signaling using common physical uplink shared channel resources; receive downlink data and / or signaling using common physical downlink shared channel resources.

[0173] In some embodiments, in the first state, the communication unit 302 is further used to perform at least one of the following: monitor a predefined common search space; monitor a dedicated search space of a predefined terminal; perform radio quality measurement and cell reselection; perform radio channel sounding and feedback; perform sensing indication; perform positioning operations; send uplink reference signals.

[0174] In some embodiments, the common search space, the common physical uplink shared channel resources, and the common physical downlink shared channel resources are configured through an information system block or dedicated signaling.

[0175] In some embodiments, the dedicated signaling is sent by the access network device when establishing a radio resource control connection, reconfiguring a radio resource control connection, or instructing the terminal to enter the first state.

[0176] In some embodiments, the predefined dedicated search space is configured by the access network device through dedicated signaling when establishing / reconfiguring an RRC connection or when the access network device instructs the UE to transition to the first state.

[0177] In some embodiments, the communication unit 302 is specifically used to initiate a service establishment request to the access network device in the first state; receive first indication information from the access network device, and enter the connected state or the small data transmission state according to the first indication information to perform data transmission;

[0178] The communication unit 302 is further used to receive second indication information from the access network device in the case where the data transmission is completed; enter the idle state, the first state, or the inactive state according to the second indication information.

[0179] In some embodiments, the first state is valid within the cell to which the terminal is connected when entering the first state; in the case where the terminal moves out of the cell to which the terminal is connected when entering the first state, the communication unit 302 is further configured to exit the first state; or, trigger a cell update and configure communication using the resources of the first state corresponding to the new cell.

[0180] In some embodiments, in the first state, the context and dedicated configuration of the terminal are maintained on the terminal and the access network device.

[0181] In some embodiments, in the first state, at least one of the following in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained on the terminal and the access network device: the specific search space of the terminal; the uplink dedicated resources of the terminal; the downlink dedicated resources of the terminal; the low-power wake-up signal.

[0182] In some embodiments, when the first preset condition is satisfied, at least one of the following in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained on the terminal and the access network device; the first preset condition includes at least one of the following: the terminal is located within a specified cell; the terminal is located within a specified transmission and reception point; the terminal is located within a specified beam; the terminal is located within the area corresponding to a specified reference signal identifier; the terminal is located within a predefined multiple cells; the terminal is located within a predefined multiple transmission and reception points; the terminal is located within a specified multiple carriers; the terminal is located within a predefined multiple beams; the terminal is located within the areas corresponding to a predefined multiple reference signal identifiers; the change amount of the reference signal received power per unit time is less than or equal to a preset change amount threshold; the reference signal received power is greater than or equal to a preset power threshold; the duration for which the terminal enters the first state is less than or equal to a preset duration; the matching degree between the movement trajectory of the terminal within a predefined time and a preset movement trajectory is greater than a preset degree threshold.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first preset condition is configured by the access network device for the terminal.

[0184] In some embodiments, the communication unit 302 is further configured to switch from the first state to the idle state or the inactive state when the second preset condition is satisfied; the second preset condition includes at least one of the following: the terminal moves out of the effective area of the specific radio resources of the terminal; the duration for which the terminal enters the first state is greater than a preset duration; an indication message for indicating a state switch is received; the reference signal received power is less than a preset power threshold; the change amount of the reference signal received power within a predefined time is greater than a preset change amount threshold.

[0185] In some embodiments, the paging area of the terminal includes multiple configurations.

[0186] In some embodiments, the paging area of the terminal includes at least one of the following: the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected; one or more configured cell beam groups; the cell to which the terminal was last connected; one or more configured cells.

[0187] In some embodiments, the paging area of the terminal and the update parameters of the paging area are configured by the access network device to the terminal through the core network.

[0188] In some embodiments, the processing unit 301 is further configured to update the paging area of the terminal based on the update parameters of the paging area and the update rule, where the update rule is used for the terminal and the core network to update the paging area of the terminal.

[0189] In some embodiments, the communication unit 302 is further configured to receive third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to directly send downlink data to the terminal; in the case where the third indication information indicates to directly send downlink data to the terminal, the terminal receives downlink data in the first paging area.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first paging area includes at least one of the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected, one or more configured cell beam groups, and the cell to which the terminal was last connected.

[0191] In some embodiments, in the first state or the inactive state, when the paging area is one or more configured beam groups, the communication unit 302 is further configured to monitor paging messages in one or more configured beam groups and receive downlink data based on the paging messages.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first state is a semi-connected state, a shared connection state, or a light connection state.

[0193] In some embodiments, the communication unit 302 is further configured to receive configuration parameters of extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) in the connected state; the configuration parameters of eDRX include at least one of the following: the cycle length of discontinuous reception; the data transmission window length.

[0194] In some embodiments, the processing unit 301 is further configured to perform at least one of the following: monitor the physical downlink control channel within the data transmission window; stop monitoring the physical downlink control channel after the end of the data transmission window if an indication for scheduling the physical downlink control channel is not received within the data transmission window.

[0195] In some embodiments, the processing unit 301 is further configured to perform at least one of the following: when an indication for scheduling a physical downlink control channel is received within a data transmission window, start a timer for waiting for data after the data transmission ends; when there is data to be transmitted within the set duration of the timer, restart the timer after the data transmission ends; when there is no data to be transmitted within the set duration of the timer, stop monitoring the physical downlink control channel.

[0196] In some embodiments, the processing unit 301 is further configured to, when the terminal moves out of a predefined area, release or suspend the radio resource control connection of the terminal and enter the idle state or the inactive state.

[0197] In some embodiments, when the terminal suspends the radio resource control connection, the configuration parameters of the inactive state are configured by the access network device for the terminal during the radio resource control connection establishment process, the radio resource control connection recovery process, or the radio resource control connection reconfiguration process.

[0198] In some embodiments, the start position of the data transmission window is determined based on the identifier of the terminal and the cycle length of discontinuous reception.

[0199] In some embodiments, the identifier of the terminal includes at least one of the following: a radio network temporary identifier; a truncated temporary mobile subscriber identifier.

[0200] In some embodiments, the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the connected state is the same as the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the idle state.

[0201] In some embodiments, the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the connected state is an integer factor of the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the idle state.

[0202] In some embodiments, the processing unit 301 is further configured to monitor paging messages in the idle state based on the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the idle state.

[0203] In some embodiments, the processing unit 301 is further configured to monitor paging messages in the inactive state based on the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the inactive state, where the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the inactive state are received by the terminal before receiving an indication for releasing the radio resource control connection of the terminal when entering the connected state or being in the connected state.

[0204] In some embodiments, the communication unit 302 is further configured to keep the communication connection between the terminal and the core network when an indication for releasing the communication connection of the terminal is not received.

[0205] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters of the first state are preconfigured or configured by the access network device.

[0206] It should be noted that Figure 5 The units in can also be referred to as modules. For example, the communication unit can be referred to as a communication module.

[0207] Figure 5 When each unit in is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of this technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage media storing the computer software product include: USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), magnetic disks, or optical discs, etc., which can store program codes.

[0208] When the above-mentioned communication device 30 implements the functions of the above-mentioned integrated module in the form of hardware, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a structural schematic diagram of a communication device. As Figure 6 shown, the communication device 40 includes: a processor 402, a communication interface 403, and a bus 404. Optionally, the communication device 40 may further include a memory 401.

[0209] The processor 402 can be used to implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure of the present disclosure. The processor 402 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure of the present disclosure. The processor 402 can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0210] The communication interface 403 is used to connect to other devices through a communication network. The communication network can be an Ethernet, a radio access network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0211] The memory 401 can be a read-only memory (ROM), or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions. It can also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk storage medium, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0212] As a possible implementation, the memory 401 can exist independently of the processor 402. The memory 401 can be connected to the processor 402 through the bus 404 for storing instructions or program codes. When the processor 402 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 401, the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0213] In another possible implementation, the memory 401 can also be integrated with the processor 402.

[0214] The bus 404 can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 404 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the sake of convenience of representation, Figure 6 only a thick line is used to represent it in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0215] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the above division of each functional module is used for illustration. In actual applications, the above functions can be allocated to different functional modules according to needs, that is, the internal structure of the base station or terminal is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0216] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the foregoing method embodiments may be completed by computer instructions instructing relevant hardware. The program may be stored in the foregoing computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it may include the processes of the foregoing method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium may be the memory in any of the foregoing embodiments. The foregoing computer-readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the terminal, such as a plug-in hard disk equipped on the terminal, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card, etc. Further, the foregoing computer-readable storage medium may also include both an internal storage unit and an external storage device of the terminal. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the foregoing computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal. The computer-readable storage medium may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0217] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product. The computer product includes a computer program. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute any one of the communication methods provided in the foregoing embodiments.

[0218] Although the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with various embodiments, however, in the process of implementing the claimed present disclosure, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other variations of the embodiments of the disclosure by viewing the drawings, the disclosure content, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps.

[0219] "A" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions recited in the claims. Certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0220] Although the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific features and their embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present specification and the drawings are merely exemplary descriptions of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of the present disclosure. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of the present disclosure and their equivalent technologies, the present disclosure is also intended to include these changes and modifications.

[0221] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present disclosure should be covered within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, It is characterized in that The method comprises: The terminal enters a first state; the first state is a state other than an idle state, a connected state, and an inactive state; The terminal communicates in the first state.

2. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The terminal communicates in the first state, including: The terminal uses a common physical uplink shared channel resource to send uplink data and / or signaling, and / or The terminal receives downlink data and / or signaling using a common physical downlink shared channel resource.

3. The method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that In the first state, the terminal further performs at least one of the following: Monitor predefined public search spaces; Monitoring a predefined dedicated search space of the terminal; Perform radio quality measurements and cell reselection; Perform wireless channel detection and feedback; executes perceived instructions; Perform positioning operations; Send an uplink reference signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The common search space, the common physical uplink shared channel resources and the common physical downlink shared channel resources are configured through an information system block or dedicated signaling.

5. The method according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The dedicated signaling is sent by the access network device when a radio resource control connection is established, a radio resource control connection is reconfigured, or when the terminal is instructed to enter the first state.

6. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The terminal communicates in the first state, including: The terminal initiates a service establishment request to the access network device in the first state; The terminal receives first indication information from the access network device, enters the connection state or the small data transmission state according to the first indication information, and performs data transmission; The method further comprises: When the data transmission is completed, the terminal receives second indication information from the access network device; and the terminal enters the idle state or the first state or the inactive state according to the second indication information.

7. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first state is valid within the cell to which the terminal is connected when entering the first state; In a case where the terminal moves out of the cell to which the terminal is connected when entering the first state, the method further includes: The terminal exits the first state; or, Triggering a cell update, and using the resources in the first state corresponding to the new cell to configure communications.

8. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In the first state, the context and dedicated configuration of the terminal are maintained on the terminal and the access network device.

9. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In the first state, at least one of the following items in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained on the terminal and the access network device: A specific search space of the terminal; Uplink dedicated resources of the terminal; Downlink dedicated resources of the terminal; Low power wake-up signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, It is characterized in that At least one of the following in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained on the terminal and the access network device, including: When a first preset condition is satisfied, at least one of the following in the specific radio resource control configuration of the terminal is maintained on the terminal and the access network device; The first preset condition includes at least one of the following: The terminal is located within a specified cell; The terminal is located within a specified transmission and reception point; The terminal is located within a specified beam; The terminal is located within a region corresponding to a specified reference signal identifier; The terminal is located within a predefined plurality of cells; The terminal is located within a predefined plurality of transmission and reception points; The terminal is located within a specified plurality of carriers; The terminal is located within a predefined plurality of beams; The terminal is located within a region corresponding to a predefined plurality of reference signal identifiers; The change amount of the reference signal received power per unit time is less than or equal to a preset change amount threshold; The reference signal received power is greater than or equal to a preset power threshold; The duration for which the terminal enters the first state is less than or equal to a preset duration; The matching degree between the movement trajectory of the terminal within a predefined time and a preset movement trajectory is greater than a preset degree threshold.

11. According to the method described in claim 10, characterized in that, The first preset condition is configured by the access network device for the terminal.

12. According to the method described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When a second preset condition is satisfied, the terminal switches from the first state to the idle state or the inactive state; the second preset condition includes at least one of the following: The terminal moves out of the effective region of the specific radio resources of the terminal; The duration for which the terminal enters the first state is greater than a preset duration; Receiving indication information for indicating state switching; The reference signal received power is less than a preset power threshold; The change amount of the reference signal received power within a predefined time is greater than a preset change amount threshold.

13. According to the method described in claim 1, characterized in that, The paging area of the terminal includes multiple configurations.

14. According to the method described in claim 13, characterized in that, The paging area of the terminal includes at least one of the following: The beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected; One or more configured cell beam groups; The cell to which the terminal was last connected; One or more configured cells.

15. According to the method described in claim 13, characterized in that, The paging area of the terminal and the update parameters of the paging area are configured by the access network device to the terminal through the core network.

16. According to the method described in claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal updates the paging area of the terminal based on the update parameters of the paging area and the update rule, and the update rule is used for the terminal and the core network to update the paging area of the terminal.

17. According to the method described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the first state or the inactive state, the method further includes: Receiving third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to directly send downlink data to the terminal; In the case where the third indication information indicates directly sending the downlink data to the terminal, the terminal receives the downlink data in the first paging area.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, the first paging area includes at least one of the beam of the cell to which the terminal was last connected, the one or more configured cell beam groups, and the cell to which the terminal was last connected.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein, in the first state or the inactive state, when the paging area is the one or more configured beam groups, the method further includes: the terminal monitors paging messages in the one or more configured beam groups.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the first state is a semi-connected state, a shared connection state, or a light connection state.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the method further includes: receiving configuration parameters of extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) in the connected state; the configuration parameters of the eDRX include at least one of the following: the cycle length of discontinuous reception; the data transmission window length.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, after receiving the configuration parameters of extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) in the connected state, the method further includes at least one of the following: the terminal monitors the physical downlink control channel within the data transmission window; in the case where an indication for scheduling the physical downlink control channel is not received within the data transmission window, stop monitoring the physical downlink control channel after the end of the data transmission window.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein, the method further includes at least one of the following: in the case where an indication for scheduling the physical downlink control channel is received within the data transmission window, start a timer for waiting for data after the end of data transmission; in the case where there is data to be transmitted within the set duration of the timer, restart the timer after the end of data transmission; in the case where there is no data to be transmitted within the set duration of the timer, stop monitoring the physical downlink control channel.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein, after receiving the configuration parameters of extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) in the connected state, the method further includes: in the case where the terminal moves out of the predefined area, the terminal releases or suspends the radio resource control connection and enters the idle state or the inactive state.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, in the case where the terminal suspends the radio resource control connection, the configuration parameters of the inactive state are configured for the terminal by the access network device during the radio resource control connection establishment process, the radio resource control connection recovery process, or the radio resource control connection reconfiguration process.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein, the start position of the data transmission window is determined based on the identifier of the terminal and the cycle length of discontinuous reception.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The identifier of the terminal includes at least one of the following: Wireless Network Temporary Identifier; Truncated Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identifier.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein, the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the connected state is the same as the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the idle state.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein, the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the connected state is an integer factor of the cycle length of discontinuous reception of the terminal in the idle state.

30. The method according to claim 21, wherein, after receiving the configuration parameters of extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) in the connected state, the method further includes: monitoring the paging messages in the idle state based on the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the idle state.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the method further includes: in the connected state, the terminal monitors the paging messages in the inactive state based on the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the inactive state; wherein, the configuration parameters of eDRX corresponding to the inactive state are received by the terminal before receiving an indication for releasing the radio resource control connection of the terminal when entering the connected state or being in the connected state.

32. The method according to claim 21, wherein, after receiving the configuration parameters of extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) in the connected state, the method further includes: when the terminal does not receive an indication for releasing the communication connection of the terminal, the terminal maintains a communication connection with the core network.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the configuration parameters of the first state are pre-configured or configured by the access network device.

34. A communication device, wherein, it includes a memory, a processor, and computer program instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program instructions, it implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 33.

35. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, the computer-readable storage medium includes computer program instructions; wherein, when the computer program instructions run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 33.

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