Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and a communication device, which are applied to the technical field of communication. For example, the communication method is suitable for a communication scenario triggering an LTM mechanism, and the method comprises the following steps: a network device uniformly calculates the window length of a time window based on the transmission time information of reference signals of a plurality of candidate cells; a first message is used to deliver the parameter of the window length of the time window to a UE, and a second message is used to deliver the measurement starting time information to the UE, so that the UE performs measurement on the plurality of candidate cells in a first time window (determined based on the parameter of the window length of the time window and the measurement starting time information), which can significantly reduce the redundant measurement and power consumption of the UE and help improve the measurement efficiency. The first message and the second message of the embodiment of the application can be compatible with the signaling structure in the existing 3GPP standard, for example, the measurement timing control mechanism of the embodiment of the application is introduced on the premise that the original LTM signaling architecture remains unchanged, so as to be compatible with the existing LTM process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced a Layer 1 / Layer 2 Triggered Mobility (LTM) mobility enhancement mechanism for the New Radio (NR) interface of 5G. This mechanism aims to achieve faster and less disruptive cell handover through L1 / L2 layer signaling, thereby reducing the signaling overhead, processing delays, and service interruptions caused by the traditional reliance on RRC reconfiguration procedures.

[0003] Since LTM is designed for scenarios such as high-speed mobility and multi-candidate cell coverage, the UE needs to perform CSI-RS measurements on each of the multiple candidate cells separately in these scenarios. Current measurement methods require frequent UE wake-ups to initiate measurements, leading to increased power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a communication method, communication device, chip system, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and communication system that enable the UE to perform measurements on multiple candidate cells in a first time window (determined based on the parameters of the time window length and the measurement start time information), thereby significantly reducing redundant measurements and power consumption of the UE and helping to improve measurement efficiency.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a user equipment (UE), or by a component configured in the UE (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the UE's functions. This application does not limit this method.

[0006] Specifically, the method includes: a UE receiving a first message for configuring candidate cells; the first message includes at least measurement time configuration parameters, which are determined based on the transmission time information of reference signals of one or more candidate cells; the measurement time configuration parameters include a window length parameter, which indicates the window length of the time window; receiving a second message for instructing the UE to perform a measurement, the second message including at least start time information and an activation identifier, which activates the TCI state of one or more candidate cells; and performing a measurement on the reference signals of one or more candidate cells within a first time window, the first time window being determined based on the measurement time configuration parameters and the start time information.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, the UE receives the window length parameter of the time window sent by the network device through the first message, and receives the measurement start time information through the second message, so that the UE can perform measurements on multiple candidate cells in the first time window (determined based on the window length parameter of the time window and the measurement start time information), which can significantly reduce the redundant measurement and power consumption of the UE and help improve measurement efficiency.

[0008] Optionally, the measurement time configuration parameters also include an initial phase parameter; the initial phase parameter indicates the initial phase of the time window; wherein, the initial time information is determined based on the initial phase parameter and the reference timing position. For the UE, if the first message also includes the initial phase parameter, the UE can verify the initial time information subsequently sent by the network device through the second message based on the initial phase parameter, thereby ensuring the accuracy or reliability of the initial time of the first time window.

[0009] After the UE performs measurements on the candidate cells, it can decide whether to report the measurement results based on whether it receives a reporting instruction from the network device.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes: the UE receiving a reporting instruction from a network device, the reporting instruction instructing the UE to report measurement results; and, according to the reporting instruction, sending the measurement results to the network device, the measurement results including measurement results of cells among one or more candidate cells that meet preset conditions (e.g., signal quality measurement values ​​exceeding a measurement threshold). Therefore, the UE only reports measurement results to the network device upon receiving a reporting instruction, thereby providing a basis for handover decisions on the network side.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes: if no reporting instruction is received from the network device within the first time window, entering a sleep state according to the measurement interval configuration parameter. While in the sleep state, the UE stops measuring reference signals of one or more candidate cells. The measurement interval configuration parameter indicates the UE's sleep duration. Therefore, if the UE does not receive a reporting instruction from the network device, it enters a sleep state after the first time window ends, further saving power consumption.

[0012] Of course, after the sleep period ends, the UE can wait for the next round of measurements. Optionally, the method further includes: after the sleep period ends (e.g., after the sleep duration has expired), the UE performs measurements in the next time window following the first time window. In this way, the UE can continue to perform measurements on multiple candidate cells in the next time window to obtain the latest measurement results.

[0013] In some embodiments, the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, which is determined based on the device capability of the UE (e.g., the upper limit of the time that the UE's radio frequency module can be continuously turned on).

[0014] For example, the window length of the time window satisfies the following formula:

[0015] ;

[0016] in, Indicates the latest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; Indicates the earliest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; This represents the time threshold (e.g., the time threshold is the maximum acceptable time difference determined by the network device based on the maximum time the UE's radio frequency module can remain on); where the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell is... Satisfy the following formula:

[0017]

[0018] in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer.

[0019] Therefore, by implementing the window length of the time window as described above, it can be ensured that the UE receives reference signals from multiple candidate cells within the time window to perform measurements; thereby reducing the number of UE wake-up measurements and greatly saving power consumption.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first message is an RRC reconfiguration message. Therefore, the UE can obtain the measurement time configuration parameters issued by the network device through the RRC reconfiguration message, which can achieve compatibility with the existing LTM procedure.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the second message is a MAC CE signaling message. Therefore, the UE can obtain the start time information sent by the network device through the MAC CE signaling message, which can achieve compatibility with the existing LTM procedure.

[0022] The first message may also include other configuration parameters. Optionally, the first message may also include one or more of the following parameters: CSI-RS period configuration parameters for the candidate cell, CSI-RS phase parameters for the candidate cell, TCI status configuration parameters for the candidate cell, CSI reporting method configuration parameters, and measurement interval configuration parameters.

[0023] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this method.

[0024] Specifically, the method includes: a network device determining measurement time configuration parameters based on the transmission time information of reference signals from one or more candidate cells, wherein the measurement time configuration parameters include at least a window length parameter, which indicates the window length of the time window; sending a first message, wherein the first message includes the measurement time configuration parameters and is used to configure the measurement of one or more candidate cells; and sending a second message, wherein the second message is used to instruct the UE to perform the measurement, wherein the second message includes at least start time information and an activation identifier, the activation identifier being used to activate the TCI state of one or more candidate cells, and the start time information and the measurement time configuration parameters being used to determine a first time window.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, the network device calculates the window length of the time window uniformly based on the transmission time information of the reference signals of multiple candidate cells; it sends the window length parameter of the time window to the UE through a first message and sends the measurement start time information to the UE through a second message, so that the UE can perform measurements on multiple candidate cells in the first time window (determined based on the window length parameter of the time window and the measurement start time information), which can significantly reduce the redundant measurement and power consumption of the UE and help improve measurement efficiency.

[0026] Optionally, the measurement time configuration parameters also include an initial phase parameter; the initial phase parameter is used to indicate the initial phase of the time window; wherein, the initial time information is determined based on the initial phase parameter and the reference timing position.

[0027] Optionally, the method further includes: the network device sending a reporting instruction, the reporting instruction being used to instruct the UE to report measurement results; and receiving measurement results from the UE, the measurement results including measurement results of cells among one or more candidate cells that meet preset conditions. Therefore, the network device obtains the measurement results reported by the UE by sending a reporting instruction to the UE, thereby providing a basis for subsequent handover decisions.

[0028] In some embodiments, the network device determines measurement time configuration parameters based on reference signal period information of one or more candidate cells, including: calculating the arrival time of the reference signal corresponding to each candidate cell for each candidate cell, obtaining multiple arrival times; determining the window length of the time window based on the latest arrival time and the earliest arrival time among the multiple arrival times; wherein the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition. Therefore, by uniformly calculating, the network device can obtain a time window that satisfies multiple candidate cells, thereby enabling the UE to perform measurements on multiple candidate cells after activating the radio frequency module once, reducing the number of frequent activations and saving UE power consumption.

[0029] Optionally, the window length of the time window meets a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, which is determined based on the device capability of the UE.

[0030] For example, the window length of the time window satisfies the following formula:

[0031] ;

[0032] in, Indicates the latest arrival time of the reference signal among multiple candidate cells; Indicates the earliest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; This represents the time threshold; where the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell is... Satisfy the following formula:

[0033]

[0034] in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first message is an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the second message is a MAC CE signaling.

[0037] Optionally, the first message may also include one or more of the following parameters: CSI-RS periodic configuration parameters of the candidate cell, CSI-RS phase parameters of the candidate cell, TCI status configuration parameters of the candidate cell, CSI reporting mode configuration parameters, and measurement interval configuration parameters.

[0038] The second aspect is the implementation on the network device side, which corresponds to the first aspect. The explanations of the first aspect (including, but not limited to, the implementation method of the starting phase parameter, the implementation method of the first message or the second message, etc.), the supplements, and the descriptions of the beneficial effects also apply to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising modules or units for performing the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0040] In one design, the communication device may include modules that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the foregoing aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0041] In one design, the communication device is a communication chip, which may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0042] In another design, the communication device is a communication equipment, which may include a transmitter for sending information or data and a receiver for receiving information or data.

[0043] In another design, the communication device is used to perform the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above. The communication device may be configured in the UE, or the communication device itself may be the UE.

[0044] Fourthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising modules or units for performing the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0045] In one design, the communication device may include modules that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the foregoing aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0046] In one design, the communication device is a communication chip, which may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0047] In another design, the communication device is a communication equipment, which may include a transmitter for sending information or data and a receiver for receiving information or data.

[0048] In another design, the communication device is used to perform the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above. The communication device may be configured in the network device described above, or the communication device itself may be a network device.

[0049] Alternatively, the network device may be a satellite, an access network device (e.g., a gNB), or a network element in the core network.

[0050] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions or data in the memory to implement the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0051] In one implementation, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0052] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in the UE. When the communication device is a chip configured in the UE, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0053] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions or data in the memory to implement the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0054] In one implementation, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0055] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a network device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a network device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0056] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals through the input circuit and transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute a method in any possible implementation of any aspect.

[0057] In specific implementation, the processor can be one or more chips, the input circuit can be input pins, the output circuit can be output pins, and the processing circuit can be transistors, gate circuits, flip-flops, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0058] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is used to read instructions stored in the memory, receive signals via a receiver, and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the method in any possible implementation of any of the preceding aspects.

[0059] Optionally, the processor may be one or more, and the memory may be one or more.

[0060] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separated from the processor.

[0061] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. The embodiments of this application do not limit the type of memory or the way the memory and processor are set.

[0062] It should be understood that the relevant data interaction process, such as sending indication information, can be the process of the processor outputting indication information, and receiving capability information can be the process of the processor receiving input capability information. Specifically, the data output by the processor can be sent to the transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from the receiver. Here, the transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0063] The processing device mentioned in the eighth aspect above can be one or more chips. The processor in the processing device can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. The memory can be integrated into the processor or located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0064] Ninthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when the computer program is run, causes a computer to perform a method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0065] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods in any possible implementation of any of the preceding aspects.

[0066] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including one or more processors for calling and executing instructions stored in memory, causing the methods in any of the above aspects or possible implementations to be executed. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0067] The chip system may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0068] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned UE and network device. The UE is used to execute any possible implementation of the first aspect. The network device is used to execute any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0069] Optionally, the communication system may also include other devices that communicate with the UE and / or network devices. Attached Figure Description

[0070] Figure 1 This is an example diagram of a communication system;

[0071] Figure 2 This is an example diagram illustrating the traditional process of measuring candidate cells;

[0072] Figure 3 This is an example interaction diagram of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 4 This is an example diagram of the UE measurement update mechanism in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 5 This is an example diagram illustrating the process of measuring candidate cells according to an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0076] Figure 7This is another schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0077] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] In this application embodiment, "multiple" can be understood as "at least two"; "multiple items" can be understood as "at least two items".

[0079] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application merely 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, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "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 can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Additionally, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the words "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or the order of execution, and that the words "first" and "second" do not necessarily imply that they are different.

[0080] This application can be applied to communication systems. Mobile communication systems include, but are not limited to, the following systems: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems or new radio access technology (NR) and future mobile communication systems; vehicle-to-X (V2X), where V2X can include vehicle-to-network (V2N), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), etc.; Long Term Evolution-Vehicle (LTE-V) technology for vehicle-to-everything (V2X); vehicle-to-everything (V2X); machine-type communication (MTC); Internet of Things (IoT); Long Term Evolution-Machine (LTE-M) technology for machine-to-machine (M2M); and machine-to-machine (M2M) technology. 5G mobile communication systems can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networks.

[0081] This application can also be applied to systems that integrate mobile communication systems and satellite communication systems. Satellite communication systems include, but are not limited to, non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication, for example, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Optionally, satellite communication systems include geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites and non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) satellites; or various terrestrial network (TN) systems.

[0082] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 used in an embodiment of this application. The communication system 100 may include network devices, such as... Figure 1 The network device 110 is shown. The communication system 100 may also include terminal devices, such as... Figure 1 The terminal device 120 shown. The network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate via a wireless link.

[0083] Figure 1 An exemplary network device 110 and a terminal device 120 are shown. Optionally, the communication system 100 may also include multiple network devices and / or multiple terminal devices.

[0084] The network equipment in this application can be network-side equipment such as access network equipment and core network equipment. Access network equipment is sometimes also called access node. Access network equipment has wireless transceiver capabilities and is used to communicate with terminals. Access network equipment includes, but is not limited to, base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs) in the above-mentioned communication systems, next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, access network equipment or modules of access network equipment in open RAN (ORAN) systems, satellites in NTN communication systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in WiFi systems. Access network equipment can also be modules or units that can implement some of the functions of a base station. Access network equipment can be macro base stations, micro base stations or indoor stations, relay nodes or donor nodes, or wireless controllers in cloud radioaccess network (CRAN) scenarios. Optionally, access network equipment can also be servers, wearable devices, or vehicle-mounted equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in a communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types. Base stations can communicate with terminals directly or via relay stations. Terminals can communicate with multiple base stations using different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or equipment form used in the access network equipment. In this application, access network equipment or core network equipment can be simply referred to as network equipment.

[0085] In this application, the means for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself, or a means capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system. This means can be installed in or connected to the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application, the example of a network device being used to implement the functions of a network device is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application.

[0086] The terminal device in this application can be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving network device scheduling and instruction information. The wireless terminal device can be a device providing voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. For example, the terminal device can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminal devices 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), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, or satellite communication, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, aircraft (such as drone, helicopter, airplane), hot air balloon, ship, robot, robotic arm, or smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the terminal device.

[0087] In this application, the apparatus for implementing the functions of a terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or any apparatus capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing those functions, such as a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system. This apparatus can be installed in or connected to the terminal device. In the technical solutions provided in this application, the example of a terminal device being used to implement the functions of a terminal device is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application.

[0088] Access network equipment and / or terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the application scenarios of the access network equipment and terminal equipment. They can be deployed in the same or different scenarios; for example, both can be deployed on land simultaneously; or the access network equipment can be deployed on land while the terminal equipment is deployed on water, etc., and so on.

[0089] In practical applications, multiple network devices can collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different network devices each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, network devices can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CUs (control planes, CPs), CUs (user planes, 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).

[0090] 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. 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. CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, and RU can implement different protocol layer functions.

[0091] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terminology used in this application will be briefly explained first. For example, the explanation of some terms can also be found in the interpretation of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard protocol.

[0092] 1. Layer 1 / L2 triggered mobility management (LTM)

[0093] LTM (Low-Temperature Detection) is a cell handover process triggered by the network based on physical layer L1 measurements. To reduce handover latency and enhance mobility robustness, the base station can trigger the UE to complete the handover based on signaling and procedures at the physical layer or medium access control (MAC) layer. This means that no RRC (Relay-Based Control) messages are needed during the LTM handover execution phase, thus meeting the requirement of reducing handover terminal latency. Layer 1 includes the physical layer (PHY), and Layer 2 includes the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The LTM process includes measurement and reporting, decision-making and triggering, and handover execution. The LTM process reduces service interruptions during handover and can also be referred to as continuous LTM or low-latency handover.

[0094] The measurement and reporting process includes the terminal device performing measurements such as signal quality and signal strength at the physical layer (L1). These measurements may include layer 1 reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ). If the measurement results meet specific triggering conditions, the UE will report these measurement results to the network device through the data link layer (L2). The decision and triggering process includes the network device receiving the UE's measurement report and making a decision based on the report to determine whether cell handover is necessary. If the decision indicates that handover is required, the network device will send a handover command to the UE through the control unit. The handover execution process includes the UE receiving the handover command and starting the handover process; it also includes steps such as disconnecting from the current network device, establishing a connection with the target network device, and transferring context information.

[0095] For example, network devices send channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RS) to the UE. CSI-RS is a reference signal sent by the network device to the terminal device to measure the quality of the downlink channel. By measuring CSI-RS, the UE feeds back channel state information, including channel quality indication, precoding matrix indication, rank indication, etc., helping the base station optimize signal transmission paths and improve communication efficiency.

[0096] For example, the network device performing LTM is the source base station. The source base station determines the target cell based on the UE's Layer 1 measurement results and uses Layer 2 MAC CE signaling (used to indicate cell handover) to trigger the UE to hand over from the source cell (or serving cell) to the target cell. The UE performs cell handover according to the MAC CE signaling.

[0097] The UE can perform cell handover using either RACH-based access or RACH-less access.

[0098] Access based on a random access channel is a mechanism for establishing a connection between a UE and a base station in mobile communication. It includes contention-based random access and non-contention-based random access. For example, in RACH-based access, the base station transmits a preamble through the physical random access channel (PRACH) for time synchronization between the UE and the base station, and for identifying different terminals to avoid collisions. In the random access response (RAR), the base station allocates uplink data transmission resources to the UE, such as physical uplink share channel (PUSCH) resources. Access based on a random access channel can also be referred to as access via a random access channel.

[0099] Access not based on a random access channel is another mechanism for establishing a connection between the UE and the base station in mobile communication. Time synchronization is achieved through pre-synchronization or pre-executed time advance (TA) measurement, eliminating the need for the traditional RACH access procedure. Instead, uplink signals are sent through authorized resources, and the base station completes access by parsing these uplink signals. Access not based on a random access channel can be used for low-latency handover. It can also be referred to as access without a random access channel or access without a random access procedure.

[0100] In some embodiments, the communication system of this application can support LTM handover. LTM can be used for UE handover between different centralized units, also known as inter-CU LTM (inter-CULTM). Inter-CU LTM breaks through the topology limitations of single CU deployment of base stations. LTM can also be used for terminal handover between other types of access network nodes (such as base stations, relay nodes, etc.). For example, when a terminal hands over from a source CU to a target CU, the source CU can trigger handover through MAC CE, including RACH-less and RACH-based handover methods.

[0101] The above description of LTM is introduced for ease of understanding only, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0102] 2. Signal quality of the reference signal (RS)

[0103] The reference signal in this application embodiment may include CSI-RS, synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB) reference signal, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0104] This application does not specifically limit the performance indicators for evaluating the signal quality of the reference signal. RSRP, RSRQ, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Layer 1 Signal-to-Interference Plus Noise Ratio (L1) The signal-to-noise ratio (RSSNR), block error rate (BLER), reference signal received signal to noise ratio (RSSNR), reference signal interference power (RISP), received signal coder power (RSCP), and channel quality indicator (CQI) are among the indicators used.

[0105] It should be understood that the technical terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for illustrative purposes only and not as a limitation. As technology evolves, technical terminology may also change; however, other technical terms with the same technical meaning should also be applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0106] Currently, in the LTM measurement process of 3GPP, the transmission period and start phase of the reference signal for different candidate cells are configured independently (for example, the transmission period of the reference signal for each candidate cell is likely to be different), resulting in misalignment of the arrival times of the reference signals for these candidate cells. When the UE performs measurements on multiple candidate cells, it frequently initiates measurements according to different periods, listening to multiple time points to perform CSI-RS measurements on each cell of each candidate cell separately. This causes the UE to be repeatedly woken up, increasing the UE's measurement power consumption and affecting measurement efficiency.

[0107] Figure 2 An example procedure for traditionally measuring candidate cells is shown. For example... Figure 2 As shown, taking candidate cell 1 and candidate cell 2 as examples, the transmission period of the reference signal for candidate cell 1 is T1 (i.e., 10 milliseconds (ms), with an initial phase of 3ms), and the transmission period of the reference signal for candidate cell 2 is T2 (i.e., 15ms, with an initial phase of 6ms). Figure 2 Taking the timeline shown (in milliseconds) as an example, candidate cell 1 transmits CSI-RS at 3ms, 13ms, 23ms, and 33ms; correspondingly, the UE activates its radio frequency module to perform measurements at these times. Candidate cell 2 transmits CSI-RS at 6ms, 21ms, and 36ms; correspondingly, the UE activates its radio frequency module to perform measurements at these times. Figure 2 It is evident that the UE needs to frequently initiate measurements, resulting in redundant power consumption. (UE measurement behavior) Figure 2 The term "multiple scattered triggers" is shown.

[0108] It should be understood that Figure 2 The description uses only two candidate cells as an example, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. In fact, there will be a much larger number of candidate cells in actual application scenarios. The transmission period and start phase of each candidate cell may be different, or the time may be misaligned, that is, the listening window (or measurement window is more dispersed). This will inevitably lead to the UE listening more frequently or additional power consumption, measurement redundancy, etc., which will affect the measurement efficiency and handover quality of LTM.

[0109] In view of this, this application proposes a communication method in which the network device uniformly calculates the window length of a time window based on the transmission time information of the reference signals of multiple candidate cells; sends the window length parameter of the time window to the UE through a first message, and sends the measurement start time information to the UE through a second message, so that the UE can perform measurements on multiple candidate cells in the first time window (determined based on the window length parameter of the time window and the measurement start time information), which can significantly reduce the redundant measurement and power consumption of the UE and help improve measurement efficiency.

[0110] The following detailed explanation of the solution provided in this application, in conjunction with the corresponding flowcharts, illustrates the method in detail. It is understood that the illustrative flowcharts provided in this application primarily use different devices (e.g., UE, network devices) as examples of the execution entities for this interactive illustration, but this application does not limit the execution entities of the interactive illustrations. For example, the devices (e.g., UE, network devices) in the illustrative flowcharts can also be chips, chip systems, or processors that support the implementation of this method on the device, or logical modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the device's functions.

[0111] As a general statement, the message or signaling interactions involved in the interaction process of this application embodiment can be standard messages or signaling or newly introduced messages or signaling. This application embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0112] Figure 3 This is an example flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. It can be understood that... Figure 3 The UE in the middle can be Figure 1 The term "terminal device 120" can also refer to devices within the terminal device 120 (such as processors, chips, or chip systems). Network devices can be... Figure 1 The network device 110 mentioned here can also refer to the devices within the network device 110 (such as processors, chips, or chip systems). Figure 3 As shown, the method includes at least the following steps:

[0113] Step 310: The network device sends a first message to the UE, which is used to configure candidate cells. The first message includes at least measurement time configuration parameters, which are determined based on the transmission time information of reference signals from one or more candidate cells; the measurement time configuration parameters include a window length parameter, which indicates the window length of a time window (or common listening window or common measurement window). Correspondingly, the UE receives the first message.

[0114] The aforementioned network equipment can refer to the network equipment serving the cell (e.g., the source base station that triggers LTM handover). The source base station can obtain (or collect) relevant information about nearby cells (including but not limited to one or more of the following: cell identifiers, transmission configuration indicator state (TCI-State), CSI-RS transmission period, and TA value). The network equipment can send relevant information about nearby cells (or candidate cells, i.e., cells applicable to the UE) to the UE via a first message. For a description of the TCI state, please refer to the explanation in the 3GPP standard; it will not be elaborated upon here.

[0115] The first message includes the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells (or candidate target cells). This application embodiment does not specifically limit the message type or signaling of the first message. Optionally, the first message is an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0116] Optionally, the measurement time configuration parameters include at least a window length parameter, which indicates the window length of the time window. The window length parameter indicates the window length for the UE to listen to one or more candidate cells, or in other words, it indicates the duration for the UE to measure the reference signal of one or more candidate cells.

[0117] In this embodiment, when the network device sends the configuration of candidate cells to the UE via a first message, a measurement time configuration parameter is introduced (or added). The measurement time configuration parameter is used to align the measurement timing of multiple different candidate cells. This embodiment does not specifically limit the naming of the measurement time configuration parameter. For example, the measurement time configuration parameter could be named the measurement timing alignment configuration parameter.

[0118] The aforementioned measurement time configuration parameters are determined by the network device based on the transmission time information of reference signals from one or more candidate cells (e.g., N candidate cells). The transmission time information includes the transmission period and / or phase offset of the reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS).

[0119] Optionally, the network device determines the measurement time configuration parameters based on the transmission time information of the reference signals of one or more candidate cells (e.g., N candidate cells), including: calculating the arrival time of the reference signal corresponding to each candidate cell for each candidate cell to obtain multiple arrival times; determining the measurement time configuration parameters based on the latest arrival time and the earliest arrival time among the multiple arrival times; wherein the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition.

[0120] In other words, for network devices, the transmission period and phase offset of the reference signal provided for each candidate cell in the RRC configuration are used to calculate the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell, thus obtaining a set of arrival times of the reference signals for all candidate cells over a future period. After obtaining the arrival times (e.g., times) of the reference signals for all candidate cells, the network device can determine (or calculate) a common listening window that can simultaneously cover all candidate cells, thereby ensuring that the measurement of reference signals for different cells is completed within the same time window (or the aforementioned common listening window) as much as possible.

[0121] For example, for candidate cells The network device calculates the candidate cell. The arrival time (or arrival moment) of the next listenable CSI-RS satisfies the following formula:

[0122]

[0123] in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer (optionally, The representative reference signal is the candidate cell. It is sent in a certain cycle; for example, the first cycle or the second cycle, ..., etc.

[0124] Taking N candidate cells as an example, the network device can obtain the set of CSI-RS arrival times for the N candidate cells over a future period of time. Candidate communities It can be any cell from N candidate cells. The network device is based on... Determine the window length of the public listening window. express The latest arrival time in the range; express The earliest arrival time in the data; the window length of the public listening window is: .

[0125] In some embodiments, the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, the time threshold being determined based on the UE's capabilities and / or the duration for which the UE's radio frequency module can be continuously turned on.

[0126] For clarity, the term "exceeding" in the embodiments of this application can be understood as "greater than or equal to", represented by the corresponding mathematical symbol "". "; can also be understood as "greater than", represented by the corresponding mathematical symbol "". ";" can also be understood as "not less than". That is, the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the case of "equal to", or whether the boundary value belongs to the range of "exceeding".

[0127] Accordingly, the term "not exceeding" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be understood as "less than or equal to", represented by the corresponding mathematical symbol "". "; can also be understood as "less than", represented by the corresponding mathematical symbol "". ";" can also be understood as "not greater than". That is, the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the case of "equal to", or whether the boundary value belongs to the range of "not exceeding".

[0128] It is understandable that, based on the above descriptions of "exceeding" and "not exceeding", when "exceeding" is understood as "greater than or equal to", "not exceeding" is understood as "less than"; when "exceeding" is understood as "greater than", "not exceeding" is understood as "less than or equal to".

[0129] For example, the window length of the time window satisfies the following formula: ; Indicates the window length. This is the time threshold.

[0130] This application does not impose specific limitations on the value of the time threshold. The time threshold can be a threshold set based on actual needs. Alternatively, the time threshold can be determined by the network device based on the UE's device capabilities (such as radio frequency capabilities). Optionally, the time threshold can be determined by the network device based on the upper limit of the continuous operation time of the UE's radio frequency module. The maximum acceptable time difference.

[0131] It should be noted that if the beam, transmission period, or phase of a candidate cell changes, the network device will re-determine the window length of the time window based on the changes in the candidate cell.

[0132] Optionally, if the aforementioned set of arrival times is Not satisfied The network device will then continue searching for new time sets until it finds one that satisfies the requirements. The public listening window.

[0133] After determining the window length of the common listening window, the network device can describe the window length using a window length parameter. Subsequently (i.e., after receiving the second message), the UE can determine the window length of the first time window based on the window length parameter.

[0134] Optionally, the network device can also describe the starting phase of the indication time window using the starting phase parameter to ensure CSI-RS alignment measurements of multiple candidate cells. The starting phase parameter is used by the MAC layer of the subsequent network device to determine the start time information (described later). For the UE, if the first message also includes the starting phase parameter, the UE can verify the start time information sent by the subsequent network device through the second message based on the starting phase parameter, thereby ensuring the accuracy or reliability of the start time of the first time window.

[0135] For example, the network device adds two measurement time configuration parameters (or fields) at the RRC layer (such as the RRC reconfiguration message): StartOffset (the starting phase of the common listening window; corresponding to the starting phase parameter; or, corresponding to the aforementioned...) ) and WindowLength (the duration of the common listener window, or the length of the common listener window; corresponding to the aforementioned window length parameter; or, corresponding to These newly added configuration parameters are subsequently used to guide the UE to perform CSI-RS listening in a uniform and aligned timing sequence during subsequent MAC CE triggers, thereby ensuring that CSI-RS measurements of different candidate cells are consistent in time.

[0136] Optionally, in addition to the newly added window length parameter and / or start phase parameter, the first message may also include one or more of the following parameters: CSI-RS period configuration parameter of the candidate cell, CSI-RS phase parameter of the candidate cell, TCI status configuration parameter of the candidate cell, CSI-RS reporting mode configuration parameter, measurement interval configuration parameter, candidate cell identifier, and TA value corresponding to the candidate cell.

[0137] The CSI-RS period configuration parameters for the candidate cells are used to identify the CSI-RS transmission period of the candidate cells. The CSI-RS phase parameters for the candidate cells are used to identify the phase offset of the CSI-RS of the candidate cells. The TCI status configuration parameters for the candidate cells are used to identify the TCI status of the corresponding candidate cells, ensuring that the UE receives the CSI-RS of the corresponding candidate cells according to the correct beam during the common listening window. The CSI reporting method configuration parameters are used to configure the method or type of subsequent CSI reports submitted by the UE. The measurement interval configuration parameters are used to indicate (or control) the interval between measurement rounds for the UE, so that the UE is in a low-power state during non-listening windows (i.e., outside the common listening window, the UE stops measuring and enters a sleep state), which helps save UE power consumption. The TA values ​​corresponding to the candidate cells include uplink TA values ​​and / or downlink TA values, used to achieve uplink or downlink synchronization.

[0138] For example, Table 1 below lists the parameters included in the RRC reconfiguration message:

[0139] Table 1

[0140]

[0141] The measurement time configuration in Table 1 above is a new configuration parameter added to this application embodiment, used to achieve aligned measurement of multiple candidate cells. It should be understood that the configuration shown in Table 1 is only an exemplary description, and this application embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0142] For network devices, when deciding to trigger the LTM mechanism, the network device sends an LTM candidate configuration to the UE via a first message. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the triggering conditions for the network device to trigger the LTM mechanism.

[0143] Optionally, before step 310, the method further includes: step 300, whereby the UE sends a measurement report to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the measurement report. Based on the measurement results sent by the UE, the network device decides whether to use LTM or trigger the LTM mechanism, and initiates LTM candidate preparation.

[0144] This application does not specify how network devices trigger the LTM mechanism. For relevant descriptions, please refer to the descriptions in the 3GPP standard protocol. For the sake of brevity, these will not be elaborated here.

[0145] Optionally, in step 311, the UE sends an acknowledgment message to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the acknowledgment message. For example, the acknowledgment message is an RRC reconfiguration complete message (RRCReconfigurationComplete).

[0146] Optionally, in step 312, the UE stores the candidate cell configuration. The UE stores the configuration of one or more LTM candidate target cells. That is, the configuration parameters or configuration information about candidate cells issued by the network device to the UE can be stored locally by the UE for later use.

[0147] For a description of steps 330, 311, and 312, please refer to the description in 3GPP. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0148] It should be noted that step 310 above is the RRC configuration phase, used for parameter pre-configuration, and not for initiating CSI-RS measurement. That is, after the UE receives the first message through step 310, it does not immediately initiate measurement. The purpose of introducing step 310 is to provide a benchmark or preparation for the subsequent centralized execution of measurements by the UE through a common listening window. This ensures that the UE has obtained a time window uniformly calculated by the network equipment before actually initiating radio frequency measurement, thus preparing for time alignment of subsequent cross-candidate cell CSI-RS measurements, or ensuring that measurement-related parameters have a unified time benchmark before triggering UE measurement. The measurement triggering phase after RRC layer parameter pre-configuration is described below in conjunction with step 320.

[0149] Step 320: The network device sends a second message to the UE, which instructs the UE to perform a measurement. The second message includes at least start time information and an activation identifier, which is used to activate the TCI state of one or more candidate cells. Correspondingly, the UE receives the second message.

[0150] Based on step 310 above, the configuration process of the RRC layer parameters is completed. Subsequently, the LTM procedure can enter the measurement triggering phase handled by the MAC layer. The network device sends a measurement start command to the UE via a second message based on the network-side handover readiness and the CSI freshness requirements of the candidate cells. In other words, the UE does not start measurement immediately upon receiving the first message, but rather determines when to begin measurement based on the second message sent by the network device. This further saves UE measurement time, reduces the measurement process on the UE side, and thus saves power consumption.

[0151] Optionally, the second message is a MAC CE signaling message. The MAC CE signaling message includes start time information and an activation identifier. That is, the network device pre-calculates when each candidate cell will transmit reference signals; subsequently, the network device uses the start time information in the MAC CE signaling message to instruct the UE when to begin measurement. Furthermore, the activation identifier pre-activates the TCI state of the candidate cells. In other words, the network device uniformly calculates the common listening window for the reference signals and performs timing control through MAC CE, thereby achieving centralized management of multiple candidate cells and unification of the time domain.

[0152] The start time information is determined based on the start phase parameters (such as StartOffset) issued by the RRC layer and the current system time. The start time information can be understood as the actual time calculated based on the start phase parameters and the reference timing position. Alternatively, the value of the start time information can be as described above. The reference timing position can be a specific time when the configuration takes effect. Optionally, the reference timing position is the sending time of the second message, or other predefined time or moment.

[0153] For example, the start time information is represented as Assuming the initial phase parameter is set to 3ms, then This is the time obtained after offsetting 3ms from the reference timing position.

[0154] This application does not specifically limit the time representation unit for the reference timing position. For example, the reference timing position is represented by one or more of the following time units: frame, subframe, time slot, symbol, etc.

[0155] Optionally, to allow the UE sufficient time for radio frequency (RF) startup preparation, the determination of the start time information can further consider a time advance. This time advance is the startup preparation time of the UE's RF module. In other words, the start time information is determined as follows: the actual time is calculated based on the start phase parameters and the current system time; the UE's RF startup preparation time is then subtracted from the calculated actual time, and the final time is sent to the UE as the time for the UE to start measurement.

[0156] The activation flag is used to activate the TCI state of a specific candidate cell (a specific candidate cell can be understood as one or more candidate cells, such as the N candidate cells whose corresponding CSI-RS transmission time is located in the aforementioned common listening window), so that the UE can perform beam locking in advance, or in other words, enable the UE to receive the corresponding CSI-RS in the correct beam direction within the common listening window.

[0157] It should be noted that the essential function of the second message in this embodiment is to "activate" the measurement time configuration parameters preset by the RRC layer onto the actual listening timeline. After receiving the second message, the UE can obtain not only the start time information but also the activation identifier. In this way, the UE can perform measurements according to the time window (or common listening window or measurement alignment window) uniformly planned by the network based on the start time information, instead of repeatedly turning on the radio frequency module to perform measurements based on the independent arrival times of the CSI-RS of each candidate cell, thereby saving UE power consumption.

[0158] Step 330: The UE performs measurements (specifically L1 measurements) on the reference signals of one or more candidate cells within a first time window. The first time window is determined based on the time window parameters and the start time information.

[0159] For the UE, after receiving the second message, it does not immediately begin monitoring each candidate cell individually. Instead, it waits for the arrival of the common listening window (first time window) according to the start time information carried in the second message. When the UE detects that the system time has reached the time indicated by the start time information (e.g., ...), it will then begin monitoring the common listening window. ), UE starts the listening process, and in the first time window (e.g., The radio frequency receiving path is continuously activated within the range to perform measurements.

[0160] The first time window can be understood as a common window calculated uniformly by network devices to align the CSI-RS of multiple candidate cells. Within the first time window, the UE can capture the arrival time of the CSI-RS of all candidate cells, thereby achieving consistent measurement across cells.

[0161] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the UE receives CSI-RS from N candidate cells within the first time window and performs measurements.

[0162] The window length of the first-time window is based on the window length parameter in the first message (e.g., ...). The start time of the first time window is determined based on the start time information in the second message (e.g., ...). ).

[0163] After entering the first time window, the UE will continuously listen to and receive the CSI-RS of all candidate cells throughout the entire time window, and complete an L1 layer measurement at the arrival time of the CSI-RS of each candidate cell. The arrival times of the CSI-RS of all candidate cells fall within the first time window, and the arrival times of the CSI-RS of multiple candidate cells meet the first preset condition ( Therefore, the CSI-RS measurements of the UE for these candidate cells can be regarded as "time-consistent", or understood as the freshness of the CSI-RS measurements of all candidate cells being comparable, thus making subsequent handover decisions comparable.

[0164] Optionally, the UE can verify the start time information in the second message (e.g., based on the start phase parameter (e.g., StartOffset) carried in the first message. This ensures the accuracy of the first-time window.

[0165] It should be noted that the above description uses the example of the UE obtaining the window length parameter through the first message and the start time information through the second message to jointly determine the first time window. The embodiments of this application are not limited to this. Alternatively, the UE can obtain the window length parameter and the start time information through the same message to determine the first time window. For example, the UE obtains the window length parameter and the start time information through the second message to determine the first time window. Or, for another example, the UE obtains the window length parameter and the start phase parameter through the first message, and only determines the first time window using the window length parameter and the start phase parameter obtained in the first message upon receiving the second message.

[0166] In this embodiment, the network device calculates the window length of the time window uniformly based on the transmission time information of reference signals from multiple candidate cells. It sends the window length parameter to the UE via a first message and the measurement start time information to the UE via a second message. This allows the UE to perform measurements on multiple candidate cells within the first time window (determined based on the window length parameter and the measurement start time information), significantly reducing redundant measurements and power consumption by the UE and improving measurement efficiency. Furthermore, the first time window ensures consistency in the timing of measurement results from each candidate cell, supporting more stable and accurate handover decisions by the network device in the LTM mechanism. Moreover, the first and second messages in this embodiment are compatible with existing 3GPP standard signaling structures. For example, while maintaining the original LTM signaling architecture, the measurement timing control mechanism of this embodiment is introduced to ensure compatibility with existing LTM procedures.

[0167] For the UE, after performing centralized measurements of CSI-RS for multiple candidate cells within the first time window, the UE can obtain the measurement results for each candidate cell. The following describes how the UE reports the measurement results.

[0168] Optionally, the method further includes: step 340, whereby the network device sends a reporting instruction to the UE, the reporting instruction instructing the UE to report the measurement results. Correspondingly, the UE receives the reporting instruction.

[0169] For example, if the network device has waited for a CSI measurement moment that is valuable enough for the handover decision, it will send a reporting command to the UE. Based on the reporting command issued by the network device, the UE reports the measurement results of one or more candidate cells (or some or all of the candidate cells) to the network device.

[0170] This application does not specifically limit the message type of the reporting command issued by the network device. Optionally, the reporting command is a MAC CE signaling.

[0171] This application does not specify the timing of the reporting command. For example, the reporting command may be sent during the UE's measurement process, meaning it is sent to the UE within the first time window.

[0172] Optionally, the method further includes: step 350, whereby the UE sends measurement results to the network device according to a reporting instruction, the measurement results including measurement results of cells among one or more candidate cells that meet preset conditions. Correspondingly, the network device receives the measurement results.

[0173] For the UE, upon receiving a reporting instruction, the UE packages the measurement results of one or more candidate cells (or some or all candidate cells) and sends them to the network device via the uplink.

[0174] In some embodiments, the UE provides the network device with measurement results of one or more candidate cells whose signal quality meets preset conditions (e.g., the signal quality measurement value exceeds a quality threshold), so as to provide a basis for the network to make decisions on subsequent cell handover.

[0175] For the network device, after receiving the measurement results reported by the UE, it can decide whether to switch cells. Optionally, the method further includes: step 360, the network device sends a handover command to the UE, the handover command instructing the UE to perform cell handover. Correspondingly, the UE receives the handover command. For example, the handover command is a cell switch command message, which contains the configuration index of the target base station; or, it includes the ID of the target cell, the TCI status of the target cell, and the TA value.

[0176] For details on the switching instructions in the LTM mechanism, please refer to the descriptions in relevant technologies. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0177] Optionally, the method further includes: step 370, whereby the UE performs cell handover.

[0178] For details on the specific process of performing cell handover, please refer to the description of the LTM mechanism in 3GPP. For the sake of brevity, it will not be elaborated here.

[0179] This application also provides a measurement update mechanism. If the UE does not receive a reporting instruction within the first time window, the UE enters a periodic sleep state, that is, it stops continuous listening and shuts down the radio frequency module to save power consumption.

[0180] Optionally, the method further includes: if no reporting instruction is received from the network device in the first time window, entering a sleep state according to the measurement interval configuration parameter; when the UE is in the sleep state, it stops measuring the reference signals of one or more candidate cells; the measurement interval configuration parameter is used to indicate the sleep duration of the UE.

[0181] The measurement interval configuration parameter (which can also be represented as the update period) can be the MeasurementTimingConfiguration from Table 1 above. For example, the measurement interval configuration parameter can be represented as... .

[0182] "Entering sleep mode according to measurement interval configuration parameters" can be understood as the UE's measurement update mechanism, or in other words, the UE waits for the next round of measurement to be triggered according to the measurement interval configuration parameters. Specifically, the UE sleeps for the duration indicated by the measurement interval configuration parameters, and waits for the next measurement after the sleep period ends. For example, the measurement is performed in the next time window after the first time window (whose window length is the same as the first time window). The relevant configuration information for the next time window can also be obtained through the aforementioned first and second messages, which will not be elaborated here; for example, the second message also includes the start time information of the next time window.

[0183] Optionally, while waiting for the next time window of the first time window, if the network device (such as the source base station) updates the RRC reconfiguration message (such as sending an updated RRC reconfiguration message to the UE), then the UE can determine the time window based on the latest RRC reconfiguration message, which will not be elaborated here.

[0184] The aforementioned measurement update mechanism ensures that even if the network does not make a handover decision (no reporting or handover command is issued), the UE will not continuously maintain high-power listening. Instead, it will periodically sleep while waiting for the next round of centralized measurement to be performed within the common listening window. This measurement update mechanism achieves unified scheduling of candidate cell measurement and reporting, ensuring that the measurement process of different candidate cells is completed within the same time window. That is, the measurement results of different candidate cells correspond to the same time window and have a unified time reference. This allows the network to obtain measurement information "at the same moment" or "within the same window" when performing LTM handover judgment, thereby ensuring the determinism and accuracy of the decision.

[0185] For ease of understanding, Figure 4 A logical example diagram of a method to further save UE power consumption is shown. For example... Figure 4 As shown, it includes:

[0186] Step 410: The UE performs the measurement within the first time window. The description of step 410 can be found in the previous description of step 330; for brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0187] Step 420: The UE determines whether it has received a reporting instruction.

[0188] If the result of step 420 is "yes", proceed to step 430; if the result of step 420 is "no", proceed to step 440.

[0189] Step 430: The UE reports the measurement results. The description of step 430 can be found in the description of step 350 above, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0190] Step 440: The UE enters periodic sleep mode. For details on the implementation of periodic sleep mode, please refer to the description above; for brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0191] based on Figure 4 As shown in the process, the UE can decide whether to report measurement results based on whether it receives a reporting command, thus providing a basis for the network side to perform cell decisions. Furthermore, the UE can further save measurement power consumption by periodically going into sleep mode.

[0192] For ease of understanding, the following is combined with Figure 5 The examples in the document describe how the embodiments of this application are implemented. Figure 5 An example procedure for measuring candidate cells according to an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 5 As shown, taking candidate cell 1 and candidate cell 2 as examples, the transmission period of the reference signal for candidate cell 1 is T1 (i.e., 10 milliseconds (ms), with an initial phase of 3ms), and the transmission period of the reference signal for candidate cell 2 is T2 (i.e., 15ms, with an initial phase of 6ms). Figure 5 Taking the timeline shown (in milliseconds) as an example, candidate cell 1 sends CSI-RS at 3ms, 13ms, 23ms, and 33ms. Candidate cell 2 sends CSI-RS at 6ms, 21ms, and 36ms. Based on the window length parameter configured in the network device (e.g., indicating a window length of 3ms), the UE performs measurements concentratedly within the time window between 3ms and 6ms, which greatly reduces the UE's measurement power consumption. Furthermore, at the end of the first time window, the UE enters a sleep state to wait for the next round of measurements, further saving power. Assuming the time window for the next round of measurements is from 33ms to 36ms, the UE performs concentrated measurements on candidate cell 1 and candidate cell 2 during the period from 33ms to 36ms.

[0193] Optionally, the time period from when the UE wakes up from its sleep period until the start of the next time window (e.g., Figure 5 The time window shown is the period from when the UE wakes up from its sleep period to 33ms. If the UE receives an updated RRC reconfiguration message from the source base station during this period, it can re-determine the time window based on the RRC reconfiguration message. Of course, if the source base station does not send an RRC reconfiguration message during the above time period (e.g., the period from when the UE wakes up from its sleep period to 33ms), the UE will still determine the first time window based on the previous RRC reconfiguration message.

[0194] Through MAC layer triggering and RRC layer parameter coordination, the UE's measurement behavior is... Figure 2 The "multiple scattered triggers" shown has been adjusted to Figure 5 The "single-window centralized measurement execution" shown effectively avoids repeated listening due to inconsistent cycles, or frequent RF module startup, which helps reduce the UE's RF power consumption.

[0195] It should be understood that Figure 5 The examples shown are merely illustrative, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. In fact, in practical applications, there may be a much larger number of candidate cells, and the transmission period and start phase of each candidate cell may be different, or their timing may be misaligned. Figure 5 The "single-window centralized measurement execution" shown reduces the number of times the UE starts the RF module, greatly saving the UE's power consumption, thereby helping to improve the measurement efficiency and handover quality of LTM.

[0196] It should also be understood that Figures 1 to 5 The flowcharts or scene diagrams shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the examples illustrated. In fact, those skilled in the art can interpret the embodiments based on... Figures 1 to 5 The examples in the document can be transformed into equivalent ways to obtain more implementations.

[0197] The above text combined Figures 1 to 5 This document describes in detail the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. The following will combine... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The device embodiments of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the communication device of this application embodiment can execute the various communication methods of the foregoing embodiments of this application, that is, the specific working processes of the various products below can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0198] In the embodiments described above, the UE can execute some or all of the steps in each embodiment; the network device can execute some or all of the steps in each embodiment. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application can also perform other operations or variations of various operations. Furthermore, the steps can be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application. Moreover, the sequence number of each step does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0199] Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 1500 may include a communication module 1520. The communication module 1520 can implement corresponding communication functions, which can be internal communication functions of the communication device 1500 or communication functions between the communication device 1500 and other devices. Optionally, the communication module 1520 may also be referred to as a communication interface or transceiver module. Optionally, the communication device 1500 further includes a processing module 1510. The processing module 1510 can implement corresponding processing functions.

[0200] Optionally, the communication device 1500 further includes a storage module, which can be used to store instructions and / or data; the processing module 1510 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device 1500 can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0201] In one possible design, the communication device 1500 may correspond to the UE in the above method embodiments, or to a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the UE. The communication device 1500 may be used to perform the steps or processes performed by the UE in any of the above method embodiments.

[0202] In one possible design, the communication module 1520 is configured to receive a first message for configuring candidate cells; the first message includes at least measurement time configuration parameters, which are determined based on the transmission time information of reference signals from one or more candidate cells; the measurement time configuration parameters include a window length parameter, which indicates the window length of the time window; the communication module 1520 is further configured to receive a second message for instructing the UE to perform a measurement, the second message including at least start time information and an activation identifier, which activates or passes through the TCI state of a candidate cell;

[0203] The processing module 1510 is used to perform measurements on the reference signals of the one or more candidate cells in a first time window, the first time window being determined based on the measurement time configuration parameters and the start time information.

[0204] Optionally, as an embodiment, the measurement time configuration parameters further include an initial phase parameter; the initial phase parameter is used to indicate the initial phase of the time window; wherein, the initial time information is determined based on the initial phase parameter and the reference timing position.

[0205] Optionally, as an embodiment, the communication module 1520 is further configured to receive a reporting instruction from a network device, the reporting instruction being used to instruct the UE to report measurement results;

[0206] The communication module 1520 is further configured to send measurement results to the network device according to the reporting instruction, the measurement results including the measurement results of cells that meet preset conditions among the one or more candidate cells.

[0207] Optionally, as an embodiment, the processing module 1510 is further configured to enter a sleep state according to the measurement interval configuration parameter when no reporting instruction is received from the network device in the first time window. When the UE is in the sleep state, it stops performing measurements on the reference signals of one or more candidate cells. The measurement interval configuration parameter is used to indicate the sleep duration of the UE.

[0208] Optionally, as an embodiment, the processing module 1510 is further configured to perform a measurement in the next time window after the hibernation period ends, in the next time window of the first time window.

[0209] Optionally, as an embodiment, the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, the time threshold being determined based on the device capability of the UE.

[0210] Optionally, as an embodiment, the window length of the time window satisfies the following formula:

[0211] ;

[0212] in, Indicates the latest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; Indicates the earliest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; This represents the time threshold; where the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell is... Satisfy the following formula:

[0213]

[0214] in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer.

[0215] The above are merely examples; for detailed steps or procedures, please refer to the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments.

[0216] Alternatively, in another possible design, the communication device 1500 may correspond to the network device in the above method embodiments, or a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the network device. The communication device 1500 can be used to perform the steps or processes executed by the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0217] For example, the processing module 1510 is configured to determine measurement time configuration parameters based on the transmission time information of reference signals from one or more candidate cells. The measurement time configuration parameters include at least a window length parameter, which is used to indicate the window length of the time window.

[0218] The communication module 1520 is used to send a first message, the first message including the measurement time configuration parameters, and the first message is used to configure the measurement of the one or more candidate cells;

[0219] The communication module 1520 is also used to send a second message, which instructs the UE to perform a measurement. The second message includes at least start time information and an activation identifier. The activation identifier is used to activate the TCI state of one or more candidate cells. The start time information and the measurement time configuration parameters are used to determine a first time window.

[0220] Optionally, as an embodiment, the measurement time configuration parameters further include an initial phase parameter; the initial phase parameter is used to indicate the initial phase of the time window; wherein, the initial time information is determined based on the initial phase parameter and the reference timing position.

[0221] Optionally, as an embodiment, the communication module 1520 is further configured to send a reporting instruction, the reporting instruction being used to instruct the UE to report measurement results; the communication module 1520 is further configured to receive measurement results from the UE, the measurement results including measurement results of cells among the one or more candidate cells that meet preset conditions.

[0222] Optionally, as an embodiment, the processing module 1510 is used to determine the measurement time configuration parameters based on the reference signal period information of one or more candidate cells, including: calculating the arrival time of the reference signal corresponding to each candidate cell for each candidate cell to obtain multiple arrival times; determining the window length of the time window based on the latest arrival time and the earliest arrival time among the multiple arrival times; wherein the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition.

[0223] Optionally, as an embodiment, the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, the time threshold being determined based on the device capabilities of the UE.

[0224] Optionally, as an embodiment, the window length of the time window satisfies the following formula:

[0225] ;

[0226] in, Indicates the latest arrival time of the reference signal among multiple candidate cells; Indicates the earliest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; This represents the time threshold; where the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell is... Satisfy the following formula:

[0227]

[0228] in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer.

[0229] The above are merely examples; for detailed steps or procedures, please refer to the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments.

[0230] Figure 7 This is another schematic block diagram of the communication device 1600 provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device 1600 may be a chip, chip system, or processor, etc., in a terminal device (such as a UE) or network device that implements the above methods. The communication device 1600 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0231] like Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 1600 may include one or more processors 1610, which may also be referred to as processing units or processing modules, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 1610 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device 1600 (e.g., a base station, baseband chip, user, user chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0232] In an alternative design, the processor 1610 may also store instructions and / or data that can be executed by the processor 1610 to cause the communication device 1600 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0233] In another alternative design, the communication device 1600 may include a communication interface 1620 for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 1620 may be a transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or it may be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0234] Optionally, the communication device 1600 may include one or more memories 1630, which may store instructions that can be executed on the processor 1610, causing the communication device 1600 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories 1630 may also store data. Optionally, the processor 1610 may also store instructions and / or data. The processor 1610 and the memories 1630 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0235] It should be understood that, in one possible design, the steps in the method embodiments provided in this application can be implemented by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are not provided here.

[0236] In one implementation, the communication device 1600 may correspond to a terminal device (e.g., a UE) in the above method embodiments, and may be used to execute various steps and / or processes performed by the terminal device (e.g., the UE) in the above method embodiments. The processor 1610 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 1630, and when the processor 1610 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 1610 is used to execute various steps and / or processes of the above method embodiments corresponding to the terminal device.

[0237] In another implementation, the communication device 1600 may correspond to a network device (such as a satellite or base station) in the above method embodiments, and may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes executed by the network device in the above method embodiments. The processor 1610 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 1630, and when the processor 1610 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 1610 is used to execute the various steps and / or processes of the above method embodiments corresponding to the network device.

[0238] It should be understood that the aforementioned processing device can be one or more chips. For example, the processing device can be a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system-on-chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0239] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0240] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a chip system, which includes one or more processors for calling and executing instructions stored in memory, thereby causing the method described in the embodiments of this application to be executed. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0241] The chip system may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0242] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned network device and UE.

[0243] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes executed by the network device or UE in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0244] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes performed by the network device or UE in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0245] The computer-readable storage medium may be the aforementioned volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it may include both volatile memory and non-volatile memory.

[0246] In the embodiments of this application, the terms and English abbreviations are exemplary examples given for ease of description and should not be construed as limiting the application in any way. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0247] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated.

[0248] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0249] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0250] Furthermore, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this paper. The term "and / or" in this paper merely 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, and B alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this paper generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B.

[0251] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "information," "signal," "message," "channel," and "signaling" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing the distinction between them, their intended meanings are consistent. Similarly, the terms "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing the distinction between them, their intended meanings are consistent.

[0252] To clarify, the specific implementation of "predefined" can include any of the following: protocol predefined, manufacturer-specified, defined by the communication equipment, pre-installed in the communication equipment at the time of manufacture, or agreed upon in advance by other agreed methods.

[0253] The terms (or designations) "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only, that is, only to distinguish different objects, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more. "Multiple" means two or more. "At least one (item) below" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single (item) or a plurality of (items).

[0254] For example, expressions like "the item includes at least one of the following: A, B, and C" appearing in the embodiments of this application generally mean, unless otherwise specified, that the item can be any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C; A and A; A, A and A; A, A and B; A, A and C, A, B and B; A, C and C; B and B, B, B and B, B, B and C, C and C; C, C and C, and other combinations of A, B, and C. The above uses three elements, A, B, and C, as examples to illustrate the possible entries for the item. When expressed as "the item includes at least one of the following: A, B, ..., and X," that is, when the expression contains more elements, then the applicable entries for the item can also be obtained according to the aforementioned rules.

[0255] In summary, the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the technical solution of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a user equipment (UE), the method includes: A first message is received, the first message being used to configure candidate cells; the first message includes at least a measurement time configuration parameter, the measurement time configuration parameter being determined based on the transmission time information of reference signals of one or more candidate cells; the measurement time configuration parameter includes a window length parameter, the window length parameter being used to indicate the window length of a time window; wherein, the window length of the time window is determined based on the latest arrival time and the earliest arrival time among multiple arrival times, the multiple arrival times being calculated based on the arrival time of the reference signal corresponding to each of the one or more candidate cells; wherein, the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition; A second message is received, which instructs the UE to perform a measurement. The second message includes at least start time information and an activation identifier, which is used to activate the TCI state of the one or more candidate cells. Measurements are performed on reference signals of the one or more candidate cells within a first time window, which is determined based on the measurement time configuration parameters and the start time information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The measurement time configuration parameters also include an initial phase parameter; the initial phase parameter is used to indicate the initial phase of the time window; wherein, the initial time information is determined based on the initial phase parameter and the reference timing position.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a reporting instruction from a network device, the reporting instruction being used to instruct the UE to report measurement results; According to the reporting instruction, the measurement results are sent to the network device. The measurement results include the measurement results of cells that meet the preset conditions among the one or more candidate cells.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: If no reporting instruction is received from the network device in the first time window, the UE enters a sleep state according to the measurement interval configuration parameter. When the UE is in a sleep state, it stops measuring the reference signals of one or more candidate cells. The measurement interval configuration parameter is used to indicate the sleep duration of the UE.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the hibernation period ends, the measurement is performed in the next time window following the first time window.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, and the time threshold is determined based on the device capability of the UE.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The window length of the time window satisfies the following formula: ； in, Indicates the latest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; Indicates the earliest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; This represents the time threshold; where the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell is... Satisfy the following formula: in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first message is an RRC reconfiguration message.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second message is a MAC CE signaling.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first message also includes one or more of the following parameters: CSI-RS periodic configuration parameters for candidate cells, CSI-RS phase parameters for candidate cells, TCI status configuration parameters for candidate cells, CSI reporting method configuration parameters, and measurement interval configuration parameters.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: Based on the transmission time information of reference signals from one or more candidate cells, measurement time configuration parameters are determined. The measurement time configuration parameters include at least a window length parameter, which indicates the window length of the time window. Send a first message, the first message including the measurement time configuration parameters, the first message being used to configure the measurement of the one or more candidate cells; Send a second message, which instructs the UE to perform a measurement. The second message includes at least start time information and an activation identifier. The activation identifier is used to activate the TCI state of the one or more candidate cells. The start time information and the measurement time configuration parameters are used to determine a first time window. The step of determining the measurement time configuration parameters based on the reference signal period information of one or more candidate cells includes: For each candidate cell, the arrival time of the reference signal corresponding to each candidate cell is calculated, resulting in multiple arrival times; The window length of the time window is determined based on the latest arrival time and the earliest arrival time among the plurality of arrival times; wherein the window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The measurement time configuration parameters also include an initial phase parameter; the initial phase parameter is used to indicate the initial phase of the time window; wherein, the initial time information is determined based on the initial phase parameter and the reference timing position.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a reporting instruction, which instructs the UE to report the measurement results; The measurement results received from the UE include the measurement results of cells that meet preset conditions among the one or more candidate cells.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The window length of the time window satisfies a first preset condition, including: the window length of the time window does not exceed a time threshold, which is determined based on the device capability of the UE.

15. The method according to claim 11 or 14, characterized in that, The window length of the time window satisfies the following formula: ； in, Indicates the latest arrival time of the reference signal among multiple candidate cells; Indicates the earliest arrival time of the reference signal for multiple candidate cells; This represents the time threshold; where the arrival time of the reference signal for each candidate cell is... Satisfy the following formula: in, Indicates candidate cells The transmission period of the reference signal, Indicates candidate cells The transmission offset of the reference signal, It is a non-negative integer.

16. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first message is an RRC reconfiguration message.

17. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The second message is a MAC CE signaling.

18. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first message also includes one or more of the following parameters: CSI-RS periodic configuration parameters for candidate cells, CSI-RS phase parameters for candidate cells, TCI status configuration parameters for candidate cells, CSI reporting method configuration parameters, and measurement interval configuration parameters.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing a program or instructions, wherein the processor executes the program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 18.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed, they cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 18.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, Includes the communication device as described in claim 19.

22. A chip system, characterized in that, The chip system includes one or more processors, which are configured to retrieve and execute instructions stored in memory, such that the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 is executed, or that the method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 18 is executed.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10; or, cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 18.

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