Network-initiated cell selection or reselection

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to network initiated cell selection or reselection. A network device transmits downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI including an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection. The at least one terminal device then performs cell selection or reselection based on the received DCI. Thus, faster cell selection or reselection can be supported without causing additional delays, and more energy savings can be enabled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to methods, devices, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for network-initiated cell selection or reselection. Background Art

[0002] Network Energy Efficiency (NES) is crucial for environmental sustainability, reducing environmental impact (greenhouse gas emissions), and saving operational costs. As 5G becomes ubiquitous across industrial and geographic areas, handling more advanced services and applications (such as extended reality (XR)) that require very high data rates, networks are becoming denser, using more antennas, greater bandwidth, and more frequency bands. The environmental impact of 5G needs to be kept under control, and solutions to improve NES are needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions related to network-initiated cell selection or reselection.

[0004] In a first aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the network device to at least: send downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing in a cell of the network device, the DCI including an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

[0005] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the terminal device to at least: receive downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device resides, the DCI including an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and perform cell selection or cell reselection based on the received DCI.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method implemented at a network device is provided, comprising: sending downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI comprising an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method implemented at a terminal device is provided. The method comprises: receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device resides, the DCI comprising: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and performing the cell selection or cell reselection based on the received DCI.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for sending, at a network device, downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI comprising: an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a component for receiving, at a terminal device, downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device is stationed, the DCI including: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and a component for performing cell selection or cell reselection based on the received DCI.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions is provided, the program instructions being used to cause an apparatus to at least execute the method according to any one of the third to fourth aspects above.

[0011] In an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least perform a method according to at least any one of the third to fourth aspects above.

[0012] In a ninth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising a transmitting circuit system configured to transmit downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI comprising an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

[0013] In a tenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a receiving circuit system configured to: receive downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device resides, the DCI including: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and an executing circuit system configured to: perform cell selection or cell reselection based on the received DCI.

[0014] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0017] Figure 2 shows a signaling flow between a terminal device and a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 5 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0021] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for illustrative purposes and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, without implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways in addition to the ways described below.

[0024] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0025] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, those skilled in the art recognize that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to incorporate such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0026] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" and the like may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0027] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular "one", "an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly states otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprise", "include", "have", "have", "include" and / or "include" specify the presence of the features, elements and / or components etc. when used in this article, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or their combinations. As used herein, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar wording (wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or") represent at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0028] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0029] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry) and

[0030] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (as applicable):

[0031] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0032] (ii) any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and

[0033] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) (such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s)) that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but in which case the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0034] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term circuitry also covers (for example, and if applicable to a particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0035] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal equipment and the network equipment in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to implement the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0036] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from the network. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a new radio (NR) NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low-power node (e.g., a femto node, a pico node), etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0037] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, game terminal devices, music storage and playback appliances, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated process chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0038] As mentioned above, there is a need to develop solutions to improve NES. During the discussion of the Release 18 (Rel-18) Study Item (SI) on NES (RP-213554), some solutions have been discussed in the Radio Access Network 2 (RAN2) to allow the network to bar legacy UEs without barring NES UEs (i.e., NES-capable UEs) in NES cells, and to allow NES UEs to reselect to NES cells without allowing legacy UEs to reselect to NES cells [R2-2210995].

[0039] A solution using Intra / InterFreqExcludedCellList has been proposed. For example, if the network intends to use NES mode for a cell, the IntraFreqExcludedCellList / InterFreqExcludedCellList can be used to prevent other UEs from reselecting to the cell.

[0040] When a UE that is already camped on a cell moves to reselect to another cell, the network needs to indicate that the cell is barred, for example, the network wants to completely shut down the cell. Since the cellBarred field in the Master Information Block (MIB) is used to bar legacy UEs camped on the cell, another solution has been proposed to bar NES UEs camped on the cell by adding a new cellBarred-NES field in the System Information Block 1 (SIB1).

[0041] The relevant agreements are as follows:

[0042]

[0043] The SI has been summarized in TR38.864 regarding cell selection / reselection for legacy UEs and NES UEs with the following items, and the scope of subsequent work items (WI) is under discussion in the RAN#98 meeting.

[0044]

[0045] However, adding a new cellBarred-NES in SIB1 requires a SIB update procedure that requires sending a page indicating a system information (SI) update notification within a modification period and then sending the updated SIB within the next modification period, which is not very power efficient from the NES's perspective. It also introduces a delay for the network to shut down the cell.

[0046] Therefore, up to now, there is no effective method to provide support for network-initiated cell selection or reselection (especially for NES UE) without causing additional delay to the network. In view of this, it should be considered to enhance the network-initiated cell selection or reselection.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a scheme for network-initiated cell selection or reselection is provided. Using this scheme, a network device sends downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI including: an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection. Then, the at least one terminal device performs cell selection or reselection based on the received DCI. Alternatively, the DCI includes: an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to disable a cell. Then, the at least one terminal device performs cell selection or reselection based on the received DCI indicating that the cell is disabled.

[0048] By using DCI to instruct at least one terminal device to perform cell reselection or reselection, it enables faster cell selection or reselection without incurring additional delays, and enables greater energy savings without requiring SI updates for cell barring. Consequently, network equipment can also enable faster cell shutdown, for example to save power. Consequently, communication efficiency can be improved.

[0049] Hereinafter, the principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 , Figure 1 An example network environment 100 is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0050] The network environment 100, which may be part of a communication network, includes an end device 110 and a network device 120 that communicate with each other or with other devices via each other. In some embodiments, the end device 110 may be a NES-capable device.

[0051] The network environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In the network environment 100, the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 may communicate data and control information to each other. The link from the network device 120 to the terminal device 110 is referred to as the DL, while the link from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120 is referred to as the UL.

[0052] It should be understood that the number of terminal devices 110 and the number of network devices 120 shown in the communication network environment 100 are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, the communication network environment 100 may include any number of terminal devices and / or any number of network devices.

[0053] Communications in the network environment 100 may follow any suitable communication standards or protocols that already exist or will be developed in the future, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR), Sixth Generation (6G) or above, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standards, and use any suitable communication technology, including, for example, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee and Machine Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), Carrier Aggregation (CA), Dual Connectivity (DC) and New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) technology.

[0054] Figure 2 FIG2 shows a signaling flow 200 between a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to FIG20. Figure 1 Let's describe the signaling flow 200.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, network device 110 sends (205) DCI to one or more terminal devices residing on a cell of network device 120. The DCI may include: an indication requesting one or more terminal devices to perform cell selection or cell reselection. Alternatively, the DCI may include: an indication requesting one or more terminal devices to prohibit a cell. As an example, the one or more terminal devices may be a plurality of terminal devices residing on a cell. As another example, the one or more terminal devices may be all terminal devices residing on a cell. In some embodiments, the one or more terminal devices may include terminal device 110. For example, a terminal device in the one or more terminal devices (e.g., terminal device 110) may be a device with NES capability. In this case, terminal device 110 receives (210) DCI from network device 120.

[0056] In some example embodiments, the DCI may be a short message DCI addressed to a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI). For example, unused reserved bits in the short message DCI may be used for the above indication. As an example, the short message may be shown as follows:

[0057]

[0058] For example, the above indication may also be sent in some other message, such as MIB or SIB1 or paging message. However, compared to paging message, for example, since no SI update process is required, including the above indication in a short message may have the shortest delay and the lowest overhead. As another example, the above indication may also be sent in DCI that provides scheduling information for SIB1 or paging message.

[0059] It will be appreciated that any other DCI, for example for other purposes, may be used to indicate cell selection or reselection to one or more terminal devices, and the scope of the present disclosure shall not be limited in this regard.

[0060] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may transmit DCI on at least one paging occasion of one or more terminal devices within a time period. For example, DCI may be transmitted on at least one paging occasion of one or more terminal devices within a paging cycle period. As another example, DCI may be transmitted on at least one paging occasion of one or more terminal devices within a modification period. For another example, DCI may be transmitted on every paging occasion of a cell within a paging cycle period or within a modification period. Thus, DCI may also be transmitted on a paging occasion that is not a paging occasion of one or more terminal devices.

[0061] In an example embodiment in which there are multiple terminal devices including a terminal device 110 residing on a cell of the network device 120, the network device 120 may configure a paging opportunity (also referred to as a public paging opportunity) associated with the transmission of DCI for the multiple terminal devices. In this case, the network device 120 may send DCI on a paging opportunity that is common to the multiple terminal devices. Therefore, each terminal device in the multiple terminal devices (e.g., the terminal device 110) may monitor DCI on a public paging opportunity associated with the reception of DCI. For example, each terminal device in the multiple terminal devices may monitor a public paging opportunity and its individual paging opportunity determined based on its identifier. The public paging opportunity may be utilized to more efficiently send DCI (e.g., a short message DCI) including the above-mentioned indication to multiple terminal devices (e.g., all terminal devices) in the cell. Therefore, it is also allowed to reduce the signaling overhead at the network device 120.

[0062] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine to turn off a cell, and based on this, network device 120 may send a DCI including an indication to one or more terminal devices. In this case, after sending the DCI, network device 120 may ensure that no terminal device is camped on the cell, and then turn off the cell without sending an SI update.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown, after receiving the DCI including the indication, the terminal device 110 performs (215) cell selection or reselection based on the received DCI. In some example embodiments, if the terminal device 110 receives the DCI including the indication, the terminal device 110 may determine that the cell of the network device 120 is barred. In this case, upon receiving the DCI indicating the network-initiated cell selection or reselection, the terminal device 110 may consider the cell to be barred and then perform the cell selection or reselection process.

[0064] In this way, by using DCI to instruct one or more terminal devices to perform cell reselection or reselection, it enables faster cell selection or reselection without incurring additional delays, and enables more energy saving without the need for SI updates for cell barring. Therefore, this allows for improved communication efficiency.

[0065] Figure 3 300 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1 Method 300 is described from the perspective of network device 120 .

[0066] At block 310, the network device 120 sends downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device that resides on a cell of the network device 120. The DCI includes an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

[0067] In some example embodiments, the DCI may be a short message DCI addressed to a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI).

[0068] In some example embodiments, to send the DCI, the network device 120 may send the DCI on at least one paging occasion of at least one terminal device during a period of a paging cycle, a modification period, or any combination thereof.

[0069] In some example embodiments, the at least one terminal device may include multiple terminal devices camped on a cell, and in this case, to transmit DCI, network device 120 may transmit the DCI on a paging occasion common to the multiple terminal devices. The paging occasion may be associated with the transmission of the DCI.

[0070] In some example embodiments, the at least one terminal device may include all terminal devices camped on the cell.

[0071] In some example embodiments, to send the DCI, network device 120 may send the DCI based on determining to turn off the cell.

[0072] In some example embodiments, the terminal device in the at least one terminal device may be a network energy saving (NES) capable device.

[0073] Figure 4 4 shows a flow chart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The method 400 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 110 .

[0074] At block 410, terminal device 110 receives downlink control information (DCI) from network device 120. Network device 120 serves the cell on which terminal device 110 resides. The DCI includes an indication requesting terminal device 110 to perform cell selection or cell reselection. At block 420, terminal device 110 performs cell selection or cell reselection based on the received DCI.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the DCI may be a short message DCI addressed to a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI).

[0076] In some example embodiments, to receive DCI, terminal device 110 may monitor DCI on a paging occasion that is common to multiple terminal devices 110 residing in a cell including terminal device 110. The paging occasion may be associated with the reception of DCI. In some example embodiments, the multiple terminal devices may include all terminal devices residing in the cell.

[0077] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may also determine that a cell is barred based on receiving a DCI.

[0078] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may be a device with network energy saving (NES) capabilities.

[0079] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing method 300 (e.g., network device 120) may include components for executing the corresponding steps of method 300. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI comprising an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the DCI is a short message DCI addressed to a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier P-RNTI.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the means for sending the DCI comprises means for sending the DCI on at least one paging occasion of the at least one terminal device over at least one of a period or a modification period of a paging cycle.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the at least one terminal device comprises: a plurality of terminal devices camped on a cell, and the means for sending the DCI comprises: means for sending the DCI on a paging occasion common to the plurality of terminal devices, the paging occasion being associated with transmission of the DCI.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the at least one terminal device comprises: all terminal devices camped on the cell.

[0085] In some example embodiments, the means for transmitting the DCI includes means for transmitting the DCI based on determining to shut down the cell.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the terminal device in the at least one terminal device is a device with Network Energy Saving (NES) capability.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 300. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0088] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing method 400 (e.g., terminal device 110) may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of method 400. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device resides, the DCI including: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and a component for performing cell selection or cell reselection based on the received DCI.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the DCI is a short message DCI addressed to a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier P-RNTI.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the means for receiving the DCI comprises means for monitoring the DCI on a paging occasion common to a plurality of terminal devices residing on a cell including the terminal device, the paging occasion being associated with the reception of the DCI. In some example embodiments, the plurality of terminal devices comprises all terminal devices residing on the cell.

[0092] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining that the cell is barred based on receiving the DCI.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is a device with Network Energy Saving (NES) capability.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 400. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0095] Figure 5 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a device 500 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 500 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 The terminal device 110 or the network device 120 is shown. As shown in the figure, the device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to the processor 510, and one or more communication modules 540 coupled to the processor 510.

[0096] The communication module 540 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0097] Processor 510 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and, as non-limiting examples, may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 500 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slave to a clock that synchronizes a main processor.

[0098] The memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memories that do not persist during a power outage.

[0099] Computer program 530 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by associated processor 510. Program 530 may be stored in ROM 524. Processor 510 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 530 into RAM 522.

[0100] The embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented by the program 530, so that the device 500 can execute the following steps: Figure 2 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0101] In some example embodiments, program 530 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in device 500 (such as in memory 520) or in other storage devices accessible by device 500. Device 500 may load program 530 from the computer-readable medium to RAM 522 for execution. Computer-readable media may include any type of tangible, non-volatile storage device, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0102] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer readable medium 600 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The computer readable medium 600 has a program 530 stored thereon. Note that although Figure 6 Computer-readable medium 600 is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but may be in any other form suitable for carrying or storing program 530.

[0103] In general, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0104] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figures 3 and 4 Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for the program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, the program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0105] The program code for performing the disclosed method can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatus so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables specific function / operation in flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized. The program code can be executed completely on a machine, partially on a machine, as an independent software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0106] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0107] Computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium.Computer-readable medium can include but is not limited to electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment or any suitable combination of the foregoing.A more specific example of a computer-readable storage medium will include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device or any suitable combination of the foregoing.Term "non-transient" as used herein is a restriction to the medium itself (that is, tangible, not a signal), rather than a restriction to data storage persistence (for example, RAM to ROM).

[0108] In addition, although operation is described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring these operations or all shown operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, to achieve desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that can be specific to a particular embodiment. Some features described in the context of a separate embodiment also can be realized in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment also can be realized individually or with any suitable subcombination in multiple embodiments.

[0109] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A network device comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: Downlink control information (DCI) is sent to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, where the DCI includes an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection. 2 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the DCI is a short message DCI addressed to a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI).

3. The network device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the network device is caused to send the DCI by: The DCI is sent on at least one paging occasion of the at least one terminal device during at least one period of a paging cycle or a modification period.

4. The network device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one terminal device comprises: a plurality of terminal devices residing on the cell, and the network device is caused to transmit the DCI by: The DCI is sent on a paging occasion common to the multiple terminal devices, and the paging occasion is associated with the transmission of the DCI.

5. The network device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one terminal device comprises: All terminal devices residing in the cell.

6. The network device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the network device is caused to send the DCI by: Based on determining to shut down the cell, the DCI is sent.

7. The network device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the terminal device in the at least one terminal device is a device with Network Energy Saving (NES) capability.

8. A terminal device comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device resides, the DCI including: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; as well as The cell selection or the cell reselection is performed based on the received DCI. 9 . The terminal device according to claim 8 , wherein the DCI is a short message DCI addressed to a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI).

10. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the terminal device is caused to receive the DCI by: The DCI is monitored on a paging occasion common to a plurality of terminal devices residing on a cell including the terminal device, the paging occasion being associated with reception of the DCI.

11. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises: All terminal devices residing in the cell.

12. The terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Based on receiving the DCI, it is determined that the cell is barred.

13. The terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the terminal device is a device with Network Energy Saving (NES) capability.

14. A method comprising: At a network device, downlink control information (DCI) is sent to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, where the DCI includes an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

15. A method comprising: At a terminal device, receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device resides, the DCI including: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and The cell selection or the cell reselection is performed based on the received DCI.

16. An apparatus comprising: A component for sending, at a network device, downlink control information (DCI) to at least one terminal device residing on a cell of the network device, the DCI comprising an indication requesting the at least one terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection.

17. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a terminal device, downlink control information (DCI) from a network device serving a cell on which the terminal device is camped, the DCI comprising: an indication requesting the terminal device to perform cell selection or cell reselection; and Means for performing the cell selection or the cell reselection based on the received DCI.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to claim 14 or 15.

Images