Communication method and device, communication equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a communication method and device, communication equipment and a storage medium. The method comprises at least one of the following steps: when the terminal meets a first condition, activating a network configuration small interval (NCSG); when the terminal meets a second condition, the NCSG is deactivated; and the terminal receives first information sent by the network, wherein the first information comprises indication information for activating the NCSG or indication information for deactivating the NCSG.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Network Configured Small Gap (NCSG) is a special type of measurement gap. One of its purposes is to reduce the throughput loss caused by the measurement gap. However, currently, the configuration, change, and cancellation of NCSG are all configured by Radio Resource Control (RRC), resulting in a large delay, which makes it impossible to configure, change, or cancel NCSG in a timely manner, affecting the effect of throughput reduction. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the existing technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a communication method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention are implemented as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a communication method, which is applied to a terminal, and the method includes at least one of the following:

[0006] The terminal activates NCSG when a first condition is met;

[0007] The terminal deactivates NCSG when a second condition is met;

[0008] The terminal receives first information sent by the network, and the first information includes indication information for activating NCSG or indication information for deactivating NCSG.

[0009] In the above solution, the method further includes: the terminal receives NCSG-related information, and the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

[0010] In the above solution, the first condition includes one of the following:

[0011] The secondary cell is deactivated;

[0012] The secondary cell is a deactivated secondary cell;

[0013] NCSG is associated with a measurement target;

[0014] The measurement object includes a measurement object that supports NGSG;

[0015] The measurement object belongs to a frequency band that supports NCSG.

[0016] In the above solution, the second condition includes one of the following:

[0017] The secondary cell is activated;

[0018] The secondary cell is an activated secondary cell;

[0019] There is no deactivated secondary cell;

[0020] The measurement object does not include a measurement object that supports NGSG;

[0021] The measurement object does not belong to the frequency band that supports NCSG.

[0022] In the above solution, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0023] Complete the activation of NCSG within the first time that satisfies the first condition;

[0024] Complete the deactivation of NCSG within the second time that satisfies the second condition;

[0025] Complete the activation of NCSG within the third time after receiving the first information;

[0026] Complete the deactivation of NCSG within the fourth time after receiving the first information.

[0027] In the above solution, the first information further includes an index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0028] In the above solution, the terminal receives the first information sent by the network, including:

[0029] The terminal receives downlink control information (DCI) or medium access control control element (MACCE) sent by the network, and the first information is included in the DCI or MAC CE.

[0030] In the above solution, at least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol; or, the method further includes:

[0031] The terminal sends second information to the network, and the second information includes at least one of the values of the first time, the values of the second time, the values of the third time, and the values of the fourth time.

[0032] In the above solution, the method further includes: the terminal sends third information to the network, and the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

[0033] In the above solution, the third information further includes the index or pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated.

[0034] In the above solution, the method further includes: the terminal receives fourth information sent by the network, and the fourth information includes the first association relationship between the NCSG and the frequency point, and / or the second association relationship between the NCSG and the cell.

[0035] In the above solution, the first association relationship includes the association relationship between at least one of the measurement object, the synchronization signal block (SSB) frequency point, and the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) frequency point and the NCSG index; and / or,

[0036] The second association relationship includes the association relationship between the cell index and the NCSG index.

[0037] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication method, which is applied to a network, and the method includes:

[0038] The network sends first information to the terminal, and the first information includes an indication information for activating the NCSG or an indication information for deactivating the NCSG.

[0039] In the above solution, the method further includes: the network sends NCSG-related information to the terminal, and the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

[0040] In the above solution, the first information further includes the index or pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated.

[0041] In the above solution, the network sending the first information to the terminal includes: the network sends downlink control information (DCI) or media access control control element (MAC CE) to the terminal, and the DCI or MAC CE includes the first information.

[0042] In the above solution, the method further includes: the network receives second information sent by the terminal, and the second information includes at least one of the value of a first time, the value of a second time, the value of a third time, and the value of a fourth time; the first time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of the NCSG when meeting the first condition, the second time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of the NCSG when meeting the second condition, the third time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of the NCSG after receiving the first information, and the fourth time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of the NCSG after receiving the first information; or,

[0043] At least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol.

[0044] In the above solution, the method further includes: the network receives third information sent by the terminal, and the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

[0045] In the above solution, the third information further includes an index or a pattern identifier of the NCSG for which activation or deactivation is requested.

[0046] In the above solution, the method further includes: the network sends fourth information to the terminal, and the fourth information includes a first association relationship between the NCSG and a frequency point, and / or a second association relationship between the NCSG and a cell.

[0047] In the above solution, the first association relationship includes an association relationship between at least one of a measurement object, an SSB frequency point, and a CSI-RS frequency point and an NCSG index; and / or

[0048] The second association relationship includes an association relationship between a serving cell index and an NCSG index.

[0049] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, which is applied to a terminal, and the device includes a first processing unit and a first communication unit; wherein,

[0050] The first processing unit is configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0051] Activate the NCSG when a first condition is satisfied;

[0052] Deactivate the NCSG when a second condition is satisfied;

[0053] Receive first information sent by the network through the first communication unit, and the first information includes indication information for activating the NCSG or indication information for deactivating the NCSG.

[0054] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, which is applied to a network, and the device includes a second communication unit, configured to send first information to a terminal, and the first information includes indication information for activating the NCSG or indication information for deactivating the NCSG.

[0055] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and when the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the communication method described in the first aspect or the second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention are implemented.

[0056] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, the steps of the communication method described in the first aspect or the second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention are implemented.

[0057] The communication method, device, communication device, and storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present invention include at least one of the following: when the terminal meets the first condition, activate the NCSG; when the terminal meets the second condition, deactivate the NCSG; the terminal receives the first information sent by the network, and the first information includes an indication information for activating the NCSG or an indication information for deactivating the NCSG. By adopting the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention, after the NCSG is configured, it will not take effect or be cancelled immediately, but is activated or deactivated when meeting specific conditions or events and / or through further indication of the network, improving the flexibility and timeliness of the configuration, change, and cancellation of the NCSG, and effectively improving the throughput rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a measurement interval;

[0059] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the NCSG;

[0060] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0061] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0062] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0063] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0064] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0065] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0066] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or 5G system, etc. Optionally, the 5G system or 5G network can also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) system or NR network.

[0067] Exemplarily, the communication system to which the embodiments of the present invention are applied may include a network device and a terminal device (which may also be referred to as a terminal, a communication terminal, etc.); the network device may be a device that communicates with the terminal device. Among them, the network device can provide communication coverage within a certain area range and can communicate with terminals located within that area. Optionally, the network device may be a base station in each communication system, such as an Evolutional Node B (eNB) in the LTE system, or a base station (gNB) in the 5G system or NR system.

[0068] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device with communication functions in the network / system may be referred to as a communication device. The communication device may include a network device and a terminal with communication functions. The network device and the terminal device may be the specific devices described above and will not be elaborated here; the communication device may also include other devices in the communication system, such as other network entities like a network controller, a mobility management entity, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0069] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this article. The term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0070] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects and do not necessarily need to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present application described here can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0071] Before elaborating on the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, a brief introduction to the measurement gap and NCSG will be given first.

[0072] When a terminal performs measurements, it may require a measurement gap. For example, when measuring reference signals, synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs), or positioning reference signals (PRSs), they are not within the active bandwidth part (BWP). During the measurement gap length (MGL) of this measurement gap, the terminal disconnects from the current serving frequency point and tunes to the target reference signal position for measurement. That is, the original serving cell cannot schedule the terminal, resulting in throughput loss. The relevant parameters of the measurement gap may include: the measurement gap repetition period (MGRP), the measurement gap length (MGL), and the gap offset. The meanings represented by these parameters can be referred to Figure 1 as shown.

[0073] NCSG means that data transmission and reception can also be performed within a partial time domain range within the MGL. This section of the range is called the measurement length (ML). It can be understood that within the ML, the terminal can simultaneously perform data transmission and reception of the serving cell and measurements of neighboring cells (same-frequency / different-frequency neighboring cells). However, there will be a relatively small visible interruption length (VIL), including VIL1 and VIL2, at both ends of the ML. For details, please refer to Figure 2 as shown.

[0074] Currently, the configuration, modification, and cancellation of NCSG are all configured by RRC. RRC has a relatively large latency, resulting in the inability to configure, modify, or cancel NCSG in a timely manner, affecting the reduction of throughput. For example, NCSG can be used to deactivate the measurement of a secondary cell (SCell). The activation / deactivation of the SCell is indicated by a Medium / Media Access Control Control Element (MAC CE). If the SCell is deactivated, since NCSG is configured by RRC, it cannot be used for the measurement of the SCell in a timely manner, resulting in an increase in measurement latency. If the SCell is activated, its measurement no longer requires NCSG. However, since the cancellation of NCSG is configured by RRC, its lag problem causes NCSG to still exist for a period of time, and the terminal cannot be scheduled within the VIL, resulting in a loss of throughput.

[0075] An embodiment of the present invention provides a communication method. Figure 3 Schematic flow of the communication method according to the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ; as Figure 3 shown, the method includes:

[0076] Step 101: The terminal performs at least one of the following: activates NCSG when the first condition is met; deactivates NCSG when the second condition is met; receives first information sent by the network, where the first information includes indication information for activating NCSG or indication information for deactivating NCSG.

[0077] In this embodiment, the network pre-configures NCSG. However, different from the traditional technology, the configured NCSG does not take effect or activate immediately, but activates NCSG or deactivates NCSG when specific conditions or events are met and / or through further indication by the network, or takes effect on NCSG or cancels NCSG when specific conditions or events are met and / or through further indication by the network, improving the flexibility and timeliness of the configuration, modification, and cancellation of NCSG, and effectively improving the throughput.

[0078] In this embodiment, the network may be a network-side device, a network device, or a communication device, such as a base station.

[0079] In this embodiment, activating the NCSG can also be described as activating the NCSG or making the NCSG effective. It can be understood that when the NCSG becomes effective, ML (measurement length) and VIL (visible interruption length) become effective, including VIL1 and VIL2. The terminal conducts measurements in the activated NCSG. It can be understood that in ML, the terminal can receive data (such as PDSCH / PDCCH) and / or transmit data (such as PUSCH / PUCCH). VIL is an interruption, and in VIL, the terminal cannot receive or transmit data. Deactivating the NCSG can also be described as deactivating the NCSG or canceling the NCSG. It can be understood that when the NCSG does not exist, the terminal cannot conduct measurements in the deactivated NCSG, and in the VIL of the NCSG pattern, the terminal can receive data (such as Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) / Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)) and / or transmit data (such as Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) / Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)). The terminal activates the NCSG when the first condition is met. The terminal deactivates the NCSG when the second condition is met. That is, the terminal autonomously determines whether to activate or deactivate the NCSG based on whether the conditions or events are met. Exemplarily, the first condition and / or the second condition can be pre-configured in the protocol. The network and the terminal respectively determine whether the conditions are met, and both the network and the terminal can have a consistent understanding of the activation or deactivation of the NCSG. In this way, the network can determine whether to schedule within the measurement length of the NCSG and whether to schedule within the visible interruption length (VIL); correspondingly, the terminal can also determine whether it needs to receive PDSCH / PDCCH or transmit PUSCH / PUCCH / Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) at these positions (within the measurement length of the NCSG and within the visible interruption length (VIL)).

[0080] In this embodiment, the terminal receives the first information sent by the network. The first information includes the indication information for activating the NCSG or the indication information for deactivating the NCSG, that is, the network instructs the terminal to activate or deactivate the NCSG.

[0081] In some alternative embodiments, the implementation solution for the terminal to autonomously determine to activate or deactivate the NCSG and the implementation solution for the network to indicate to activate or deactivate the NCSG can be used independently. If the network sends the first piece of information, that is, the terminal receives the first piece of information sent by the network, the terminal does not perform the activation / deactivation of the NCSG determined autonomously. The activation / deactivation of the NCSG is completely based on the indication of the first piece of information. If the network does not send the first piece of information, that is, the terminal does not receive the first piece of information sent by the network, the terminal can autonomously determine the activation / deactivation of the NCSG according to whether the conditions are met.

[0082] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the terminal receives NCSG-related information, and the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

[0083] In this embodiment, the index can be described as an identifier. In some alternative embodiments, the index can also be described as a pattern index, a pattern identifier, and its English description is pattern ID; or it can be described as an NCSG pattern index, and its English description is NCSG pattern ID. In some alternative embodiments, if the network pre-configures multiple (such as at least two) NCSGs, the index can be used to represent the corresponding NCSG.

[0084] In this embodiment, the measurement length can also be described as a measurement length without an interval, and its corresponding English description is Measurement Length, abbreviated as ML. There is a visible interruption length, abbreviated as VIL, at each of the front and rear ends of the ML. For example, refer to Figure 2 as shown.

[0085] In this embodiment, the repetition period of the visible interruption is abbreviated as VIRP in English, which is Visible Interruption Repetition Period. The ML and the VILs before and after it appear periodically, and the period is VIRP.

[0086] In some alternative embodiments, the terminal receives NCSG-related information, including: the terminal receives an RRC message / signaling sent by the network, and the NCSG-related information is included in the RRC message / signaling.

[0087] In this embodiment, the NCSG-related information can be configured through RRC. The terminal can obtain the related information of one or at least two NCSGs. In this embodiment, the related information of the NCSG can also be referred to as configuration information or NCSG configuration information, which is used to configure the NCSG.

[0088] In the prior art, when the terminal receives NCSG-related information (or configuration information), the NCSG takes effect or is cancelled immediately, that is, the activation / deactivation of the NCSG does not require conditional judgment or network indication. Different from the prior art, in the embodiments of the present invention, when the terminal receives NCSG-related information, the NCSG does not take effect or is cancelled. At this time, the NCSG cannot be used for measurement, which is equivalent to not configuring the NCSG. Whether to activate or deactivate the NCSG needs to be determined by conditions (such as the first condition and the second condition) or network indication. It can be understood that when the terminal receives NCSG-related information, whether to activate the NCSG needs to be determined by the first condition or network indication. Further, after the NCSG is activated, whether to deactivate the NCSG needs to be determined by the second condition or network indication.

[0089] In some alternative embodiments, the first condition includes one of the following:

[0090] The secondary cell is deactivated;

[0091] The secondary cell is a deactivated secondary cell;

[0092] The NCSG is associated with a measurement target;

[0093] The measurement object includes a measurement object that supports NGSG;

[0094] The measurement object belongs to a frequency band that supports NCSG.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present invention, the secondary cell may also be referred to as a secondary carrier.

[0096] In this embodiment, when the secondary cell is deactivated, it can be understood that the terminal receives a deactivation command / instruction for the secondary cell, that is, the secondary cell was previously activated (or in an active state). After the terminal receives the deactivation command / instruction for the secondary cell, the secondary cell is deactivated (or in a deactivated state, or switches from an active state to a deactivated state). In this embodiment, when the secondary cell is deactivated, it may refer to at least one secondary cell being deactivated, or at least one secondary cell being a deactivated secondary cell. This embodiment is applicable to an application scenario where the NCSG is associated with a certain or certain secondary cells (or described as the NCSG being used for measurement of a certain or certain secondary cells). When this or these secondary cells are deactivated, or when at least one secondary cell is activated, the corresponding NCSG is automatically activated.

[0097] In this embodiment, the secondary cell is a deactivated secondary cell, which can be understood as that when configuring the secondary cell, the state of the secondary cell is deactivated. In other alternative embodiments, the secondary cell is a deactivated secondary cell, and can also be described as: at least one deactivated secondary cell. One of the uses of NCSG is to measure the deactivated secondary cell. When at least one of the configured, associated, or corresponding secondary cells is a deactivated secondary cell, measurement needs to be performed through NCSG, so NCSG can be activated.

[0098] In this embodiment, the measurement object includes a measurement object supporting NCSG, and can also be described as that at least one measurement target supports NCSG. Exemplarily, in the NR measurement configuration information, it usually includes a measurement object (MO, Measurement Object), and the measurement object represents the frequency, time position, and subcarrier spacing of the reference signal to be measured. The measurement object in this embodiment includes a measurement object supporting NCSG, indicating that the configured measurement objects include at least one measurement object supporting NCSG, or at least one of the configured measurement objects belongs to the frequency point or frequency band supporting NCSG.

[0099] Whether the terminal supports NCSG is related to the frequency point, frequency band, or frequency band combination, that is, the terminal may only support NCSG at a specific frequency point, specific frequency band, or specific frequency band combination. If the measurement object to be measured is a frequency point, frequency band, or frequency band combination supporting NCSG, that is, NCSG can be used, NCSG can be activated.

[0100] In this embodiment, the measurement object can also be described as a frequency point, including co-frequency, different-frequency, and different-system, and can be identified by the Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN).

[0101] In this embodiment, the measurement target can also be called the measurement object. The NCSG is associated with the measurement target, and can also be described as the measurement object is associated with NCSG, or the measurement object supports NCSG.

[0102] In some alternative embodiments, the second condition includes one of the following:

[0103] The secondary cell is activated;

[0104] The secondary cell is an activated secondary cell;

[0105] There is no deactivated secondary cell;

[0106] The measurement object does not include a measurement object supporting NCSG;

[0107] The measurement object does not belong to the frequency band supporting NCSG.

[0108] In various embodiments of the present invention, the secondary cell may also be described as a secondary carrier.

[0109] In this embodiment, the activation of the secondary cell can be understood as the terminal receiving an activation command / instruction for the secondary cell, that is, the secondary cell was deactivated before (or in a deactivated state), and after the terminal receives the activation command / instruction for the secondary cell, the secondary cell is activated (or in an activated state, or switches from a deactivated state to an activated state). In this embodiment, the activation of the secondary cell may refer to the activation of at least one secondary cell, or at least one secondary cell is an activated secondary cell. This embodiment is applicable to the application scenario where an NCSG is associated with a certain / some secondary cells (or described as the NCSG is used for measuring a certain / some secondary cells). When all of these NCSGs are activated, the corresponding NCSG is automatically deactivated.

[0110] In this embodiment, the secondary cell being an activated secondary cell can be understood as that when the secondary cell is configured, its state is activated. In other alternative embodiments, the secondary cell being an activated secondary cell can also be described as: all secondary cells are activated secondary cells, or the configured secondary cells are all activated secondary cells. One of the uses of the NCSG is to measure deactivated secondary cells. When all the configured secondary cells are activated secondary cells, there is no need to measure deactivated secondary cells, that is, there is no need for the NCSG, so the NCSG can be deactivated.

[0111] In this embodiment, the secondary cells that are not deactivated can also be described as the configured secondary cells that are not deactivated. One of the uses of the NCSG is to measure deactivated secondary cells. When all the configured secondary cells are activated secondary cells, there is no need to measure deactivated secondary cells, that is, there is no need for the NCSG, so the NCSG can be deactivated.

[0112] In this embodiment, the measurement object does not include the measurement object that supports NGSG, and can also be described as that all measurement targets do not support NCSG. The statement that the measurement object in this embodiment does not include the measurement object that supports NGSG means that the configured measurement objects do not include the measurement objects that support NCSG, or all the measurement objects included in the configured measurement objects do not support the frequency points or frequency bands of NCSG.

[0113] Whether the terminal supports NCSG is related to the frequency point, frequency band, or frequency band combination, that is, the terminal may only support NCSG at specific frequency points, specific frequency bands, or specific frequency band combinations. If the measurement object to be measured is not a frequency point, frequency band, or frequency band combination that supports NCSG, that is, the NCSG cannot be used, the NCSG can be deactivated.

[0114] In this embodiment, the measurement object can also be described as a frequency point, including co-frequency, different-frequency, and different-system frequencies, which can be identified by ARFCN.

[0115] In some alternative embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by the network, including: the terminal receives downlink control information (DCI) or MAC CE sent by the network, and the first information is included in the DCI or MAC CE.

[0116] In this embodiment, the first information can be transmitted through DCI or MAC CE.

[0117] In some alternative embodiments, the first information further includes the index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0118] In this embodiment, if at least two NCSGs are configured, that is, the terminal receives at least two pieces of NCSG-related information or at least two pieces of NCSG configuration information sent by the network, then the first information further includes the index (which can also be described as an identifier) or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG, used to identify the index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG among the at least two configured NCSGs.

[0119] This embodiment is applicable to the application scenario where the terminal has previously obtained the configuration information of at least two NCSGs. In other alternative embodiments, if the terminal has only obtained the configuration information of one NCSG previously, then the first information may not include the index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0120] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0121] Activate the NCSG within the first time that satisfies the first condition;

[0122] Deactivate the NCSG within the second time that satisfies the second condition;

[0123] Activate the NCSG within the third time after receiving the first information;

[0124] Deactivate the NCSG within the fourth time after receiving the first information.

[0125] In this embodiment, the terminal completes the activation of NCSG within the first time that meets the first condition; and completes the activation of NCSG within the third time after receiving the first information. The first time and / or the third time is the processing time of the terminal, that is, the time when the terminal completes the activation of NCSG. The terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG within the second time that meets the second condition; and completes the deactivation of NCSG within the fourth time after receiving the first information. The second time and / or the fourth time is the processing time of the terminal, that is, the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG.

[0126] This embodiment limits the terminal to complete the activation or deactivation of NCSG within a certain time, avoiding that the terminal takes a long time to activate or deactivate NCSG and cannot meet the measurement requirements.

[0127] Taking the serving cell of the first condition being deactivated as an example, starting from the terminal receiving the deactivation command or instruction of the serving cell, the time for the terminal to complete the activation of NCSG cannot exceed the first time.

[0128] Taking the serving cell of the second condition being activated as an example, starting from the terminal receiving the activation command or instruction of the serving cell, the time for the terminal to complete the deactivation of NCSG cannot exceed the second time.

[0129] Taking receiving the first information and the first information including the indication information for activating NCSG as an example, starting from the terminal receiving the first information, the time for the terminal to complete the activation of NCSG cannot exceed the third time.

[0130] Taking receiving the first information and the first information including the indication information for deactivating NCSG as an example, starting from the terminal receiving the first information, the time for the terminal to complete the deactivation of NCSG cannot exceed the fourth time.

[0131] In some alternative embodiments, at least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol; or, the method further includes:

[0132] The terminal sends a second information to the network, and the second information includes at least one of the values of the first time, the values of the second time, the values of the third time, and the values of the fourth time.

[0133] In this embodiment, the processing time (at least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time) of the above terminal can be pre-agreed by the protocol or determined by the terminal. After the processing time is determined, the terminal sends it to the network through the second information.

[0134] In this embodiment, the processing times for different terminals to complete the activation of NCSG may be the same or different, that is, for different terminals, the corresponding first time and / or third time may be the same or different. For the same terminal, the first time and the third time may also be the same or different, which can be specifically determined according to the actual situation of the terminal or pre-specified by the protocol. Alternatively, the processing times for different terminals to complete the deactivation of NCSG may also be the same or different, that is, for different terminals, the corresponding second time and / or fourth time may be the same or different. Among them, for the same terminal, the second time and the fourth time may also be the same or different, which can be specifically determined according to the actual situation of the terminal or pre-specified by the protocol. That is to say, for different terminals, at least one of the above first time, second time, third time, and fourth time may be different, or all the times may be the same. For one terminal, at least one of the above first time, second time, third time, and fourth time may be different, or all the times may be the same.

[0135] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the terminal sends third information to the network, and the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

[0136] In this embodiment, the terminal sending the third information to the network means that the terminal expects NCSG activation or NCSG deactivation, that is, the terminal sends an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request to the network; the network can refer to the second information sent by the terminal to configure the activation or deactivation of NCSG.

[0137] In this embodiment, the third information can be used in combination with the first information. Specifically, if the terminal requests to activate NCSG through the third information (then the third information includes an NCSG activation request), the network can respond to the terminal's request in the first information and perform an NCSG activation indication (that is, the first information includes the indication information of NCSG). It should be noted that how the network responds to the terminal's request depends on the overall scheduling of the network. If there are requirements with high real-time performance or large data volume, and the network does not expect to configure a measurement interval within a certain period of time, the network can also perform an NCSG deactivation indication in the first information.

[0138] In some alternative embodiments, the third information further includes the index or pattern identifier of the NCSG for which activation or deactivation is requested.

[0139] In this embodiment, if at least two NCSGs are configured, that is, the terminal receives at least two pieces of NCSG-related information or configuration information of at least two NCSGs sent by the network, then the third information further includes the index (which can also be described as an identifier) or pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated, used to identify the index or pattern identifier of the NCSG that the terminal expects to activate or deactivate among the at least two configured NCSGs. The network can respond to the terminal request through the first information, indicating to activate or deactivate the NCSG corresponding to the index or pattern identifier of this NCSG; in other alternative embodiments, the network can also, based on overall scheduling considerations, indicate to activate or deactivate other NCSGs except the index or pattern identifier of this NCSG.

[0140] This embodiment is applicable to the application scenario where the terminal pre-gets the configuration information of at least two NCSGs. In other alternative embodiments, if the terminal only pre-gets the configuration information of one NCSG, the third information may not include the index or pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated.

[0141] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the terminal receives the fourth information sent by the network, and the fourth information includes the first association relationship between the NCSG and the frequency point, and / or the second association relationship between the NCSG and the cell.

[0142] In some alternative embodiments, the first association relationship includes the association relationship between at least one of the measurement object, SSB frequency point, and CSI-RS frequency point and the NCSG index; and / or the second association relationship includes the association relationship between the cell index and the NCSG index.

[0143] In this embodiment, the measurement object can also be described as a frequency point, frequency band, or frequency band combination. Whether the terminal supports NCSG is related to the frequency point, frequency band, or frequency band combination, that is, the terminal may only support NCSG at a specific frequency point, specific frequency band, or specific frequency band combination. If the network configures the first association relationship between the NCSG and the frequency point, and / or the second association relationship between the NCSG and the cell through the fourth information, then the terminal can independently determine the activation or deactivation of the NCSG according to the frequency point and / or the cell.

[0144] As an example, when the RRC configures the frequency point or measurement object (MO) associated with the NCSG, the corresponding NCSG is activated. When the RRC cancels or does not configure the frequency point or measurement object (MO) associated with the NCSG, the corresponding NCSG is deactivated.

[0145] As another example, if the fourth piece of information includes a second association relationship, and the second association relationship includes a certain cell, then when the cell is activated, its corresponding NCSG is activated; when the cell is deactivated, its corresponding NCSG is deactivated.

[0146] In this embodiment, the association relationship (such as the first association relationship, the second association relationship) can also be described as corresponding, or described as mapping.

[0147] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication method. Figure 4 It is a schematic flow of the communication method according to the embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ; as Figure 4 shown, the method includes:

[0148] Step 201: The network sends first information to the terminal, and the first information includes indication information for activating the NCSG or indication information for deactivating the NCSG.

[0149] In this embodiment, the network may be a network-side device, a network device, or a communication device, such as a base station.

[0150] In this embodiment, activating the NCSG can also be described as performing the activation of the NCSG or the NCSG coming into effect. It can be understood that when the NCSG comes into effect, ML (measurement length) and VIL (visible interruption length) come into effect, including VIL1 and VIL2. The terminal performs measurements in the activated NCSG. It can be understood that in ML, the terminal can receive data (such as PDSCH / PDCCH) and / or send data (such as PUSCH / PUCCH), and VIL is an interruption, during which the terminal cannot receive or send data. Deactivating the NCSG can also be described as performing the deactivation of the NCSG or canceling the NCSG. It can be understood that the NCSG does not exist, and the terminal cannot perform measurements in the deactivated NCSG. During VIL in the NCSG pattern, the terminal can receive data (such as PDSCH / PDCCH) and / or send data (such as PUSCH / PUCCH).

[0151] In this embodiment, the network sends first information to the terminal, and the first information includes indication information for activating the NCSG or indication information for deactivating the NCSG, that is, the network instructs the terminal to activate or deactivate the NCSG.

[0152] In other alternative embodiments, the terminal may also autonomously determine the activation or deactivation of the NCSG according to whether a condition or an event is satisfied. The condition may include a first condition for activating the NCSG and / or a second condition for deactivating the NCSG. Exemplarily, the first condition and / or the second condition may be pre-configured in the protocol. The network and the terminal respectively determine whether the condition is satisfied, and both the network and the terminal may have a consistent understanding of the activation or deactivation of the NCSG. In this way, the network can determine whether to perform scheduling within the measurement length of the NCSG and whether to perform scheduling within the visible interruption length (VIL); correspondingly, the terminal can also determine whether it is necessary to receive PDSCH / PDCCH or transmit PUSCH / PUCCH / SRS at these positions (within the measurement length of the NCSG, within the visible interruption length (VIL)).

[0153] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the network sending NCSG-related information to the terminal, where the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

[0154] In this embodiment, the index may be described as an identifier. In some alternative embodiments, the index may also be described as a pattern index, a pattern identifier, and its English description is pattern ID; or it may be described as an NCSG pattern index, and its English description is NCSG pattern ID. In some alternative embodiments, if the network pre-configures multiple (such as at least two) NCSGs, the index may be used to represent the corresponding NCSG.

[0155] In this embodiment, the measurement length may also be described as a measurement length without intervals, and its corresponding English description is Measurement Length, abbreviated as ML. There is a visible interruption length at each of the front and back ends of the ML, and its English description is Visible Interruption Length, abbreviated as VIL. For example, refer to Figure 2 as shown.

[0156] In this embodiment, the repetition period of the visible interruption is described in English as Visible Interruption Repetition Period, abbreviated as VIRP. The ML and the VILs before and after it appear periodically, and the period is VIRP.

[0157] In this embodiment, the NCSG-related information may be configured through RRC. The terminal may obtain the related information of one or at least two NCSGs. In this embodiment, the related information of the NCSG may also be referred to as configuration information or NCSG configuration information, which is used to configure the NCSG.

[0158] In the prior art, when the terminal receives NCSG-related information (or configuration information), the NCSG takes effect immediately or is cancelled, that is, the activation / deactivation of the NCSG does not require conditional judgment or network indication. Different from the prior art, in the embodiments of the present invention, when the terminal receives NCSG-related information, the NCSG does not take effect or is cancelled. At this time, the NCSG cannot be used for measurement, which is equivalent to not configuring the NCSG. Whether to activate or deactivate the NCSG needs to be determined by conditions (such as the first condition and the second condition) or network indication. It can be understood that when the terminal receives NCSG-related information, whether to activate the NCSG needs to be determined by the first condition or network indication. Further, after the NCSG is activated, whether to deactivate the NCSG needs to be determined by the second condition or network indication.

[0159] In some alternative embodiments, the network sends the first information to the terminal, including: the network sends DCI or MAC CE to the terminal, and the first information is included in the DCI or MAC CE.

[0160] In this embodiment, the first information can be transmitted through DCI or MAC CE.

[0161] In some alternative embodiments, the first information further includes the index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0162] In this embodiment, if at least two NCSGs are configured, that is, the terminal receives at least two NCSG-related information or at least two NCSG configuration information sent by the network, the first information further includes the index (which can also be described as an identifier) or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG, used to identify the index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG among the at least two configured NCSGs.

[0163] This embodiment is applicable to the application scenario where the terminal pre-obtains the configuration information of at least two NCSGs. In other alternative embodiments, if the terminal only pre-obtains the configuration information of one NCSG, the first information may not include the index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0164] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the network receives second information sent by the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of the value of a first time, the value of a second time, the value of a third time, and the value of a fourth time; the first time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of NCSG when meeting a first condition, the second time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG when meeting a second condition, the third time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of NCSG after receiving the first information, and the fourth time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG after receiving the first information; or,

[0165] At least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol.

[0166] In this embodiment, within the first time when the terminal meets the first condition, the terminal completes the activation of NCSG; within the second time when the terminal meets the second condition, the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG; within the third time after receiving the first information, the terminal completes the activation of NCSG; within the fourth time after receiving the first information, the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG. The terminal sends second information to the network, where the second information includes at least one of the value of the first time, the value of the second time, the value of the third time, and the value of the fourth time, or at least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol, so as to facilitate the network to determine the processing time of the terminal, that is, the network determines the time when the terminal completes the activation of NCSG, or determines the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG, and thus can determine whether to perform scheduling within the measurement length of NCSG and whether to perform scheduling within the visible interruption length (VIL).

[0167] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the network receives third information sent by the terminal, where the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

[0168] In this embodiment, the third information sent by the terminal to the network means that the terminal expects NCSG activation or NCSG deactivation, that is, the terminal sends an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request to the network; the network can refer to the second information sent by the terminal to configure the activation or deactivation of NCSG.

[0169] In this embodiment, the third information can be used in combination with the first information. Specifically, if the terminal requests to activate the NCSG through the third information (the third information includes an NCSG activation request), the network can respond to the terminal's request in the first information and perform an NCSG activation indication (that is, the first information includes NCSG indication information). It should be noted that how the network responds to the terminal's request depends on the overall scheduling of the network. If there are requirements with high real-time performance or large data volume and the network does not expect to configure a measurement interval within a certain period of time, the network can also perform an NCSG deactivation indication in the first information.

[0170] In some alternative embodiments, the third information further includes an index or pattern identifier of the NCSG for which activation or deactivation is requested.

[0171] In this embodiment, if at least two NCSGs are configured, that is, the terminal receives at least two pieces of NCSG-related information or at least two pieces of NCSG configuration information sent by the network, the third information further includes an index (which can also be described as an identifier) or pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated, used to identify the index or pattern identifier of the NCSG that the terminal expects to activate or deactivate among the at least two configured NCSGs. The network can respond to the terminal's request through the first information and indicate to activate or deactivate the NCSG corresponding to the index or pattern identifier of this NCSG; in other alternative embodiments, the network can also, based on overall scheduling considerations, indicate to activate or deactivate other NCSGs other than the index or pattern identifier of this NCSG.

[0172] This embodiment is applicable to an application scenario where the terminal has pre-obtained at least two pieces of NCSG configuration information. In other alternative embodiments, if the terminal has only pre-obtained one piece of NCSG configuration information, the third information may not include an index or pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated.

[0173] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the network sending fourth information to the terminal, and the fourth information includes a first association relationship between the NCSG and a frequency point, and / or a second association relationship between the NCSG and a cell.

[0174] In some alternative embodiments, the first association relationship includes an association relationship between at least one of a measurement object, an SSB frequency point, and a CSI-RS frequency point and an NCSG index; and / or the second association relationship includes an association relationship between a serving cell index and an NCSG index.

[0175] In this embodiment, the measurement object can also be described as a frequency point, a frequency band, or a combination of frequency bands. Whether the terminal supports NCSG is related to the frequency point, the frequency band, or the combination of frequency bands, that is, the terminal may support NCSG only at a specific frequency point, a specific frequency band, or a specific combination of frequency bands. If the network configures the first association relationship between NCSG and the frequency point, and / or the second association relationship between NCSG and the cell through the fourth information, the terminal can autonomously determine the activation or deactivation of NCSG according to the frequency point and / or the cell.

[0176] As an example, when the RRC configures a frequency point or a measurement object (MO) associated with NCSG, the corresponding NCSG is activated. When the RRC cancels or does not configure a frequency point or a measurement object (MO) associated with NCSG, the corresponding NCSG is deactivated.

[0177] As another example, if the second association relationship is included in the fourth information, and the second association relationship includes a certain cell, then when the cell is activated, the corresponding NCSG is activated; when the cell is deactivated, the corresponding NCSG is deactivated.

[0178] In this embodiment, the association relationship (such as the first association relationship and the second association relationship) can also be described as corresponding, or described as mapping.

[0179] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, and the device is applied to a terminal. Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ; as Figure 5 shown, the device includes a first processing unit 31 and a first communication unit 32; wherein,

[0180] The first processing unit 31 is configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0181] Activate NCSG when the first condition is met;

[0182] Deactivate NCSG when the second condition is met;

[0183] Receive the first information sent by the network through the first communication unit 32, and the first information includes the indication information for activating NCSG or the indication information for deactivating NCSG.

[0184] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the first communication unit 32 is further configured to receive NCSG-related information, and the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

[0185] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the first condition includes one of the following:

[0186] The secondary cell is deactivated;

[0187] The secondary cell is a deactivated secondary cell;

[0188] The NCSG is associated with a measurement target;

[0189] The measurement object includes a measurement object supporting the NGSG;

[0190] The measurement object belongs to a frequency band supporting the NCSG.

[0191] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the second condition includes one of the following:

[0192] The secondary cell is activated;

[0193] The secondary cell is an activated secondary cell;

[0194] There is no deactivated secondary cell;

[0195] The measurement object does not include a measurement object supporting the NGSG;

[0196] The measurement object does not belong to a frequency band supporting the NCSG.

[0197] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first processing unit 31 is further configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0198] Activate the NCSG within a first time that satisfies the first condition;

[0199] Deactivate the NCSG within a second time that satisfies the second condition;

[0200] Activate the NCSG within a third time after receiving the first information;

[0201] Deactivate the NCSG within a fourth time after receiving the first information.

[0202] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first information further includes an index or pattern identifier of the activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0203] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first communication unit 32 is configured to receive DCI or MAC CE sent by the network, and the DCI or MAC CE includes the first information.

[0204] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol; or,

[0205] The first communication unit 32 is further configured to send second information to the network, where the second information includes at least one of the value of the first time, the value of the second time, the value of the third time, and the value of the fourth time.

[0206] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first communication unit 32 is further configured to send third information to the network, where the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

[0207] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the third information further includes an index of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated or a pattern identifier of the NCSG.

[0208] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first communication unit 32 is further configured to receive fourth information sent by the network, where the fourth information includes a first association relationship between an NCSG and a frequency point, and / or a second association relationship between an NCSG and a cell.

[0209] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first association relationship includes an association relationship between at least one of a measurement object, an SSB frequency point, and a CSI-RS frequency point and an NCSG index; and / or,

[0210] The second association relationship includes an association relationship between a cell index and an NCSG index.

[0211] In the embodiments of the present invention, the first processing unit 31 in the device may be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU, Central Processing Unit), a digital signal processor (DSP, Digital Signal Processor), a microcontroller unit (MCU, Microcontroller Unit), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA, Field-Programmable Gate Array) in practical applications; the first communication unit 32 in the device may be implemented by a communication module (including: a basic communication kit, an operating system, a communication module, a standardized interface, and a protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0212] The embodiments of the present invention further provide a communication device, and the device is applied to a network. Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to the embodiments of the present invention Figure 2 ; as Figure 6 shown, the device includes a second communication unit 41, configured to send first information to a terminal, where the first information includes an indication information for activating an NCSG or an indication information for deactivating an NCSG.

[0213] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the second communication unit 41 is further configured to send NCSG-related information to the terminal, where the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

[0214] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first information further includes an index or pattern identifier of an activated or deactivated NCSG.

[0215] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the second communication unit 41 is configured to send DCI or MAC CE to the terminal, and the DCI or MAC CE includes the first information.

[0216] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the second communication unit 41 is further configured to receive second information sent by the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of a value of a first time, a value of a second time, a value of a third time, and a value of a fourth time; the first time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of the NCSG when a first condition is satisfied, the second time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of the NCSG when a second condition is satisfied, the third time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of the NCSG after receiving the first information, and the fourth time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of the NCSG after receiving the first information; or,

[0217] At least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol.

[0218] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the second communication unit 41 is further configured to receive third information sent by the terminal, where the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

[0219] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the third information further includes an index or pattern identifier of the NCSG for which activation or deactivation is requested.

[0220] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the second communication unit 41 is further configured to send fourth information to the terminal, where the fourth information includes a first association relationship between the NCSG and a frequency point, and / or a second association relationship between the NCSG and a cell.

[0221] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first association relationship includes an association relationship between at least one of a measurement object, an SSB frequency point, and a CSI-RS frequency point and an NCSG index; and / or,

[0222] The second association relationship includes the association relationship between the serving cell index and the NCSG index.

[0223] In an embodiment of the present invention, the second communication unit 41 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: a basic communication suite, an operating system, a communication module, a standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0224] It should be noted that: when the communication device provided in the above embodiment performs communication, only the division of the above program modules is used for illustration. In practical applications, the above processing can be allocated to different program modules according to needs, that is, the internal structure of the device is divided into different program modules to complete all or part of the above-described processing. In addition, the communication device provided in the above embodiment and the communication method embodiment belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process is detailed in the method embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0225] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, which can specifically be a terminal or a network. Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 7 shown, the communication device includes a memory 52, a processor 51, and a computer program stored on the memory 52 and executable on the processor 51. When the processor 51 executes the program, it implements the steps of the communication method applied to the terminal or the network.

[0226] Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one network interface 53. Among them, each component in the communication device is coupled together through a bus system 54. It can be understood that the bus system 54 is used to realize the connection communication between these components. The bus system 54 includes not only a data bus, but also a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for the sake of clarity, in Figure 7 all kinds of buses are labeled as the bus system 54.

[0227] It can be understood that the memory 52 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, Read Only Memory), a programmable read-only memory (PROM, Programmable Read-Only Memory), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a ferromagnetic random access memory (FRAM, Ferromagnetic Random Access Memory), a flash memory (Flash Memory), a magnetic surface memory, an optical disc, or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM, Compact Disc Read-Only Memory); the magnetic surface memory can be a disk memory or a tape memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as a static random access memory (SRAM, Static Random Access Memory), a synchronous static random access memory (SSRAM, Synchronous Static Random Access Memory), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM, Dynamic Random Access Memory), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM, Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM, Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), an enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM, Enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), a sync link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM, SyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory), a direct rambus random access memory (DRRAM, Direct Rambus Random Access Memory).The memory 52 described in the embodiments of the present invention is intended to include, but not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0228] The method disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention above can be applied to or implemented by the processor 51. The processor 51 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit in the hardware of the processor 51 or the instructions in the form of software. The above-mentioned processor 51 may be a general-purpose processor, DSP, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The processor 51 can implement or execute each method, step, and logic block diagram disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. Combining the steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, it can be directly embodied as being executed and completed by the hardware decoding processor, or executed and completed by the combination of the hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module may be located in the storage medium, and this storage medium is located in the memory 52. The processor 51 reads the information in the memory 52 and combines its hardware to complete the steps of the foregoing method.

[0229] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device can be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs, Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs, Programmable Logic Devices), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs, Complex Programmable Logic Devices), FPGAs, general-purpose processors, controllers, MCUs, microprocessors (Microprocessors), or other electronic components, for executing the foregoing method.

[0230] In an exemplary embodiment, the embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium, such as the memory 52 including a computer program. The above computer program can be executed by the processor 51 of the communication device to complete the steps described in the foregoing method. The computer-readable storage medium may be a FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or CD-ROM, etc.; or it may be various devices including one or any combination of the above memories.

[0231] The computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present invention has a computer program stored thereon. When the program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the communication method of the embodiments of the present invention applied to the terminal or network.

[0232] The methods disclosed in several method embodiments provided by this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0233] The features disclosed in several product embodiments provided by this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0234] The features disclosed in several method or device embodiments provided by this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments or device embodiments.

[0235] In several embodiments provided by this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined, or can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored, or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the components shown or discussed with each other can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or units can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0236] The units described as separate components above may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units; some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0237] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention can be all integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can be separately used as a unit, or two or more units can be integrated in a unit; the above integrated units can be implemented in the form of hardware, or in the form of a combination of hardware and software functional units.

[0238] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps for implementing the above method embodiments can be completed by hardware related to program instructions. The foregoing program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps including the above method embodiments; and the foregoing storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes such as removable storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical discs.

[0239] Alternatively, if the above integrated units of the present invention are implemented in the form of software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing storage medium includes: various media such as removable storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

[0240] As described above, the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered by the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal, and the method includes at least one of the following: When the terminal meets the first condition, it activates the Network Configuration Small Gap (NCSG); When the terminal meets the second condition, it deactivates the NCSG; The terminal receives the first information sent by the network, and the first information includes an indication for activating the NCSG or an indication for deactivating the NCSG.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal receives NCSG-related information, and the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first condition includes one of the following: The secondary cell is deactivated; The secondary cell is a deactivated secondary cell; The NCSG is associated with a measurement target; The measurement object includes a measurement object that supports the NGSG; The measurement object belongs to a frequency band that supports the NCSG.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second condition includes one of the following: The secondary cell is activated; The secondary cell is an activated secondary cell; There is no deactivated secondary cell; The measurement object does not include a measurement object that supports the NGSG; The measurement object does not belong to a frequency band that supports the NCSG.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes at least one of the following: Within a first time when the first condition is met, the activation of the NCSG is completed; Within a second time when the second condition is met, the deactivation of the NCSG is completed; Within a third time after receiving the first information, the activation of the NCSG is completed; Within a fourth time after receiving the first information, the deactivation of the NCSG is completed.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first information further includes an index or a pattern identifier of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The terminal receives the first information sent by the network, including: The terminal receives the Downlink Control Information (DCI) or the Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC CE) sent by the network, and the DCI or MAC CE includes the first information.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein At least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol; or, the method further includes: The terminal sends second information to the network, and the second information includes at least one of the values of the first time, the values of the second time, the values of the third time, and the values of the fourth time.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: The terminal sends third information to the network, and the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The third information further includes an index or a pattern identifier of the NCSG to be requested for activation or deactivation.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal receives fourth information sent by the network, and the fourth information includes a first association relationship between the NCSG and a frequency point, and / or a second association relationship between the NCSG and a cell.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The first association relationship includes an association relationship between at least one of a measurement object, a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) frequency point, and a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) frequency point and the NCSG index; and / or, The second association relationship includes an association relationship between the cell index and the NCSG index.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network, and the method includes: The network sends first information to the terminal, where the first information includes indication information for activating NCSG or indication information for deactivating NCSG.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The method further includes: The network sends NCSG-related information to the terminal, where the NCSG-related information includes at least one of an index, a measurement length, and a repetition period of a visible interruption.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein The first information further includes an index of the NCSG to be activated or deactivated or a pattern identifier.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein The network sends first information to the terminal, including: The network sends downlink control information DCI or a media access control control element MAC CE to the terminal, and the DCI or MAC CE includes the first information.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein The method further includes: The network receives second information sent by the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of a value of a first time, a value of a second time, a value of a third time, and a value of a fourth time; the first time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of NCSG when a first condition is met, the second time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG when a second condition is met, the third time represents the time when the terminal completes the activation of NCSG after receiving the first information, and the fourth time represents the time when the terminal completes the deactivation of NCSG after receiving the first information; or, At least one of the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time is pre-agreed by the protocol.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein The method further includes: The network receives third information sent by the terminal, where the third information includes an NCSG activation request or an NCSG deactivation request.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein The third information further includes an index of the NCSG to be requested to be activated or deactivated or a pattern identifier.

20. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network sends fourth information to the terminal, where the fourth information includes a first association relationship between NCSG and a frequency point, and / or a second association relationship between NCSG and a cell.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein The first association relationship includes an association relationship between at least one of a measurement object, an SSB frequency point, and a CSI-RS frequency point and an NCSG index; and / or, The second association relationship includes an association relationship between a serving cell index and an NCSG index.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The apparatus is applied to a terminal, and the apparatus includes a first processing unit and a first communication unit; where, The first processing unit is configured to perform at least one of the following: Activate network configured small gap NCSG when a first condition is met; Deactivate NCSG when a second condition is met; Receive first information sent by the network through the first communication unit, where the first information includes indication information for activating NCSG or indication information for deactivating NCSG.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, The apparatus is applied to a network, and the apparatus includes a second communication unit configured to send first information to a terminal, where the first information includes indication information for activating NCSG or indication information for deactivating NCSG.

24. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; or, When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 13 to 21 are implemented.

25. A communication device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 are implemented; or, When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 13 to 21 are implemented.

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