SCell activation method and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides an SCell activation method and a communication device, and relates to the field of communication. The method comprises: determining a reference cell of a first SCell, the first SCell being an unknown cell, the reference cell being a deactivated SCell or the reference cell being a pilot frequency cell of the first SCell indicated by a network device; and activating the first SCell according to the reference cell. Based on the scheme, the terminal has related information of the reference cell, such as timing information and / or beam information. The related information of the first SCell and the related information of the reference cell are the same, so that the terminal can perform the activation process of the first SCell according to the related information of the reference cell, the processes of cell search, beam measurement and / or beam reporting and the like can be omitted, and the activation time delay of the SCell can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to an SCell activation method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Carrier aggregation (CA) is a technology that integrates wireless channel resources within or between frequency bands to increase user data transmission rates and reduce latency. In a CA scenario, a terminal can aggregate multiple carriers. The carriers involved in the aggregation include a primary carrier (PCC) and one or more secondary carriers (SCC). The PCC is also called the primary cell (PCell), and the SCC is also called the secondary cell (SCe11). If the network device instructs the terminal to work on a certain SCe11, it needs to command the terminal to activate the SCe11. During the activation of the secondary carrier, the terminal needs to perform operations such as cell search, beam measurement, and beam reporting. These operations take a certain amount of time, resulting in a large SCell activation delay. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application provides an SCell activation method and a communication device, which can reduce the SCell activation delay.

[0004] In the first aspect, an SCell activation method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal, or by a component of the terminal (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the terminal functions.

[0005] The method includes: determining a reference cell of a first SCell, where the first SCell is an unknown cell, the reference cell is a deactivated SCell or the reference cell is an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell indicated by a network device; and activating the first SCell according to the reference cell.

[0006] In one example, the first SCell is the SCell indicated by the SCell activation command. For example, the SCell activation command may be sent via a medium access control element (MAC CE) or other signaling, such as downlink control information (DCI).

[0007] In another example, the first SCell is an SCell whose state (for example, represented by sCellState) is set simultaneously when the SCell is added.

[0008] According to the solution provided in this application, the terminal has relevant information about the reference cell, such as timing information and / or beam information. The relevant information of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same. Therefore, according to the solution provided in this application, the terminal can perform the first SCell activation process based on the relevant information of the reference cell. This can eliminate processes such as cell search, beam measurement, and / or beam reporting, thereby reducing SCell activation latency.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the reference cell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitutes a continuous CA.

[0010] That is, the reference cell is a known deactivated cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and forms a continuous CA. In another example, the reference cell is a known inter-frequency cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and forms a continuous CA.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the first SCell belongs to a first frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell satisfy one or more of the following conditions:

[0012] The first measurement parameter of the first SCell is the same as that of the reference cell, where the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually transmitted synchronization signal block (synchronization signal and PBCH block, SSB);

[0013] The SSB measurement timing configurations (SMTC) of the first SCell and the reference cell have the same offset; or

[0014] A receive timing difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is less than or equal to a timing difference threshold, and a receive power difference between the first SCell and the reference cell is less than or equal to a power difference threshold.

[0015] For example, the first frequency range is frequency range (FR) 1. For example, the first measurement parameter may be ssb-PositionInBurst. For example, the timing difference threshold is 260 ns. For example, the power difference threshold is 6 dB.

[0016] Based on this solution, the first SCell can be activated using relevant information of the reference cell.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the first SCell belongs to the second frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet one or more of the following conditions:

[0018] The terminal provides a synchronization signal block SSB measurement time configuration SMTC for the first SCell;

[0019] The synchronization signal blocks SSB sent by the reference cell and the first SCell have the same downlink spatial transmission filter on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol in the same frequency band in the second frequency range;

[0020] The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, and the first measurement parameter includes the position of the SSB actually sent; or the SSB is in the same half frame on the first SCell and the reference cell, for example, the second frequency range is frequency range (FR) 2.

[0021] Based on this solution, the first SCell can be activated using relevant information of the reference cell.

[0022] In one possible implementation, before determining the reference cell of the first SCell, the method also includes: receiving configuration information, the configuration information being used to configure the first SCell, the configuration information indicating activation of the first SCell and an associated cell with the first SCell, the associated cell including the reference SCell, the associated cell being a cell located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constituting a continuous CA.

[0023] Exemplarily, the configuration information further indicates a measurement ID corresponding to the associated cell. Based on the measurement identifier (ID), information of the associated cell, such as a frequency, etc., can be determined.

[0024] Based on this solution, the network device can configure the associated cell of the first SCell for the terminal through configuration information.

[0025] In a possible implementation, before receiving the configuration information, the method further includes: sending capability indication information, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that the terminal can quickly activate the first SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell in the associated cell.

[0026] Based on this solution, the terminal can report to the network device its ability to quickly activate the first SCell based on the heterofrequency cell of the first SCell in the associated cell. The network device can configure the associated cell of the first SCell for the terminal based on the capability reported by the terminal.

[0027] In a possible implementation, activating the first SCell according to the reference cell includes: activating the first SCell according to synchronization information and / or beam information of the reference cell.

[0028] For example, the synchronization information may include time synchronization information. For example, the beam information may include optimal receiving beam information, such as an SSB index.

[0029] Based on this solution, in some embodiments, the terminal can use the reference cell's timing information as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the terminal can use the reference cell's beam information (e.g., the optimal receive beam) as its own beam information. This allows the terminal and the first SCell to obtain beam information without having to perform beam management procedures. The terminal can then activate the first SCell.

[0030] On the second aspect, a SCell activation method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a component of a network device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the network device functions.

[0031] The method includes: generating configuration information; and sending the configuration information to a terminal. The configuration information is used to activate at least one SCell, an associated cell of each SCell in the at least one SCell, and a measurement identifier corresponding to each cell in the associated cell. The associated cells of an SCell are cells that are located in the same frequency band as the SCell and form contiguous carrier aggregation (CA).

[0032] According to the solution provided in the application, the network device can configure the associated cells of the SCell for the terminal through configuration information, and then the terminal can activate the first SCell based on the cell in the associated cell that meets the reference cell conditions. This can eliminate processes such as cell search, beam measurement and / or beam reporting, thereby reducing the SCell activation delay.

[0033] In a possible implementation, before generating the configuration information, the method further includes: receiving capability indication information, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that the terminal can quickly activate an SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the SCell in an associated cell of the SCell.

[0034] Based on this solution, the terminal can report to the network device its ability to quickly activate the first SCell based on the heterofrequency cell of the first SCell in the associated cell. The network device can configure the associated cell of the first SCell for the terminal based on the capability reported by the terminal.

[0035] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, configured to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. Specifically, the device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and / or a communication unit, configured to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0036] In one implementation, the device is a terminal. The communication unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0037] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a terminal. The communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, the device being configured to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. Specifically, the device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and / or a communication unit, configured to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0039] In one implementation, the apparatus is a network device. The communication unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0040] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a network device. The communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which, when executing a computer program (also referred to as code, or instruction) or instruction stored in a memory, causes the device to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0042] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes the memory.

[0043] In a possible implementation, there are one or more processors and / or one or more memories.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0045] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0046] In one implementation, the device is a terminal. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0047] In another implementation, the device is a chip in a terminal. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0048] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, wherein when the processor executes a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, the device executes the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0049] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes the memory.

[0050] In a possible implementation, there are one or more processors and / or one or more memories.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0053] In one implementation, the apparatus is a network device. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0054] In another implementation, the device is a chip in a network device. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: 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 a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of any of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0056] In a specific implementation, the processor may be a chip, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0057] In an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising an apparatus for executing the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and / or an apparatus for executing the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0058] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program, which, when executed, enables a computer to execute the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0059] In the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions). When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0060] In the eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0061] In the twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes an interface and a processor, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a carrier aggregation scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a dual connection scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of an SCell activation process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of an SCell activation method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of an SCell activation method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of an SCell activation method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0073] In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. In addition, to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different.

[0074] In the various method embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number does not mean the order of execution. The order of execution should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0075] It is understood that, in this application, expressions such as "under...", "if...", "when...", "if...", and similar expressions may be used interchangeably. Furthermore, these expressions all imply that corresponding actions will be taken under certain objective circumstances, and do not limit the timeframe, require no judgment in implementation, or imply any other limitations.

[0076] It can be understood that in the present application, “greater than or equal to” can be replaced by “greater than”, and correspondingly, “less than” can be replaced by “less than or equal to”.

[0077] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may, in certain scenarios, be implemented independently of other features, such as the solution on which they are currently based, to solve corresponding technical problems and achieve corresponding effects. They may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios as needed. Accordingly, the devices provided in the embodiments of the present application may also implement these features or functions accordingly, which will not be described in detail here.

[0078] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can refer to each other. In the various embodiments in this application, and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, implementation methods, implementation methods, or implementation methods according to their inherent logical relationships. The implementation methods of this application described below do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0079] The network device in the embodiment of the present application refers to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal to a wireless network, and may also be referred to as a base station or access network device. For example, the network device may be an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., Home evolved Node B, or Home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP), a transmission and reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in an NR system, one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in NR, etc.

[0080] In one possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node (i.e., the network device in this application) can be a centralized 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 DU can be set separately, or they 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 a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU) or a remote radio head (RRH). In different systems, 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 an open radio access network (ORAN) system, CU may also be referred to as O-CU (open CU), DU may also be referred to as O-DU, CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP, and RU may also be referred to as O-RU. Any unit in the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0081] The terminal in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal device, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal in the embodiments of the present application may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, a smart home device, etc.

[0082] The solution provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G), new radio (NR), or other communication systems or communication scenarios that may emerge with the evolution of technology. In some embodiments, the solution provided in the embodiments of the present application is applicable to carrier aggregation (CA) scenarios or dual-connectivity (DC) scenarios. These two scenarios are briefly described below.

[0083] 1. Carrier Aggregation

[0084] Carrier aggregation (CA) is a technology that aggregates wireless channel resources within or across frequency bands to improve user data rates and reduce latency. Each carrier participating in CA is called a component carrier (CC). In some embodiments, CA is limited to the aggregation of multiple CCs within the same wireless standard.

[0085] CA is terminal-specific. Different terminals can be configured with different CCs, and each CC can correspond to an independent cell. As an example, each downlink CC corresponds to an independent cell. In other words, a cell contains only one downlink CC, so one downlink CC can generally be equated with one cell. A cell can contain only one downlink CC or one downlink CC and one or more uplink CCs. Unless otherwise specified, the CCs in the embodiments of this application refer to downlink CCs.

[0086] Primary Carrier (PCC): The CC that carries signaling and manages other CCs among all CCs aggregated by a terminal is called a primary carrier. A primary carrier is also called a primary cell (PCell). In some embodiments, a PCell is the cell where a terminal establishes an initial connection, reestablishes an RRC connection, or is designated as a primary cell during a handover. The PCell is responsible for radio resource control (RRC) communications with the terminal.

[0087] Secondary carrier (SCC): A CC that provides additional radio resources among all CCs aggregated by a terminal is called a secondary carrier. A secondary carrier is also called a secondary cell (SCell). The PCell determines when to add or remove an SCell. In some embodiments, an SCell can be added during RRC reconfiguration.

[0088] For a connected terminal, if carrier aggregation is not configured, the terminal has a single serving cell. If carrier aggregation is configured, the terminal can have multiple serving cells, referred to as a serving cell set. For example, the PCell and SCell described above constitute the terminal's serving cell set. In other words, a serving cell set includes one PCell and at least one SCell. In other words, a terminal configured with carrier aggregation can be connected to one PCell and multiple SCells.

[0089] For example, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a carrier aggregation scenario applicable to this application is shown. Figure 1 , the network device 110 can configure carrier aggregation for the terminal 120, such as configuring PCell and SCell as shown in the figure. It should be understood that Figure 1 The PCell and SCell shown in FIG. 5 are provided by one network device, which is only an example. The PCell and SCell may also be provided by different network devices.

[0090] 2. Dual-connectivity (DC)

[0091] A terminal's simultaneous connection to at least two network devices or two wireless standards is referred to as dual connectivity or multi-connectivity. For example, the access network device responsible for exchanging radio resource control messages with the terminal and interacting with the core network control plane entity can be called a master node (MN), while the other access network devices can be called secondary nodes (SN). Both master and secondary nodes can internally support multiple carriers for carrier aggregation.

[0092] For the master node, the aggregated multiple carriers are called a master cell group (MCG). Similar to common carrier aggregation, the MCG includes PCell and SCell.

[0093] For secondary nodes, the aggregated multiple carriers are called a secondary cell group (SCG). For MCG, the primary cell is called a primary secondary cell (PSCell), and the remaining common secondary cells are still called SCells.

[0094] For example, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a dual connection scenario applicable to this application is shown. Figure 2 , the terminal 230 can establish a wireless link with the network device 210 and the network device 220 through dual connection technology or multi-connection technology. Among them, the network device 210 can be, for example, a master node, and the network device 220 can be, for example, a slave node. In this case, the network device 210 is the network device when the terminal 230 initially accesses, and is responsible for the RRC communication between the terminal 230. The network device 220 can be added during RRC reconfiguration to provide additional wireless resources. Of course, the network device 220 can also be a master base station, and the network device 210 can also be a slave base station, which is not limited in this application. In addition, Figure 2 The figure shows a wireless connection between two network devices and a terminal for ease of understanding only, but this does not limit the applicable scenarios of this application. The terminal can also establish wireless links with more network devices.

[0095] Generally, except for PCell, other SCells are not immediately available for use. To better manage battery consumption of terminals configured with CA or DC, an SCell activation mechanism is provided.

[0096] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the SCell activation process is shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the SCell activation process includes the following steps 1 to 4.

[0097] Step 1: The network device configures SCell.

[0098] The network device can configure (or add) an SCell through an RRC reconfiguration message. The RRC reconfiguration message may also include configuration parameters for the SCell to be added, such as the secondary cell synchronization signal block (SSB) measurement timing configuration, i.e., SSB measurement timing configurations, referred to as SMTC. SMTC includes the secondary cell SSB measurement period and time offset (periodicityAndOffset) and the secondary cell SSB measurement window (duration).

[0099] If the network device includes the status of the SCell (for example, represented by sCellState) when configuring the SCell, the terminal considers the SCell to be in an activated state after the configuration is completed; otherwise, if the status of the SCell is not carried, the terminal considers the SCell to be in a deactivated state after the configuration is completed, and the network device can activate the SCell through the SCell activation command.

[0100] Step 2: The network device sends an SCell activation command.

[0101] The SCell activation command may instruct the terminal to activate one or more SCells configured in step 1. The SCell indicated by the SCell activation command is called a to-be-activated SCell.

[0102] It should be noted that if the network device includes the status of the SCell when configuring the SCell, step 2 will be skipped and step 3 will be executed.

[0103] Step 3: When the terminal receives the SCell activation command in time slot n, it starts the SCell activation process. Alternatively, the terminal starts the SCell activation process for the SCell that is set to the activated state when adding the SCell. The delay caused by the related process includes the SCell activation delay T activation_time .

[0104] If the SCell to be activated is unknown, that is, the SCell to be activated is an unknown cell, T activation_timeIt is related to the time required for cell search and / or beam measurement and reporting. It should be understood that the terminal and SCell can achieve time synchronization through the cell search process, and through beam measurement and beam reporting, the terminal and network equipment can determine the terminal's optimal receiving beam.

[0105] In step 4, the terminal reports a valid channel state information (CSI) report to complete the SCell activation process.

[0106] In other words, the completion of an SCell activation process is marked by the terminal reporting a valid CSI report. As an example, the completion of the activation process can be marked by the terminal reporting a valid CSI report for the first time. This means that the SCell activation process can only be completed and enter the activated state after the terminal obtains valid CSI information.

[0107] As mentioned above, when the SCell to be activated is an unknown cell, in order to achieve time-frequency domain synchronization of the SCell, the terminal needs to perform cell search, or the terminal needs to perform cell search, beam measurement and beam reporting, etc., which will result in a longer SCell activation delay.

[0108] In view of this, the present application provides an SCell activation method that can effectively reduce the SCell activation delay. First, some concepts involved in the method provided by the present application are explained below.

[0109] 1. Known cells and unknown cells

[0110] If an SCell in the first frequency range satisfies one or more of the following, the SCell is known; otherwise, the SCell is unknown:

[0111] (1) Within a time period equal to T1 for the first frequency range before receiving the activation command for the SCell, the terminal has reported a valid measurement report for the SCell and the reference signal measured according to the cell identification (or detection) condition remains detectable.

[0112] (2) According to the cell identification condition, the reference signal measured in the time period equal to T1 is delayed by SCell activation time T activation_time Remain detectable during this period.

[0113] Exemplarily, the reference signal is SSB.

[0114] Exemplarily, T1 is max(5*measCycleSCell, 5*DRX cycles), where measCycleSCell represents a cycle used by the terminal for measurement when the SCell is in a deactivated state, and DRX cycles represents a DRX cycle.

[0115] Exemplarily, the cell identification condition includes at least one of the following: a signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of a reference signal of the SCell is greater than or equal to a first preset value, an interference power spectral density of a reference signal of the SCell is greater than or equal to a second preset value, or a reference signal received power of the SCell is greater than or equal to a second preset value. Alternatively, the cell identification condition may refer to sections 9.2 and 9.3 of TS38.133.

[0116] If an SCell in the second frequency range satisfies one or more of the following, the SCell is known; otherwise, the SCell is unknown:

[0117] (1) Within a time period equal to T2 before the terminal receives the latest activation command of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission configuration indicator (TCI), the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) TCI (when applicable), and the semi-persistent channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) for channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting (when applicable): the terminal reports a valid layer 3 reference signal received power (L3-RSRP) measurement report including the reference signal index, and the terminal receives the activation signaling of the SCell after the L3-RSRP reporting and no later than the time when the terminal receives the MAC CE command for TCI activation.

[0118] (2) During the period from L3-RSRP reporting to valid CQI reporting, the SSB including the index reported by the terminal remains detectable according to the cell identification condition, and the TCI state is selected based on one of the reference signal indices in the latest reported reference signal indices.

[0119] Exemplarily, the reference signal is SSB.

[0120] Exemplarily, for a terminal supporting power levels 1 / 5, T2 is 4 seconds, and for a terminal supporting power levels 2 / 3 / 4, T2 is 3 seconds.

[0121] For example, the cell identification conditions may refer to the above description.

[0122] For the definition of known cells and unknown cells, please refer to the relevant description in TS38.133. It should be noted that the description of known cells and unknown cells in this application is only one possible definition. As technology evolves, if the definition of known cells and unknown cells changes, the solution of this application will also apply.

[0123] 2. First frequency range and second frequency range

[0124] In some embodiments, the first frequency range is FR1. For example, the frequency range corresponding to FR1 is 450 MHz-6000 MHz.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second frequency range is FR2. For example, the frequency range corresponding to FR2 is 24250 MHz-52600 MHz.

[0126] It should be understood that with the advancement of technology, the frequency ranges corresponding to the first frequency range and / or the second frequency range may change. The frequency ranges listed here are only examples and should not constitute any limitation to this application.

[0127] 3. Beam

[0128] A beam is a communication resource. A beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beams. Different beams can be considered different resources, and the same or different information can be sent through different beams. Optionally, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics can be considered as one beam. A beam can include one or more antenna ports for transmitting data channels, control channels, and detection signals. For example, a transmit beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after the signal is transmitted by the antenna, and a receive beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of the wireless signal received from the antenna. It can be understood that one or more antenna ports forming a beam can also be regarded as an antenna port set. The embodiment of a beam in the protocol can also be a spatial filter. The transmit beam can also be called a spatial transmit filter, and the receive beam can also be called a spatial receive filter. Alternatively, both the transmit beam and the receive beam can be called spatial transmission filters.

[0129] The cell search process may also involve beam management. Specifically, the network device may transmit multiple beams, i.e., perform beam scanning. The terminal can determine the optimal receive beam through beam measurement, and the terminal can indicate the optimal receive beam to the network device through beam reporting. For details on beam management, please refer to the existing technology.

[0130] The following describes in detail the method provided by the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the flowcharts provided in this application primarily illustrate the method using a terminal and a network device as examples of the execution entities of the interaction diagram, but this application does not limit the execution entities of the interaction diagram. For example, the terminal / network device in the flowchart may also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal / network device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal / network device functions.

[0131] Figure 4 This is a schematic flow chart of a SCell activation method provided in this application. The method 400 may include S410 to S420. Each step is described below.

[0132] S410: The terminal determines a reference cell of the first SCell.

[0133] The first SCell is a to-be-activated SCell indicated by the activation command; or the first SCell is a directly (or immediately) activated SCell, i.e., when configuring the first SCell, the state of the SCell is also included, such as configuring sCellState for the SCell. Furthermore, the first SCell is an unknown cell.

[0134] In some embodiments, the reference cell is a deactivated SCell.

[0135] In some other embodiments, the reference cell is an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell indicated by the network device.

[0136] Optionally, the reference cell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and forms a continuous CA. That is, the reference cell and the first SCell are located in the same frequency band, for example, the reference cell and the first SCell are both located in a frequency band in the first frequency range or in a frequency band in the second frequency range; and the reference cell and the first SCell can form a continuous CA, and the reference cell is a known cell.

[0137] Optionally, the first SCell belongs to a first frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet a first synchronization condition.

[0138] Exemplarily, the first synchronization condition may include one or more of the following: the first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, and the first measurement parameter includes the position of the SSB actually sent; the SMTC offset (offset) of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same; or, the receiving timing difference RTD difference between the first SCell and the reference cell is less than or equal to the timing difference threshold, and the receiving power difference between the first SCell and the reference cell is less than or equal to the power difference threshold.

[0139] For example, the first measurement parameter may be ssb-PositionInBurst, the timing difference threshold may be 260 ns, or the power difference threshold may be 6 dB.

[0140] Optionally, the first SCell belongs to a second frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet a second synchronization condition.

[0141] Exemplarily, the second synchronization condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal provides SMTC for the first SCell; the SSBs sent by the reference cell and the first SCell have the same downlink spatial transmission filter on an OFDM symbol in the same frequency band in the second frequency range; the first measurement parameters of the first SCell and the reference cell are the same, and the first measurement parameters include the position of the SSB actually sent; or, the SSB is in the same half frame on the first SCell and the reference cell.

[0142] S420: The terminal activates the first SCell according to the reference cell.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the first SCell belongs to the first frequency range, and the terminal may activate the first SCell based on timing information of the reference cell. Exemplarily, the timing information may include radio frame timing information, half-frame timing information, time slot timing information, and symbol timing information.

[0144] For example, if the first SCell belongs to the first frequency range, the terminal can use the timing information of the reference cell as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell. After the terminal and the first SCell are time synchronized, the terminal can perform other operations in the activation process, such as precise timing and CSI reporting, to activate the first SCell.

[0145] Based on this solution, the terminal can achieve time synchronization with the SCell to be activated without performing a cell search process, thereby reducing the SCell activation delay.

[0146] In another possible implementation, the first SCell belongs to the second frequency range, and the terminal can activate the first SCell according to the timing information and beam information of the reference cell.

[0147] For example, if the first SCell belongs to the second frequency range, the terminal can use the timing information of the reference cell as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell and use the optimal receive beam of the reference cell as its own optimal receive beam. The terminal can then perform other activation operations, such as precise timing and CSI reporting, to activate the first SCell.

[0148] Based on this solution, the terminal does not need to perform cell search, beam measurement and beam reporting processes to achieve time synchronization with the SCell to be activated and obtain the optimal receiving beam, thereby reducing the SCell activation delay.

[0149] In summary, according to the method provided in this application, the terminal can refer to the relevant information of the deactivated SCell or the heterofrequency cell of the first SCell indicated by the network device to perform the activation process of the first SCell, which can omit the cell search, beam measurement and / or beam reporting processes, thereby reducing the SCell activation delay.

[0150] The following combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 , further illustrate the method provided in this application.

[0151] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of an SCell activation method provided in this application. Method 500 may include steps S510 to S540. Each step is described below. It should be understood that any terminology, words, or technical means in method 500 that are the same as those in method 400 may be referred to in the description of method 400 and will not be repeated in method 500.

[0152] S510: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the configuration information.

[0153] The configuration information is used to configure or add at least one SCell.

[0154] Exemplarily, the configuration information may be sent via an RRC reconfiguration message or other signaling, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the at least one SCell may be configured for the terminal via sCellToAddModList in the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0155] S520: The network device sends an SCell activation command to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the SCell activation command.

[0156] The SCell activation command is used to instruct or activate one or more SCells, i.e., the one or more SCells are SCells to be activated. Furthermore, the one or more SCells are unknown cells. The one or more SCells are some or all of the at least one SCell configured in S510. The first SCell is any one of the one or more SCells.

[0157] Exemplarily, the SCell activation command may be sent via MAC CE, or may be sent via other signaling, such as DCI. This application does not limit the signaling for sending the SCell activation command.

[0158] S530: The terminal determines a reference cell of the SCell to be activated. The following description is made by taking the terminal determining the reference cell of the first SCell as an example.

[0159] The reference cell of the first SCell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and forms a continuous CA, and the reference cell is a deactivated SCell.

[0160] For example, the network device configures five SCells for a terminal using sCellToAddModList: SCell#1, SCell#2, SCell#3, SCell#4, and SCell#5. SCellState is not configured for these five SCells. SCell#1, SCell#2, and SCell#3 all belong to frequency band 1, while SCell#4 and SCell#5 belong to frequency band 2. Assuming the first SCell is SCell#1, the reference cell can be SCell#2 and / or SCell#3.

[0161] Optionally, the first SCell belongs to a first frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet a first synchronization condition.

[0162] Optionally, the first SCell belongs to a second frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet a second synchronization condition.

[0163] In a possible implementation, if there is no activated SCell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitutes a continuous CA, S530 is executed.

[0164] S540: The terminal activates the SCell to be activated according to the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cell of the SCell to be activated.

[0165] Because the reference cell is a known cell, the terminal has the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cell. In one example, for SCells located in the same frequency band within the first frequency range and forming continuous CA, or for SCells located in the same frequency band within the first frequency range and forming continuous CA and meeting the first synchronization condition, their timing information is the same. Therefore, the terminal uses the timing information of the reference cell as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell, and then activates the first SCell. In another example, for SCells located in the same frequency band within the second frequency range and forming continuous CA, or for SCells located in the same frequency band within the second frequency range and forming continuous CA and meeting the second synchronization condition, their timing information and beam information are the same. Therefore, the terminal uses the timing information of the reference cell as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell; and the terminal uses the beam information (e.g., the optimal receive beam) of the reference cell as its own beam information. This allows the terminal and the first SCell to obtain beam information without performing a beam management process. The terminal can then activate the first SCell.

[0166] According to the method provided in the present application, by activating the SCell to be activated based on the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cell, processes such as cell search, beam measurement and / or beam reporting can be omitted, thereby reducing the SCell activation delay.

[0167] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of an SCell activation method provided in this application. Method 600 may include S610 to S630. Each step is described below. It should be understood that any terminology, words, or technical means in method 600 that are the same as those in method 400 can be referred to in the description of method 400 and will not be repeated in method 600.

[0168] S610: The network device sends first configuration information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first configuration information.

[0169] Among them, the first configuration information is used to configure or add at least one SCell, and the first configuration information is used to indicate the activation of some or all SCells in the at least one SCell. The first SCell is any one SCell in the part or all SCells. In addition, the first configuration information can also indicate the associated cell of each SCell in the at least one SCell. For any SCell in the at least one SCell, the associated cell of the SCell is a cell that is located in the same frequency band as the SCell and constitutes a continuous CA. For example, for any SCell in the at least one SCell, the first configuration information may include the ID of the associated cell of the SCell and the corresponding measurement ID. It should be understood that according to the measurement ID being the ID of the measurement object (measureobject, MO), according to the measurement ID, relevant information of the cell in the MO indicated by the measurement ID, such as the frequency point, etc., can be obtained.

[0170] Exemplarily, the first configuration information may be sent via an RRC reconfiguration message or other signaling, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Further, the at least one SCell may be configured for the terminal via the sCellToAddModList in the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0171] Exemplarily, the activation of some or all SCells can be indicated by carrying the sCellState of these some or all SCells in the first configuration information. For example, if the first configuration information configures five SCells, namely SCell#1, SCell#2, SCell#3, SCell#4, and SCell#5, and configures the sCellState of SCell#2, but does not configure the sCellState of the other four SCells, then the first SCell is SCell#2.

[0172] Optionally, for an SCell belonging to the first frequency range, an associated cell of the SCell and the SCell meet a first synchronization condition.

[0173] Optionally, for the SCell belonging to the second frequency range, the associated cell of the SCell and the SCell meet the second synchronization condition.

[0174] In a possible implementation, before S610, the method may further include: the terminal sending capability indication information to the network device, the capability indication information being used to indicate that the terminal can be rapidly activated based on the associated cell of the SCell. Upon receiving the capability indication information, the network device may execute S610.

[0175] S620: The terminal determines reference cells of some or all SCells according to the configuration information. The following description will be made by taking the terminal determining the reference cell of the first SCell as an example.

[0176] The reference cell of the first SCell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and forms a continuous CA, that is, the reference cell is an associated cell of the first SCell; and the reference cell is an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell.

[0177] For example, the associated cells of the first SCell include cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3, the frequency of the first SCell is F1, the frequency of cell 1 and cell 2 is F2, the frequency of cell 3 is F3, and F1, F2 and F3 are in the same frequency band, cell 1 is a known cell, cell 2 and cell 3 are unknown cells, then the reference cell of the first SCell is cell 1.

[0178] It should be understood that the frequency of the cell can be determined based on the measurement ID and MO.

[0179] In a possible implementation, if there is no activated SCell that belongs to the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitutes a continuous CA, S620 is executed.

[0180] S630: The terminal activates part or all of the SCells according to the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cells of the part or all of the SCells.

[0181] Since the reference cell is a known cell, the terminal has the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cell. For SCells in the same frequency band, their timing information and / or beam information are the same, so the terminal can activate the SCell to be activated based on the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cell. In one example, for SCells in the same frequency band within the first frequency range and constituting continuous CA, or for SCells in the same frequency band within the first frequency range and constituting continuous CA and satisfying the first synchronization condition, their timing information is the same. Therefore, the terminal uses the timing information of the reference cell as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell, and then activates the first SCell. In another example, for SCells in the same frequency band within the second frequency range and constituting continuous CA, or for SCells in the same frequency band within the second frequency range and constituting continuous CA and satisfying the second synchronization condition, their timing information and beam information are the same. Therefore, the terminal uses the timing information of the reference cell as its own timing information to achieve time synchronization with the first SCell; and the terminal uses the beam information of the reference cell (for example, the optimal receiving beam) as its own beam information. The terminal and the first SCell can obtain the beam information without the beam management process. Then, the terminal can activate the first SCell. According to the method provided in the present application, by activating the immediately activated SCell based on the timing information and / or beam information of the reference cell, the cell search, beam measurement, and / or beam reporting processes can be omitted, thereby reducing the SCell activation delay.

[0182] The embodiments described below may be combined with any of the embodiments described above. For ease of understanding, SCells activated by SCell activation commands and immediately activated (eg, activated by sCellState) are both referred to as SCells to be activated.

[0183] In some embodiments, when there is one unknown SCell to be activated (ie, the SCell is a cell to be activated and unknown), and the unknown SCell to be activated belongs to the first frequency range, the SCell activation delay T activation_time Can save T rs time.

[0184] For example, T activation_time =T FirstSSB_MAX +T SMTC_MAX +T rs +5ms.

[0185] In some embodiments, there is one unknown SCell to be activated, and the unknown SCell to be activated belongs to the second frequency range, and the SCell activation delay can be saved by (2N-1)*T SMTC_MAX +N*T rs +TL1-RSRP,measure +T L1-RSRP,report +T HARQ time, N is the number of beams. It should be understood that (2N-1)*T SMTC_MAX The time required for automatic gain control (AGC) adjustment for cell search.

[0186] For example, T activation_time =T FirstSSB +5ms.

[0187] In some embodiments, the number of unknown SCells to be activated is N1 (N1>1), and the unknown SCells to be activated belong to the first frequency range, and the SCell activation delay T activation_time Can save N1*T rs time.

[0188] For example, T activation_time =T FirstSSB_MAX_multiple_scells +T SMTC_MAX_multiple_scells +T rs +5ms.

[0189] In some embodiments, the number of unknown SCells to be activated is N1 (N1>1), and the unknown SCells to be activated belong to the second frequency range, and the SCell activation delay T activation_time Can save (2N-1)*T SMTC_MAX +N*T rs +T L1-RSRP,measure +T L1-RSRP,report +T HARQ time, N is the number of beams. It should be understood that (2N-1)*T SMTC_MAX The time required for the AGC process to perform cell search.

[0190] For example, T activation_time =3ms+max(T uncertainty_MAC_multiple_scells +T FineTiming +2ms,T uncertainty_SP_multiple_scells ).

[0191] It should be understood that the meaning of the above parameters, such as those not explained, can be referred to the relevant description in TS38.133 and will not be repeated in this application.

[0192] The above describes the method provided by the present application, and the following describes a device that can implement the method.

[0193] Figure 7 : is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7As shown, the communication device 2000 may include at least one of a communication unit 2100 and a processing unit 2200. The communication unit 2100 may implement corresponding communication functions, which may be internal communication within the communication device 2000 or communication between the communication device 2000 and other devices; the processing unit 2200 may implement corresponding processing functions. The communication unit 2100 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver unit. Optionally, the communication device 2000 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 2200 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the communication device 2000 implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0194] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be the terminal in the above method embodiment, or may be a module or chip applied to the terminal in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the terminal in the above method embodiment.

[0195] In one implementation, the processing unit 2200 is used to determine a reference cell of a first secondary cell SCell, where the first SCell is an unknown cell, the reference cell is a deactivated SCell, or the reference cell is an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell indicated by a network device; the processing unit 2200 is also used to activate the first SCell based on the reference cell.

[0196] Optionally, the reference cell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitutes continuous carrier aggregation CA.

[0197] Optionally, the first SCell belongs to a first frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet one or more of the following conditions:

[0198] The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, where the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually sent synchronization signal block (SSB);

[0199] The SSB measurement time configuration SMTC offset of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same; or,

[0200] A receive timing difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is smaller than or equal to a timing difference threshold, and a receive power difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is smaller than or equal to a power difference threshold.

[0201] Optionally, the first SCell belongs to a second frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet one or more of the following conditions:

[0202] The communication device 2000 provides a synchronization signal block SSB measurement time configuration SMTC for the first SCell;

[0203] The synchronization signal blocks SSB sent by the reference cell and the first SCell have the same downlink spatial domain transmission filter on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbol in the same frequency band in the second frequency range;

[0204] The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, and the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually transmitted SSB; or

[0205] The SSB is in the same half-frame on the first SCell and the reference cell.

[0206] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is used to receive configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the first SCell, and the configuration information indicates activation of the first SCell and the associated cells with the first SCell, where the associated cells include the reference SCell, and the associated cells are cells that are located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitute a continuous CA.

[0207] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further used to: send capability indication information, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that the communication device 2000 can quickly activate the first SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell in the associated cell.

[0208] Optionally, the processing unit 2200 is specifically used to: activate the first SCell according to the synchronization information and / or beam information of the reference cell.

[0209] In another possible design, the communication device 2000 may be the network device in the above method embodiment, or may be a module or chip applied to the network device in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0210] In one implementation, the processing unit 2200 is used to generate configuration information; the communication unit 2100 is used to send the configuration information to the terminal, and the configuration information is used to activate at least one secondary cell SCell, the associated cell of each SCell in the at least one SCell, and the measurement identifier corresponding to each cell in the associated cell. The associated cell of an SCell is a cell that is located in the same frequency band as the SCell and constitutes a continuous carrier aggregation CA.

[0211] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further used to: receive capability indication information, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that the terminal can quickly activate the SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the SCell in the associated cell of the SCell.

[0212] Regarding the steps or processes executed by each unit in the communication device 2000, please refer to the corresponding method embodiments above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0213] It should be understood that the "unit" in the communication device 2000 can be implemented by hardware, can be implemented by software, and can also be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation. For example, the "unit" can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. For another example, the communication unit 2100 can be replaced by a transceiver transceiver circuit (for example, a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit 2200 can be replaced by a processor or a processing circuit.

[0214] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of another communication device 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The communication device 3000 can be a terminal or network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal or network device to implement the above method. The communication device 3000 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment.

[0215] The communication device 3000 may include one or more processors 3100, which may also be referred to as processing units, and may implement certain control functions. The processor 3100 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. 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 a communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a user chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0216] In an optional design, the processor 3100 may also store instructions and / or data, which can be executed by the processor 3100 so that the communication device 3000 executes the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0217] In another optional design, the communication device 3000 may include a communication interface 3200 for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 3200 may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a transceiver. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0218] Optionally, the communication device 3000 may include one or more memories 3300, which may store instructions. The instructions may be executed on the processor 3100, causing the communication device 3000 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory 3300 may also store data. Optionally, the processor 3100 may also store instructions and / or data. The processor 3100 and memory 3300 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0219] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 4000 provided in this application. The above-mentioned communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 can be configured in the terminal 4000. Alternatively, the communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 itself can be the terminal 4000. In other words, the terminal 4000 can perform the actions performed by the second communication device or the first communication device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. For the convenience of explanation, Figure 9 Only the main components of the terminal are shown. Figure 9 As shown, terminal 4000 includes a processor, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and an input and output device.

[0220] The processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire terminal, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the terminal in performing the actions described in the above method embodiments. The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The control circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The control circuit and antenna together are also called a transceiver, which is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0221] When the terminal is powered on, the processor reads the software program stored in the storage unit, interprets and executes the program's instructions, and processes the program's data. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits it via the antenna as electromagnetic waves. When data is sent to the terminal, the RF circuit receives the RF signal via the antenna, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor, which converts the baseband signal into data and processes it.

[0222] Those skilled in the art will understand that for ease of explanation, Figure 9 Only one memory and processor are shown. In an actual terminal, there may be multiple processors and memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0223] For example, the processor may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit is mainly used to control the entire terminal, execute software programs, and process data of software programs. Figure 9 The processor in the terminal integrates the functions of the baseband processor and the central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and the central processing unit can also be independent processors that are interconnected through technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terminal can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and the terminal can include multiple central processing units to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal can be connected through various buses. The baseband processor can also be expressed as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit can also be expressed as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor, or it can be stored in a storage unit in the form of a software program, and the processor executes the software program to implement the baseband processing function.

[0224] For example, in the embodiment of the present application, the antenna and the control circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit 4100 of the terminal 4000, and the processor with processing function can be regarded as the processing unit 4200 of the terminal 4000. Figure 9As shown, terminal 4000 includes a transceiver unit 4100 and a processing unit 4200. The transceiver unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in transceiver unit 4100 that implements the receiving function may be considered a receiving unit, and the device in transceiver unit 4100 that implements the transmitting function may be considered a transmitting unit, that is, transceiver unit 4100 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. For example, the receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit may be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0225] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device 5000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The above-mentioned communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 can be configured in the network device 5000. Alternatively, the communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 itself can be the network device 5000. Alternatively, the network device 5000 can perform the actions performed by the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0226] like Figure 10 As shown, the network device 5000 may include one or more DUs 5010 and one or more CUs 5020. The CU 5020 may communicate with the NG core (Next Generation Core Network, NC). The DU 5010 may include at least one antenna 5011, at least one radio frequency unit 5012, at least one processor 5013, and at least one memory 5014. The DU 5010 is primarily used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals, and performing some baseband processing. The CU 5020 may include at least one processor 5022 and at least one memory 5021. The CU 5020 and the DU 5010 may communicate via an interface, wherein the control plane (CP) interface may be an Fs-C, such as F1-C, and the user plane (UP) interface may be an Fs-U, such as F1-U.

[0227] The CU 5020 is primarily used for baseband processing and controlling the network device 5000. The DU 5010 and CU 5020 can be physically located together or separately, i.e., as a distributed base station. The CU 5020 is the control center of the network device 5000, also known as a processing unit, and is primarily used to perform baseband processing. For example, the CU 5020 can be used to control the network device 5000 to execute the network device operation procedures described in the above-described method embodiments.

[0228] Specifically, baseband processing on the CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and above are set in the CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP, such as the radio link control (RLC) layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer, are set in the DU. For another example, the CU implements the functions of the RRC layer and the PDCP layer, and the DU implements the functions of the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer.

[0229] In addition, the network device 5000 may optionally include one or more radio frequency units (RUs), one or more DUs, and one or more CUs. The DU may include at least one processor 5013 and at least one memory 5014, the RU may include at least one antenna 5011 and at least one radio frequency unit 5012, and the CU may include at least one processor 5022 and at least one memory 5021.

[0230] In one example, the CU 5020 can be composed of one or more single boards, and multiple single boards can jointly support a wireless access network with a single access indication (such as a 5G network), or can respectively support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 5021 and the processor 5022 can serve one or more single boards. That is, a memory and a processor can be set separately on each single board. It is also possible that multiple single boards share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits can be set on each single board. The DU 5010 can be composed of one or more single boards, and multiple single boards can jointly support a wireless access network with a single access indication (such as a 5G network), or can respectively support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 5014 and the processor 5013 can serve one or more single boards. That is, a memory and a processor can be set separately on each single board. It is also possible that multiple single boards share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits can be set on each single board.

[0231] It should be understood that Figure 10 The illustrated network device 5000 is capable of implementing each process involved in the actions performed by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments. The operations and / or functions of the various modules within network device 5000 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the aforementioned method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted herein.

[0232] It should be understood that Figure 10The network device 5000 shown is only one possible architecture of a network device and does not constitute any limitation to this application. The method provided in this application is applicable to network devices with other architectures. For example, a network device including a CU, DU, and AAU, or a network device that does not adopt a CU-DU separation architecture. This application does not limit the specific architecture of the network device.

[0233] It should be understood that, in one possible design, each step in the method embodiment provided in the present application can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature 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. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0234] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or an instruction in the form of software. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor for execution, or can be completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0235] It is 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 read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (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 and 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), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0236] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the various steps or processes executed by the terminal or network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0237] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code runs on a computer, the computer executes the various steps or processes executed by the terminal or network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0238] The present application also provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes the various steps or processes executed by the terminal or network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0239] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal can execute the various steps or processes executed by the terminal in any of the above method embodiments, and the network device can execute the various steps or processes executed by the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0240] The present application also provides a chip, including a processor, for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip executes the various steps or processes executed by the terminal or network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0241] The above-mentioned device embodiments and method embodiments are completely corresponding, and the corresponding steps are performed by the corresponding modules or units. For example, the communication unit or communication interface performs the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiment. Other steps except sending and receiving can be performed by the processing unit or processor.

[0242] In the embodiments of this application, each term and English abbreviation is provided for convenience of description and shall not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0243] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," and the like are used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and a computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and a component can be located on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable storage media having various data structures stored thereon. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0244] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0245] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can be based on the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0246] In the several embodiments provided in this 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 schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0247] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0248] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0249] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, 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 (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0250] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, 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 enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0251] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for activating a secondary cell (SCell), characterized in that: include: Determining a reference cell of a first SCell, where the first SCell is an unknown cell, the reference cell is a deactivated SCell, or the reference cell is an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell indicated by a network device; The first SCell is activated according to the reference cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The reference cell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitutes continuous carrier aggregation CA.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first SCell belongs to a first frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet one or more of the following conditions: The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, where the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually sent synchronization signal block (SSB); The SSB measurement time configuration SMTC offset of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same; or, A receive timing difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is smaller than or equal to a timing difference threshold, and a receive power difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is smaller than or equal to a power difference threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first SCell belongs to a second frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell satisfy one or more of the following: The terminal provides a synchronization signal block SSB measurement time configuration SMTC for the first SCell; The synchronization signal blocks SSB sent by the reference cell and the first SCell have the same downlink spatial domain transmission filter on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbol in the same frequency band in the second frequency range; The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, where the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually transmitted SSB; or The SSB is in the same half-frame on the first SCell and the reference cell.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein: Before determining the reference cell of the first SCell, the method further includes: Receive configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the first SCell. The configuration information indicates activation of the first SCell and associated cells with the first SCell, where the associated cells include the reference SCell, and the associated cells are cells that are located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitute continuous CA.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein Before receiving the configuration information, the method further includes: Send capability indication information, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that the terminal can quickly activate the first SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell in the associated cell.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The activating the first SCell according to the reference cell includes: The first SCell is activated according to the synchronization information and / or beam information of the reference cell.

8. A method for activating a secondary cell (SCell), characterized in that: include: Generate configuration information; The configuration information is sent to the terminal, where the configuration information is used to activate at least one SCell, the associated cell of each SCell in the at least one SCell, and the measurement identifier corresponding to each cell in the associated cell. The associated cell of an SCell is a cell that is located in the same frequency band as the SCell and constitutes continuous carrier aggregation CA.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein Before generating the configuration information, the method further includes: Capability indication information is received, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that a terminal can quickly activate an SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the SCell in an associated cell of the SCell.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processing unit, configured to determine a reference cell of a first secondary cell (SCell), where the first SCell is an unknown cell, the reference cell is a deactivated SCell, or the reference cell is an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell indicated by a network device; The processing unit is further configured to activate the first SCell according to the reference cell.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein The reference cell is a known cell that is located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitutes continuous carrier aggregation CA.

12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The first SCell belongs to a first frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell meet one or more of the following conditions: The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, where the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually sent synchronization signal block (SSB); The SSB measurement time configuration SMTC offset of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same; or, A receive timing difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is smaller than or equal to a timing difference threshold, and a receive power difference (RTD) between the first SCell and the reference cell is smaller than or equal to a power difference threshold.

13. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The first SCell belongs to a second frequency range, and the first SCell and the reference cell satisfy one or more of the following: The communication device provides a synchronization signal block SSB measurement time configuration SMTC for the first SCell; The synchronization signal blocks SSB sent by the reference cell and the first SCell have the same downlink spatial domain transmission filter on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbol in the same frequency band in the second frequency range; The first measurement parameter of the first SCell and the reference cell is the same, where the first measurement parameter includes a position of an actually transmitted SSB; or The SSB is in the same half-frame on the first SCell and the reference cell.

14. The device according to claim 10 or 13, characterized in that The device further comprises: A communication unit is used to receive configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the first SCell. The configuration information indicates activation of the first SCell and the associated cells with the first SCell, where the associated cells include the reference SCell, and the associated cells are cells that are located in the same frequency band as the first SCell and constitute a continuous CA.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein The communication unit is further configured to: Send capability indication information, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that the communication device is capable of quickly activating the first SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the first SCell in the associated cell.

16. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that The processing unit is specifically configured to: The first SCell is activated according to the synchronization information and / or beam information of the reference cell.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processing unit, configured to generate configuration information; A communication unit is used to send the configuration information to the terminal, where the configuration information is used to activate at least one secondary cell SCell, the associated cell of each SCell in the at least one SCell, and the measurement identifier corresponding to each cell in the associated cell. The associated cell of an SCell is a cell that is located in the same frequency band as the SCell and constitutes continuous carrier aggregation CA.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein The communication unit is further configured to: Capability indication information is received, where the capability indication information is used to indicate that a terminal can quickly activate an SCell based on an inter-frequency cell of the SCell in an associated cell of the SCell.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The method comprises a computer program, which, when running on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or the method according to claim 8 or 9.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes computer program code, and when the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or the method according to claim 8 or 9.

21. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or the method according to claim 8 or 9 is implemented.

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