RRM measurement management method and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides a management method of RRM measurement and a communication device. The method comprises: a terminal reporting to an access network device a preference of whether the terminal performs RRM measurement in an RRM measurement period to assist the access network device in deciding whether the RRM measurement is performed in the RRM measurement period, thereby being helpful for accurately deciding whether the RRM measurement is performed in the RRM measurement period, thereby achieving a better balance between the time delay of a service and the RRM measurement performance. Moreover, if the terminal does not monitor the DCI used for indicating whether the RRM measurement is carried out in the RRM measurement period, the terminal carries out the RRM measurement in the RRM measurement period or skips the RRM measurement in the RRM measurement period according to the preference of the terminal on whether the RRM measurement is carried out in the RRM measurement period, so that the method can save the signaling overhead between the terminal and the access network equipment, and improves the user experience. That is, the access network device does not need to send DCI.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a management method and communication device for RRM measurement. Background Technology

[0002] In some services (taking extended reality (XR) as an example), the data arrival period of XR services is not an integer. For example, the frame arrival periods of XR videos at 30 frames per second (FPS), 60 FPS, and 90 FPS are 1 / 30s, 1 / 60s, and 1 / 90s, respectively. Therefore, the data arrival period of XR services cannot be matched with the radio resource management (RRM) measurement period, which may cause conflicts between XR service data transmission and RRM measurement.

[0003] When a conflict occurs between a data scheduling period and an RRM measurement period, the terminal needs to determine whether to transmit data or perform RRM measurement during the conflicting period.

[0004] How to enable the terminal to make the correct decision to perform RRM measurement or skip RRM measurement when there is a conflict between the data scheduling period and the RRM measurement period while minimizing signaling overhead remains to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device to enable the terminal to make a correct decision on whether to perform RRM measurement or skip RRM measurement when there is a conflict between the data scheduling period and the RRM measurement period, while minimizing signaling overhead.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within the terminal, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip) responsible for communication functions within the terminal. In this method, first information is sent to the access network device, which is used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period; if no downlink control information (DCI) indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is detected, RRM measurement is performed or skipped during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for performing RRM measurement during that period.

[0007] Based on the above scheme, the terminal reports its preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period to the access network device. This assists the access network device in deciding whether to perform RRM measurement during that period, helping to accurately determine whether to perform RRM measurement and thus achieving a better balance between service latency and RRM measurement performance. Furthermore, if the terminal does not receive a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, it is assumed that the access network device's decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during that period is the same as the terminal's preference. Therefore, the terminal performs RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period or skips it based on its preference. This method saves signaling overhead between the terminal and the access network device, meaning the access network device does not need to send a DCI.

[0008] In one possible design, if no DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period is detected, RRM measurement may be performed or skipped during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, including: if no DCI is detected during the first period, RRM measurement may be performed or skipped during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period.

[0009] Based on the above solution, setting the time range for terminal DCI monitoring helps avoid increased overhead caused by the terminal blindly monitoring DCI for extended periods.

[0010] In one possible design, the end time of the first time period is no later than the start time of the RRM measurement time period.

[0011] Based on the above scheme, since the terminal needs to decide whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period before the RRM measurement period arrives, it is necessary to ensure that the end time of the first period is not later than the start time of the RRM measurement period. Therefore, this method can ensure timely decision-making on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period.

[0012] In one possible design, the start time of the first time period is related to the time when the first information is sent.

[0013] Based on the above scheme, the appropriate start time for monitoring DCI can be determined, which helps ensure that the terminal makes the correct decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period.

[0014] In one possible design, the length of this first time period is related to the period of the RRM measurement.

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the appropriate start time for monitoring DCI can be determined, which helps ensure that the terminal makes the correct decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period.

[0016] In one possible design, the length of the first time period is configured by the access network device.

[0017] Based on the above scheme, the length of the first time period is configured by the access network equipment, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the length of the first time period, thus reducing terminal overhead.

[0018] In one possible design, the length of the first time period is predefined.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the length of the first time period can be obtained quickly.

[0020] In one possible design, the method further includes determining the length of the first time period based on the capabilities of the terminal.

[0021] Based on the above scheme, the length of the first time period can be accurately determined by the terminal.

[0022] Secondly, this method can be applied to the network side, such as access network equipment, modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) within the access network equipment, or logical nodes, logical modules, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network equipment. In this method, first information is received from the terminal, which is used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period. If the decision result regarding whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is the same as the preference indicated by the first information, no DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is sent.

[0023] Based on the above scheme, the terminal reports its preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period to the access network device, so as to assist the access network device in deciding whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period. This helps to make accurate decisions on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, thereby achieving a better balance between service latency and RRM measurement performance. Furthermore, the access network device makes a decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period. If the decision result is the same as the preference indicated by the first information regarding whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, the access network device may not send a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period to the terminal. As a result, the terminal will not hear the DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period. Consequently, the terminal believes that the access network device's decision result regarding whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is the same as the terminal's preference regarding whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period. Therefore, the terminal performs RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period or skips RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on its preference. Thus, this method can save signaling overhead between the terminal and the access network device, meaning the access network device does not need to send a DCI.

[0024] In one possible design, if the decision on whether to perform RRM measurement for the RRM measurement period differs from the preference indicated by the first information for whether to perform RRM measurement for the RRM measurement period, a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement for the RRM measurement period is sent to the terminal.

[0025] Based on the above scheme, if the decision result regarding whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period differs from the preference indicated by the first information, the access network device needs to notify the terminal whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period to ensure that the terminal can correctly manage the RRM measurement.

[0026] In one possible design, configuration information is sent to the terminal, the configuration information including the length of a first time period, which is used to instruct the terminal to listen to the time range of the DCI used to indicate whether RRM measurement is performed during the RRM measurement period.

[0027] Based on the above solution, setting the time range for terminal DCI monitoring helps avoid increased overhead caused by the terminal blindly monitoring DCI for extended periods.

[0028] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions of the first aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first aspect above. The modules, units or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0029] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions of the second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units or means corresponding to the operations involved in the second aspect above. The modules, units or means can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0030] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device including an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory stores part or all of the necessary computer program or instructions for implementing the functions described in the first aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication functions within the communication device and / or the communication functions between the communication device and other devices or components.

[0031] In one possible design, the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0032] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0033] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip containing a modem module.

[0034] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device including an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory stores part or all of the necessary computer program or instructions for implementing the functions described in the second aspect above. The one or more processors are executable to carry out the computer program or instructions, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect above. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication functions within the communication device and / or the communication functions between the communication device and other devices or components.

[0035] The aforementioned communication device may be an access network device, a module (e.g., a circuit, chip, or chip system) within the access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication system, including a communication device for performing the method in any possible design of the first aspect described above, and a communication device for performing the method in any possible design of the second aspect described above.

[0037] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the possible designs in the first to second aspects described above.

[0038] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product that, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the possible designs in the first to second aspects described above. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one possible, non-limiting system;

[0040] Figure 2 An example diagram of the MG configuration provided for implementation of this application;

[0041] Figure 3 and Figure 5 Example diagram showing the conflict between XR service arrival and MG;

[0042] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6 The following is a possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one possible, non-limiting system. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 also includes an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., Figure 1110a and 110b, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 RAN100, denoted as RAN100, comprises RAN nodes 120a-120j, collectively referred to as RAN120. RAN100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0046] RAN100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4th generation (4G), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems (such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems). RAN100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radioaccess network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0047] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0048] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. A RAN node can also be a macro base station (such as...) Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 The RAN node can be a relay node or donor node (as described in section 110b), or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0049] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0050] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0051] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication function. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0052] In recent years, with the continuous development of 5G communication systems, data transmission latency has been continuously reduced and transmission capacity has been increasing. 5G communication systems have gradually penetrated into some multimedia services with strong real-time requirements and large data capacity requirements, such as video transmission, cloud gaming (CG), and XR, among which XR includes virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

[0053] With the rapid increase in communication transmission speed, real-time video transmission has gradually become one of the core services in current networks. The continuous advancement and improvement of XR technology has also led to the vigorous development of related industries. Today, VR technology, as a type of XR, has entered various fields closely related to people's production and lives, including education, entertainment, military, medical care, environmental protection, transportation, and public health. Compared to traditional video services, VR has advantages such as multiple perspectives and strong interactivity, providing users with a completely new visual experience. VR integrates computer graphics, multimedia, and other technologies, simulating the functions of human senses such as vision, hearing, and touch, making people feel as if they are actually there, immersed in a computer-generated virtual world, and able to communicate in real time through language and gestures, enhancing the sense of immersion. Through VR technology, people can experience the real world realistically while breaking through the limitations of time and space, experiencing the wonder of entering a virtual world. AR, on the other hand, uses computer technology to overlay virtual information onto the real world, displaying it through devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and glasses, allowing people to perceive it, thus achieving a great fusion of reality and virtuality, enriching the real world. In short, AR is about giving objects more information, enhancing their three-dimensionality, and improving visual effects and interactive experiences.

[0054] In mobile cellular networks, when a terminal moves from one cell to another, a handover between cells is required. Before the handover, the terminal needs to measure the signals of neighboring cells to determine when to switch. Measurements are divided into intra-frequency measurements and inter-frequency measurements. Intra-frequency measurements refer to the terminal's current cell and the target cell being measured being on the same carrier frequency (center frequency). Inter-frequency measurements refer to the terminal's current cell and the target cell not being on the same carrier frequency. During intra-frequency measurements, the terminal can use reference signals inserted during data transmission for measurement, without affecting data transmission and reception. If the terminal needs to perform inter-frequency measurements, a simple approach is to install two types of radio frequency receivers in the terminal, measuring the frequency of the current cell and the target cell respectively. However, this increases costs and introduces the problem of interference between different frequencies. Therefore, 3GPP proposed the measurement gap (MG), which is a reserved period of time during which the terminal does not send or receive data, but instead tunes its receiver to the target cell frequency to perform inter-frequency measurements. When the MG ends, the terminal switches back to its current serving cell. The duration for which the terminal suspends communication with the serving cell to measure inter-frequency neighboring cells or other radio access technology (RAT) neighboring cells is called the measurement gap (MG).

[0055] The system frame number (SFN) and subframe position of the MG satisfy the following formula, and after determining the SFN and subframe of the MG, the starting position of the MG can be further determined.

[0056] SFN mod T=FLOOR(gapOffset / 10);

[0057] subframe=gapOffset mod 10;

[0058] Where T = MGRP / 10, mod represents the modulo operation, and FLOOR represents the floor operation.

[0059] The measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) indicates the period of the measurement interval (MG). MGRP values ​​include 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, and 160ms.

[0060] `gapOffset` represents the offset in gap mode, with approximately 160 offset values, but not all values ​​apply to all periods. The offset points to the start subframe within the period, and its value ranges from 0 to MGRP-1. For example, if the period is 20ms, the offset range is 0 to 19. `gapOffset` can be configured by higher-level parameters.

[0061] The measurement gap length (MGL) indicates the duration of the MG (Measurement Gauge) in milliseconds, with values ​​including 1.56ms, 36ms, 3.56ms, 46ms, 5.56ms, and 6ms. The MGL is also referred to as the MG measurement period.

[0062] Some Gap Patterns can be predefined. Terminals can report the MG patterns(s) they support to the access network device through terminal capability reporting information (e.g., supportedGapPattern). Examples of common Gap Patterns are shown in Table 1. Where Gap Pattern Id equals x, the corresponding Gap Pattern can be called Gap Patternx. Each Gap Pattern corresponds to a measurement gap length value and a measurement gap repetition period value. For example, if Gap Pattern Id equals 0, the corresponding Gap Pattern is called GapPattern 0, with a measurement gap length of 6ms and a measurement gap repetition period of 40ms. Similarly, if Gap Pattern Id equals 1, the corresponding Gap Pattern is called Gap Pattern 1, with a measurement gap length of 6ms and a measurement gap repetition period of 80ms.

[0063] Table 1

[0064]

[0065]

[0066] Gap Pattern 0 and Gap Pattern 1 are mandatory for the terminal to support, while the others are optional.

[0067] During MG activation, the terminal will not transmit any other signals or data except for some important signals (e.g., access process-related signals), meaning that MG has a higher priority than data transmission and reception.

[0068] A terminal can be configured with multiple measurement modes (MGs). The access network device can assign a priority to each MG. Since each MG is configured individually, it is possible for two MGs to conflict in the time domain, meaning that the durations of the two MGs overlap in the time domain. In this case, the terminal can select the MG with the higher priority for measurement.

[0069] Figure 2An example diagram of the MG configuration provided for implementation of this application is shown. In this example, MGRP = 40ms, MGL = 4ms, and gapOffset = 24. Therefore, an MG lasting 4ms occurs every 4 system frames, and the starting position of this MG is located in subframes #4, #5, #6, and #7 of the first system frame of these 4 system frames.

[0070] In NR, terminal handover is based on measurements of the synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB). The size of the SSB can be fixed, occupying 4 consecutive symbols in the time domain and 20 resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain. Cells transmit SSBs using a periodic scanning method, transmitting some or all of the cell's SSBs in one scan. The SSB scan period of a cell can be configured (default is 20ms), and one scan is completed within half a frame (5ms). The specific time-domain location of the SSBs (i.e., the number of SSBs and the position of the SSB symbols) is related to the SSB frequency and the subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0071] To obtain the most accurate SSB measurement results possible, it is necessary to measure all SSBs in the cell. However, SSBs are not transmitted at all times within a scan cycle. If the terminal searches for and measures SSBs at all times, it will result in significant power waste. To effectively indicate the time window for terminal SSB measurement and reduce unnecessary measurement power consumption, New Radio (NR) introduced the concept of SSB Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC). SMTC is a time window configured by the access network equipment for terminal SSB measurement. The terminal only needs to perform SSB measurements within the SMTC window; measurements are not required outside the SMTC window.

[0072] SMTC refers to the timing configuration sent to the terminal by the access network equipment when the terminal performs SSB-based measurements on a certain cell. Specifically, it includes the SMTC period, SMTC duration, and SMTC offset.

[0073] The configuration information element corresponding to SMTC configuration is SSB-MTC, which contains two sub-information elements: periodicityAndOffset and duration. PeriodicityAndOffset indicates the SMTC period and SMTC offset. The SMTC period represents the repetition period of the measurement action, and the SMTC offset represents the starting subframe of the measurement action within that period. Duration indicates the duration of the SMTC, that is, the duration after the measurement action begins. The SMTC period can be 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms. The SMTC offset value is taken in 1ms granularity between 0 and the SMTC period minus 1ms. The SMTC duration is also in 1ms granularity, and its length can be 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, 4ms, or 5ms. For example, when the SMTC period is 5ms, the SMTC bias can be 0ms, 1ms, 2ms, 3ms or 4ms, and the SMTC duration can be 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, 4ms or 5ms.

[0074] In some services (using XR services as an example below), the data arrival period of XR services is not an integer. For example, the frame arrival periods for 30FPS, 60FPS, and 90FPS XR videos are 1 / 30s, 1 / 60s, and 1 / 90s respectively. Therefore, the data arrival period of XR services cannot match the RRM measurement period, potentially causing conflicts between XR data transmission and RRM measurement. Here, RRM measurement includes, but is not limited to, MG-based and SMTC-based measurements, characterized by overlap in the time-domain resources occupied by RRM measurement and terminal data transmission. (Reference) Figure 3 This is an example diagram illustrating a conflict between XR service arrival and MG (Mobile Controller). In this example, we take Pattern 0MG as shown in Table 1, and the arrival period of the XR service is 1 / 60 ≈ 16.67 ms, with a packet delay budget (PDB) of 10 ms. It can be seen that... Figure 3 In the process, the data scheduling of the 3rd and 5th cycles of the XR service conflicted with the MG measurement, meaning that XR service data transmission and MG measurement existed simultaneously in the same time period.

[0075] When a conflict arises between a data scheduling period and an RRM measurement period, the terminal needs to determine whether to transmit data or perform RRM measurement during the conflicting period. Enabling the terminal to make the correct decision while minimizing signaling overhead remains a challenge.

[0076] To address this problem, this application provides corresponding embodiments, which are described in detail below.

[0077] The communication method and apparatus will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that this application uses access network equipment and terminals as examples of the entities executing the interaction, but this application does not limit the entities executing the interaction. For example, the method executed by the access network equipment in this application can also be implemented by modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) in the access network equipment, or by logic nodes, logic modules, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network equipment; the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be implemented by a communication module in the terminal, or by circuits or chips (such as modem chips (also known as baseband chips), or SoC chips containing modem cores, or SIP chips) in the terminal responsible for communication functions.

[0078] In this application, "sending information" can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "access network device sending information" can be understood as the access network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the access network device sending information to logical module 2 in the access network device.

[0079] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "access network device receiving information" can be understood as the access network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the access network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the access network device.

[0080] In this application, phrases such as "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal)" or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as indicating that the destination of the information is a terminal. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a terminal. Similarly, phrases such as "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal)," "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal)," or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a terminal)," or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as indicating that the source of the information is a terminal. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a terminal. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly and will not be elaborated further here.

[0081] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0082] Step 401: The terminal sends first information to the access network device. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first information.

[0083] This primary information is also known as auxiliary information, RRM measurement auxiliary information, reference information, RRM measurement reference information, etc.

[0084] This first piece of information is used to report the preference for whether to perform RRM measurements during the RRM measurement period. It can also be understood as the terminal reporting its preference for skipping or performing RRM measurements for one or more RRM measurement periods. Alternatively, it can be understood as a recommendation for whether to perform RRM measurements during the RRM measurement period.

[0085] In one implementation method, if the preference for reporting multiple RRM measurement periods is indicated by first information, then the first information can specifically be a bitmap. One bit in this bitmap is used to report the preference for reporting whether to perform RRM measurement in a specific RRM measurement period. (See reference) Figure 5 This is an example diagram illustrating the conflict between XR service arrival and MG (Mobile Camera) traffic. This example is related to... Figure 3 The example shown is the same. Assuming the terminal's preference / suggestion / expectation is: perform MG measurement in the first MG period, skip MG measurement in the second MG period, and perform MG measurement in the third MG period, then the bitmap could be 010, where "0" indicates that MG measurement is performed in the corresponding MG period, and "1" indicates that MG measurement is skipped in the corresponding MG period. Alternatively, the bitmap could also be 101, where "1" indicates that MG measurement is performed in the corresponding MG period, and "0" indicates that MG measurement is skipped in the corresponding MG period.

[0086] For example, the first information can be carried in signaling such as the medium access control control element (MAC CE) or radio resource control (RRC) and sent to the access network device.

[0087] It should be noted that this first information can be used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during a single RRM measurement period, or it can be used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during multiple RRM measurement periods. In one specific implementation, the first information can be used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during a certain time window, which includes one or more RRM measurement periods.

[0088] In one implementation method, the first information can be sent periodically, and this first information is used to report the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period within that period. Figure 5 For example, the reporting period for the first information is 80ms. Within the current period, the first information is used to report the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the three RRM measurement periods.

[0089] Step 402: If the terminal does not hear the DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, it performs or skips RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period according to its preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period.

[0090] Specifically, if the terminal does not receive a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, it indicates that the access network device's decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is the same as the terminal's preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during that RRM measurement period. Therefore, to save signaling overhead, the access network device may choose not to send a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, thus implicitly informing the terminal that the access network device's decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is the same as the terminal's preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during that RRM measurement period.

[0091] For the terminal, if it does not detect the DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, it assumes that the access network device's decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during that period is the same as the terminal's preference. Therefore, the terminal either performs RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period or skips it, based on its preference. For example, if the terminal prefers to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, it will perform the measurement. Conversely, if the terminal prefers to skip RRM measurement during the period, it will skip it.

[0092] It should be noted that, for a certain RRM measurement period, if the RRM measurement period conflicts with the terminal's data transmission period in the time domain, if the terminal performs RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, the terminal may not transmit data; conversely, if the terminal skips RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, the terminal may transmit data.

[0093] In one implementation method, the terminal can determine its preference for performing RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on one or more of the following information: signal strength of its cell location, data packet size, and data packet delay budget.

[0094] Based on the above scheme, the terminal reports its preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period to the access network device. This assists the access network device in deciding whether to perform RRM measurement during that period, helping to accurately determine whether to perform RRM measurement and thus achieving a better balance between service latency and RRM measurement performance. Furthermore, if the terminal does not receive a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, it is assumed that the access network device's decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during that period is the same as the terminal's preference. Therefore, the terminal performs RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period or skips it based on its preference. This method saves signaling overhead between the terminal and the access network device, meaning the access network device does not need to send a DCI.

[0095] In one possible implementation, if the terminal detects a DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, the terminal performs or skips the RRM measurement during that period based on the DCI. For example, if the DCI indicates that RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, the terminal performs the RRM measurement during that period. Alternatively, if the DCI indicates that RRM measurement should be skipped during the RRM measurement period, the terminal skips the RRM measurement during that period. In other words, if the terminal detects a DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, the terminal performs or skips the RRM measurement according to the DCI's indication.

[0096] If the terminal detects a DCI, it parses the DCI. If the DCI indicates that RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, the terminal prepares to perform RRM measurement during that period. If the DCI indicates that RRM measurement should be skipped during the RRM measurement period, the terminal can prepare to transmit data during the RRM measurement period. Whether preparing for RRM measurement or data transmission, there is a preparation time. Therefore, there is a processing delay (also called time offset) between the time the terminal receives the DCI and the time the terminal actually performs RRM measurement or data transmission. This processing delay includes at least one of the following: DCI parsing delay, RRM measurement preparation delay, or data transmission preparation delay. The access network device can consider this processing delay when determining the timing of DCI transmission. As one implementation method, this processing delay is related to the preparation time N2 of the physical shared channel (e.g., the physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH). Optionally, this processing delay is equal to the PUSCH preparation time N2. Here, N2 can refer to N2 symbols. Tables 2 and 3 below show several possible values ​​for N2. Further, alternatively, for a certain capability of the terminal (e.g., the terminal's battery performance or other capabilities), when the capability is capability 1, the PUSCH preparation time N2 is as shown in Table 2, and when the capability is capability 2, the PUSCH preparation time N2 is as shown in Table 3.

[0097] Table 2

[0098]

[0099]

[0100] Table 3

[0101]

[0102] Where μ represents the index of the subcarrier spacing, and the size of the subcarrier spacing is equal to 15kHz*2. μ For example, if μ equals 0, the subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz; if μ equals 1, the subcarrier spacing is 30 kHz, and so on. FR1 in Table 3 refers to frequency range 1.

[0103] In one possible implementation, step 402 above can be executed as follows: If the terminal does not detect a DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the first time period, it performs or skips RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on its preference for whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period. That is, the terminal's DCI detection is time-limited. If the first time period is exceeded, even if a DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period is detected, the terminal ignores the DCI and will not perform or skip RRM measurement according to the DCI's indication. Alternatively, it can be understood that only DCIs indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period detected by the terminal within the first time period are valid. By setting a time range for the terminal to detect DCIs, this method helps avoid increased overhead caused by the terminal blindly detecting DCIs for extended periods.

[0104] The following examples illustrate the design details for the first phase.

[0105] In one implementation, the end time of the first time period is no later than the start time of the RRM measurement time period. This is because, before the RRM measurement time period arrives, the terminal needs to decide whether to perform RRM measurement during that time period, thus requiring the end time of the first time period to be no later than the start time of the RRM measurement time period. Based on this method, the correct decision on whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement time period can be guaranteed.

[0106] In one implementation, the start time of the first time period is related to the transmission time of the first information and / or the period of RRM measurement. For example, if the first information is used to report the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during multiple RRM measurement periods, and these multiple RRM measurement periods occur periodically, the terminal can calculate the start time of the monitoring DCI corresponding to each RRM measurement period based on the transmission time of the first information and the occurrence period of the RRM measurement periods. Figure 5 For example, the terminal can start listening to the DCI to indicate whether RRM measurement is performed in the first RRM measurement period at a certain time before the start time of the first MG measurement period, start listening to the DCI to indicate whether RRM measurement is performed in the second RRM measurement period at a certain time after the end time of the first RRM measurement period and before the start time of the second RRM measurement period, and start listening to the DCI to indicate whether RRM measurement is performed in the third RRM measurement period at a certain time after the end time of the second RRM measurement period and before the start time of the third RRM measurement period.

[0107] In one implementation, the length of the first time period is configured by the access network device and then sent to the terminal. Based on this method, the access network device configures the length of the first time period, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine its own length and reducing terminal overhead.

[0108] In another implementation method, the length of the first time period is determined by the terminal, for example, based on the terminal's capabilities. For instance, the relationship between the terminal's capabilities and the length of the first time period could be: the stronger a certain capability of the terminal, the longer the first time period. Based on this method, having the terminal determine the length of the first time period allows for precise determination. The following explanation uses examples from Tables 4 and 5. For a specific capability of the terminal (e.g., battery performance or other capabilities), when the capability is capability 1, the length of the first time period is shown in Table 4; when the capability is capability 2, the length of the first time period is shown in Table 5. Capability 1 is greater than capability 2.

[0109] Table 4

[0110]

[0111]

[0112] Table 5

[0113]

[0114] Where μ represents the index of the subcarrier spacing, and the size of the subcarrier spacing is equal to 15kHz*2. μ For example, if μ equals 0, the subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz; if μ equals 1, the subcarrier spacing is 30 kHz, and so on.

[0115] It can be seen that the stronger a certain capability of the terminal, the longer the length of the first time period will be, given the same subcarrier spacing.

[0116] Tables 4 and 5 above are for illustrative purposes only. In actual applications, the specific relationship between the length of the first time period and the terminal's capabilities is not limited.

[0117] In another implementation, the length of the first time segment can also be predefined, for example, by the protocol. Based on this method, the length of the first time segment can be obtained quickly.

[0118] It is understood that this application can be applied to various scenarios such as scheduling constraints in same-frequency measurement, scheduling constraints in different-frequency measurement, and scheduling constraints in multi-user subscriber identity module (MUSIM) handover. This application does not limit the applicable scenarios.

[0119] Figure 6 A possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described in the embodiments above. In one possible design, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 602 and a communication unit 603. Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a storage unit 601 for storing device program code and / or data.

[0120] The communication device 600 can be a terminal-side device as described in the above embodiments, such as a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, or a circuit or chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions.

[0121] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 603 is used to send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period; the processing unit 602 is used to perform or skip RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period according to the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period if no downlink control information (DCI) indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is detected.

[0122] In one possible design, the processing unit 602 is configured to perform or skip RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on a preference for whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, if no DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period is detected, including: performing or skipping RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on a preference for whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period if no DCI is detected during the first period.

[0123] In one possible design, the end time of the first time period is no later than the start time of the RRM measurement time period.

[0124] In one possible design, the start time of the first time period is related to the time when the first information was sent.

[0125] In one possible design, the length of the first time period is related to the period of the RRM measurement.

[0126] In one possible design, the length of the first time period is configured or predefined by the access network device.

[0127] In one possible design, the processing unit 602 is further configured to determine the length of the first time period based on the capabilities of the terminal.

[0128] In one possible design, when the communication device 600 is a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, the function of the processing unit 602 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 603 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0129] In one possible design, when the communication device 600 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 602 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 603 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0130] The communication device 600 can also be a network-side device in the above embodiments, such as a network-side access network device, a module (e.g., circuit, chip or chip system) in the access network device, or a logic node, logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0131] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 603 is configured to receive first information from the terminal, the first information being used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period; the processing unit 602 is configured to not send a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period if the decision result for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is the same as the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period indicated by the first information.

[0132] In one possible design, the communication unit 603 is further configured to send a DCI indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period to the terminal if the decision result for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period differs from the preference indicated by the first information.

[0133] In one possible design, the communication unit 603 is also configured to send configuration information to the terminal, the configuration information including the length of a first time period, the first time period being used to instruct the terminal to listen to the time range of the DCI used to indicate whether the RRM measurement is performed during the RRM measurement period.

[0134] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. One function can correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated onto a single physical entity, or distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for specific applications, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0135] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0136] In one example, storage unit 601 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0137] See Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal 1000 can correspond to... Figure 1 The terminal shown is used to implement the operations of the terminal in the above embodiments. Figure 7 As shown, the terminal includes: one or more antennas 1010, a radio frequency processing system 1020, and a processor system 1030.

[0138] In the downlink or sidelink direction, the RF processing system 1020 receives RF signals through the antenna 1010 and sends the RF-processed signals to the processor system 1030 for further processing. In the uplink or sidelink direction, the processor system 1030 processes the terminal-side information and sends it to the RF processing system 1020, which then processes the signal and transmits it through the antenna 1010.

[0139] In one example, the radio frequency (RF) processing system 1020 serves as the communication interface for external communication of the terminal and may include an RF frontend (RFFE) 1021 and an RF transceiver 1022. The RFFE 1021 is primarily used for one or more processing operations, such as shaping, passband selection, or gain adjustment, on the RF signals received by the antenna or those to be transmitted through the antenna. It may include one or more components such as RF switches, duplexers, filters, power amplifiers, antenna tuners, and low-noise amplifiers. The RFFE 1021 can be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete devices or integrated into one or more chips. The RF transceiver 1022 processes the RF signals received by the RFFE into baseband / IF signals for further processing by the processor system 1030, and processes the baseband / IF signals provided by the processor system 1030 into RF signals for transmission to the RFFE 1021. The baseband / IF signals transmitted between the RF transceiver 1022 and the processor system 1030 can be digital or analog signals. The radio frequency transceiver 1022 can be implemented by one or more chips, which are commonly referred to as radio frequency ICs (RFICs).

[0140] In one example, processor system 1030 may include one or more processors for processing signals and executing one or more communication protocols. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include memory 1036. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 1031 (also known as a modem processor). Memory 1036 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include one or more application processors 1032 for implementing processing of the terminal operating system and application layer. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include one or more of a voice subsystem 1033, a multimedia subsystem 1034, or an interface circuit 1035. The voice subsystem 1033 is used to process voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 1034 is used to handle multimedia-related operations, such as video encoding / decoding, image processing, etc., and the interface circuit 1035 is used to implement communication with other terminal components, such as a display 1040, an input device 1050, memory 1060, etc. The above-mentioned components in processor system 1030 can communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0141] In one example, the processor system 1030 can be packaged as a single processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, the processor system 1030 can be a system composed of multiple chips, for example, the baseband processor 1031 can be packaged as a single chip, or packaged with part or all of the circuitry of the radio frequency processing system into a single chip.

[0142] In one example, memory 1036 can be on-chip memory, i.e., located on the processor system 1030 chip. In another example, memory 1060 can be off-chip memory, i.e. located outside the processor system 1030 chip.

[0143] In one example, the baseband processor 1031 may include one or more processor cores 10311 and interface circuitry 10314. The one or more processor cores 10311 are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the baseband processor 1031 may also include a memory 10312 for storing at least a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores 10311 execute the computer program instructions stored in the memory 10312 to implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments (e.g., sending first information to the access network device, the first information being used to report a preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period; performing or skipping RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period if no downlink control information (DCI) indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is detected). In this disclosure, memory 10312 is used to store corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. This can mean that memory 10312 stores all corresponding computer program instructions and / or data for execution by processor core 10311; or it can mean that memory 10312 stores a portion of corresponding computer program instructions and / or data, including the computer program instructions and / or data currently required to be executed by processor core 10311. Memory 10312 can store different portions of computer program instructions and / or data multiple times for execution by processor core 10311 to implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments. Interface circuit 10314 serves as a communication interface for communication with other components, such as transmitting signals with radio frequency processing system 1020, communicating with other subsystems and related components of processor system 1030 via bus, such as transmitting data control signals with application processor 1032, and transmitting data or computer program instructions with memory 1036 or memory 1060. Optionally, in order to reduce the load on the processor core, a baseband signal processing circuit 10313 can be set to perform at least some baseband signal processing, including one or more of signal demodulation, modulation, encoding or decoding.

[0144] In one example, the communication device provided in this application may be a terminal 1000, a communication module including a processor system 1030 and a radio frequency system 1020, or a baseband processor 1031.

[0145] The processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit, or processor core mentioned above can be collectively referred to as a processor. The processor may include one or more of the following: central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), microprocessor unit (MPU), microcontroller unit (MCU), graphics processing unit (GPU), field programmable gate array (FPGA), artificial intelligence processor (AI processor), or neural processing unit (NPU).

[0146] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), cache, register, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments may be stored in non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the aforementioned memory 1060 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or hard disk). When the terminal is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded onto a memory with a faster transfer speed than the processor, such as at least a portion of memory 1036 and / or memory 10312 (e.g., one or more of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, PCM, RERAM, MRAM, FRAM, cache, or register), for the processor to execute in order to implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0147] In one example, the RF transceiver 1022 and the RF front-end 1021 can also be packaged in a single chip. In another example, the RF transceiver 1022, the RF front-end 1021, and the baseband processor 1031 can also be packaged in a single chip.

[0148] The terms "system" and "network" in this application embodiment are used interchangeably. "At least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B, or C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC; "at least one of A, B, and C" can also be understood as including A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in this application embodiment are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects.

[0149] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0150] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0151] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0152] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0153] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to report the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurement period; If no downlink control information (DCI) indicating whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period is detected, RRM measurement may be performed or skipped during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for performing RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of performing or skipping RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, in the absence of a DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, includes: If the DCI is not detected in the first time period, RRM measurement is performed or skipped in the RRM measurement period according to the preference of whether to perform RRM measurement in the RRM measurement period.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The end time of the first time period is no later than the start time of the RRM measurement time period.

4. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The start time of the first time period is related to the time when the first information was sent.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The length of the first time period is related to the period of RRM measurement.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The length of the first time period is configured by the access network device, or the length of the first time period is predefined.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The length of the first time period is determined based on the capabilities of the terminal.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The communication unit is used to send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to report the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurement period; The processing unit is configured to perform or skip RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, based on the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period, if no downlink control information (DCI) indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed is detected during the RRM measurement period.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that, The processing unit is configured to, when no DCI indicating whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period is detected, perform or skip RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for whether RRM measurement should be performed during the RRM measurement period, including: If the DCI is not detected in the first time period, the RRM measurement can be performed or skipped during the RRM measurement period based on the preference for whether to perform RRM measurement during the RRM measurement period.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The end time of the first time period is no later than the start time of the RRM measurement time period.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The start time of the first time period is related to the time when the first information was sent.

12. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The length of the first time period is related to the period of RRM measurement.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, The length of the first time period is configured by the access network device or predefined.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, The processing unit is further configured to determine the length of the first time period based on the capabilities of the terminal.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes instructions that, when executed on a processor, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, implement the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images