Wireless communication method and apparatus, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The invention provides a wireless communication method and device, a storage medium and a program product, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for guaranteeing data transmission and improving network reliability. The method comprises the following steps: sending a first request message to a distribution unit (DU), wherein the first request message is used for requesting the DU to release radio resource control (RRC) connection of a terminal; receiving a first response message sent by the DU, wherein the first response message is used for indicating the DU to finish releasing the RRC connection of the terminal; and in response to the first response message, sending a second request message to a centralized unit-user plane (CU-UP), the second request message being used for requesting the CU-UP to suspend uplink transmission of the terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a wireless communication method, apparatus, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] When a terminal is triggered to enter the inactive state of radio resource control (RRC), data loss may occur due to the separation of the central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) entities of the access network equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a wireless communication method, apparatus, storage medium, and program product to ensure data transmission and improve network reliability. The technical solutions provided by this disclosure are as follows:

[0004] On the one hand, a wireless communication method is provided for use in a centralized unit-control plane (CU-CP), the method comprising:

[0005] Send a first request message to the distribution unit (DU). The first request message is used to request the DU to release the terminal's Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection.

[0006] Receive the first response message sent by the DU. The first response message is used to instruct the DU to complete the release of the terminal's RRC connection.

[0007] In response to the first response message, a second request message is sent to the Centralized Unit-User Plane (CU-UP). The second request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

[0008] On the other hand, a wireless communication method is provided for use in a centralized unit-user plane (CU-UP), the method comprising:

[0009] Receive the second request message sent by CU-CP in response to the first response message. The first response message is used to instruct CU-UP to complete the release of the terminal's RRC connection. The second request message is used to request CU-UP to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission.

[0010] In response to the second request message, the terminal's uplink transmission is suspended.

[0011] In another aspect, a wireless communication device is provided for use in a centralized unit-control plane (CU-CP), the device comprising:

[0012] The communication module is used to send a first request message to the distribution unit (DU), which requests the DU to release the terminal's Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection.

[0013] The communication module is also used to receive the first response message sent by the DU, which is used to instruct the DU to complete the release of the terminal's RRC connection;

[0014] The communication module is also used to send a second request message to the centralized unit-user plane (CU-UP) in response to the first response message. The second request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

[0015] In another aspect, a wireless communication device is provided for use in a centralized unit-user plane (CU-UP), the device comprising:

[0016] The communication module is used to receive a second request message sent by the CU-CP in response to the first response message. The first response message is used to instruct the CU-UP to release the RRC connection of the terminal; the second request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

[0017] The processing module is used to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission in response to the second request message.

[0018] In another aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a memory and a processor; the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store computer program instructions executable by the processor; and the processor implements the wireless communication method of any of the above embodiments when executing the computer program instructions.

[0019] In another aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer program instructions are stored, which, when executed on a computer (e.g., a communication device or a wireless communication device), implement the wireless communication method of any of the above embodiments.

[0020] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program instructions that, when executed, implement the wireless communication method of any of the above embodiments.

[0021] The technical solution provided in this disclosure, when triggering a terminal to enter a non-active state of Radio Resource Control (RRC), requests the CU-UP to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission after the CU-CP determines that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection. This allows the CU-UP to normally receive uplink packets sent by the terminal even if the DU has not completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection. Compared to related technologies, this avoids the problem of uplink packets being discarded due to the CU-UP suspending the terminal's uplink transmission before confirming that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a non-activation release process provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a wireless access network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 Interaction flow of a wireless communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 4 Interaction flow of a wireless communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another wireless communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0030] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of 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, and B alone. Furthermore, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. The terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply differences.

[0031] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0032] In IoT scenarios, the inactive detection mechanism of wireless access network devices enables the rapid release of air interface wireless resources for terminals without data services within a certain period of time, allowing wireless access network devices to quickly and efficiently utilize limited air interface wireless resources among a large number of users. In particular, with the introduction of the new small data transmission (SDT) protocol, the efficiency of air interface wireless resource rotation is further improved to save power for terminals with periodic small packet services.

[0033] For example, Figure 1 A flowchart for deactivation release is provided, including the following steps:

[0034] S101, The centralized cell control plane (CU-control Plane, CU-CP) sends a bearer context establishment request (i.e., BEARER CONTEXT SETUPREQUEST in the figure) message to the centralized cell user plane (CU-user Plane, CU-UP). This message contains the inactivity timer settings.

[0035] S102, CU-UP sends a Bearer Context Setup Response (BEARER CONTEXTSETUP RESPONSE message in the diagram) to CU-CP.

[0036] S103, CU-UP sends a Bearer Context Inactive Indication (BEARER CONTEXTINACTIVITY NOTIFICATION) message to CU-CP. This message is used to inform the network that a certain terminal context has no activity for a period of time, that is, no data transmission.

[0037] S104, CU-CP decides to change the UE state to RRC Inactive (i.e., Decision of changing the UE state to RRC-inactive in the figure).

[0038] S105, CU-CP sends a Bearer Context Modification Request (BEARER CONTEXTMODIFICATION REQUEST) message to CU-UP, which includes a suspend indication (with suspend indication).

[0039] S106, CU-UP sends a Bearer Context Modification Response (BEARER CONTEXTMODIFICATION RESPONSE in the diagram) to CU-CP. This message contains a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) status report, such as a data report (e.g., report PDCP status for data reporting in the diagram).

[0040] S107, CU-CP sends a UE context release command (i.e., UE CONTEXT RELEASECOMMAND in the figure) to DU. This message contains an RRC release (i.e., with RRC Release in the figure) indication.

[0041] S108, DU sends an RRC release (i.e., RRC Release in the diagram) instruction to the UE. This instruction is used to indicate the release of the UE's RRC connection with the network.

[0042] S109, DU sends a UE context release complete (i.e., UE CONTEXT RELEASECOMPLETE in the diagram) message to CU-CP. This message indicates that the UE's context has been successfully released and the network no longer reserves any resources for the UE.

[0043] As can be seen from the above, when the inactive state triggers the transition to the RRC Inactive state, or when the SDT t319a timer times out and triggers the transition to the RRC Inactive state, due to the separation of the CU and DU network element entities, according to the protocol, CU-UP (i.e., ...) is suspended first. Figure 1In S106, the uplink and downlink transmissions of the terminal are simultaneously suspended. However, the terminal has not received the Radio Resource Control Release (RRC Release) command at this time. The terminal is still in the connected state and can still send uplink data packets normally. The DU has not stopped receiving uplink packets. The longest extreme time for the DU to send the RRC Release, calculated based on the maximum number of retransmissions, can reach about 6 seconds. That is, during the maximum 6-second time difference between the CU-UP suspension and the DU successfully sending the RRC Release, the terminal can still continue to deliver uplink packets to the radio access network equipment normally. However, when such packets are delivered to the CU-UP, the bearer on the CU-UP side has been suspended and cannot be processed normally. The packets are dropped at the CU-UP, causing packet loss.

[0044] This packet loss problem is particularly prominent in SDT scenarios because the SDT function protocol describes that even during the transmission of small packets in the SDT bearer, the radio access network device needs to unconditionally force the terminal to re-enter the RRC Inactive state before the terminal's t319a timer expires. This means there's a very high probability that the CU-UP has been suspended while the DU is still receiving radio link control (RLC) layer data, making the problem particularly severe. (Reason: According to the relevant protocol description, when a terminal initiates an SDT small packet service, it starts the t319a timer. If the timer expires, the terminal will unconditionally release it locally and enter the RRC IDLE state (i.e., lose contact with the base station). Therefore, the radio access network device needs to unconditionally force the terminal to re-enter the RRC Inactive state before the terminal's t319a timer expires, meaning it may need to be forced into the RRC Inactive state even while the terminal is still transmitting small packets.)

[0045] Therefore, when the terminal is triggered to enter the inactive state of Radio Resource Control (RRC), after the CU-CP confirms that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection, it requests the CU-UP to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission. This way, even if the DU has not completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection, the CU-UP can still receive uplink packets sent by the terminal. Compared to related technologies, this avoids the problem of uplink packets being dropped due to the CU-UP suspending the terminal's uplink transmission before confirming that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection, ensuring data transmission, improving network reliability, and ultimately enhancing the user experience.

[0046] The wireless communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to systems with various communication standards. For example, the systems to which the wireless communication method provided in this disclosure is applicable include, but are not limited to, LTE systems, various versions of LTE evolution, 5G systems, and Ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) communication systems. Furthermore, the wireless communication method provided in this disclosure can also be applied to future-oriented communication systems (such as 6G communication systems).

[0047] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a radio access network (RAN) 200 applying an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. In this embodiment, the RAN may include various forms of base stations, macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, new radio controllers (NR controllers), centralized units, remote radio modules, distributed units, transmission reception points (TRPs) or transmission points (TPs), or any other wireless access devices, but this disclosure is not limited to these. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with wireless access capabilities may differ. For example, a RAN device may be a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system or a base station in a future mobile communication system. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the RAN.

[0048] In some embodiments, a base station (BS) can be a base station in Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTEA), or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), a base station device in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system. The base station can include various network-side devices such as macro base stations, micro base stations, home base stations, wireless remote extensions, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), routers, relays, TRPs, wireless fidelity (WIFI) devices, and user equipment (UE).

[0049] The wireless access network in this disclosure provides wireless communication functionality to the terminal. The terminal can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal can be a passive device, an ambient IoT device, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the application scenarios. The term "terminal" can also be referred to as terminal equipment, user, user equipment (UE), access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication equipment, mobile terminal (MT), UE agent, or UE device, etc., but the embodiments disclosed herein do not limit this to these terms.

[0050] In a radio access network architecture where the CU and DU are separated, the centralized unit (CU) can be further divided into a centralized unit-control plane (CU-CP) and one or more distributed units-user plane (CU-UP). For example... Figure 2 As shown, the wireless access network 200 includes one CU-CP, multiple CU-UPs, and multiple distributed units (DUs). The CU-UPs, CU-CPs, and DUs can be located on different physical devices; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0051] Specifically, a DU can only connect to one CU-CP, and a CU-UP can only connect to one CU-CP. A DU under the control of the same CU-CP can connect to multiple CU-UPs, and a CU-UP under the control of the same CU-CP can connect to multiple DUs. There is an open interface between CU-CPs and CU-UPs: the E1 interface. CU-CPs and CU-UPs can communicate through this E1 interface. Meanwhile, each CU-CP and CU-UP has its own interface with each DU; for example, the interface between a CU-CP and a DU is the F1-C interface, and the interface between a CU-UP and a DU is the F1-U interface.

[0052] In this embodiment of the disclosure, CU-CP includes the control plane portion of the CU, including RRC functions and the control plane portion of PDCP, for example, for processing data of the signal radio bearer (SRB). CU-UP includes the user plane portion of the CU, including the data plane portion of the SDAP protocol stack and the PDCP protocol stack, for example, for user processing of data radio bearer (DRB) data. DU includes the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer.

[0053] It should be noted that, Figure 2 This is just an example framework diagram. Figure 2 The number of units included, and the names of each unit are unlimited, except for Figure 2 In addition to the units shown, the wireless access network may also include other units.

[0054] The application scenarios of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited. The system architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this disclosure are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0055] This disclosure provides a wireless communication method. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0056] S301, CU-CP sends a first request message to DU; correspondingly, DU receives the first request message sent by CU-CP.

[0057] The first request message is used to request the DU to release the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection of the terminal.

[0058] S302, DU sends a first response message to CU-CP; correspondingly, CU-CP receives the first response message sent by DU.

[0059] The first response message is used to instruct the DU to release the terminal's RRC connection.

[0060] S303, CU-CP responds to the first response message by sending a second request message to CU-UP; correspondingly, CU-UP receives the second request message sent by CU-CP in response to the first response message.

[0061] The second request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

[0062] S304, CU-UP responds to the second request message and suspends the terminal's uplink transmission.

[0063] It is understandable that during the process of triggering the terminal to enter the RRC Inactive state, after the CU-CP determines that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection, it requests the CU-UP to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission.

[0064] Based on this, during the process of triggering the terminal to enter the RRC Inactive state, after the CU-CP determines that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection, it requests the CU-UP to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission. This way, even if the DU has not completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection, the CU-UP can still normally receive uplink packets sent by the terminal. Compared to related technologies, this avoids the problem of uplink packets being discarded due to simultaneously suspending both uplink and downlink transmissions before confirming that the DU has completed releasing the terminal's RRC connection. Specifically, before the RRC Release indication is successfully issued, the uplink RLC packets received by the DU can be processed normally at the uplink PDCP layer and delivered normally to the core network. The CU-UP on the access network device side will not discard the uplink RLC packets. This ensures data transmission, improves network reliability, and ultimately enhances the user experience.

[0065] In some embodiments, after the CU-CP sends a second request message to the CU-UP, the CU-UP sends a second response message to the CU-CP; correspondingly, the CU-CP receives the second response message sent by the CU-UP. The second response message is used to instruct the CU-UP to complete the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal. This allows the CU-CP to promptly determine whether the CU-UP has completed the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal and then proceed to the next step.

[0066] In some embodiments, before the CU-CP sends the first request message to the distribution unit DU, the method further includes: the CU-CP, in response to the decision terminal entering an RRC connection inactive state, sending a third request message to the CU-UP, the third request message requesting the CU-UP to suspend the terminal's downlink transmission; and the CU-CP receiving a third response message sent by the CU-UP, the third response message instructing the CU-UP to complete the suspension of the terminal's downlink transmission. This ensures that no new downlink packets are sent to the terminal during the release of the terminal's RRC connection, thereby avoiding data loss or corruption.

[0067] It is understandable that after the CU-UP completes the downlink transmission of the suspended terminal, if the CU-UP receives another downlink packet, it will be processed as an inactive state, that is, the RAN paging will be triggered. This solves the problem that the access network device will not discard the downlink packet during the inactive state processing.

[0068] In some embodiments, the second request message and the third request message may be messages of the same type.

[0069] In some embodiments, the second request message and the third request message may be the same message, such as BEARERCONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST. This message includes suspend indication information. Upon first receiving this message, the CU-CP suspends the terminal's downlink transmission operation; upon second receiving the message, the CU-CP suspends the terminal's uplink transmission operation.

[0070] It is understandable that auxiliary information can be added to the relevant protocols to distinguish between the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal and the downlink transmission of the suspended terminal. The specific names and locations of the auxiliary information cells are not limited in this disclosure. As long as the principle of this disclosure solves the probabilistic packet loss problem between CU and DU, it falls within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0071] For example, as shown in Table 1, a first indication (e.g., Suspend-DL) and a second indication (e.g., Suspend-UL) can be added to the Bearer Context Status Change in the BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST. The first indication is used to indicate downlink transmission of the suspended terminal, and the second indication is used to indicate uplink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0072] Table 1

[0073]

[0074]

[0075] For example, the second request message can be a BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST, wherein the bearer context status change in the second request message includes second indication information (e.g., Suspend-UL), which is used to indicate uplink transmission of the suspended terminal. The third request message can be a BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST, wherein the bearer context status change in the third request message includes first indication information (e.g., Suspend-DL), which is used to indicate downlink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0076] In some embodiments, the time interval between the terminal receiving the second request message and the third request message is a preset time interval. For example, the time interval between the terminal receiving the second request message and the third request message is 1 second.

[0077] In some embodiments, the decision terminal enters the RRC connection inactive state when preset conditions are met; the preset conditions include at least one of the following: the terminal does not transmit data within a preset duration, or the terminal's small data transmission SDT timer times out.

[0078] For example, when a UE with SDT capability enters the transmission process of an SDT small packet, if the t319a duration expires, the decision is made for the UE to enter the RRC connection inactive state.

[0079] Understandably, requesting CU-UP to suspend the terminal's downlink transmission when the terminal has not transmitted data within a preset time period can free up network resources. This allows operators to manage network resources more effectively and ensure their full utilization. Requesting CU-UP to suspend the terminal's downlink transmission triggered by the terminal's SDT timeout provides greater flexibility in network management. Operators can dynamically adjust network status and resource allocation based on factors such as network load, UE activity, and service requirements.

[0080] Specifically, when the decision UE enters the RRC connection inactive state, the E1 standard interface signaling of the base station is captured to check whether the same UE (e.g., whether it is the same UE based on the same CU-CP UE E1AP ID and CU-UP UE E1AP ID) has two BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUESTs within a preset time interval (e.g., within 1 second). The BearerContext Status Change carried includes either a first indication information or a second indication information. If so, the uplink and downlink transmissions of the UE are suspended separately as provided in this disclosure, i.e., the downlink transmission of the UE is suspended first, and then the uplink transmission of the UE is suspended.

[0081] When a UE with SDT capability enters the transmission process of an SDT small packet, when the t319a duration is about to expire, the e1 standard interface signaling is tracked to see if the same UE (e.g., whether it is the same UE is determined by the same gNB-CU-CP UE E1AP ID and gNB-CU-UP UE E1AP ID) has two BEARER CONTEXTMODIFICATION REQUESTs within a short time interval (e.g., within 1 second), which carry Bearer Context Status Change including first indication information or second indication information. If so, the uplink and downlink transmissions of the UE are suspended separately as provided in this disclosure, i.e., the downlink transmission of the UE is suspended first, and then the uplink transmission of the UE is suspended.

[0082] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the terminal enters the RRC Inactive state, suspending CU-UP involves suspending both downlink and uplink. Specifically, this includes the following steps:

[0083] S401. If the preset conditions are met, the CU-CP decision terminal enters the RRC connection inactive state. The preset conditions include at least one of the following:

[0084] If the terminal does not transmit data within a preset time period (that is, when the CU-CP detects that the terminal has no data service to meet the requirements for entering the inactive state within a preset time period);

[0085] The terminal's small data transmission SDT timer times out, for example, the CU-CP detects that UEt319a has timed out during SDT transmission.

[0086] S402, CU-CP responds to the decision terminal entering the RRC connection inactive state by sending a third request message to CU-UP (for example, the third request message is BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST, which may include suspended indication information to indicate the suspension of downlink transmission of the terminal).

[0087] S403 and CU-UP respond to the third request message and suspend the terminal's downlink transmission.

[0088] S404, CU-UP sends a third response message (e.g., BEARER CONTEXTMODIFICATION RESPONSE) to CU-CP; correspondingly, CU-CP receives the third response message sent by CU-UP. The third response message is used to instruct CU-UP to complete the downlink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0089] S405, the CU-CP sends a first request message to the DU (e.g., the first request message is UE CONTEXT RELEASECOMMAND, which includes an RRC Release indication); correspondingly, the DU receives the first request message sent by the CU-CP. The first request message is used to request the DU to release the terminal's Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection.

[0090] S406, DU sends an RRC release instruction to the terminal and completes the release of the terminal's RRC connection.

[0091] S407, the DU sends a first response message to the CU-CP (e.g., the first response message is UE CONTEXT RELEASECOMPLETE); correspondingly, the CU-CP receives the first response message sent by the DU. The first response message is used to instruct the DU to complete the release of the terminal's RRC connection.

[0092] S408, in response to the first response message, CU-CP sends a second request message to CU-UP (e.g., the second request message is BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST, which may include suspend indication information to instruct the suspending terminal's uplink transmission); correspondingly, CU-UP receives the second request message sent by CU-CP in response to the first response message. The second request message is used to request CU-UP to suspend the terminal's uplink transmission.

[0093] S409, CU-UP responds to the second request message and suspends the terminal's uplink transmission.

[0094] S410, CU-UP sends a second response message to CU-CP (e.g., BEARER CONTEXTMODIFICATION RESPONSE); correspondingly, CU-CP receives the second response message sent by CU-UP. The second response message is used to instruct CU-UP to complete the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0095] It is understood that the execution of S401 to S410 may include not only the steps described above, but also other steps, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. For example, between S404 and S405, there may also be an operation process that triggers paging processing if the CU-UP receives downlink data again, and sends downlink data indication information (e.g., DL DATANOTIFICATION) to the CU-CP. The downlink data indication information is used to instruct the CU-CP to trigger paging.

[0096] This allows access network devices to resolve the probabilistic packet loss issue in related protocols when entering an inactive state or when re-entering the inactive state after the SDT t319a timer expires, thereby improving network reliability and enhancing user experience.

[0097] This disclosure can be applied to environments including at least one of the following: a conventional NR network application environment, a network environment with inactive functions enabled, and a network environment with SDT enabled. This disclosure may have wider applications in IoT scenarios aimed at further improving terminal power saving.

[0098] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure from a methodological perspective. The following also illustrates a wireless communication device for executing the wireless communication methods in any of the above embodiments and their possible implementations. It is understood that, in order to implement the wireless communication method, the wireless communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of various functions; those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments of this disclosure, this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware 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 each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0099] This disclosure embodiment can divide the wireless communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or software. It should be noted that the module division in this disclosure embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0100] Figure 5 This is a wireless communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, applied to CU-CP. The wireless communication device 50 includes: a communication module 51 and a processing module 52.

[0101] Communication module 51 is used to send a first request message to the distribution unit DU, the first request message being used to request the DU to release the terminal's radio resource control (RRC) connection;

[0102] The communication module 51 is also used to receive a first response message sent by the DU, which is used to instruct the DU to complete the release of the terminal's RRC connection;

[0103] The communication module 51 is also used to send a second request message to the centralized unit-user plane CU-UP in response to the first response message. The second request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

[0104] In some embodiments, the communication module 51 is further configured to receive a second response message sent by the CU-UP, the second response message being used to instruct the CU-UP to complete the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0105] In some embodiments, before sending the first request message to the distribution unit DU, the communication module 51 is further configured to, in response to the decision terminal entering the RRC connection inactive state, send a third request message to the CU-UP, the third request message being used to request the CU-UP to suspend the downlink transmission of the terminal; and receive a third response message sent by the CU-UP, the third response message being used to instruct the CU-UP to complete the downlink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0106] In some embodiments, the processing module 52 is configured to allow the decision terminal to enter an RRC connection inactive state when preset conditions are met; the preset conditions include at least one of the following:

[0107] The terminal did not transmit data within the preset time period;

[0108] The terminal's small data transmission SDT timer timed out.

[0109] Figure 6 This is a wireless communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, applied to a CU-UP. The wireless communication device 60 includes: a communication module 61 and a processing module 62.

[0110] Communication module 61 is used to receive a second request message sent by CU-CP in response to the first response message. The first response message is used to instruct CU-UP to release the RRC connection of the terminal; the second request message is used to request CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

[0111] Processing module 62 is used to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal in response to the second request message.

[0112] In some embodiments, the communication module 61 is further configured to send a second response message to the CU-CP, the second response message being used to instruct the CU-UP to complete the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal.

[0113] In some embodiments, before receiving the second request message sent by the CU-CP in response to the first response message, the communication module 61 is further configured to:

[0114] Receive the third request message sent by CU-CP in response to the decision terminal entering the RRC connection inactive state. The third request message is used to request CU-UP to suspend the downlink transmission of the terminal.

[0115] A third response message is sent to the CU-CP, which instructs the CU-UP to complete the suspension of downlink transmission of the terminal.

[0116] In implementing the functions of the integrated modules described above using hardware, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a possible structure for a communication device used to execute the wireless communication method provided in embodiments of this disclosure. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 700 includes a communication interface 703, a processor 702, and a bus 704. Optionally, the communication device may also include a memory 701.

[0117] Processor 702 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 702 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 702 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0118] The communication interface 703 is used to connect to other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0119] The memory 701 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the memory 701 can exist independently of the processor 702. The memory 701 can be connected to the processor 702 via a bus 704 and is used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 702 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 701, it can implement the wireless communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0121] In another possible implementation, the memory 701 can also be integrated with the processor 702.

[0122] The 704 bus can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The 704 bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 7 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0123] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing computer program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the wireless communication method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0124] In one exemplary embodiment, the computer may be the aforementioned wireless communication device, and this disclosure does not limit the specific form of the computer.

[0125] In some examples, the aforementioned computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). The various computer-readable storage media described in this disclosure may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable storage media for storing information. The term "machine-readable storage media" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0126] This disclosure provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the wireless communication method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0127] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a centralized unit-control plane (CU-CP), the method includes: Send a first request message to the Distribution Unit (DU), the first request message being used to request the DU to release the terminal's Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection; Receive a first response message sent by the DU, the first response message being used to instruct the DU to complete the release of the RRC connection of the terminal; In response to the first response message, a second request message is sent to the Centralized Unit-User Plane (CU-UP), the second request message being used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a second response message sent by the CU-UP, which instructs the CU-UP to complete the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before sending the first request message to the distribution unit (DU), the method further includes: In response to the decision that the terminal enters the RRC connection inactive state, a third request message is sent to the CU-UP, the third request message being used to request the CU-UP to suspend the downlink transmission of the terminal; The third response message sent by the CU-UP is received, which is used to instruct the CU-UP to complete the suspension of the downlink transmission of the terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Under certain preset conditions, the terminal decides to enter the RRC connection inactive state; the preset conditions include at least one of the following: The terminal did not transmit data within the preset time period; The small data transmission SDT timer of the terminal timed out.

5. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a centralized unit-user plane (CU-UP), the method includes: The system receives a second request message sent by the CU-CP in response to a first response message. The first response message is used to instruct the CU-UP to release the RRC connection of the terminal. The second request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the uplink transmission of the terminal. In response to the second request message, the uplink transmission of the terminal is suspended.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: A second response message is sent to the CU-CP, which instructs the CU-UP to complete the uplink transmission of the suspended terminal.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before receiving the second request message sent in response to the first response message by the CU-CP, the method further includes: The third request message sent by the CU-CP in response to the decision that the terminal enters the RRC connection inactive state is received. The third request message is used to request the CU-UP to suspend the downlink transmission of the terminal. A third response message is sent to the CU-CP, which instructs the CU-UP to complete the suspension of downlink transmission of the terminal.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Memory and processor; Memory and processor are coupled; The memory is used to store instructions that can be executed by the processor; When the processor executes the instructions, it performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is executed, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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