Communication method and related device

Abstract

A communication method and related apparatus can be applied to a satellite communication system, such as a non-terrestrial communication network. A terminal device receives first information from a network device, the first information being used for indicating a first DRX period, and the first DRX period comprising a first wake-up time. And the terminal equipment receives second information from the network equipment, the second information is used for indicating a second DRX period, and the second DRX period comprises second wake-up time. The first wake-up time and the second wake-up time are not overlapped. And the terminal equipment performs discontinuous reception according to the first DRX period and the second DRX period. Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device can wake up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle and / or the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle so as to receive the paging message sent by the network device. Therefore, the terminal equipment can wake up in more wake-up time, the paging efficiency is improved, the success rate of establishing communication between the terminal equipment and the network equipment is improved, and the use efficiency of resources is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In wireless networks, discontinuous reception (DRX) technology has been introduced to save power consumption of terminal devices.

[0003] In the DRX mechanism, the terminal device periodically enters a wake-up state and a sleep state. When the terminal device is in sleep state, it turns off its receiver and cannot receive paging messages from the network device. When the terminal device is in wake-up state, it turns on its receiver and receives paging messages from the network device.

[0004] As shown above, terminal devices can only receive paging messages in the wake-up state during the DRX cycle. This results in low efficiency in receiving paging messages and a low success rate in establishing communication between the terminal device and the network device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving paging efficiency.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a communication method. This method can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal device or a communication module / processing module within the terminal device, or circuits or chips in the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or circuits or chips in the terminal device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, in this method, the terminal device receives first information from a network device, the first information indicating a first DRX cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time. The terminal device receives second information from the network device, the second information indicating a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time. Furthermore, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time do not overlap.

[0007] The terminal device receives data discontinuously based on the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle. Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device can wake up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle and / or the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle to receive paging messages sent by the network device. Therefore, the terminal device can wake up during more wake-up times, improving paging efficiency, increasing the success rate of establishing communication between the terminal device and the network device, and improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0008] Optionally, the first DRX cycle is a DRX cycle that occurs cyclically in time. During the first DRX cycle, the terminal device can enter a wake-up state or a sleep state. In this application, the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is the time during which the terminal device is in the wake-up state during the first DRX cycle. Alternatively, the first wake-up time can also be understood as the time from when the terminal device enters the wake-up state to when it exits the wake-up state (also known as entering the sleep state) during the first DRX cycle (also known as the On-Duration Timer). Therefore, the first wake-up time is a collective term for the wake-up time of the terminal device in one or more first DRX cycles, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device.

[0009] Optionally, the second DRX cycle is a DRX cycle that occurs cyclically in time. During the second DRX cycle, the terminal device can enter a wake-up state or a sleep state. In this application, the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is the time during which the terminal device is in the wake-up state during the second DRX cycle. Alternatively, the second wake-up time can also be understood as the time from when the terminal device enters the wake-up state to when it exits the wake-up state (also known as entering the sleep state) during the second DRX cycle (also known as the On-Duration Timer). Therefore, the second wake-up time is a collective term for the wake-up time of the terminal device in one or more second DRX cycles, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the terminal device uses a first DRX cycle and a second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Specifically, the terminal device wakes up at a first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle, and also wakes up at a second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle, thereby allowing the terminal device to receive paging messages from the network device during both the first and second wake-up times, improving paging efficiency.

[0011] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the terminal device may first use a first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at a first wake-up time within the first DRX cycle. When a first condition is met, the terminal device uses a second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, and stops using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Thus, the terminal device can switch between the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle, improving paging efficiency and scheme flexibility.

[0012] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first condition includes one or more of the following:

[0013] Condition 1: The number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and / or paging messages received by the terminal device in N first wake-up times is less than a first threshold, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Alternatively, it can be understood as the number of SSBs and / or paging messages received by the terminal device in N first wake-up times being less than the first threshold. For example, when the terminal device wakes up in a first wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive SSBs and / or paging messages (and the signal strength of the SSBs and / or paging messages meets the requirements), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs and / or paging messages received in this first wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive SSBs and / or paging messages from the network device when it wakes up in a first wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs and / or paging messages received in this first wake-up time as 0. For example, assuming N=3 and the first threshold=1, it means that if the number of SSB and / or paging messages received by the terminal device in three consecutive first wake-up times is less than 1, then condition 1 in the first condition is satisfied. Alternatively, it can be understood that if the terminal device does not receive any SSB and / or paging messages in three consecutive first wake-up times, then condition 1 in the first condition is satisfied.

[0014] If condition 1 is met, it indicates that the terminal device has difficulty receiving SSB and / or paging messages normally during the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the second wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing the terminal device's resource overhead.

[0015] In this application, "greater than" can specifically mean "higher than", and "less than" can specifically mean "lower than". Furthermore, "less than" in the examples can be replaced with "less than or equal to", and "greater than" can be replaced with "greater than or equal to", without any specific limitation in this application. It should be understood that the examples provided in this application are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on this application.

[0016] Condition 2: The number of SSBs received by the terminal device during M third wake-up times is less than the second threshold, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; or, it can be understood as the number of SSBs and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during M third wake-up times being less than the second threshold. The third wake-up times, the first wake-up times, and the second wake-up times do not overlap. For example, when the terminal device wakes up during a third wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive an SSB (and the signal strength of the SSB is sufficient), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive an SSB and / or paging message from the network device when it wakes up during a third wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 0. For example, assuming M = 3 and the second threshold = 1, this means that if the number of SSBs received by the terminal device during 3 consecutive third wake-up times is less than 1, then condition 2 in the first condition is satisfied. Alternatively, it can be understood that if the terminal device does not receive an SSB for three consecutive third wake-up times, then condition 2 in the first condition is satisfied.

[0017] In this application, the terminal device enters a wake-up state at a third wake-up time to receive SSBs; that is, the third wake-up time is used for the terminal device to receive SSBs. The third wake-up time is another periodically occurring wake-up time besides the first and second wake-up times, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device first uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the first wake-up time within the first DRX cycle, and also periodically wakes up at the third wake-up time to receive SSBs. When condition 2 is met, it indicates that the terminal device has difficulty receiving SSBs normally at the third wake-up time, and thus it can also be considered that the terminal device has difficulty receiving SSBs and / or paging messages normally at the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the second wake-up time to attempt to receive SSBs and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and paging success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the situation where the terminal device uses two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) simultaneously for discontinuous reception, reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device.

[0018] Optionally, the length of the third wake-up time is shorter than the length of the first wake-up time, and the frequency of occurrence of the third wake-up time is higher than the frequency of occurrence of the first wake-up time. This allows for a faster determination of whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs during the third wake-up time, and consequently, whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time, so that the terminal device can promptly switch to the second wake-up time to receive SSBs and / or paging messages.

[0019] Condition 3: The terminal device receives an SSB and / or paging message at the second wake-up time before the next first wake-up time. This indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the second wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device can switch to the second wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device simultaneously using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing the terminal device's resource overhead.

[0020] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the network device can send third information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the third information from the network device. The third information is used by the network device to configure a third wake-up time for the terminal device, that is, the third information is used to indicate the third wake-up time.

[0021] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the terminal device may first use the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle. When the second condition is met, the terminal device uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and stops using the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Thus, the terminal device can switch between the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle, improving paging efficiency and scheme flexibility.

[0022] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the second condition includes one or more of the following:

[0023] Condition 4: The number of SSB and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during X second wake-up times is greater than the third threshold, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Alternatively, it can be understood as the number of SSB and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during X second wake-up times being greater than the third threshold. For example, when the terminal device wakes up during a second wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive SSB and / or paging messages (and the signal strength of the SSB and / or paging messages meets the requirements), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSB and / or paging messages received during this second wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive SSB and / or paging messages from the network device when it wakes up during a second wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSB and / or paging messages received during this second wake-up time as 0.

[0024] When condition 4 is met, it indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages during the second wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging flexibility. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device simultaneously using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing the terminal device's resource overhead.

[0025] On the other hand, when the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the first time window, meaning the second DRX cycle is a DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages, the length of the second DRX cycle is often greater than the length of the first DRX cycle, and the length of the second wake-up time is often greater than the length of the first wake-up time. Therefore, when the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the second wake-up time, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, thereby reducing the length of the DRX cycle and the length of the wake-up time executed by the terminal device, and reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device. Furthermore, it also reduces the terminal device's occupancy of enhanced paging messages, making it easier for other terminal devices to receive enhanced paging messages.

[0026] Condition 5: The number of SSBs received by the terminal device during Y third wake-up times is greater than the fourth threshold, where Y is an integer greater than or equal to 1; or, it can be understood as the number of SSBs and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during Y third wake-up times being greater than the fourth threshold. The third wake-up times, first wake-up times, and second wake-up times do not overlap. For example, when the terminal device wakes up during a third wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive an SSB (and the signal strength of the SSB is sufficient), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive an SSB and / or paging message from the network device when it wakes up during a third wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 0.

[0027] In this application, the terminal device enters a wake-up state at a third wake-up time to receive SSBs; that is, the third wake-up time is used for the terminal device to receive SSBs. The third wake-up time is another periodically occurring wake-up time besides the first and second wake-up times, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device first uses the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the second wake-up time within the second DRX cycle, and the terminal device also periodically wakes up at the third wake-up time to receive SSBs. When condition 5 is met, it indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSBs at the third wake-up time, and thus it can also be considered that the terminal device can normally receive SSBs and / or paging messages at the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSBs and / or paging messages, improving paging flexibility. Furthermore, it avoids the situation where the terminal device uses two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) simultaneously for discontinuous reception, reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device.

[0028] Optionally, the length of the third wake-up time is shorter than the length of the first wake-up time, and the frequency of occurrence of the third wake-up time is higher than the frequency of occurrence of the first wake-up time. This allows for a faster determination of whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs during the third wake-up time, and consequently, whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time, so that the terminal device can promptly switch to receiving SSBs and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time.

[0029] On the other hand, when the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the first time window, meaning the second DRX cycle is a DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages, the length of the second DRX cycle is often greater than the length of the first DRX cycle, and the length of the second wake-up time is often greater than the length of the first wake-up time. Therefore, when the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the third wake-up time, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, thereby reducing the length of the DRX cycle and the length of the wake-up time executed by the terminal device, and reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device. Furthermore, it also reduces the terminal device's occupancy of enhanced paging messages, making it easier for other terminal devices to receive enhanced paging messages.

[0030] Condition 6: The terminal device receives an SSB and / or paging message during the first wake-up time before the next second wake-up time. This indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device can switch to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing resource overhead. It also reduces the terminal device's occupancy of enhanced paging messages, facilitating other terminal devices to receive enhanced paging messages.

[0031] In conditions 1 through 6, "greater than" can specifically mean "higher than" and "less than" can specifically mean "lower than". Furthermore, "less than" in the examples can be replaced with "less than or equal to" and "greater than" can be replaced with "greater than or equal to", and this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should be understood that the examples provided in this application are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on this application.

[0032] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the network device can send third information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the third information from the network device. The third information is used by the network device to configure a third wake-up time for the terminal device, that is, the third information is used to indicate the third wake-up time.

[0033] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the network device sends an enhanced paging message within a first time window. The time window during which the network device sends the enhanced paging message is the first time window in this application, meaning the first time window is used to transmit the enhanced paging message. Specifically, the network device can periodically send the enhanced paging message; therefore, the first time window does not specifically refer to a single time window, but rather is a collective term for multiple periodic time windows used to transmit the enhanced paging message. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the enhanced paging message from the network device within the first time window. Therefore, in this application, the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle can be associated with the first time window so that the terminal device can receive the enhanced paging message from the network device when it wakes up at the first wake-up time; or, the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle can be associated with the second time window so that the terminal device can receive the enhanced paging message from the network device when it wakes up at the second wake-up time.

[0034] The phrase "the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is associated with the first time window" can be replaced with other descriptions, such as "the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle includes the first time window", or "the first time window is contained in the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle", or "the first time window packet overlaps with the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle", or "the first time window packet is part or all of the time in the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle", or "the first wake-up time has the same period as the occurrence of the first time window", or "the first wake-up time is an integer multiple of the period in which the first time window occurs".

[0035] Similarly, the statement "the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the second time window" can be replaced with other descriptions, such as "the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle includes the second time window", or "the second time window is contained in the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle", or "the second time window packet overlaps with the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle", or "the second time window packet is part or all of the time in the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle", or "the second wake-up time has the same period as the occurrence of the first time window", or "the second wake-up time is an integer multiple of the period in which the first time window occurs".

[0036] Optionally, when the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is associated with a first time window, the second DRX cycle can be a traditional DRX cycle, while the first DRX cycle can be a DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages, in order to improve the efficiency of the terminal device in receiving enhanced paging messages at the first wake-up time. For example, the length of the first DRX cycle can be configured to be greater than the length of the second DRX cycle, and the length of the first wake-up time can be greater than the length of the second wake-up time. For instance, the length of the second DRX cycle (traditional DRX cycle) is 128 frames, and the length of the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is 30 milliseconds; while the length of the first DRX cycle (DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages) can be 512 frames, and the length of the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is 200 milliseconds.

[0037] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following:

[0038] The length of the first DRX cycle, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the first DRX cycle;

[0039] The length of the first wake-up time, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the first wake-up time;

[0040] The offset of the start time of the first DRX cycle. Optionally, the start time of the first DRX cycle can be obtained by using a certain time point as a reference time and offsetting it by a preset offset. The reference time can be a certain system frame (e.g., the 0th system frame), or it can be the start time of the second DRX cycle, or it can be other time points as reference time. This application does not limit this.

[0041] Secondly, this application provides a communication method. This method can be applied to the network side, such as a network device or a communication / processing module within a network device, or a circuit or chip in the network device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the network device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU)). Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, in this method, the network device sends first information to the terminal device, the first information indicating a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time; the network device sends second information to the terminal device, the second information indicating a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time not overlapping; the network device sends a paging message according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle, and correspondingly, the terminal device performs discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle. As a result, terminal devices can wake up in a longer time, improving paging efficiency, increasing the success rate of establishing communication between terminal devices and network devices, and improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0042] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, the network device can send third information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the third information from the network device. The third information is used by the network device to configure a third wake-up time for the terminal device, that is, the third information is used to indicate the third wake-up time.

[0043] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following:

[0044] The length of the first DRX cycle, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the first DRX cycle;

[0045] The length of the first wake-up time, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the first wake-up time;

[0046] The offset of the start time of the first DRX cycle. Optionally, the start time of the first DRX cycle can be obtained by using a certain time point as a reference time and offsetting it by a preset offset. The reference time can be a certain system frame (e.g., the 0th system frame), or it can be the start time of the second DRX cycle, or it can be other time points as reference time. This application does not limit this.

[0047] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device, which is a terminal device, comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive first information from a network device, the first information indicating a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time; the transceiver unit is further configured to receive second information from the network device, the second information indicating a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time not overlapping.

[0048] The processing unit is used to perform discontinuous reception according to the first DRX period and the second DRX period.

[0049] In the third aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0050] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, which is a network device, comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to send first information to a terminal device, the first information indicating a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time; the transceiver unit is further configured to send second information to the terminal device, the second information indicating a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time not overlapping.

[0051] The processing unit is used to send paging messages according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

[0052] In the fourth aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to perform the steps executed in various possible implementations of the second aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0053] A fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor; the at least one processor is configured to execute a program or instructions to enable the communication device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. Optionally, the communication device may include the memory, and the at least one processor is coupled to the memory; the memory is used to store programs or instructions.

[0054] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to second aspects described above.

[0055] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned terminal equipment and network equipment.

[0056] An eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0057] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0058] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects.

[0059] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0060] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects two through ten can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspect one above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0061] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the DRX mechanism;

[0062] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one possible, non-limiting system used in the communication method and related apparatus of this application;

[0063] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another possible, non-limiting system used in the communication method and related apparatus of this application;

[0064] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating one possible implementation of the communication method in this application;

[0065] Figures 5 to 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of discontinuous reception by the terminal device in this application;

[0066] Figures 8 to 12A schematic diagram of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0067] The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in the embodiments section is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0068] First, some of the nouns or terms used in this application will be explained, and these nouns or terms are also part of the content of the invention.

[0069] (1) The terms “system” and “network” in this application are used interchangeably. “Multiple” refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an “or” relationship. “At least one of the following” or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, “at least one of A, B and C” includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. Unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” mentioned in this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0070] (2) In this application, “sending information” can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, “terminal device sending information” can be understood as a terminal device sending information to another device (such as a network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0071] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "terminal device receiving information" can be understood as a terminal device receiving information from another device (such as a network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0072] In this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a network device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being a network device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a network device. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information sent (e.g., by a network device)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being a network device. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a network device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, encoding, modulation, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0073] (3) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device or server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal device via messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0074] It should be understood that these values ​​and parameters can change or be updated.

[0075] (4) In this application, “instruction” may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, and may also include explicit instruction and implicit instruction. When a certain instruction information is used to instruct A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly instructs A, or indirectly instructs A.

[0076] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon, for example, by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-predefined) arrangement of various information to indicate specific information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0077] (5) Discontinuous reception (DRX) is a widely used technology in mobile communication systems, primarily used to save power consumption of terminal devices. In the DRX mechanism, the terminal device only turns on the receiver and enters a wake-up state during necessary time periods to receive downlink data, while turning off the receiver and entering a sleep state during the remaining time periods to stop receiving downlink data. By reducing unnecessary receiver operating time, the terminal device can effectively reduce power consumption, thereby extending battery life.

[0078] The DRX cycle can be dynamically configured by the network and optimized based on different network loads and device types. For example, in IoT applications, devices may only need to transmit small amounts of data occasionally, so a longer DRX cycle can be used to maximize energy savings. In applications requiring high interactivity, a shorter DRX cycle may be needed to reduce response time.

[0079] Next, we will introduce the possible, non-limiting scenarios involved in this application.

[0080] In wireless networks, discontinuous reception (DRX) technology has been introduced to save power consumption in terminal devices. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the DRX mechanism. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, in the DRX mechanism, the terminal device periodically enters a wake-up state and a sleep state. When the terminal device is in a sleep state, it turns off its receiver and cannot receive paging messages from the network device. When the terminal device is in a wake-up state, it turns on its receiver and receives paging messages from the network device.

[0081] As shown above, terminal devices can only receive paging messages in the wake-up state during the DRX cycle. This results in low efficiency in receiving paging messages and a low success rate in establishing communication between the terminal device and the network device.

[0082] On the other hand, the efficiency of terminal devices in receiving paging messages is also affected by deep fading. Deep fading refers to the phenomenon in wireless communication where the received signal strength drops significantly below the average level. Deep fading usually leads to severe degradation of communication link quality and may even cause communication interruption. Deep fading is an extreme case of signal fading and can be caused by a variety of factors, the main factors of which include one or more of the following:

[0083] 1. Multipath propagation: When a signal arrives at the receiver via different paths, these signals interfere with each other, creating both constructive and destructive interference. In some cases, this interference can lead to a significant decrease in the strength of the received signal.

[0084] 2. Shadowing effect: Large obstacles, such as buildings and mountains, can block signals along a direct path, leading to a significant reduction in signal strength. This effect is particularly pronounced in slow fading because environmental changes are gradual, and the decrease in signal strength is progressive.

[0085] 3. Atmospheric conditions: Weather conditions, such as rain, snow, and fog, can absorb or scatter signals, leading to signal strength attenuation;

[0086] 4. Ground reflection: Multiple reflections of a signal on the ground can also cause signal strength to decrease, especially at certain frequencies, where ground reflection can cause significant fading.

[0087] 5. Terminal device movement: When a terminal device moves rapidly, the signal may experience rapid and deep fading due to the combination of the Doppler effect and multipath propagation, which is often referred to as fast fading.

[0088] If deep fading occurs, even if the terminal device enters the wake-up state during the DRX cycle, it will be difficult for the terminal device to receive paging messages from the network device, reducing the success rate of establishing communication between the terminal device and the network device.

[0089] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus for improving paging efficiency. The communication method and related apparatus provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, future communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, industrial internet communication systems, or satellite communication systems, etc. The wireless communication systems involved in this application also include, but are not limited to, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems.

[0090] For example, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one possible, non-limiting system used in the communication method and related apparatus of this application. Figure 2 As shown, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., Figure 2 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as Figure 2 RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 2 (Not shown in the image). Terminal device 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless connections.

[0091] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication system, a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a future communication system. RAN 100 can also be an open access network (openRAN, O-RAN, or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0092] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as network device, access network device, RAN equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminal devices achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative, for example... Figure 2 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 2 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal equipment functions.

[0093] In one possible scenario, RAN node 110 can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. Optionally, RAN node 110 can also be a macro base station (such as...). Figure 2 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 2The RAN node 110 can be a relay node or donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. In a satellite communication system, the RAN node can also be a satellite or a base station deployed on a satellite. Optionally, the RAN node 110 can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node 110 in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node 110 can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node 110 can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node 110 in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110.

[0094] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0095] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0096] Terminal equipment can be any device or module that connects to the communication system shown above and has corresponding communication functions. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), fixed wireless access (FWA), or customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. Terminal equipment includes wireless communication functions (providing voice / data connectivity to users). Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving (e.g., drones, vehicles), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in self-driving can be drones, helicopters, or airplanes. For example, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, or ships. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, or robotic arms. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes. Terminal devices typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions, and they also contain program instructions for performing those functions.

[0097] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another possible, non-limiting system used in the communication method and related apparatus of this application. Figure 3As shown, the terminal device communicates with a satellite. For example, the satellite can transmit downlink data to the terminal device, where the downlink data can be encoded using channel coding, and the channel-coded downlink data is transmitted to the terminal device after constellation modulation. The terminal device can also transmit uplink data to the satellite, where the uplink data can also be encoded using channel coding, and the channel-coded uplink data is transmitted to the satellite after constellation modulation. The method provided in this application can be applied to various satellite communication systems, such as non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). An NTN can be an NTN integrated with other communication systems, such as an NTN integrated with a 5G communication network or an NTN integrated with future evolved communication networks.

[0098] Wireless links exist between different satellites to facilitate signaling exchange and user data transmission. Satellites connect to the terrestrial core network via these wireless links. The core network is used to implement services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and accounting. The core network mainly includes Network Exposure Function (NEF) network elements, Policy Control Function (PCF) network elements, Application Function (AF) network elements, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network elements, Session Management Function (SMF) network elements, and User Plane Function (UPF) network elements.

[0099] The following section introduces the various network elements in the core network.

[0100] NEF network element: Used to expose the services and capabilities of 3GPP network functions to AF network element, and at the same time, it can also allow AF network element to provide information to 3GPP network functions. The corresponding interface is N33 interface.

[0101] PCF network element: Used for policy management of charging and QoS policies;

[0102] AF (AF Element): Used to transmit the application's requirements to the network side;

[0103] AMF network elements are primarily used for mobility management, access authentication / authorization, and other functions. They are also responsible for transmitting user policies between the UE and PCF network elements. The N1 interface is the signaling plane interface between the UE and AMF network elements; since the UE cannot directly interact with the core network, it needs to pass NAS (non-access stratum) information through the AN. The N2 interface is the signaling plane interface through which the AMF network element requests resources from the AN for Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions.

[0104] SMF network element: Used to complete session management functions such as Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation for UE, UPF selection, and billing and QoS policy control;

[0105] UPF network elements: As the interface with the data network, they are used to perform functions such as user plane data forwarding, session / flow-based billing statistics, and bandwidth limiting. The N3 interface is the interface between the radio access network (RAN) and UPF network elements, mainly used to transmit uplink and downlink user plane data between the 5G RAN and UPF network elements.

[0106] Figure 3 The satellite shown can be designed using a regenerative satellite architecture or a transparent satellite architecture, or it can adopt other future-evolving satellite architectures. Figure 3 When the satellite used in the application adopts a regenerable satellite architecture, it is equivalent to the network device in this application. In this scenario, the "network device sending first information and / or second information" mentioned in this application can be understood as the first information being generated and sent by the satellite, making the satellite the source of the first and / or second information. When the satellite adopts a transparent transmission satellite architecture, it is equivalent to a transparent transmission node (also called a relay node or forwarding node) between the terminal device and the ground network device (e.g., a base station). In this scenario, the "network device sending first information and / or second information" mentioned in this application can be understood as the first and / or second information being generated by the ground network device (e.g., a base station) and sent to the terminal device, meaning the network device (e.g., the base station) is the source of the first and / or second information. The satellite is then used to forward the first and / or second information sent by the network device (e.g., the base station) to the terminal device.

[0107] Optionally, the satellite may be a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, or a geostationary Earth orbit (HEO) satellite, or other types of satellites that will evolve in the future; this application does not limit this.

[0108] The communication method and related apparatus of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0109] In this application, Figure 2 The RAN node shown is Figure 3 The satellite shown can be replaced with other terms, such as "network device". For ease of description, unless otherwise specified, "network device" will be used throughout this application. It should be understood that the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to other different expressions or types of "network devices".

[0110] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating one possible implementation of the communication method in this application. It should be understood that this application uses network devices and terminal devices as examples to illustrate the method, but this application does not limit the entities that can perform the interaction. For example, Figure 4 The methods executed by network devices can also be implemented by chips, baseband chips, modem chips, system-on-chip (SoC) chips containing modem cores, system-in-package (SIP) chips, communication modules, chip systems, processors, logic modules, or software within the network device. In this application, the term "network device" can refer to the network device itself, or to the chips, communication modules, integrated circuits, processors, logic modules, or software within the network device used to implement the communication methods provided in this application; no specific limitation is made in this application. Similarly, Figure 4 The method executed by the terminal device can also be implemented by chips, baseband chips, modem chips, SoC chips containing modem cores, SIP chips, communication modules, chip systems, processors, logic modules, or software within the terminal device. In this application, the term "terminal device" can refer to the terminal device itself, or to chips, communication modules, integrated circuits, processors, logic modules, or software within the terminal device used to implement the communication method provided in this application; no specific limitation is made in this application.

[0111] like Figure 4 As shown, the communication method of this application includes, but is not limited to, steps 401 to 403.

[0112] 401. The terminal device receives the first information from the network device, and in turn, the network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0113] The terminal device receives first information from the network device. The first information is used to indicate a first DRX cycle, and the first DRX cycle includes a first wake-up time.

[0114] The first DRX cycle is a DRX cycle that occurs cyclically in time. During the first DRX cycle, the terminal device can enter a wake-up state or a sleep state. In this application, the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is the time during which the terminal device is in the wake-up state during the first DRX cycle. Alternatively, the first wake-up time can also be understood as the time from when the terminal device enters the wake-up state to when it exits the wake-up state (also known as entering the sleep state) during the first DRX cycle (also known as the On-Duration Timer). Therefore, the first wake-up time is a collective term for the wake-up time of the terminal device in one or more first DRX cycles, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device.

[0115] In one possible implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following:

[0116] The length of the first DRX cycle, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the first DRX cycle;

[0117] The length of the first wake-up time, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the first wake-up time;

[0118] The offset of the start time of the first DRX cycle. Optionally, the start time of the first DRX cycle can be obtained by using a certain time point as a reference time and offsetting it by a preset offset. The reference time can be a certain system frame (e.g., the 0th system frame), or it can be the start time of the second DRX cycle, or it can be other time points as reference time. This application does not limit this.

[0119] Optionally, the network device may send the first information to each terminal device at the cell level, or to each terminal device at the serving cell level, or to each terminal device at the paging tracking area level, or may use other propagation ranges to send the first information to each terminal device.

[0120] Optionally, the first information may be carried in a system information block (SIB), a radio resource controller (RRC), or a medium access control element (MAC CE).

[0121] 402. The terminal device receives the second information from the network device, and correspondingly, the network device sends the second information to the terminal device.

[0122] The terminal device receives second information from the network device, which indicates a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time. Furthermore, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time do not overlap.

[0123] The second DRX cycle is a DRX cycle that occurs cyclically in time. During the second DRX cycle, the terminal device can enter a wake-up state or a sleep state. In this application, the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is the time during which the terminal device is in the wake-up state during the second DRX cycle. Alternatively, the second wake-up time can also be understood as the time from when the terminal device enters the wake-up state to when it exits the wake-up state (also known as entering the sleep state) during the second DRX cycle (also known as the On-Duration Timer). Therefore, the second wake-up time is a collective term for the wake-up time of the terminal device in one or more second DRX cycles, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device.

[0124] In one possible implementation, the second information includes one or more of the following:

[0125] The length of the second DRX cycle, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the second DRX cycle;

[0126] The length of the second wake-up time, or, it can also be understood as the duration of the second wake-up time;

[0127] The offset of the start time of the second DRX cycle. Optionally, the start time of the second DRX cycle can be obtained by using a certain time point as a reference time and offsetting it by a preset offset. The reference time can be a certain system frame (e.g., the 0th system frame), or it can be the start time of the first DRX cycle, or it can be other time points as reference time. This application does not limit this.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the network device sends an enhanced paging message within a first time window. This first time window, as defined in this application, is used to transmit the enhanced paging message. Specifically, the network device can periodically send enhanced paging messages; therefore, the first time window does not refer to a specific time window but rather to a collective term for multiple periodic time windows used to transmit the enhanced paging message. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the enhanced paging message from the network device within the first time window. Therefore, in this application, the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle can be associated with the first time window so that the terminal device can receive the enhanced paging message from the network device when it wakes up at the first wake-up time; or, the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle can be associated with the second time window so that the terminal device can receive the enhanced paging message from the network device when it wakes up at the second wake-up time.

[0129] The phrase "the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is associated with the first time window" can be replaced with other descriptions, such as "the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle includes the first time window", or "the first time window is contained in the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle", or "the first time window packet overlaps with the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle", or "the first time window packet is part or all of the time in the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle", or "the first wake-up time has the same period as the occurrence of the first time window", or "the first wake-up time is an integer multiple of the period in which the first time window occurs".

[0130] Similarly, the statement "the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the second time window" can be replaced with other descriptions, such as "the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle includes the second time window", or "the second time window is contained in the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle", or "the second time window packet overlaps with the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle", or "the second time window packet is part or all of the time in the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle", or "the second wake-up time has the same period as the occurrence of the first time window", or "the second wake-up time is an integer multiple of the period in which the first time window occurs".

[0131] Optionally, if the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is associated with the first time window, the second DRX cycle can be a traditional DRX cycle (e.g., Figure 1As shown in the diagram, the first DRX cycle can be a DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages to improve the efficiency of the terminal device in receiving enhanced paging messages during the first wake-up time. For example, the length of the first DRX cycle can be configured to be greater than the length of the second DRX cycle, and the length of the first wake-up time can be greater than the length of the second wake-up time. For instance, the length of the second DRX cycle (the conventional DRX cycle) is 128 frames, and the length of the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is 30 milliseconds; while the length of the first DRX cycle (the DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages) can be 512 frames, and the length of the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is 200 milliseconds.

[0132] Regarding the situation where "the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the first time window", it is similar to the situation where "the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is associated with the first time window" mentioned above. Please refer to the description above for details, and it will not be repeated here.

[0133] Optional, enhanced paging messages, compared to ordinary paging messages, mainly feature one or more of the following enhancements:

[0134] Enhanced coverage. Enhanced paging messages may support wider coverage, improving the efficiency of terminal devices in receiving paging messages in areas with weak signal.

[0135] Signal strength enhancement;

[0136] Enhanced penetrating power;

[0137] Enhanced message content. For example, enhanced paging messages may include fields such as the terminal device's identifier or service identifier to reduce subsequent signaling exchanges between network devices and terminal devices.

[0138] Optionally, the network device may send the second information to each terminal device at the cell level, or to each terminal device at the serving cell level, or to each terminal device at the paging tracking area level, or may use other propagation ranges to send the second information to each terminal device.

[0139] In this application, Figure 4 In the corresponding embodiment, step 401 can be executed before step 402, or step 401 can be executed after step 402, or step 401 can be executed simultaneously with step 402. Optionally, when step 401 and step 402 are executed simultaneously, the first information and the second information can be carried in the same signaling message, or the first information and the second information can be carried in different signaling messages, and this application does not limit this.

[0140] Optionally, the second information may be carried in a system information block (SIB), a radio resource controller (RRC), or a medium access control element (MAC CE).

[0141] 403. The terminal device performs discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

[0142] When the terminal device is in sleep mode, it turns off its receiver, and therefore cannot receive paging messages from the network device. When the terminal device is in wake-up mode (e.g., at the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time), it turns on its receiver, and then it can receive paging messages from the network device.

[0143] In this application, the terminal device performs discontinuous reception based on the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle, and correspondingly, the network device sends paging messages based on the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle. Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device can wake up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle and / or the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle to receive the paging message sent by the network device. Therefore, the terminal device can wake up during more wake-up times, improving paging efficiency, increasing the success rate of establishing communication between the terminal device and the network device, and improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0144] Regarding step 403, "the terminal device performs discontinuous reception based on the first DRX period and the second DRX period," it can be understood as the terminal using the first DRX period and the second DRX period for discontinuous reception, or it can be understood as the terminal device using either the first DRX period or the second DRX period for discontinuous reception. The following sections will introduce these two different implementation methods for step 403.

[0145] Implementation Method 1: The terminal device uses the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception.

[0146] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating one possible implementation of discontinuous reception by the terminal device in this application. For example... Figure 5As shown, the terminal device uses a first DRX cycle and a second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Specifically, the terminal device wakes up at the first wake-up time of the first DRX cycle and also wakes up at the second wake-up time of the second DRX cycle. This allows the terminal device to receive paging messages from the network device during both the first and second wake-up times, improving paging efficiency.

[0147] Implementation Method 2: The terminal device uses the first DRX cycle or the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the terminal device can first use a first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, meaning the terminal device periodically wakes up at the first wake-up time within the first DRX cycle. When a first condition is met, the terminal device then uses a second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and stops using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Thus, the terminal device can switch between the first and second DRX cycles, improving paging efficiency and scheme flexibility.

[0149] Optionally, the first condition can be configured by the network device for the terminal device.

[0150] Optionally, the first condition may include one or more of the following:

[0151] Condition 1: The number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and / or paging messages received by the terminal device in N first wake-up times is less than a first threshold, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Alternatively, it can be understood as the number of SSBs and / or paging messages received by the terminal device in N first wake-up times being less than the first threshold. For example, when the terminal device wakes up in a first wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive SSBs and / or paging messages (and the signal strength of the SSBs and / or paging messages meets the requirements), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs and / or paging messages received in this first wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive SSBs and / or paging messages from the network device when it wakes up in a first wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs and / or paging messages received in this first wake-up time as 0. For example, assuming N=3 and the first threshold=1, it means that if the number of SSB and / or paging messages received by the terminal device in three consecutive first wake-up times is less than 1, then condition 1 in the first condition is satisfied. Alternatively, it can be understood that if the terminal device does not receive any SSB and / or paging messages in three consecutive first wake-up times, then condition 1 in the first condition is satisfied.

[0152] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another possible implementation of discontinuous reception by the terminal device in this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the terminal device first uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle. If the terminal device cannot normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the first wake-up time (i.e., condition 1 or condition 2 is met), the terminal device stops using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, it stops waking up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle, and the terminal device uses the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device wakes up at the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle.

[0153] If condition 1 is met, it indicates that the terminal device has difficulty receiving SSB and / or paging messages normally during the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the second wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing the terminal device's resource overhead.

[0154] Condition 2: The number of SSBs received by the terminal device during M third wake-up times is less than the second threshold, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; or, it can be understood as the number of SSBs and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during M third wake-up times being less than the second threshold. The third wake-up times, the first wake-up times, and the second wake-up times do not overlap. For example, when the terminal device wakes up during a third wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive an SSB (and the signal strength of the SSB is sufficient), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive an SSB and / or paging message from the network device when it wakes up during a third wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 0. For example, assuming M = 3 and the second threshold = 1, this means that if the number of SSBs received by the terminal device during 3 consecutive third wake-up times is less than 1, then condition 2 in the first condition is satisfied. Alternatively, it can be understood that if the terminal device does not receive an SSB for three consecutive third wake-up times, then condition 2 in the first condition is satisfied.

[0155] In this application, the terminal device enters a wake-up state at a third wake-up time to receive SSBs; that is, the third wake-up time is used for the terminal device to receive SSBs. The third wake-up time is another periodically occurring wake-up time besides the first and second wake-up times, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device first uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the first wake-up time within the first DRX cycle, and also periodically wakes up at the third wake-up time to receive SSBs. When condition 2 is met, it indicates that the terminal device has difficulty receiving SSBs normally at the third wake-up time, and thus it can also be considered that the terminal device has difficulty receiving SSBs and / or paging messages normally at the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the second wake-up time to attempt to receive SSBs and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and paging success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the situation where the terminal device uses two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) simultaneously for discontinuous reception, reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device.

[0156] Optionally, the length of the third wake-up time is shorter than the length of the first wake-up time, and the frequency of occurrence of the third wake-up time is higher than the frequency of occurrence of the first wake-up time. This allows for a faster determination of whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs during the third wake-up time, and consequently, whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time, so that the terminal device can promptly switch to the second wake-up time to receive SSBs and / or paging messages.

[0157] Optionally, the network device can send third information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the third information from the network device. The third information is used by the network device to configure a third wake-up time for the terminal device, that is, the third information is used to indicate the third wake-up time.

[0158] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another possible implementation of discontinuous reception by the terminal device in this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the terminal device first uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle. If the terminal device cannot receive SSB normally at the third wake-up time (satisfying condition 2), then the terminal device stops using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, it stops waking up at the first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle, and the terminal device uses the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device wakes up at the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle.

[0159] Condition 3: The terminal device receives an SSB and / or paging message at the second wake-up time before the next first wake-up time. This indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the second wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device can switch to the second wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device simultaneously using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing the terminal device's resource overhead.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the terminal device can first use the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle. When a second condition is met, the terminal device uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and stops using the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Thus, the terminal device can switch between the first and second DRX cycles, improving paging efficiency and scheme flexibility.

[0161] Optionally, the second condition can be configured by the network device for the terminal device.

[0162] Optionally, the second condition may include one or more of the following:

[0163] Condition 4: The number of SSB and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during X second wake-up times is greater than the third threshold, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Alternatively, it can be understood as the number of SSB and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during X second wake-up times being greater than the third threshold. For example, when the terminal device wakes up during a second wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive SSB and / or paging messages (and the signal strength of the SSB and / or paging messages meets the requirements), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSB and / or paging messages received during this second wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive SSB and / or paging messages from the network device when it wakes up during a second wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSB and / or paging messages received during this second wake-up time as 0.

[0164] When condition 4 is met, it indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages during the second wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging flexibility. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device simultaneously using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing the terminal device's resource overhead.

[0165] On the other hand, as can be seen from step 202 above, when the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the first time window, that is, the second DRX cycle is a DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages, the length of the second DRX cycle is often greater than the length of the first DRX cycle, and the length of the second wake-up time is often greater than the length of the first wake-up time. Therefore, when the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the second wake-up time, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, thereby reducing the length of the DRX cycle and the length of the wake-up time executed by the terminal device, and reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device. Furthermore, it also reduces the terminal device's occupation of enhanced paging messages, making it easier for other terminal devices to receive enhanced paging messages.

[0166] Condition 5: The number of SSBs received by the terminal device during Y third wake-up times is greater than the fourth threshold, where Y is an integer greater than or equal to 1; or, it can be understood as the number of SSBs and / or paging messages received by the terminal device during Y third wake-up times being greater than the fourth threshold. The third wake-up times, first wake-up times, and second wake-up times do not overlap. For example, when the terminal device wakes up during a third wake-up time, if the terminal device can receive an SSB (and the signal strength of the SSB is sufficient), the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 1; if the terminal device cannot receive an SSB and / or paging message from the network device when it wakes up during a third wake-up time, the terminal device records the number (or number) of SSBs received during this third wake-up time as 0.

[0167] In this application, the terminal device enters a wake-up state at a third wake-up time to receive SSBs; that is, the third wake-up time is used for the terminal device to receive SSBs. The third wake-up time is another periodically occurring wake-up time besides the first and second wake-up times, and does not specifically refer to a particular wake-up time of the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device first uses the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, that is, the terminal device periodically wakes up at the second wake-up time within the second DRX cycle, and the terminal device also periodically wakes up at the third wake-up time to receive SSBs. When condition 5 is met, it indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSBs at the third wake-up time, and thus it can also be considered that the terminal device can normally receive SSBs and / or paging messages at the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSBs and / or paging messages, improving paging flexibility. Furthermore, it avoids the situation where the terminal device uses two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) simultaneously for discontinuous reception, reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device.

[0168] Optionally, the length of the third wake-up time is shorter than the length of the first wake-up time, and the frequency of occurrence of the third wake-up time is higher than the frequency of occurrence of the first wake-up time. This allows for a faster determination of whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs during the third wake-up time, and consequently, whether the terminal device can normally receive SSBs and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time, so that the terminal device can promptly switch to receiving SSBs and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time.

[0169] On the other hand, as can be seen from step 202 above, when the second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the first time window, that is, the second DRX cycle is a DRX cycle configured for enhanced paging messages, the length of the second DRX cycle is often greater than the length of the first DRX cycle, and the length of the second wake-up time is often greater than the length of the first wake-up time. Therefore, when the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages at the third wake-up time, the terminal device switches to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, thereby reducing the length of the DRX cycle and the length of the wake-up time executed by the terminal device, and reducing the resource overhead of the terminal device. Furthermore, it also reduces the terminal device's occupation of enhanced paging messages, making it easier for other terminal devices to receive enhanced paging messages.

[0170] Condition 6: The terminal device receives an SSB and / or paging message during the first wake-up time before the next second wake-up time. This indicates that the terminal device can normally receive SSB and / or paging messages during the first wake-up time. Therefore, the terminal device can switch to the first wake-up time to attempt to receive SSB and / or paging messages, improving paging efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, it avoids the terminal device using two DRX cycles (the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle) for discontinuous reception, reducing resource overhead. It also reduces the terminal device's occupancy of enhanced paging messages, facilitating other terminal devices to receive enhanced paging messages.

[0171] In conditions 1 through 6, "greater than" can specifically mean "higher than" and "less than" can specifically mean "lower than". Furthermore, "less than" in the examples can be replaced with "less than or equal to" and "greater than" can be replaced with "greater than or equal to", and this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should be understood that the examples provided in this application are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on this application.

[0172] In summary, in implementation method two (i.e., the terminal device uses either the first DRX cycle or the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception), when the terminal device uses the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, if the first condition is met, the terminal device will then use the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and will stop using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Next, if the terminal device meets the second condition while using the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, the terminal device will then use the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and will stop using the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception.

[0173] Alternatively, if the terminal device is using the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, and the second condition is met, the terminal device will use the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and will stop using the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception. Then, if the first condition is met while the terminal device is using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception, the terminal device will use the second DRX cycle for discontinuous reception and will stop using the first DRX cycle for discontinuous reception.

[0174] Accordingly, this application also provides related apparatus for implementing the above-described scheme. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 500 can realize the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In this embodiment, the communication device 500 can be a terminal device or network device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the terminal device or network device, such as a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, SoC chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, etc.

[0175] like Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 500 includes a transceiver unit 501 and a processing unit 502. Optionally, the transceiver unit 501 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are used to perform transmitting and receiving, respectively.

[0176] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 500 is used to perform Figure 4When the terminal device executes the method in the corresponding embodiment, the communication device 500 includes a transceiver unit 501 and a processing unit 502; the transceiver unit 501 is used to receive first information from the network device, the first information being used to indicate a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time; the transceiver unit 501 is also used to receive second information from the network device, the second information being used to indicate a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time not overlapping; the processing unit 502 is used to perform discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

[0177] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 500 is used to perform Figure 4 When the method executed by the network device in the corresponding embodiment is implemented, the communication device 500 includes a transceiver unit 501 and a processing unit 502; the transceiver unit 501 is used to send first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to indicate a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time; the transceiver unit 501 is also used to send second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time not overlapping; the processing unit 502 is used to send a paging message according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

[0178] It should be noted that the information interaction and execution process between the modules / units in the communication device 500 are different from those in this application. Figure 4 The corresponding method embodiments are based on the same concept, and the details can be found in the descriptions of the method embodiments shown above in this application, which will not be repeated here.

[0179] Please see Figure 9 This is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 600 provided in this application. The communication device 600 includes a logic circuit 601 and an input / output interface 602. The communication device 600 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0180] in, Figure 8 The transceiver unit 501 shown can be a communication interface, which can be... Figure 9 The input / output interface 602 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0181] In one possible implementation, when the device 600 is for performing Figure 9When the terminal device executes the method in the relevant embodiments, the input / output interface 602 is used to receive first information and / or second information; the logic circuit 601 is used to perform discontinuous reception according to the first DRX period and the second DRX period.

[0182] In one possible implementation, when the device 600 is for performing Figure 9 When the network device executes the method in the related embodiments, the input / output interface 602 is used to send first information and / or second information, and the logic circuit 601 is used to send paging messages according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

[0183] The logic circuit 601 and the input / output interface 602 can also perform other steps performed by the first or second communication device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0184] In one possible implementation, Figure 8 The processing unit 502 shown can be Figure 9 The logic circuit 601 in the middle.

[0185] Optionally, the logic circuit 601 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0186] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0187] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0188] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic controllers (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0189] Please see Figure 10 The communication device 700 provided in the above embodiments of this application can specifically be a communication device that serves as a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0190] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 700, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 701 and a communication port 702.

[0191] in, Figure 8 The transceiver unit 501 shown can be a communication interface, which can be... Figure 10 The communication port 702 in the diagram may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 702 may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0192] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 703 and a bus 704. In the embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 701 is used to control the operation of the communication device 700.

[0193] Furthermore, the processor 701 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0194] It should be noted that, Figure 10 The communication device 700 shown can be used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments, and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. Figure 10 The specific implementation of the communication device shown can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0195] Please see Figure 11 The above-described embodiment of the present application provides a structural schematic diagram of the communication device 800 involved in the embodiment. Specifically, the communication device 800 can be a communication device that serves as a network device in the above embodiment.

[0196] The communication device 800 includes at least one processor 811 and at least one network interface 814. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 812, at least one transceiver 813, and one or more antennas 814. The processor 811, memory 812, transceiver 813, and network interface 814 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 815 is connected to the transceiver 813. The network interface 814 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 814 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface, or a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0197] in, Figure 8 The transceiver unit 501 shown can be a communication interface, which can be... Figure 11 The network interface 814 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 814 may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include input interface circuitry and output interface circuitry.

[0198] The processor 811 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is mainly used to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs. Figure 11 The processor 811 can integrate the functions of a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and the central processing unit can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a terminal device can include multiple central processing units to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing function.

[0199] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 812 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 811. Optionally, the memory 812 can be integrated with the processor 811, for example, integrated into a single chip. The memory 812 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 811. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 811.

[0200] Figure 11 Only one memory and one processor are shown. In actual terminal devices, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0201] Transceiver 813 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 813 can be connected to antenna 815. Transceiver 813 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 815 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 813 receives the RF signals from the antennas, converts the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provides the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 811 so that processor 811 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. Furthermore, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 813 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 811, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 815. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0202] The transceiver 813 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0203] It should be noted that, Figure 11 The communication device 800 shown can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments, and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. Figure 11 The specific implementation of the communication device 800 shown can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0204] Please see Figure 12 The above-described embodiments of the communication device provided in this application are schematic diagrams of the structure of the communication device.

[0205] It is understood that the communication device 900 includes, for example, modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to execute the technical solutions provided in this application. The communication device 900 may be the terminal device or network device described above, or a component (e.g., a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the following method embodiments. The communication device 900 includes one or more processors 901. The processor 901 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (e.g., a RAN node, terminal, or chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0206] Optionally, in one design, processor 901 may include program 903 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on processor 901 to cause communication device 900 to perform the methods described in the embodiments below. In yet another possible design, communication device 900 includes circuitry (…). Figure 12 (Not shown).

[0207] Optionally, the communication device 900 may include one or more memories 902 storing a program 904 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 901 to cause the communication device 900 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0208] Optionally, the processor 901 and / or memory 902 may include AI modules 907 and 908, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio intelligence control (RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0209] Optionally, the processor 901 and / or memory 902 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0210] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver 905 and / or an antenna 906. The processor 901, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or terminal). The transceiver 905, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 906.

[0211] in, Figure 8 The processing unit 502 shown may be a processor 901. Figure 8 The transceiver unit 501 shown can be a communication interface, which can be... Figure 12 The transceiver 905 in the diagram may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the transceiver 905 may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0212] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method described in the possible implementations of the terminal device or network device in the foregoing embodiments.

[0213] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, executes the method described above for possible implementation of a terminal device or network device.

[0214] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the functions involved in the possible implementations of the communication device described above. Optionally, the chip system further includes an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing the program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device may specifically be a terminal device or a network device as described in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0215] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0216] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, configured to call computer programs or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the above-described... Figure 4 The method provided in the illustrated embodiment.

[0217] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the above. Figure 4 In any of the embodiments shown, the receiving operation of the chip device corresponds to the above-described... Figure 4 The sending operation in any of the embodiments shown.

[0218] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0219] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory that stores computer programs or computer instructions.

[0220] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more devices used to control the above. Figure 4 The illustrated embodiments provide an integrated circuit for program execution of the method provided in any of the embodiments. The memory mentioned above may be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0221] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0222] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0223] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0224] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0225] In the 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, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0226] It should be understood that the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings of the device embodiments provided in this application, the connection relationships between modules indicate that they have communication connections, which can be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0227] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0228] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to it, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0229] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0230] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving first information from a network device, the first information being used to indicate a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, the first DRX cycle comprising first wake-up times; receiving second information from the network device, the second information being used to indicate a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle comprising second wake-up times, the first wake-up times and the second wake-up times being non-overlapped; performing discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method of performing discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle comprises: performing discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method of performing discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle comprises: performing discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle; when a first condition is met, performing discontinuous reception using the second DRX cycle, and stopping performing discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first condition comprises one or more of: a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and / or paging messages received at N first wake-up times is less than a first threshold, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1; a number of SSBs received at M third wake-up times is less than a second threshold, M being an integer greater than or equal to 1, the third wake-up times being non-overlapped with the first wake-up times and the second wake-up times; a SSB and / or a paging message is received at the second wake-up time before a next first wake-up time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method of performing discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle comprises: performing discontinuous reception using the second DRX cycle; when a second condition is met, performing discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle, and stopping performing discontinuous reception using the second DRX cycle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The second condition comprises one or more of: a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and / or paging messages received at X second wake-up times is greater than a third threshold, X being an integer greater than or equal to 1; a number of SSBs received at Y third wake-up times is greater than a fourth threshold, Y being an integer greater than or equal to 1, the third wake-up times being non-overlapped with the first wake-up times and the second wake-up times; a SSB and / or a paging message is received at the first wake-up time before a next second wake-up time.

7. The method according to claim 4 or 6, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving third information from the network device, the third information being used to indicate the third wake-up times.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, a first wake-up time in the first DRX cycle is associated with a first time window, or a second wake-up time in the second DRX cycle is associated with the first time window; wherein the first time window is used to transmit an enhanced paging message.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first information comprises one or more of: a length of the first DRX cycle; a length of the first wake-up time; an offset of a start time of the first DRX cycle.

10. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: transmitting, to a terminal device, first information used for indicating a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, the first DRX cycle comprising a first wake-up time; transmitting, to the terminal device, second information used for indicating a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle comprising a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time being non-overlapped; transmitting, according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle, a paging message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further comprises: transmitting, to the terminal device, third information used for indicating a third wake-up time, the third wake-up time being used for the terminal device to receive a synchronization signal block (SSB).

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The first information comprises one or more of: a length of the first DRX cycle; a length of the first wake-up time; an offset of a start time of the first DRX cycle.

13. A communications device, characterized by comprising a transceiver and a processing unit; the transceiver is configured to receive, from a network device, first information used for indicating a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, the first DRX cycle comprising a first wake-up time; the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the network device, second information used for indicating a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle comprising a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time being non-overlapped; the processing unit is configured to perform discontinuous reception according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein The processing unit is specifically configured to: perform discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein The processing unit is specifically configured to: perform discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle; when a first condition is met, perform discontinuous reception using the second DRX cycle, and stop performing discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein The first condition comprises one or more of: a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and / or paging messages received on N first wake-up times is less than a first threshold, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1; a number of SSBs received on M third wake-up times is less than a second threshold, M being an integer greater than or equal to 1, the third wake-up times being non-overlapped with the first wake-up times and the second wake-up times; a SSB and / or a paging message is received on the second wake-up time before a next first wake-up time.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein The processing unit is specifically configured to: perform discontinuous reception using the second DRX cycle; when a second condition is met, perform discontinuous reception using the first DRX cycle, and stop performing discontinuous reception using the second DRX cycle.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The second condition comprises one or more of: a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and / or paging messages received on X second wake-up times is greater than a third threshold, X being an integer greater than or equal to 1; a number of SSBs received on Y third wake-up times is greater than a fourth threshold, Y being an integer greater than or equal to 1, the third wake-up times being non-overlapped with the first wake-up times and the second wake-up times; The SSB and / or the paging message are received at the first wake-up time before a next second wake-up time.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 16 or 18, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: receive third information from the network device, the third information being used to indicate the third wake-up time.

20. A communications device, characterized by The transceiver and the processing unit are included: The transceiver is configured to send first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to indicate a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, the first DRX cycle including a first wake-up time; The transceiver is further configured to send second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate a second DRX cycle, the second DRX cycle including a second wake-up time, the first wake-up time and the second wake-up time not overlapping; The processing unit is configured to send a paging message according to the first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle.

21. The communication apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: send third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to indicate a third wake-up time, the third wake-up time being used for the terminal device to receive a synchronization signal block (SSB).

22. The communication apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, The first information includes one or more of: a length of the first DRX cycle; a length of the first wake-up time; an offset of a start time of the first DRX cycle.

23. A communications device, characterized by The communication device is a chip or a chip system.

24. The communication apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, The storage medium has stored therein a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by the communication device, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

25. A readable storage medium characterized by, The computer program product, when running on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

26. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product, when running on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

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