Communication method and communication device

Abstract

Disclosed are a communication method and a communication device, which relate to the field of communications and can be applied to a scenario of detecting a PDCCH, the communication method comprising: sending N pieces of time offset information to a terminal device, the time offset information being used for indicating a time offset from the time when the terminal device receives a random access response (RAR) message to the time when the terminal device starts to detect the PDCCH; receiving the UL WUS from the terminal equipment; sending an RAR message to the terminal device to trigger the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after the target time offset; the PDCCH is sent after the first time offset of the RAR message is sent, and the target time offset is the maximum time offset smaller than the first time offset in the time offsets indicated by the N pieces of time offset information.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] When the terminal device has no service data to send or receive, it can enter the idle state or the inactive state to reduce power consumption. When the terminal device needs to re-connect to the network (for example, cell reselection, cell residence failure), the network device is triggered to send a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) through an uplink wakeup signal (UL WUS). The PDCCH is used to schedule a system information block (SIB1) so that the terminal device can re-connect to the network according to the SIB1. Correspondingly, the terminal device needs to detect the PDCCH. If the terminal device detects the PDCCH too early, the power consumption of the terminal device increases. If the terminal device detects the PDCCH too late, the power consumption of the network device increases. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a communication device for enabling a terminal device to detect the PDCCH at an appropriate time.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a network device. The method includes: sending N time offset information to a terminal device, where the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between when the terminal device receives a random access response (RAR) message and when it starts to detect the PDCCH; receiving a UL WUS from the terminal device; sending an RAR message to the terminal device to trigger the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after a target time offset; and sending the PDCCH after a first time offset of sending the RAR message, where the target time offset is the largest time offset less than the first time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information.

[0005] In the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application, the network device configures multiple time offsets for the terminal device, and in response to the UL WUS sent by the terminal device, sends a RAR message to the terminal device, triggering the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after the target time offset. After the first time offset for sending the RAR message, the network device sends the PDCCH, and the target time offset is the largest time offset among the multiple time offsets that is less than the first time offset. In this way, the terminal device starts to detect the PDCCH according to the latest time offset before the network device sends the PDCCH, which can not only ensure that the PDCCH is not missed, but also reduce the power consumption.

[0006] In a possible implementation manner, it further includes: sending index configuration information to the terminal device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes corresponding to N time offset information respectively. Subsequently, the network device indicates the target index to the terminal device, thereby indirectly indicating the corresponding time offset information, which can save signaling overhead compared with transmitting the target time offset.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner, it further includes: sending the target index to the terminal device, where the target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information. The network device indicates the target index to the terminal device, thereby indirectly indicating the corresponding time offset information, which can save signaling overhead compared with transmitting the target time offset.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the target index is carried in the RAR message. The existing RAR message can be reused, with the least change to the existing communication protocol.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner, the N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message. The existing UL WUS configuration message can be reused, with the least change to the existing communication protocol.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset. Compared with the specific time offset, since the values in the value range of the difference are fewer, smaller data can be used for transmission, so the signaling overhead is smaller.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, when a preset condition is met, increase the time offset indicated by the N time offset information, otherwise decrease the time offset indicated by the N time offset information. The network device can periodically count whether the preset condition is met, so as to flexibly adjust the time offset indicated by the N time offset information according to the network situation. No matter how the network situation changes, the power consumption of the terminal device and the network device can still be reduced.

[0012] In a possible implementation, satisfying the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the frequency of the terminal device sending ULWUS is less than the first threshold, the PRB utilization is less than the second threshold, the number of terminal device connections is less than the third threshold, and the proportion of terminal devices using the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information is greater than the fourth threshold. The frequency of the terminal device sending ULWUS is less than the first threshold, the PRB utilization is less than the second threshold, and the number of terminal device connections is less than the third threshold, all of which mean that the network load is light, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is increased to allow more terminal devices to request SIB1 and access the network. Otherwise, the network load is heavy, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is reduced to slow down more terminal devices from requesting SIB1 and accessing the network. The proportion of terminal devices using the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information refers to the proportion of terminal devices using the maximum time offset among all terminal devices when N time offset information indicates different time offsets. This proportion is greater than the fourth threshold, indicating that there is still margin for the maximum time offset configured by the network device, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information can be increased to postpone the time for the terminal device to detect the PDCCH, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. Otherwise, it means that more terminal devices request SIB1 at a concentrated time, which can reduce the time offset indicated by the N time offset information and configure more detailed time to start detecting PDCCH for different terminal devices, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal devices.

[0013] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: receiving N time offset information from a network device, the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between the terminal device receiving a RAR message and starting to detect a PDCCH; sending a UL WUS to the network device; receiving a RAR message from the network device; and detecting the PDCCH after a target time offset, the target time offset being a maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information that is less than a first time offset, and the first time offset refers to the time offset between the network device sending the RAR message and sending the PDCCH.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving index configuration information from a network device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate indexes corresponding to the N time offset information.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a target index from a network device, where the target index is an index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, the target index is carried in a RAR message.

[0017] In a possible implementation, N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

[0019] The second aspect is a method implementation opposite to the first aspect. The explanations, supplements, and beneficial effects descriptions regarding the first aspect also apply to the second aspect and will not be elaborated here.

[0020] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processing module and a communication module. The communication module is used to send N time offset information to a terminal device. The time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between when the terminal device receives the RAR message and when it starts to detect the PDCCH; receive UL WUS from the terminal device; send an RAR message to the terminal device to trigger the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after a target time offset; after a first time offset of sending the RAR message, send the PDCCH. The target time offset is the largest time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information that is less than the first time offset.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the communication module is used to send index configuration information to the terminal device. The index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes respectively corresponding to the N time offset information.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the communication module is used to send a target index to the terminal device. The target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the target index is carried in the RAR message.

[0024] In a possible implementation, N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the processing module is used to increase the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information when a preset condition is met, and otherwise decrease the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information.

[0027] In a possible implementation, meeting the preset conditions includes at least one of the following: the frequency at which the terminal device sends UL WUS is less than a first threshold, the PRB utilization rate is less than a second threshold, the number of terminal device connections is less than a third threshold, and the proportion of terminal devices using the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information is greater than a fourth threshold.

[0028] The third aspect is the implementation on the device side corresponding to the first aspect. The descriptions of the explanations, supplements, and beneficial effects regarding the first aspect also apply to the third aspect and will not be elaborated here.

[0029] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processing module and a communication module. The communication module is configured to receive N time offset information from a network device, where the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between when the terminal device receives the RAR message and starts to detect the PDCCH; send UL WUS to the network device; receive the RAR message from the network device; and detect the PDCCH after a target time offset, where the target time offset is the maximum time offset less than a first time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information, and the first time offset refers to the time offset between when the network device sends the RAR message and sends the PDCCH.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the communication module is configured to receive index configuration information from the network device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes respectively corresponding to the N time offset information.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the communication module is configured to receive a target index from the network device, where the target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the target index is carried in the RAR message.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

[0035] The fourth aspect is the implementation on the device side corresponding to the second aspect. The descriptions of the explanations, supplements, and beneficial effects regarding the first aspect also apply to the fourth aspect and will not be elaborated here.

[0036] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions or data in the memory to implement the methods in the above first aspect and any possible implementation manners. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0037] In one implementation manner, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0038] In another implementation manner, the communication device is a chip configured in a terminal device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a terminal device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0039] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions or data in the memory to implement the methods in the above second aspect and any possible implementation manners. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0040] In one implementation manner, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0041] In another implementation manner, the communication device is a chip configured in a network device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a network device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0042] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, including: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is used to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the methods in the above first aspect, second aspect, and any possible implementation manners.

[0043] In a specific implementation process, the above processor can be one or more chips. The input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be transistors, gate circuits, flip-flops, and various logic circuits, etc. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example but not limited to, a receiver. The signal output by the output circuit can be output to, for example but not limited to, a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. And the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times respectively. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation manners of the processor and various circuits.

[0044] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory, and can receive signals through a receiver and transmit signals through a transmitter to execute the methods in the first aspect and any possible implementation manners described above.

[0045] Optionally, there is one or more processors, and there is one or more memories.

[0046] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory, and can receive signals through a receiver and transmit signals through a transmitter to execute the methods in the second aspect and any possible implementation manners described above.

[0047] Optionally, there is one or more processors, and there is one or more memories.

[0048] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes: a computer program (which may also be referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it causes a computer to execute the methods in the first aspect, the second aspect, and any possible implementation manners described above.

[0049] In an eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program (which may also be referred to as code or instructions). When it runs on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the methods in the first aspect, the second aspect, and any possible implementation manners described above.

[0050] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system. The chip system includes one or more processors, which are configured to call and run instructions stored in a memory, so that the methods in the first aspect, the second aspect, and any possible implementation manners described above are executed. The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0051] Among them, the chip system may include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data.

[0052] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the aforementioned communication device. Optionally, the communication system may further include other devices that communicate with the communication device.

[0053] For the technical effects of the fifth aspect to the thirteenth aspect, reference may be made to the technical effects of the first aspect and any of its implementation manners, which will not be repeated here. Description of the Drawings

[0054] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structures of a terminal device and a network device provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a timing sequence provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of another timing sequence provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of yet another timing sequence provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided by an embodiment of this application. Detailed implementation manners

[0055] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] First, some concepts related to this application will be described.

[0057] The terms "first", "second", etc. involved in the embodiments of this application are only used for the purpose of distinguishing features of the same type, and should not be construed as indicating relative importance, quantity, order, etc.

[0058] The term "exemplary" or "for example" etc. involved in the embodiments of this application is used to represent an example, illustration or explanation. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" etc. is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0059] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), sidelink communication systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, New Radio Access Technology (NR), future communication systems, 5G Advanced communication systems. Among them, the 5G mobile communication system can include Non-Standalone (NSA) and / or Standalone (SA). The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems. This application does not make any restrictions in this regard. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application are often used interchangeably, and the described technology can be used not only in the systems and radio technologies mentioned above, but also in other systems and radio technologies.

[0060] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication system provided for the embodiments of this application. The communication system 100 may include network devices, such as Figure 1 at least one network device 110 shown in the figure. The communication system 100 may further include terminal devices, such as Figure 1 the terminal device 120 shown in the figure. The network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate through a wireless link.

[0061] Figure 1 Exemplarily, one network device 110 and one terminal device 120 are shown. Optionally, the communication system 100 may further include multiple network devices 110 and multiple terminal devices 120.

[0062] The network device in this application can be a device on the network side such as an access network device, a core network device, etc. The access network device is sometimes also referred to as an access node. The access network device has wireless transceiver functions and is used to communicate with terminals. The access network device includes, but is not limited to, the base station (base station), evolved NodeB (eNodeB), transmission reception point (TRP), next generation NodeB (gNB) in the 5G mobile communication system, the access network device or module of the open RAN (ORAN) system, the satellite in the NTN communication system, the base station in the future mobile communication system, or the access node in the WiFi system, etc. The access network device can also be a module or unit capable of implementing some functions of the base station. The access network device can be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a radio controller in the cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Optionally, the access network device can also be a server, a wearable device, or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in the communication system can be of the same type of base station or different types of base stations. The base station can communicate with the terminal or communicate with the terminal through a relay station. The terminal can communicate with multiple base stations in different access technologies. The specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the access network device in the embodiments of this application are not limited. In this application, the access network device is abbreviated as the network device.

[0063] In this application, the device for implementing the functions of the network device can be the network device or a device capable of supporting the network device to implement such functions, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system, etc. This device can be installed in the network device or used in connection with the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application, the device for implementing the functions of the network device is taken as an example of the network device to describe the technical solutions provided in this application.

[0064] The terminal device in this application can be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving scheduling and indication information from a network device. The wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users, or a handheld device with wireless connection capabilities, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. For example, the terminal device can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote healthcare, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, or satellite communication, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver functions, a wearable device, a vehicle, an aircraft (such as a drone, a helicopter, an airplane), a hot air balloon, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, or a smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the terminal device.

[0065] In this application, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement these functions, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, a chip system, etc. This device can be installed in the terminal device, or used in connection with the terminal device. In the technical solutions provided in this application, the case where the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device is the terminal device itself is taken as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application.

[0066] The access network device and the terminal device can be fixed or movable. The access network device and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water surface; or they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and artificial satellites in the air. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the access network device and the terminal device. The access network device and the terminal device can be deployed in the same scenario or different scenarios. For example, the access network device and the terminal device are both deployed on land; or the access network device is deployed on land and the terminal device is deployed on the water surface, etc., and no further examples are given here.

[0067] In practical applications, multiple network devices can cooperate to assist a terminal device in achieving wireless access, and different network devices respectively implement some functions of a base station. For example, the network device can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be set separately, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as included in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0068] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, the CU can also be called an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be called an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be called an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be called an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be called an O-RU. Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. The CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, and RU can implement different protocol layer functions.

[0069] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device and a network device provided by an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 120 includes a first processor 121, a first memory 122, and a first transceiver 123.

[0070] The first processor 121 may include one or more processing units. For example, the first processor 121 may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Among them, different processing units may be independent devices or integrated in one or more processors.

[0071] The first memory 122 can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DRRAM).

[0072] The first memory 122 can exist independently and be connected to the first processor 121 through a bus. The first memory 122 can also be integrated with the first processor 121. Among them, the first memory 122 is used to store the application program code for executing the solution of this application and is controlled by the first processor 121 for execution. The first processor 121 is used to execute the computer program instructions stored in the first memory 122, so as to execute various functional applications and data processing of the terminal device, such as implementing the sensing method described in the embodiments of this application.

[0073] The first processor 121 and the first transceiver 123 are connected through a bus. The first transceiver 123 can use any device of the transceiver type for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. The first transceiver 123 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx.

[0074] The network device 110 includes: a second processor 111, a second memory 112, and a second transceiver 113. The second processor 111 is configured to execute the computer program instructions stored in the second memory 112, so as to execute various functional applications and data processing of the network device 110, such as implementing the communication method described in the embodiments of the present application. For the functions of the second processor 111, reference may be made to the description of the first processor 121; for the functions of the second memory 112, reference may be made to the description of the first memory 122; and for the functions of the second transceiver 113, reference may be made to the description of the first transceiver 123, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0075] For ease of understanding the embodiments of the present application, the terms involved in the present application will be briefly described first. Optionally, for the explanations of some terms, reference may also be made to the explanations in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard protocol. It should be understood that the technical terms in the present application are only examples rather than limitations. For example, with the evolution of technology, technical terms may also change, and in the case of the same technical meaning, other technical terms should also apply to the present application.

[0076] System Information Block 1 (SIB1): SIB1 includes key parameters for a terminal device to access and camp on a cell. For example, the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier of the cell, the Tracking Area Code (TAC), the cell reselection priority, the minimum received level, the scheduling information of other SIBs (such as SIB2 to SIB9), the operating frequency bands supported by the cell, the carrier bandwidth, etc. The traditional SIB1 is transmitted periodically, so the power consumption of the network device is relatively high.

[0077] On-Demand SIB1 (OD-SIB1): When a terminal device needs to re-access the network (such as cell reselection or cell camping failure), the UL WUS is used to trigger the network device to send a PDCCH, and the Downlink Control Information (DCI) in the PDCCH is used to schedule SIB1, so that the terminal device can re-access the network according to SIB1. The on-demand SIB1 can reduce the ineffective broadcasting of SIB1 and reduce the power consumption of the network device.

[0078] The terminal device needs to determine when to detect the PDCCH. If the terminal device detects the PDCCH too early, the power consumption of the terminal device increases. If the terminal device detects the PDCCH too late, the power consumption of the network device increases. One way is that the network device indicates the time offset through a random access response (RAR) message. After receiving the RAR message, the terminal device detects the PDCCH after the time offset. Since the network device needs to reserve time to process potential UL WUS from other terminal devices in this way, the time offset will be set relatively long, resulting in the terminal device waiting for a long time before detecting the PDCCH. Another way is that the terminal device has learned a fixed time offset through pre-configuration before sending the UL WUS. After sending the UL WUS, the terminal device detects the PDCCH after the fixed time offset. This way cannot adapt to the dynamic network environment, and the terminal device cannot know whether other terminal devices have also sent UL WUS to the network device.

[0079] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method. The network device configures multiple time offsets and corresponding indexes for the terminal device, and in response to the UL WUS sent by the terminal device, sends an index to the terminal device to indicate that the terminal device detects the PDCCH after the time offset corresponding to the index.

[0080] The solution provided by the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the corresponding flowchart. It can be understood that in the schematic flowchart provided by the present application, different devices (for example, the terminal device, the network device) are mainly used as the execution subjects of the interaction schematic to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction schematic. For example, the devices (such as the terminal device, the network device) in the schematic flowchart can also be a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the device to implement the method, and can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the device.

[0081] A unified description is made here. In the interaction process of the embodiments of the present application, the message or signaling interaction involved can adopt the messages or signaling in the standard, or can also be newly introduced messages or signaling. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0082] Figure 3 It is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. It can be understood that the terminal device involved in this communication method can be Figure 1 the terminal device in, or can also refer to the device in the terminal device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.). The network device involved in this communication method can be Figure 1 the network device in, or can also refer to the device in the network device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.). As Figure 3As shown, the communication method 300 includes the following steps S301 - S304: S301. The network device (or the serving cell of the network device) sends N time offset information to the terminal device, and the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between the terminal device receiving the RAR message and starting to detect the PDCCH.

[0083] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives N time offset information from the network device. At this time, the terminal device is in the connected state (RRC_CONNECTED). Subsequently, when there is no data to be transmitted, in order to reduce power consumption, the terminal device will enter the idle state (RRC_IDLE) or the inactive state (RRC_INACTIVE). N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The unit of the time offset can be a time slot, a symbol, etc. The meaning of the time offset between the terminal device receiving the RAR message and starting to detect the PDCCH is that after the terminal device receives the RAR message, after the time offset, it starts to detect the PDCCH.

[0084] The data type of each time offset information can be an integer type. The time offsets indicated by the N time offset information are different from each other, and can increase in sequence, or decrease in sequence, or without sorting. Among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information, the largest time offset is used as the default time offset.

[0085] In a possible implementation manner, the values of the N time offset information can be specific time offsets respectively. The value range of the value of the time offset information is from 0 to maxOffset (the maximum time offset). Exemplarily, N = 4, and the values of the 4 time offset information are t1, t2, t3, t4 respectively, then the time offsets indicated by the 4 time offset information are t1, t2, t3, t4 respectively.

[0086] Or, in another possible implementation manner, the values of the N time offset information can be the differences between different time offsets and the preset time offset T respectively, and the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information are equal to the sum of the difference and the preset time offset. Compared with the specific time offset, since the value range of the difference has fewer values, it can be transmitted with smaller data, so the signaling overhead is smaller. The value range of the value of the time offset information is from -T to maxOffset - T. For example, the values of the 4 time offset information are -4, -2, 2, 4 respectively, and the preset time offset is 10, then the time offsets indicated by the 4 time offset information are 10 - 4 = 6, 10 - 2 = 8, 10 + 2 = 12, 10 + 4 = 14 respectively.

[0087] The network device can periodically count whether the preset conditions are met, so as to flexibly adjust the time offset indicated by the N time offset information according to the network situation, and can still reduce the power consumption of the terminal device and the network device regardless of how the network situation changes. When the time offset indicated by the N time offset information changes, S301 is re-executed. When the preset conditions are met, the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is increased, otherwise, the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is decreased.

[0088] Exemplarily, satisfying the preset conditions includes at least one of the following: the frequency of the terminal device sending UL WUS is less than a first threshold, the utilization rate of the physical resource block (PRB) is less than a second threshold, the number of terminal device connections is less than a third threshold, and the proportion of terminal devices using the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information is greater than a fourth threshold.

[0089] Among them, the frequency of terminal devices sending UL WUS is less than the first threshold, the PRB utilization is less than the second threshold, and the number of terminal device connections is less than the third threshold, which all mean that the network load is light, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is increased to allow more terminal devices to request SIB1 and access the network. Otherwise, the network load is heavy, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is reduced to slow down more terminal devices from requesting SIB1 and accessing the network.

[0090] The proportion of terminal devices that use the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information refers to the proportion of terminal devices that use the maximum time offset among all terminal devices among N time offset information indicating different time offsets. If this proportion is greater than the fourth threshold, it means that there is still room for the maximum time offset configured by the network device, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information can be increased to postpone the time for the terminal device to detect PDCCH, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. Otherwise, it means that more terminal devices request SIB1 at a concentrated time, and the time offset indicated by the N time offset information can be reduced, so that more detailed time to start detecting PDCCH can be configured for different terminal devices, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0091] The time offset indicated by the N time offset information may be increased or decreased according to the same ratio α, that is, the time offset indicated by the N time offset information. For example, α×{t0, t1, t2, t3}, when the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is decreased, α=1.5; when the time offset indicated by the N time offset information is increased, α=0.8.

[0092] Optionally, a network device (or a serving cell of the network device) sends index configuration information to a terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the index configuration information from the network device. The index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes corresponding to N time offset information respectively.

[0093] The value of the index configuration information may be the index bit length n, indicating that the value range of the index is from 0 to 2^n - 1, and 2^n ≥ N. Alternatively, the index configuration information may include N specific indexes. In contrast, the signaling overhead of the index bit length is lower. Each time offset information corresponds to one index. Exemplarily, assume n = 2 and N = 4. If the index bit length n indicated by the index configuration information is 2, there are a total of 2^2 = 4 indexes, which are represented in binary as 00, 01, 10, and 11. These 4 indexes respectively correspond to one of the 4 time offset information. For example, index 00 corresponds to the first time offset information, index 01 corresponds to the second time offset information, index 10 corresponds to the third time offset information, and index 11 corresponds to the fourth time offset information.

[0094] The N time offset information and the index configuration information may be carried in an uplink wake-up signal configuration (UL-WUS-Config) message sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0095] Exemplarily, taking the values of the N time offset information as specific time offsets respectively, the structure of the uplink wake-up signal configuration (UL-WUS-Config) message is as shown below.

[0096] UL-WUS-Config-r19::=SEQUENCE{ TimeOffset-r19 INTEGER(0..maxOffset) OPTIONAL, multiTimeOffsetConfig-r19 SEQUENCE{ candidateTimeOffsets-r19 SEQUENCE (SIZE(N)) OF INTEGER(0..maxOffset), IndexBitLength-r19 INTEGER{n},OPTIONAL, }OPTIONAL, } The UL-WUS-Config-r19 message includes at least one of the following SEQUENCEs: the TimeOffset-r19 field, the multiTimeOffsetConfig-r19 field. Among them, the TimeOffset field and the multiTimeOffsetConfig-r19 field are both OPTIONAL. The TimeOffset field is used to indicate a single time offset to be compatible with existing protocols. The data type of the TimeOffset field is INTEGER, and the value range is from 0 to maxOffset (the maximum time offset). The multiTimeOffsetConfig field includes the following SEQUENCEs: the candidateTimeOffsets-r19 field, the IndexBitLength-r19 field. The candidateTimeOffsets field includes a SEQUENCE of N time offset information. The value of the time offset information represents the specific time offset. The data type of each time offset information is INTEGER, and the value range is from 0 to maxOffset. The IndexBitLength-r19 field is OPTIONAL. The IndexBitLength field is the index configuration information, the data type is INTEGER, and the value is n.

[0097] Exemplarily, taking the values of N time offset information as the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset as an example, the structure of the UL-WUS-Config message is as follows.

[0098] UL-WUS-Config-r19::=SEQUENCE{ TimeOffset-r19 INTEGER(0..maxOffset) OPTIONAL, multiTimeOffsetConfig-r19 SEQUENCE{ deltaTimeOffsets-r19 SEQUENCE (SIZE(N)) OF INTEGER(-T..maxOffset-T), IndexBitLength-r19 INTEGER{n},OPTIONAL, }OPTIONAL, } The UL-WUS-Config-r19 message includes at least one of the following SEQUENCEs: the TimeOffset-r19 field, the multiTimeOffsetConfig-r19 fields. The multiTimeOffsetConfig-r19 fields include the following SEQUENCE: the deltaTimeOffsets-r19 field, the IndexBitLength-r19 field. The deltaTimeOffsets-r19 field includes a SEQUENCE of N time offset information, where the value of the time offset information represents the difference between the time offset and a preset time offset, the data type of the time offset information is INTEGER, and the value range is -T to maxOffset-T, where T is the preset time offset. For other content, refer to the previous description and will not be elaborated here.

[0099] S302. The terminal device sends UL WUS to the network device (or the network energy saving (NES) cell of the network device).

[0100] When the terminal device is in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state, if it re-accesses the network (such as cell reselection, cell residence failure), it will send UL WUS to the network device to trigger the network device to send PDCCH. The DCI in the PDCCH is used to schedule SIB1 so that the terminal device can re-access the network according to SIB1. Correspondingly, the network device (or the NES cell of the network device) receives UL WUS from the terminal device.

[0101] S303. The network device (or the NES cell of the network device) sends a RAR message to the terminal device to trigger the terminal device to detect PDCCH after the target time offset.

[0102] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the RAR message from the network device. The RAR message includes a timing advance to help the terminal device synchronize time with the network device. The RAR message also includes an uplink resource indication for the subsequent terminal device to send a message (such as a radio resource control (RRC) connection request message) through the uplink resource.

[0103] The network device can select the index corresponding to the target time offset as the target index. The target time offset is one of the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information. Assuming the index bit length is n, the value range of the target index is 0 to 2^n - 1.Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a timing sequence provided by an embodiment of this application. The target time offset is the maximum time offset less than the first time offset among the time offsets indicated by N time offset messages. The first time offset refers to the time offset between the network device sending the RAR message and sending the PDCCH. In this way, it is possible to flexibly configure an independent target time offset for different terminal devices, enabling different terminal devices to detect the same PDCCH, saving signaling overhead. The terminal device will not miss detecting the PDCCH in this cycle and can also minimize the power consumption of the terminal device as much as possible.

[0104] Exemplarily, assume that the time offsets indicated by N time offset messages are t1, t2, t3, t4 in ascending order, and the binary values of the indices corresponding to the N time offset messages are 00, 01, 10, 11 in sequence. Figure 5 It is another schematic diagram of a timing sequence provided by an embodiment of this application. If the time offset t4 is less than the first time offset, the target time offset refers to the time offset t4, and the target index is the index 11 corresponding to the time offset t4. Figure 6 It is yet another schematic diagram of a timing sequence provided by an embodiment of this application. If the time offset t3 is less than the first time offset and the time offset t4 is greater than the first time offset, the target time offset refers to the time offset t3, and the target index is the index 10 corresponding to the time offset t3.

[0105] Optionally, the RAR message may include the target index or the target time offset. Transmitting the target index can save signaling overhead compared to transmitting the target time offset. When the target index is the index corresponding to the maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by N time offset messages, the RAR message may include the target index or the target time offset, or may not include the target index and the target time offset, which can save signaling overhead. The terminal device uses the default time offset as the target time offset, such as the maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by N time offset messages; the terminal device uses the default index as the target index, such as the index corresponding to the maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by N time offset messages. When the target index is not the index corresponding to the maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by N time offset messages, the RAR message includes the target index or the target time offset. Exemplarily, the structure of the RAR message is as shown below.

[0106] RAR-Config::=SEQUENCE{ timeOffsetIndex-r19 INTEGER (0..2^n-1) OPTIONAL, } The RAR message (RAR-Config) includes the following sequence (SEQUENCE): the time offset index (timeOffsetIndex-r19) field. The time offset index is the target index, and the data type of the time offset index is integer (INTEGER), with a value range of 0 to 2^n - 1, where n is the index bit length described above.

[0107] S304. After sending the first time offset of the RAR message, the network device sends a PDCCH to the terminal device.

[0108] Correspondingly, the terminal device detects the PDCCH after the time offset corresponding to the target index. The DCI in the PDCCH is used to schedule SIB1 so that the terminal device can re-attach to the network according to SIB1.

[0109] If the RAR message does not include the target index, the target index is the index corresponding to the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information, and the time offset corresponding to the target index is the maximum time offset indicated by N time offset information. That is, the terminal device uses the default maximum time offset.

[0110] In the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the network device configures multiple time offsets for the terminal device, and in response to the UL WUS sent by the terminal device, sends a RAR message to the terminal device, triggering the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after the target time offset. After sending the first time offset of the RAR message, the network device sends the PDCCH, and the target time offset is the maximum time offset less than the first time offset among the multiple time offsets. In this way, the terminal device starts to detect the PDCCH according to the latest time offset before the network device sends the PDCCH, which can not only ensure that the PDCCH is not missed, but also reduce power consumption.

[0111] As Figure 7 shown, a communication device provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication device 700 may include a communication module 710. The communication module 710 may implement corresponding communication functions, which may be the internal communication functions of the communication device 700 or the communication functions between the communication device 700 and other devices. Optionally, the communication module 710 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver module. Optionally, the communication device 700 further includes a processing module 720. The processing module 720 may implement corresponding processing functions.

[0112] Optionally, the communication device 700 further includes a storage module 730, which may be used to store instructions and / or data; the processing module 720 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module 730 so that the communication device 700 implements the foregoing method embodiments.

[0113] In a possible design, the communication device 700 may correspond to the network device in the above method embodiments, or be a component (such as a circuit, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) configured in the network device. The communication device 700 can be used to execute the steps or processes performed by the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0114] Exemplarily, the communication module 710 is used to send N time offset information to the terminal device, where the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between the terminal device receiving the RAR message and starting to detect the PDCCH; receive the UL WUS from the terminal device; send the RAR message to the terminal device to trigger the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after the target time offset; after the first time offset of sending the RAR message, send the PDCCH, and the target time offset is the largest time offset less than the first time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information.

[0115] In a possible implementation manner, the communication module 710 is used to send index configuration information to the terminal device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes respectively corresponding to the N time offset information.

[0116] In a possible implementation manner, the communication module 710 is used to send a target index to the terminal device, where the target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

[0117] In a possible implementation manner, the target index is carried in the RAR message.

[0118] In a possible implementation manner, the N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message.

[0119] In a possible implementation manner, the values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

[0120] In a possible implementation manner, the processing module 720 is used to increase the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information when a preset condition is satisfied, and otherwise decrease the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information.

[0121] In a possible implementation manner, the satisfaction of the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the frequency of the terminal device sending the UL WUS is less than a first threshold, the PRB utilization rate is less than a second threshold, the number of terminal device connections is less than a third threshold, and the proportion of terminal devices using the largest time offset indicated by the N time offset information is greater than a fourth threshold.

[0122] In a possible design, the communication device 700 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiment, or be a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system, etc.) configured in the terminal device. The communication device 700 can be used to execute the steps or processes performed by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0123] Exemplarily, the communication module 710 is used to receive N time offset information from the network device, where the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between the terminal device receiving the RAR message and starting to detect the PDCCH; send ULWUS to the network device; receive the RAR message from the network device; after the target time offset, detect the PDCCH, where the target time offset is the maximum time offset less than the first time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information, and the first time offset refers to the time offset between the network device sending the RAR message and sending the PDCCH.

[0124] In a possible implementation manner, the communication module 710 is used to receive index configuration information from the network device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes respectively corresponding to the N time offset information.

[0125] In a possible implementation manner, the communication module 710 is used to receive a target index from the network device, where the target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

[0126] In a possible implementation manner, the target index is carried in the RAR message.

[0127] In a possible implementation manner, the N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message.

[0128] In a possible implementation manner, the values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

[0129] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication device 800 can be a chip, chip system, or processor, etc. of a network device or terminal device for implementing the above method. The communication device 800 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments, and for details, reference can be made to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0130] Such as Figure 8As shown, the communication device 800 may include one or more processors 810, which may also be referred to as a processing unit or a processing module and can implement certain control functions. The processor 810 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control the communication device 800 (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a user, a user chip), execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs.

[0131] In a possible implementation, the processor 810 may also store instructions and / or data, which can be run by the processor 810, enabling the communication device 800 to execute the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0132] In another alternative design, the communication device 800 may include a communication interface 820 for implementing reception and transmission functions. For example, the communication interface 820 may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a transceiver, etc. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing reception and transmission functions may be separate or integrated together. The above transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the above transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for signal transmission or transfer.

[0133] Optionally, the communication device 800 may include one or more memories 830, on which instructions may be stored, and these instructions can be run on the processor 810, enabling the communication device 800 to execute the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, data may also be stored in the memory 830. Optionally, instructions and / or data may also be stored in the processor 810. The processor 810 and the memory 830 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0134] It should be understood that in a possible design, the steps in the method embodiments provided in this application can be completed by the integrated logic circuit in the hardware of the processor or by instructions in software form. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by the execution of the hardware processor, or can be implemented by the combination of the hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module may be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. This storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and combines its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0135] An implementation, the communication device 800 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and may be used to execute each step and / or process performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The processor 810 may be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 830, and when the processor 810 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 810 is used to execute each step and / or process of the above method embodiment corresponding to the terminal device.

[0136] Another implementation, the communication device 800 may correspond to the network device in the above method embodiments, and may be used to execute each step and / or process performed by the network device in the above method embodiments. The processor 810 may be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 830, and when the processor 810 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 810 is used to execute each step and / or process of the above method embodiment corresponding to the network device.

[0137] It should be understood that the above processor may be one or more chips. For example, the processor may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processing circuit (DSP), a micro controller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0138] It can be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and directrambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include but not be limited to these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0139] According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a processor, including: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit the signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of the above embodiments of the present application.

[0140] In a specific implementation process, the above-mentioned processor may be one or more chips, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be transistors, gate circuits, flip-flops, and various logic circuits, etc. The input signal received by the input circuit may be input by, for example but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be output to, for example but not limited to, a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which serves as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times respectively. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation manners of the processor and various circuits.

[0141] According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a chip system, which includes one or more processors for calling and running instructions stored in a memory, so that the method of the embodiments of the present application is executed. The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0142] Wherein, the chip system may include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data.

[0143] According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the foregoing terminal device and network device.

[0144] According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code. When the computer program code runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute each step or process performed by the terminal device and network device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0145] According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute each step or process performed by the terminal device and network device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0146] The computer-readable storage medium may be the above-mentioned volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile memory and non-volatile memory at the same time.

[0147] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms and English abbreviations are all exemplary examples given for convenience of description, and should not constitute any limitation to the present application. The present application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms in existing or future protocols that can achieve the same or similar functions.

[0148] 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 according to the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part.

[0149] In several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed couplings or direct couplings or communication connections to each other can be through some interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections of devices or units can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0150] It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the magnitudes of the sequence numbers of the respective processes do not imply the order of execution. The order of execution of the respective processes should be determined by their functions and internal logics, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0151] In summary, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the technical solution of the present application, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a network device, the method includes: Sending N time offset information to a terminal device, where the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between the terminal device receiving a random access response (RAR) message and starting to detect a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); Receiving an uplink wake-up signal (UL WUS) from the terminal device; Sending an RAR message to the terminal device to trigger the terminal device to detect the PDCCH after a target time offset; After a first time offset for sending the RAR message, sending the PDCCH, where the target time offset is the maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information that is less than the first time offset.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Further includes: Sending index configuration information to the terminal device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes respectively corresponding to the N time offset information.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein Further includes: Sending a target index to the terminal device, where the target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The target index is carried in the RAR message.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The N time offset information is carried in a UL WUS configuration message.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that Further includes: When a preset condition is satisfied, increasing the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information; otherwise, decreasing the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The satisfaction of the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the frequency of the terminal device sending the UL WUS is less than a first threshold, the physical resource block (PRB) utilization rate is less than a second threshold, the number of terminal device connections is less than a third threshold, and the proportion of terminal devices using the maximum time offset indicated by the N time offset information is greater than a fourth threshold.

9. A communication method, characterized in that Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Receiving N time offset information from a network device, where the time offset information is used to indicate the time offset between the terminal device receiving an RAR message and starting to detect a PDCCH; Sending a UL WUS to the network device; Receiving an RAR message from the network device; After a target time offset, detecting the PDCCH, where the target time offset is the maximum time offset among the time offsets indicated by the N time offset information that is less than a first time offset, and the first time offset refers to the time offset between the network device sending the RAR message and sending the PDCCH.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein Further includes: Receiving index configuration information from the network device, where the index configuration information is used to indicate the indexes respectively corresponding to the N time offset information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein Further includes: Receiving a target index from the network device, where the target index is the index corresponding to the target time offset, and the target index is one of the indexes indicated by the index configuration information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The target index is carried in the RAR message.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 - 12, characterized in that The N time offset information is carried in the UL WUS configuration message.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 - 12, characterized in that The numerical values of the N time offset information are respectively specific time offsets, or are respectively the differences between different time offsets and a preset time offset.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory, and instructions are stored in the memory. When the processor executes the instructions, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1-8, or executes the method according to any one of claims 9-14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8, or execute the method according to any one of claims 9-14.

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