State switching method, communication device, communication system and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a state switching method, communication equipment, a communication system and a storage medium, and the method comprises the steps: switching a first processing unit to a closed state when the first processing unit of a terminal meets a first condition; wherein the first processing unit is used for processing an artificial intelligence (AI) task, and the first condition is used for determining whether the first processing unit is switched to a closed state or not. The invention can avoid unnecessary electric quantity overhead of the terminal and save power consumption of the terminal.

Description

State switching methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to state switching methods, communication devices, communication systems, and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, its applications are becoming increasingly widespread. In communication systems, terminals often need to process AI tasks. This process consumes power, and avoiding unnecessary power consumption during AI task processing is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure proposes a state switching method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a state switching method is proposed, executed by a terminal, comprising:

[0006] The first processing unit of the terminal switches to a closed state when a first condition is met; wherein the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a closed state.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a state switching method is provided, executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] The terminal's first processing unit is switched to the off state. The first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a state switching method is provided for a communication system, the communication system including a terminal and a network device, the method comprising:

[0010] When the first processing unit of the terminal meets the first condition, the first processing unit is switched to the off state;

[0011] The network device determines that the first processing unit has switched to a shutdown state; wherein

[0012] The first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising:

[0014] The processing module is configured to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when the first processing unit of the terminal meets a first condition; wherein the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising:

[0016] The processing module is used to determine when the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state, and the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0018] One or more processors;

[0019] The processor is used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to execute any of the state switching methods described in the first aspect to the second aspect.

[0020] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the state switching method described in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the state switching method described in the second aspect.

[0021] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a state switching method as described in any of the first to second aspects.

[0022] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the state switching method as described in the first and second aspects.

[0023] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the state switching methods described in the first and second aspects.

[0024] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, and computer programs are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of some communication systems provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a state switching method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a state switching method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 2C is an interactive schematic diagram of a state switching method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a state switching method provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a state switching method provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a state switching method provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0037] This disclosure provides a state switching method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0038] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a state switching method, executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0039] The first processing unit of the terminal switches to a closed state when a first condition is met; wherein the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a closed state.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when necessary based on a first condition. This first processing unit is used to process AI tasks; that is, it can be understood as an AI processing unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, the terminal will adjust the standby time of the AI ​​processing unit in a timely manner and switch it to a shutdown state promptly to avoid prolonged standby of the AI ​​processing unit, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption and saving terminal power.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0042] Before switching the first processing unit to the off state, if there is no first task to be processed after the first processing unit has finished processing the AI ​​task, the first processing unit is switched to the standby state; wherein, the first task includes the AI ​​task that needs to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0043] In the above embodiments, when the first processing unit (i.e., the AI ​​processing unit) finishes processing the AI ​​task and there are no AI tasks to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode in a timely manner. The standby mode requires less power consumption, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first processing unit and saving resources.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit is used to process at least one type of AI task;

[0045] The first task includes one or more types of AI tasks that need to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the first task is defined to mainly include one or more types of AI tasks that need to be processed by the first processing unit. Therefore, the terminal can determine whether the first processing unit needs to work by judging whether a first task exists, and thus determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a standby state or a powered-off state. When the first processing unit does not need to work, it can be switched to a standby state or a powered-off state in a timely manner, avoiding unnecessary power consumption and saving terminal power.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0048] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it does not receive the first task to be processed within the first time period.

[0049] Upon receiving first information from a network device, the first information is used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state;

[0050] The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state.

[0051] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0052] The first time period is determined based on the agreement.

[0053] The first time period indicated by the network device;

[0054] The terminal autonomously determines the first time period.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0056] The terminal autonomously determines the first time period and sends second information to the network device, the second information being used to indicate the first time period.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0058] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it receives the first task to be processed within the first time period and switches the first processing unit to the working state.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0060] Send a third message to the network device, the third message being used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending the third information to the network device includes at least one of the following:

[0063] When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it sends the third information to the network device.

[0064] If the first processing unit does not receive any pending first tasks within the second time period after processing the AI ​​task, it sends the third information to the network device.

[0065] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0066] Upon receiving the fourth information sent by the network device, the first processing unit is not switched to the shutdown state; wherein, the fourth information is used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the shutdown state;

[0067] If no feedback is received from the network device regarding the third information, the first processing unit will not be switched to the off state.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0069] The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state and sends a fifth message to the network device. The fifth message is used to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should be switched to the off state.

[0070] In the above embodiments, the first condition is defined, and a method for the terminal to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state is described, so that the terminal can switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state in a timely manner at an appropriate time, avoiding unnecessary power consumption and saving terminal power consumption. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the terminal also indicates a first time period to the network device, or it may send a fifth message to the network device to indicate that the first processing unit should switch to a shutdown state. This allows the network device to know exactly when the first processing unit will switch to a shutdown state, thus achieving a unified understanding of the shutdown state of the first processing unit between the terminal and the network device, ensuring communication synchronization.

[0071] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a state switching method, executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0072] The terminal's first processing unit is switched to the off state. The first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.

[0073] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0074] Determine the first time period;

[0075] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed within the first time period, it is determined that the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state.

[0076] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first time period includes at least one of the following:

[0077] The first time period is determined based on the agreement.

[0078] Receive second information sent by the terminal, the second information being used to indicate the first time period;

[0079] The network device autonomously determines the first time period.

[0080] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0081] The network device autonomously determines the first time period and indicates the first time period to the terminal.

[0082] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0083] The receiving terminal sends a third message, which is used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task, which includes an AI task that needs to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0085] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0086] Determine whether the first processing unit has a first task to be processed during the third time period;

[0087] If the first processing unit has no pending first task during the third time period, it is determined that the first processing unit has switched to the off state and sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

[0088] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0089] During the third time period, if the first processing unit has a first task to be processed, it will not provide feedback on the third information, or it will send a fourth information to the terminal, the fourth information being used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the off state.

[0090] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0091] Upon receiving the fifth message sent by the terminal, it is determined that the first processing unit has switched to the off state; the fifth message is used to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should switch to the off state.

[0092] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a state switching method for a communication system, the communication system including a terminal and a network device, the method comprising:

[0093] When the first processing unit of the terminal meets the first condition, the first processing unit is switched to the off state;

[0094] The network device determines that the first processing unit has switched to a shutdown state; wherein

[0095] The first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state.

[0096] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, including:

[0097] The processing module is configured to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when the first processing unit of the terminal meets a first condition; wherein the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state.

[0098] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0099] Before switching the first processing unit to the off state, if there is no first task to be processed after the first processing unit has finished processing the AI ​​task, the first processing unit is switched to the standby state; wherein, the first task includes the AI ​​task that needs to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0100] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit is used to process at least one type of AI task;

[0101] The first task includes one or more types of AI tasks that need to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0102] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0103] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it does not receive the first task to be processed within the first time period.

[0104] Upon receiving first information from a network device, the first information is used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state;

[0105] The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state.

[0106] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0107] The first time period is determined based on the agreement.

[0108] The first time period indicated by the network device;

[0109] The terminal autonomously determines the first time period.

[0110] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0111] The terminal autonomously determines the first time period and sends second information to the network device, the second information being used to indicate the first time period.

[0112] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0113] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it receives the first task to be processed within the first time period and switches the first processing unit to the working state.

[0114] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0115] Send a third message to the network device, the third message being used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state.

[0116] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task.

[0117] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, sending the third information to the network device includes at least one of the following:

[0118] When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it sends the third information to the network device.

[0119] If the first processing unit does not receive any pending first tasks within the second time period after processing the AI ​​task, it sends the third information to the network device.

[0120] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0121] Upon receiving the fourth information sent by the network device, the first processing unit is not switched to the shutdown state; wherein, the fourth information is used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the shutdown state;

[0122] If no feedback is received from the network device regarding the third information, the first processing unit will not be switched to the off state.

[0123] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0124] The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state and sends a fifth message to the network device. The fifth message is used to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should be switched to the off state.

[0125] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, comprising:

[0126] The processing module is used to determine when the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state, and the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.

[0127] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0128] Determine the first time period;

[0129] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed within the first time period, it is determined that the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state.

[0130] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first time period includes at least one of the following:

[0131] The first time period is determined based on the agreement.

[0132] Receive second information sent by the terminal, the second information being used to indicate the first time period;

[0133] The network device autonomously determines the first time period.

[0134] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0135] The network device autonomously determines the first time period and indicates the first time period to the terminal.

[0136] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0137] The receiving terminal sends a third message, which is used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

[0138] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task, which includes an AI task that needs to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0139] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0140] Determine whether the first processing unit has a first task to be processed during the third time period;

[0141] If the first processing unit has no pending first task during the third time period, it is determined that the first processing unit has switched to the off state and sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

[0142] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0143] During the third time period, if the first processing unit has a first task to be processed, it will not provide feedback on the third information, or it will send a fourth information to the terminal, the fourth information being used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the off state.

[0144] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0145] Upon receiving the fifth message sent by the terminal, it is determined that the first processing unit has switched to the off state; the fifth message is used to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should switch to the off state.

[0146] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories for storing instructions; wherein the processors are configured to invoke the instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the first aspect, the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0147] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a terminal and a network device; wherein the terminal is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect and its optional implementations, and the network device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect and its optional implementations.

[0148] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect, an optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0149] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the methods described in the first aspect, optional implementations of the first aspect, the second aspect, and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0150] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect, an optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0151] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, and computer programs are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0152] This disclosure provides a state switching method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "state switching method" and "information processing method," "information sending method," and "information receiving method" can be used interchangeably; the terms "communication device" and "information processing device," "information sending device," and "information receiving device" can be used interchangeably; and the terms "information processing system," "communication system," "information sending system," and "information receiving system" can be used interchangeably.

[0153] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0154] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the 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.

[0155] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0156] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0157] In the embodiments of this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “at least one of”, “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0159] The descriptions in this disclosure, such as "at least one of A, B, C..." or "A and / or B and / or C...", include the case where any one of A, B, C... exists alone, as well as the case where any combination of any of A, B, C... exists alone. Each case can exist alone. For example, "at least one of A, B, C" includes the cases of A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B combination, A and C combination, B and C combination, and A and B and C combination. For example, A and / or B includes the cases of A alone, B alone, and A and B combination.

[0160] In some embodiments, the notation "in one case A, in another case B" or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: A is executed regardless of B, i.e., A is executed in some embodiments; B is executed regardless of A, i.e., B is executed in some embodiments; A and B are selectively executed, i.e., A and B are selected for execution in some embodiments; A and B are both executed, i.e., A and B are executed in some embodiments. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0161] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0162] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0164] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0165] In some embodiments, devices, etc., can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as “device”, “equipment”, “circuit”, “network element”, “node”, “function”, “unit”, “section”, “system”, “network”, “chip”, “chip system”, “entity”, and “subject” can be used interchangeably.

[0166] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0167] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0168] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0169] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures that replace communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals with communication between multiple terminals (e.g., also referred to as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, uplink link, downlink link, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0170] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0171] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0172] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0173] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0174] The correspondences shown in the tables of this disclosure can be configured or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and can be configured to other values; this disclosure is not limiting. When configuring the correspondences between information and parameters, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables in this disclosure may not be configured. Furthermore, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the above tables, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the headers of the above tables can also use other names that the communication device can understand, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters can also be other values ​​or representations that the communication device can understand. In the implementation of the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables, etc.

[0175] The predefined terms in this disclosure can be understood as defined, predefined, stored, pre-stored, pre-negotiated, pre-configured, solidified, or pre-burned.

[0176] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 may include a terminal and network devices. Optionally, the network devices may include at least one of access network devices and core network devices.

[0177] In some embodiments, the terminal includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, user equipment (UE), wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0178] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), wireless backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system.

[0179] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0180] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0181] In some embodiments, the core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC). Alternatively, the core network device may also be a location management function network element. Exemplarily, the location management function network element includes a location server, which may be implemented as any of the following: a Location Management Function (LMF), an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Centre (E-SMLC), a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), and a Secure User Plane Location Platform (SUPLLP).

[0182] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0183] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected to each other or may be connected in any way. The connection may be direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0184] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other state-switching methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0185] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a state switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a state switching method for a communication system 100, the method comprising:

[0186] Step 2101: The network device sends the first instruction.

[0187] Optionally, the network device may send a first instruction to the terminal, which may receive the first instruction. This first instruction may be used to instruct the terminal's first processing unit to process an AI task. The AI ​​task may, for example, include AI model inference and / or AI model training.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first processing unit can be used to process AI tasks. The first processing unit may be referred to as an AI processing unit, an AI processor, etc., and this disclosure does not specifically limit it.

[0189] Optionally, the first processing unit can be used to process at least one type of AI task; in other words, the first processing unit can be used to process AI tasks for different AI use cases (features), wherein different AI use cases correspond to different types of AI tasks. Optionally, the AI ​​use case can be understood as a specific application case of AI technology, and the AI ​​use case may include at least one of the following: AI-based Channel State Information (CSI) enhancement, AI-based beam management, and AI-based positioning.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first processing unit may be different from other processing units of the terminal (such as communication processing units).

[0191] Step 2102: The terminal uses the first processing unit to process the AI ​​task.

[0192] Step 2103: When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode.

[0193] Optionally, the first task may include an AI task to be processed by the first processing unit. In some embodiments, the first task may include one or more types of AI tasks to be processed by the first processing unit; in other words, the first task may include AI tasks for one or more AI use cases to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0194] For example, in some embodiments, assuming the first processing unit is used to process AI tasks for the AI ​​use case of "AI-based beam management," then the first task may include AI tasks related to beam management. Alternatively, assuming the first processing unit is used to process AI tasks for all AI use cases, then the first task may include AI tasks corresponding to all AI use cases.

[0195] Optionally, in some embodiments, the aforementioned "standby state" may refer to the first processing unit being in an on state but not executing AI tasks.

[0196] Optionally, "when the AI ​​task is completed" could refer to a predetermined time period after the AI ​​task is initiated. Optionally, the AI ​​task initiation time could be the moment the network device sends the first instruction or the moment the terminal receives the first instruction. Optionally, the predetermined time period could be agreed upon by a protocol, indicated by the network device, or determined autonomously by the terminal and then reported to the network device. For example, assuming the predetermined time period is 5 minutes and the network device sends the first instruction at time n, then the time when the terminal completes the AI ​​task could be (n+5 minutes).

[0197] Step 2104: The terminal and network equipment determine the first time period.

[0198] Optionally, the first time period can be used to determine whether the first processing unit switches to a power-off state. In some embodiments, when the first processing unit has finished processing the AI ​​task and there is no first task to be processed within the first time period, the first processing unit can switch to a power-off state.

[0199] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first time period can be agreed upon by a protocol, and the terminal and network device can determine the first time period based on the protocol agreement.

[0200] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first time period can be determined autonomously by the network device. Optionally, the network device can also indicate the first time period to the terminal.

[0201] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first time period can be determined autonomously by the terminal. For example, the terminal can determine the first time period based on a power-saving strategy and / or a power-saving algorithm. Optionally, the power-saving strategy and algorithm can be set at the factory of the terminal. The power-saving strategy and algorithm may include, for example, determining that the first processing unit switches to a shutdown state when the remaining battery power of the terminal is less than or equal to a first value. In some embodiments, after determining the first time period, the terminal can also send second information to the network device, which can be used to indicate the first time period.

[0202] It should be noted that in some embodiments, step 2104 can be executed simultaneously with any one of steps 2101-2103. For example, step 2104 can be executed simultaneously with step 2101; or, step 2104 can be executed before or after any one of steps 2101-2103. For example, step 2104 can be executed before step 2101.

[0203] Step 2105: After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if the terminal does not receive the first task to be processed within the first time period, the terminal switches the first processing unit to the off state. Alternatively, after the first processing unit finishes executing the AI ​​task, if the terminal receives the first task to be processed within the first time period, the terminal switches the first processing unit to the working state.

[0204] Optionally, this working state may refer to, for example, the terminal executing an AI task. In some embodiments, when the terminal switches the first processing unit to the working state, if the first processing unit has completed the AI ​​task, steps 2103-2105 can then be executed.

[0205] Optionally, the power consumption of the terminal in the above-mentioned working state, standby state, and off state are all different. In some embodiments, the power consumption of the terminal in the working state is greater than that in the standby state, which is greater than that in the off state. Furthermore, the transition between different states also has different transition delays. Optionally, the delay from the off state to the working state is greater than the delay from the standby state to the working state.

[0206] Step 2106: After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed within the first time period, the network device determines that the first processing unit has switched to the off state.

[0207] In the above embodiments, "after the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, the terminal does not receive the first task to be processed within a first time period" can be used as a first condition. This first condition can be used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state. The terminal will switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when necessary based on the first condition. Here, the first processing unit is used to process AI tasks, that is, the first processing unit can be understood as the AI ​​processing unit. Therefore, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal will adjust the standby time of the AI ​​processing unit in a timely manner and switch the AI ​​processing unit to a shutdown state in a timely manner to avoid the AI ​​processing unit being in standby for a long time, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption of the AI ​​processing unit and saving terminal power consumption.

[0208] In the above embodiments, when the first processing unit (i.e., the AI ​​processing unit) finishes processing the AI ​​task and there are no AI tasks to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode in a timely manner. The standby mode requires less power consumption, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first processing unit and saving resources.

[0209] In the above embodiments, the first condition is defined, and a method for the terminal to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state is described, so that the terminal can switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state in a timely manner at an appropriate time, avoiding unnecessary power consumption and saving terminal power consumption. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the terminal also indicates a first time period to the network device, so that the network device can know when the first processing unit will switch to a shutdown state based on the first time period. This achieves a unified understanding of the shutdown state of the first processing unit between the terminal and the network device, ensuring communication synchronization.

[0210] The state switching method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps 2101 to 2106. For example, step 2101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 2103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 2101+S2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0211] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0212] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a state switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the present disclosure relates to a state switching method for a communication system 100, the method comprising:

[0213] Step 2201: The network device sends the first instruction.

[0214] Step 2202: The terminal uses the first processing unit to process the AI ​​task.

[0215] Step 2203: When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode.

[0216] For a detailed description of steps 2201-2203, please refer to the above embodiment description.

[0217] Step 2204: The terminal sends the third information.

[0218] Optionally, the terminal may send third information to the network device, and the network device may receive the third information. This third information may be used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state. Optionally, the third information may also be used to indicate the task type of the first task; a detailed description of the first task can be found in the above embodiments.

[0219] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the third information to the network device when the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task; in other embodiments, the terminal may send the third information to the network device when the first processing unit has finished processing the AI ​​task and has not received any pending first task within a second time period. Optionally, the second time period may be agreed upon by a protocol, indicated by the network device, or determined autonomously by the terminal and then reported to the network device.

[0220] Step 2205: The network device sends the first message, or the network device does not respond to the third message, or the network device sends the fourth message.

[0221] Optionally, in some embodiments, when the network device receives the third information sent by the terminal, it can determine whether the first processing unit has a first task to be processed within a subsequent third time period. If the first processing unit has no first task to be processed within the third time period, it determines that the first processing unit switches to a shutdown state and sends the first information to the terminal. This first information can be used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state. If the first processing unit has a first task to be processed within the third time period, the network device may not provide feedback on the third information. Alternatively, the network device may send a fourth information to the terminal, which can be used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to a shutdown state.

[0222] It should be noted that in some embodiments, step 2204 above may not be necessary. In this case, the network device can first determine whether the terminal has finished processing the AI ​​task. For a detailed description of this part, please refer to step 2103 of the above embodiment. When the network device determines that the terminal has finished processing the AI ​​task, the network device can determine whether the first processing unit has a first task to be processed in the subsequent fourth time period. If the first processing unit has no first task to be processed in the fourth time period, it determines that the first processing unit switches to the off state and sends first information to the terminal. This first information can be used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state. If the first processing unit has a first task to be processed in the fourth time period, the network device can send fourth information to the terminal. This fourth information can be used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the off state.

[0223] Alternatively, if step 2204 is not executed, the network device may, after sending the first instruction, determine whether the first processing unit has a first task to be processed within the fifth time period; if the first processing unit has no first task to be processed within the fifth time period, it determines that the first processing unit switches to the off state and sends first information to the terminal, which can be used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state. If the first processing unit has a first task to be processed within the fifth time period, the network device may send fourth information to the terminal, which can be used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the off state.

[0224] Optionally, the third, fourth, and fifth time periods mentioned above may be the same or different. Optionally, the fifth time period may be at least longer than the predetermined time period in step 2103. In some embodiments, the third, fourth, and fifth time periods may be agreed upon by a protocol, determined by a network device, or determined by a terminal and then reported to the network device.

[0225] Step 2206: The terminal determines whether to switch the first processing unit to the off state based on feedback from the network device.

[0226] Optionally, in some embodiments, when the terminal receives the fourth information sent by the network device, or when the terminal does not receive feedback from the network device regarding the third information, the terminal determines not to switch the first processing unit to the off state; at this time, the terminal can maintain the first processing unit in the current state (such as the standby state).

[0227] Optionally, in some other embodiments, when the terminal receives the first information sent by the network device, the terminal determines to switch the first processing unit to the off state.

[0228] In the above embodiments, "the terminal receiving the first information sent by the network device" can be used as a first condition. This first condition can be used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state. The terminal will switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when necessary based on the first condition. The first processing unit is used to process AI tasks; that is, the first processing unit can be understood as an AI processing unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, the terminal will adjust the standby time of the AI ​​processing unit in a timely manner and switch the AI ​​processing unit to a shutdown state promptly to avoid prolonged standby of the AI ​​processing unit, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption of the AI ​​processing unit and saving terminal power consumption.

[0229] In the above embodiments, when the first processing unit (i.e., the AI ​​processing unit) finishes processing the AI ​​task and there are no AI tasks to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode in a timely manner. The standby mode requires less power consumption, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first processing unit and saving resources.

[0230] In the above embodiments, the first condition is defined, and a method for the terminal to switch the first processing unit to the off state is described so that the terminal can switch the first processing unit to the off state in a timely manner at the appropriate time, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption and saving terminal power consumption.

[0231] The state switching method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps 2201 to 2206. For example, step 2201 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step 2202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step 2203 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step 2201+S2202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0232] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0233] Figure 2C is an interactive schematic diagram of a state switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2C, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a state switching method for a communication system 100, the method including:

[0234] Step 2301: The network device sends the first instruction.

[0235] Step 2302: The terminal uses the first processing unit to process the AI ​​task.

[0236] Step 2303: When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode.

[0237] For a detailed description of steps 2301-2303, please refer to the above embodiment description.

[0238] Step 2304: The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state.

[0239] Optionally, the terminal may determine that the first processing unit needs to be switched to a shutdown state based on power-saving strategies and / or power-saving algorithms. For detailed information on power-saving strategies and algorithms, please refer to the description in the above embodiments.

[0240] Step 2305: The terminal switches the first processing unit to the off state and sends the fifth information.

[0241] Optionally, in some embodiments, the terminal may send a fifth message to the network device, and the network device may receive the fifth message. This fifth message may be used to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should switch to a shutdown state.

[0242] Step 2306: The network device receives the fifth message sent by the terminal and determines that the first processing unit has switched to the off state.

[0243] In the above embodiments, "the terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to a shutdown state" can be used as a first condition. This first condition can be used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state. The terminal will switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when necessary based on the first condition. Here, the first processing unit is used to process AI tasks, that is, the first processing unit can be understood as an AI processing unit. Therefore, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal will adjust the standby time of the AI ​​processing unit in a timely manner and switch the AI ​​processing unit to a shutdown state in a timely manner to avoid the AI ​​processing unit being in standby for a long time, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption of the AI ​​processing unit and saving terminal power consumption.

[0244] In the above embodiments, when the first processing unit (i.e., the AI ​​processing unit) finishes processing the AI ​​task and there are no AI tasks to be processed, the terminal will switch the first processing unit to standby mode in a timely manner. The standby mode requires less power consumption, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first processing unit and saving resources.

[0245] In the above embodiments, the first condition is defined, and a method for the terminal to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state is described, so that the terminal can switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state in a timely manner at an appropriate time, avoiding unnecessary power consumption and saving terminal power consumption. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the terminal also sends a fifth message to the network device to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should switch to a shutdown state. This allows the network device to know exactly when the first processing unit will switch to a shutdown state, thus achieving a unified understanding of the shutdown state of the first processing unit between the terminal and the network device, ensuring communication synchronization.

[0246] The state switching method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps 2301 to 2306. For example, step 2301 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step 2302 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step 2303 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step 2301+S2302 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0247] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0248] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a state switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a state switching method for a terminal, the method comprising:

[0249] Step 3101: The first processing unit of the terminal meets the first condition and switches the first processing unit to the off state.

[0250] Optionally, the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state.

[0251] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0252] Before switching the first processing unit to the off state, if there is no first task to be processed after the first processing unit has finished processing the AI ​​task, the first processing unit is switched to the standby state; wherein, the first task includes the AI ​​task that needs to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0253] Optionally, the first processing unit is used to process at least one type of AI task;

[0254] The first task includes one or more types of AI tasks that need to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0255] Optionally, the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0256] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it does not receive the first task to be processed within the first time period.

[0257] Upon receiving first information from a network device, the first information is used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state;

[0258] The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state.

[0259] Optionally, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0260] The first time period is determined based on the agreement.

[0261] The first time period indicated by the network device;

[0262] The terminal autonomously determines the first time period.

[0263] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0264] The terminal autonomously determines the first time period and sends second information to the network device, the second information being used to indicate the first time period.

[0265] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0266] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it receives the first task to be processed within the first time period and switches the first processing unit to the working state.

[0267] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0268] Send a third message to the network device, the third message being used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to a shutdown state.

[0269] Optionally, the third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task.

[0270] Optionally, sending third information to the network device includes at least one of the following:

[0271] When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, it sends the third information to the network device.

[0272] If the first processing unit does not receive any pending first tasks within the second time period after processing the AI ​​task, it sends the third information to the network device.

[0273] Optionally, the method further includes any of the following:

[0274] Upon receiving the fourth information sent by the network device, the first processing unit is not switched to the shutdown state; wherein, the fourth information is used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the shutdown state;

[0275] If no feedback is received from the network device regarding the third information, the first processing unit will not be switched to the off state.

[0276] For a detailed description of step 3101, please refer to the above embodiment.

[0277] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0278] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a state switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the present disclosure relates to a state switching method for a network device, the method comprising:

[0279] Step 4101: Determine that the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state.

[0280] Optionally, the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.

[0281] Optionally, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0282] Determine the first time period;

[0283] After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI ​​task, if there is no first task to be processed within the first time period, it is determined that the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state.

[0284] Optionally, determining the first time period includes at least one of the following:

[0285] The first time period is determined based on the agreement.

[0286] Receive second information sent by the terminal, the second information being used to indicate the first time period;

[0287] The network device autonomously determines the first time period.

[0288] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0289] The network device autonomously determines the first time period and indicates the first time period to the terminal.

[0290] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0291] The receiving terminal sends a third message, which is used to request the network device to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

[0292] Optionally, the third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task, which includes AI tasks that need to be processed by the first processing unit.

[0293] Optionally, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0294] Determine whether the first processing unit has a first task to be processed during the third time period;

[0295] If the first processing unit has no pending first task during the third time period, it is determined that the first processing unit has switched to the off state and sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

[0296] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0297] During the third time period, if the first processing unit has a first task to be processed, it will not provide feedback on the third information, or it will send a fourth information to the terminal, the fourth information being used to instruct the first processing unit not to switch to the off state.

[0298] Optionally, the first processing unit of the determining terminal is switched to a closed state, including:

[0299] Upon receiving the fifth message sent by the terminal, it is determined that the first processing unit has switched to the off state; the fifth message is used to instruct the network device that the first processing unit should switch to the off state.

[0300] For a detailed description of step 4101, please refer to the above embodiment.

[0301] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0302] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a state switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the present disclosure relates to a state switching method for a communication system, which includes a terminal and a network device. The method includes at least one of the following:

[0303] Step 5101: The first processing unit of the terminal meets the first condition, and the first processing unit is switched to the off state;

[0304] Step 5102: The network device determines that the first processing unit has switched to the off state.

[0305] The optional implementation methods of steps 5101-5102 can be found in the above embodiments.

[0306] In some embodiments, the above methods may include the methods described in the embodiments of the communication system side, terminal side, network device side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0307] The state switching method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps 5101 to 5102. For example, step 5101 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, and step 5102 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0308] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0309] The following is an exemplary description of the above method.

[0310] AI tasks are handled by dedicated processing units that are relatively independent of traditional communication processing units.

[0311] The processing unit for handling AI tasks has three states: power-off, low-battery standby, and operating. Each state corresponds to a different power consumption level. The transition between these states also has different latency. The latency from power-off to operating is greater than the latency from low-battery standby.

[0312] After a terminal completes an AI task, and there are no new AI tasks for a period of time, the terminal can shut down the AI ​​processing unit to further save power. The following methods can be considered for how the AI ​​processing unit transitions from an active state to a shutdown state.

[0313] Option Implementation: When the terminal finishes executing an AI task and there are no new AI tasks, the AI ​​processing unit first enters a standby state. When preset conditions are further met, it can switch from the standby state to the off state.

[0314] (1) In response to the terminal completing the first AI task and having no other AI tasks, the terminal switches from the first state to the second state. In response to the satisfaction of a preset condition, the terminal switches from the second state to the third state. The first state, the second state, and the third state correspond to different states of the first processing unit on the terminal side, and the power consumption of the different states is different.

[0315] a) Here, the first, second, and third states correspond to the working state, the AI ​​processing unit standby state, and the AI ​​processing unit off state, respectively. The working state means the AI ​​processing unit is performing data processing, such as AI model inference and training. The standby state means the AI ​​processing unit is still on but not performing data processing. The off state means the AI ​​processing unit is off.

[0316] (2) Based on (1), the preset condition is met when the AI ​​processing unit does not receive a new AI processing task within a preset time. The preset time can be determined based on the following options.

[0317] Based on the agreement

[0318] The terminal instructs the network based on its power-saving strategy.

[0319] Network instructions to the terminal

[0320] Furthermore, when the terminal receives a new AI processing task within the preset time, the terminal enters the working mode. When the terminal completes the new AI task and there are no new AI tasks, the terminal restarts the timer to determine whether the terminal can enter the third state.

[0321] (3) Based on (1), the preset condition may be that the network sends a first message to the terminal, and the first message is used to instruct the terminal to enter the third state.

[0322] (4) Based on (3), the preset condition may be that the terminal sends a second message to the network side, the second message being used to request the network to confirm that the terminal has entered the third state. The network sends a third message to the terminal, the third message being used to confirm that the terminal has entered the third state, or the network does not send confirmation information or the network sends a fourth message to instruct the terminal to continue to retain the second state.

[0323] For example, when the network side confirms that there are no new AI processing tasks, the network can confirm that the terminal enters the third state. When the network side still has AI tasks that need to be processed by the terminal, the network instructs the terminal to remain in the second state.

[0324] or

[0325] The process is determined by the terminal's own algorithm. Furthermore, the terminal can send a second message to the network, which notifies the network that the terminal will enter a third state.

[0326] (5) According to claims (1)-(4), the AI ​​task includes AI model training, AI model inference, etc. The AI ​​processing unit can be a processing unit for a specific AI use case (e.g., AI-based beam management, AI-based CSI compression) or a processing unit for all AI use cases.

[0327] This depends on the implementation. For example, there may be separate processing units for different AI use cases. In this case, the AI ​​task here is a processing task for a specific AI use case. For example, there may be separate processing units A and B for AI beam management and AI-based CSI compression. Whether processing unit A enters the third state depends on whether there is a new AI-based beam management task.

[0328] In terms of using a common AI processing unit for different AI use cases, the AI ​​task here refers to the processing of all AI use cases.

[0329] This disclosure proposes a power-saving method for performing AI tasks.

[0330] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0331] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0332] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0333] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6A, it includes:

[0334] The processing module is configured to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state when the first processing unit of the terminal meets a first condition; wherein the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used to determine whether to switch the first processing unit to a shutdown state.

[0335] Optionally, the processing module is used to execute the steps related to "processing" performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. The terminal further includes a transceiver module, which is used to execute the steps related to "sending and receiving" performed by the terminal in any of the above methods.

[0336] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6B, it includes:

[0337] The processing module is used to determine when the first processing unit of the terminal is switched to the off state, and the first processing unit is used to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.

[0338] Optionally, the processing module is used to perform the "processing" related steps executed by the network device in any of the above methods. The network device further includes a transceiver module, which is used to perform the "send and receive" related steps executed by the network device in any of the above methods.

[0339] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 7100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment or the first device described above), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0340] As shown in Figure 7A, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 7101 is used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 7100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0341] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7102 may also be located outside the communication device 7100.

[0342] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7103. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7103, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceivers 7103, and other steps are performed by the processor 7101.

[0343] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0344] Optionally, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more interface circuits 7104 connected to the memory 7102. The interface circuits 7104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 7102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 7102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 7104 can read instructions stored in the memory 7102 and send the instructions to the processor 7101.

[0345] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7a. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0346] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, the schematic diagram of the chip 7200 shown in Figure 7B can be referenced, but is not limited thereto.

[0347] Chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201, which are used to invoke instructions to cause chip 7200 to perform any of the above methods.

[0348] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202 connected to memory 7203. Interface circuits 7202 can be used to receive signals from memory 7203 or other devices, and can also be used to send signals to memory 7203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 7202 can read instructions stored in memory 7203 and send those instructions to processor 7201. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver can be used interchangeably.

[0349] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside of chip 7200.

[0350] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 7100, cause the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0351] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 7100, causes the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0352] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0353] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0354] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are 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 disclosure.

[0355] Those skilled in the art will 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.

[0356] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A state switching method characterized by comprising: The method is performed by a terminal, and the method comprises: A first processing unit of the terminal meets a first condition, and the first processing unit is switched to an off state; wherein the first processing unit is used for processing artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, and the first condition is used for determining whether the first processing unit is switched to the off state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: Before the first processing unit is switched to the off state, when the first processing unit finishes processing the AI tasks, if there is no first task to be processed, the first processing unit is switched to a standby state; wherein the first task comprises one or more types of AI tasks to be processed by the first processing unit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The first processing unit is used for processing at least one type of AI task. The first task comprises one or more types of AI tasks to be processed by the first processing unit.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first condition comprises at least one of the following: After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI tasks, no first task to be processed is received within a first time period; First information sent by a network device is received, and the first information is used for indicating that the first processing unit is switched to the off state; The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The method further comprises at least one of the following: The first time period is determined based on a protocol agreement; The first time period indicated by the network device is received; The first time period is autonomously determined by the terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further comprises: The first time period is autonomously determined by the terminal, and second information is sent to the network device, wherein the second information is used for indicating the first time period.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The method further comprises: After the first processing unit finishes processing the AI tasks, if a first task to be processed is received within a first time period, the first processing unit is switched to an active state.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein, The method further comprises: Third information is sent to the network device, wherein the third information is used for requesting the network device to indicate that the first processing unit is switched to the off state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The third information is also used for indicating a task type of the first task.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein, The third information is sent to the network device, and the sending comprises at least one of the following: When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI tasks, the third information is sent to the network device; When the first processing unit finishes processing the AI tasks, and no first task to be processed is received within a second time period, the third information is sent to the network device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The method further comprises any one of the following: Fourth information sent by the network device is received, and the first processing unit is not switched to the off state; wherein the fourth information is used for indicating that the first processing unit is not switched to the off state; No feedback is received from the network device in response to the third information, and the first processing unit is not switched to the off state. The method further comprises:

12. The method of claim 4, wherein, The terminal autonomously determines that the first processing unit needs to be switched to the off state, and fifth information is sent to the network device, wherein the fifth information is used for indicating to the network device that the first processing unit is to be switched to the off state. The method is performed by a network device, and the method comprises:

13. A state switching method characterized by comprising: A first processing unit of a terminal is determined to be switched to an off state, and the first processing unit is used for processing artificial intelligence (AI) tasks. ​ 14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The determining of the first processing unit of the terminal switching to the off state comprises: determining a first time period; after the first processing unit of the terminal processes the AI task, if there is no first task to be processed in the first time period, it is determined that the first processing unit of the terminal switches to the off state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The determining of the first time period comprises at least one of the following: determining the first time period based on a protocol agreement; receiving second information sent by the terminal, wherein the second information is used to indicate the first time period; The network device autonomously determines the first time period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The method further comprises: The network device autonomously determines the first time period and indicates the first time period to the terminal.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving third information sent by the terminal, wherein the third information is used to request the network device to indicate the first processing unit to switch to the off state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The third information is also used to indicate the task type of the first task, and the first task comprises an AI task to be processed by the first processing unit.

19. The method of claim 13 or 17 or 18, wherein, The determining of the first processing unit of the terminal switching to the off state comprises: determining whether there is a first task to be processed in the first processing unit in a third time period; if there is no first task to be processed in the first processing unit in the third time period, it is determined that the first processing unit switches to the off state, and first information is sent to the terminal, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first processing unit switches to the off state.

20. The method of any one of claims 17-19, wherein, The method further comprises: if there is a first task to be processed in the first processing unit in the third time period, no feedback is given to the third information.

21. The method of any one of claims 13, 17-19, wherein, The method further comprises: if there is a first task to be processed in the first processing unit in the third time period, fourth information is sent to the terminal, wherein the fourth information is used to indicate that the first processing unit does not switch to the off state.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein, The determining of the first processing unit of the terminal switching to the off state comprises: receiving fifth information sent by the terminal, and determining that the first processing unit switches to the off state; the fifth information is used to indicate to the network device that the first processing unit is to switch to the off state.

23. A state switching method for a communication system, the communication system comprising a terminal and a network device, the method comprising: switching the first processing unit of the terminal to an off state when the first processing unit meets a first condition; and determining, by the network device, that the first processing unit switches to the off state; wherein the first processing unit is used to process an artificial intelligence (AI) task, and the first condition is used to determine whether the first processing unit switches to the off state.

24. A terminal, characterized by The method comprises: a processing module configured to switch the first processing unit of the terminal to the off state when the first processing unit meets a first condition; wherein the first processing unit is used to process an artificial intelligence (AI) task, and the first condition is used to determine whether the first processing unit switches to the off state.

25. A network device, comprising: The method comprises: a processing module configured to determine that the first processing unit of the terminal switches to the off state, and the first processing unit is used to process an artificial intelligence (AI) task.

26. A communications device, characterized by The method comprises: one or more processors; a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 1-12 or claims 13-22.

27. A communication system, characterized by comprising a terminal configured to implement the method of any of claims 1-12 and a network device configured to implement the method of any of claims 13-22.

28. A storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions, wherein, instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 1-12 or claims 13-22.

29. A program product, characterized by a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, implements the method of any of claims 1-12 or claims 13-22.

Images