Communication method, apparatus and device, and readable storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a communication method, apparatus, device and readable storage medium, the method being applied to a terminal device, the method comprising: receiving first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information being used for indicating a first frequency point where the terminal device needs to reside, and cells corresponding to the first frequency point comprising a first cell; under the condition that a first condition is met, cell reselection is executed, the first condition is used for indicating that the number of failures reaches a first preset threshold value, and the number of failures comprises one or more of the following: the number of failures that the terminal equipment searches the first frequency point; the number of times that the terminal equipment fails to access the first cell is determined. According to the scheme, the duration of RRC connection interruption of the terminal equipment can be reduced, and the network communication quality is improved.

Description

Communication methods, apparatus, devices and readable storage media Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, apparatus, device, readable storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] In 5G New Radio (NR) systems, when network problems occur, a blind redirection process will be performed between network devices and terminal devices. That is, when a terminal device is performing communication services on the network, the network device will redirect the terminal device to a specified frequency or system without requiring the terminal device to measure the signal quality of the specified frequency.

[0003] In related technologies, network devices send radio resource control release (RRC Release) signaling to terminal devices (the signaling carries blind redirection indication information, which indicates a first frequency point). After receiving the blind redirection indication, the terminal device first searches for the first frequency point. If the first frequency point is found, it camps on the cell corresponding to the first frequency point; otherwise, it performs cell reselection and selects a cell to access.

[0004] However, during the process of switching to cell reselection when the first frequency point is not found, there may be an interruption of the RRC connection. During the interruption, the terminal device cannot transmit service data, which will lead to service transmission interruption, reduce network communication quality, and affect user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, device, and readable storage medium, which can reduce the duration of RRC connection interruption in terminal devices and improve network communication quality.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a terminal device. The method includes: receiving first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information indicating a first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, wherein the cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes a first cell; and performing cell reselection when a first condition is met, the first condition indicating that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, the number of failures including one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0007] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, after receiving the indication information containing the first frequency point sent by the network device, if the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the same frequency point or fails to access the same cell related to the first frequency point reaches a preset threshold, cell reselection is directly performed. That is to say, frequency point search is not performed every time a blind redirection indication is received. Cell reselection is directly performed when the number of search failures is too high, which reduces the duration of the terminal device in RRC connection interruption and further improves the quality of network communication.

[0008] It should be understood that a frequency point refers to a specific frequency used to transmit signals, while a cell is a basic transmission unit in a wireless communication network, used to represent the network coverage area corresponding to a base station.

[0009] A single base station (which can also be called a network device) covers one or more cells. For a single cell, one or more frequency points are assigned to a specific cell. Therefore, a terminal device can only access the cell associated with the frequency point and establish a communication link after searching for the frequency point. For example, frequency point 1 corresponds to cell 1, and frequency point 2 also corresponds to cell 1. Therefore, a terminal device can access cell 1 by searching for frequency point 1, or it can access cell 2 by searching for frequency point 2.

[0010] It should be understood that the first indication information is a blind redirection indication signaling sent by the network device to the terminal device. In other words, the first frequency point is the specified frequency point that the network device instructs the terminal device to perform frequency point search. The terminal device does not measure the signal quality corresponding to the first frequency point.

[0011] Optionally, the determination of the first frequency point includes at least one of the following:

[0012] 1. The terminal device is currently connected to the third cell, and the frequency point corresponding to the third cell is the second frequency point. Therefore, the network device randomly selects a frequency point other than the second frequency point from multiple candidate frequency points as the first frequency point;

[0013] 2. The terminal device is currently connected to the third cell, and the terminal device uploads historical measurement reports to the network device within the historical time range. The historical measurement reports store the signal quality of multiple candidate cells. The network device determines the designated cell from the historical measurement reports based on the signal quality of the candidate cells and uses the frequency point corresponding to the designated cell as the first frequency point.

[0014] It is worth noting that the above-described method for determining the first frequency point is merely an illustrative example, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0015] Optionally, the terminal device may fail to search for the first frequency point if at least one of the following conditions is met:

[0016] 1. The terminal device did not find the first frequency point in the spectrum resources, meaning that the first frequency point does not exist in this case;

[0017] 2. The terminal device finds the first frequency point in the spectrum resources, but the frequency point signal is weak and does not reach the preset frequency point dwell threshold.

[0018] Optionally, the failure of the terminal device to access the first cell includes at least one of the following situations:

[0019] 1. The number of devices currently connected to the first cell is too large, causing network congestion, thus preventing terminal devices from connecting to the first cell;

[0020] 2. The channel quality of the first cell is poor (e.g., weak signal, interference, etc.), which prevents the terminal device from accessing the first cell;

[0021] 3. The terminal device has a fault, including a hardware fault or a software fault, which prevents the terminal device from accessing the first cell.

[0022] Optionally, different threshold values ​​can be set for the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point (taking the first failure count as an example) and the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell (taking the second failure count as an example). For example, 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the first failure count and 4 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the second failure count; or, the same threshold value can be set, for example, 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the first failure count and 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the second failure count, without any limitation.

[0023] In this case, the first failure count and the second failure count are counted separately for different threshold settings. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the first failure count is incremented by 1. When the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the second failure count is incremented by 1. In other words, under the current circumstances, there are three scenarios: taking 3 failures as the first preset threshold and 4 failures as the second preset threshold as the first preset threshold, scenario 1: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection. Scenario 2: The terminal device fails to access the first cell 4 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection. Scenario 3: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times and fails to access the first cell 4 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection.

[0024] In cases where the same threshold number is set, the first failure count and the second failure count can be counted together. That is, regardless of whether the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell, the failure count will be incremented by 1. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the failure count is incremented by 1, and when the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the failure count is incremented by 1 again.

[0025] In cases where the same threshold number is set, the first failure count and the second failure count can be counted separately. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the first failure count is incremented by 1; when the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the second failure count is incremented by 1. In other words, under the current circumstances, there are three scenarios: taking setting 3 failures as the first preset threshold and setting 3 failures as the second preset threshold as the first preset threshold, scenario 1: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection; scenario 2: The terminal device fails to access the first cell 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection; scenario 3: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times and fails to access the first cell 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection.

[0026] It should be understood that cell reselection refers to the process by which a terminal device evaluates the signal quality of multiple candidate cells and selects the cell with the best signal to establish a communication link.

[0027] Indicatively, the number of failures is obtained before receiving the first indication message from the network device.

[0028] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: when the first condition is not met, performing a frequency point search based on the first frequency point to obtain a frequency point search result. The frequency point search result includes one or more of the following: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell; the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell; the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point. Through the above scheme, even when the number of failed searches for the same frequency point or the number of failed accesses to the same cell does not reach a preset threshold, a frequency point search is still performed based on the first frequency point to obtain a frequency point search result. This allows for complete recording of each frequency point search result, resulting in higher accuracy in recording the number of failures and improving the accuracy of the final decision on whether to directly execute cell reselection.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: incrementing the failure count by 1 and recording it when the frequency point search result meets the second condition; performing cell reselection, where the second condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the terminal device fails to access the first cell. By incrementing the failure count by 1 when searching for or accessing the same frequency point fails, the method can count the failures for different failure scenarios, increasing the probability of the terminal device successfully completing blind redirection.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: if the frequency search result meets the third condition, residing on the first frequency, where the third condition indicates that the terminal device has successfully accessed the first cell; and resetting the failure count to 0. Through this method, if the frequency search is successful, residing on the first frequency while resetting the failure count to 0, the failure count is continuously counted even when the frequency search is successful, thus avoiding direct cell reselection even when the frequency is normal, thereby improving network communication quality.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the above method further includes: resetting the failure count to 0 when the recording duration of the failure count reaches a first duration threshold. By resetting the failure count to 0 after a period of time using the above method, cell reselection is avoided even when normal access is restored to the frequency point, thus improving network communication quality.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; or, the number of failures is associated with the first cell; or, the number of failures, the first frequency point, and the first cell are associated. By associating the number of failures with the relevant parameters involved in the frequency point search process using the above methods, the corresponding cause of failure can be determined based on the number of failures, thereby improving the success probability of blind redirection.

[0033] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: determining a second cell from multiple candidate cells; accessing the second cell; and, if the second cell meets a fourth condition, storing the second cell in a first set, where cells in the first set do not participate in cell reselection. The fourth condition includes one or more of the following: the number of reselections for the second cell reaches a second preset threshold; the signal strength of the second cell is lower than a first strength threshold; or the signal quality of the second cell is lower than a first quality threshold. Through this method, during cell reselection when the frequency search result is unsuccessful, if the same cell is selected multiple times, that cell can be stored in a designated set so that it does not participate in subsequent cell reselections. This reduces network transmission anomalies caused by repeated access to the same cell by terminal devices, thereby improving network communication quality.

[0034] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a network device. The method includes: sending first indication information to a terminal device, the first indication information indicating a first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, the cell corresponding to the first frequency point including a first cell, the terminal device performing cell reselection when a first condition is met, the first condition indicating that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, the number of failures including one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device failed to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device failed to access the first cell.

[0035] It should be understood that the technical effects of the second aspect of the technical solution can be referred to the relevant description in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0036] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the terminal device is further configured to perform a frequency point search based on the first frequency point when the first condition is not met, and obtain a frequency point search result, wherein the frequency point search result includes one or more of the following: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, but fails to access the first cell; the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell; or the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the terminal device is also used to increment the number of failures by 1 and record it when the frequency point search result meets the second condition; perform cell reselection, wherein the second condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the terminal device is also used to camp on the first frequency point if the frequency point search result meets the third condition, the third condition being used to indicate that the terminal device has successfully accessed the first cell; and to reset the number of failures to 0.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the terminal device is also used to reset the number of failures to 0 when the recording duration of the number of failures reaches a first duration threshold.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; or, the number of failures is associated with the first cell; or, the number of failures, the first frequency point, and the first cell are associated with each other.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the terminal device is further configured to determine a second cell from multiple candidate cells; access the second cell; and, if the second cell meets a fourth condition, store the second cell in a first set, wherein cells in the first set do not participate in cell reselection, and the fourth condition includes one or more of the following: the number of reselections of the second cell reaches a second preset threshold; the signal strength of the second cell is lower than a first strength threshold; or the signal quality of the second cell is lower than a first quality threshold.

[0042] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes:

[0043] During the (i+1)th blind redirection process, a first indication information sent by the network device is received. The first indication information is used to indicate the first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on. The cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes the first cell, and i is a positive integer. If the fifth condition is met in the previous i blind redirection processes, cell reselection is performed. The fifth condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the terminal device fails to access the first cell; the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point reaches a third preset threshold; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell reaches a fourth preset threshold.

[0044] It should be understood that the first indication information sent by the receiving network device is taken as the start of a single blind redirection process. For the (i+1)th blind redirection process, if the frequency search result in the previous i blind redirection processes meets the fifth condition, then the frequency search will not be performed in this blind redirection process, but the cell reselection process will be performed directly.

[0045] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit consisting of software and / or hardware for performing any one of the methods of the first or second aspect.

[0046] Fifthly, an electronic device is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, it is able to implement either the first or second aspect.

[0047] Optionally, when the electronic device is used to implement any of the methods of the first aspect, the electronic device may be a network device; when the electronic device is used to implement any of the methods of the second aspect, the electronic device may be a user device.

[0048] In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided, including a processor for reading and executing a computer program stored in a memory, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, is capable of implementing either the first or second aspect.

[0049] Optionally, the chip also includes a memory electrically connected to the processor.

[0050] Optionally, the chip may also include a communication interface.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement any one of the methods of the first or second aspect.

[0052] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement any one of the methods of the first or second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a cell access method based on blind redirection according to an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an applicable network scenario according to an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a data structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of repeated transmission of first instruction information according to an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 8 is an interactive flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0062] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The solutions of the embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The communication method provided by this application can be applied to various wireless communication systems.

[0064] First, the relevant terms and technologies in this application will be explained.

[0065] • Frequency point

[0066] A frequency point refers to a specific frequency value within a particular frequency band. In applications, a frequency point can be considered a specific frequency used for communication within a frequency band; for example, 810 MHz is the frequency point used by a certain wireless communication system.

[0067] Generally speaking, for a single cell, one or more frequency points will be designated as the designated frequency points corresponding to that cell. After the terminal device searches for and connects to the designated frequency point, it can access the cell corresponding to the designated frequency point.

[0068] Optionally, for a single cell, the corresponding frequency point can be fixed, for example, frequency point a corresponding to cell 1 is fixed; or, for a single cell, the corresponding frequency point can change, for example, during the first time period, frequency point a corresponds to cell 1, and after a period of time, starting from the second time period, frequency point a corresponds to cell 2, and there is no limitation on this.

[0069] Blind redirection

[0070] In Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, redirection refers to the network device sending a connection release (RRC) message to the terminal device. The redirectedCarrierInfo in the RRC connection release message is used to instruct the terminal device to try to camp on a specified frequency or system after the connection is terminated.

[0071] There are two types of redirection: measurement-based redirection and non-measurement-based redirection. Non-measurement-based redirection is also known as blind redirection. During blind redirection, when the terminal device is in a connected state with RRC, it first releases the RRC, then searches for a frequency point using a specified frequency point issued by the network device, and reconnects on that specified frequency point. In this case, the network device does not perform frequency point measurement or quality assessment before issuing the blind redirection instruction.

[0072] Frequency search based on blind redirection

[0073] As can be seen from the above blind redirection-related content, the RRC connection release message (which may also be referred to as blind redirection indication in this application) sent by the network device to the terminal device includes a specified frequency point. Therefore, the terminal device first scans on the supported frequency bands to obtain multiple frequency points, and then sequentially scans among these multiple frequency points to search for the existence of the specified frequency point. If the specified frequency point is found, it indicates that the frequency point search is successful. At this time, if the cell corresponding to the specified frequency point meets the cell access conditions, the terminal device can access the cell. If the specified frequency point is not found, it indicates that the frequency point search has failed. If the specified frequency point is found, but the terminal device fails to successfully access the cell corresponding to the specified frequency point, it indicates that the cell access has failed.

[0074] • Neighborhood re-election

[0075] Cell reselection refers to the process where a terminal device, in idle mode, detects the signal quality of neighboring cells and the currently accessed cell, and selects the cell with the best signal quality to provide a service signal. When the signal quality and level of a neighboring cell meet certain conditions, the terminal will connect to that neighboring cell and camp there. Once the terminal device successfully camps, it will continuously perform measurements on the current cell.

[0076] The steps for reselecting a neighborhood are explained in detail below.

[0077] The first step is to search for the neighborhood.

[0078] The terminal device achieves time slot synchronization with the candidate cell using the primary synchronization signal corresponding to the candidate cell. After obtaining time slot synchronization, frame synchronization is performed. Frame synchronization is achieved using the synchronization code from the secondary synchronization signal corresponding to the candidate cell.

[0079] In addition, the synchronization signal indicates the cell identifier corresponding to the candidate cell, enabling the terminal device to search for multiple candidate cells.

[0080] The second step is to read the broadcast channel.

[0081] After the terminal device achieves signal synchronization in the first step, it begins to read the information corresponding to the broadcast channel.

[0082] When the terminal device reads the Signaling Information Module (MIB), the MIB information includes the cell identifier corresponding to the candidate cell, subframe allocation, synchronization signal block indicator, transport block size, and other basic static parameters. The terminal device uses the parameters in the MIB information to continue decoding the data in the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), including the decoded information block (SIB). The SIB information is an information block used to describe the parameter set of the candidate cell.

[0083] The MIB information also stores a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier field. The terminal device determines whether the PLMN corresponding to the candidate cell meets the connection conditions based on the PLMN identifier field. If it does, the terminal device reads the SIB3 information and calculates whether the current candidate cell meets the cell access conditions by obtaining the Cell selection and re-selection info. If the cell access conditions are met, the terminal device camps on the candidate cell.

[0084] If the above conditions are not met, the terminal device reads the SIB11 information, obtains the neighbor cell information, and then calculates and determines whether the neighbor cell meets the cell selection and retention criteria.

[0085] If the terminal device finds any neighboring cell that meets the cell residency criteria, the terminal device will reside in that cell.

[0086] If the terminal device finds that no neighboring cell meets the cell residency criteria, it assumes that the current PLMN does not provide coverage and will continue the PLMN selection and reselection process.

[0087] The third step is to reselect the neighborhood.

[0088] If the cell reselection conditions are met within the specified reselection time range, the terminal device will select this cell and camp on it.

[0089] In related technologies, please refer to Figure 1, which shows a flowchart of a cell access method based on blind redirection provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the current method includes the following steps.

[0090] S1, the network device sends a blind redirection instruction to the terminal device.

[0091] When a network device experiences a network anomaly, it sends an instruction message to the terminal device. This instruction message includes a specified frequency point. For example, frequency point a corresponds to cell 1. This instruction message is used to instruct the terminal device to switch from the current frequency point to frequency point a. Therefore, the instruction message can also be called a blind redirection instruction message.

[0092] S2 performs frequency point search based on blind redirection indication information.

[0093] When the terminal device receives the blind redirection instruction information, it first performs a frequency search based on frequency point a. If frequency point a is found, it executes step S3; otherwise, it executes step S4.

[0094] S3, accessing the cell.

[0095] When the terminal device finds frequency point a according to the blind redirection instruction, it attempts to access cell 1 corresponding to frequency point a. If it successfully accesses cell 1, it means that the blind redirection is successful. If it fails to access cell 1 corresponding to frequency point a, it proceeds to step S4.

[0096] S4, cell reselection.

[0097] If the terminal device fails to find frequency point a, or fails to access cell 1, the terminal device performs a cell reselection process as described above. If cell 2 is selected after reselection, the terminal device accesses cell 2.

[0098] In the aforementioned technology, when a terminal device is camped in a cell, it is in an RRC connection state. When the terminal device receives a blind redirection instruction from the network device, it first releases the RRC. At this time, the terminal device is in an RRC idle state. After performing frequency search and cell reselection, the terminal device only returns to the RRC idle state after reconnecting and camping in the cell. Therefore, during the frequency search and cell reselection process, the terminal device is in an RRC interruption process. The RRC interruption will affect the terminal device's inability to transmit relevant data services, which will lead to network lag, network interruption and other problems, thus reducing network communication quality.

[0099] Furthermore, if the terminal device is unable to successfully access the cell corresponding to the specified frequency point after the network device sends a blind redirection indication message, the network device will repeatedly send the same blind redirection indication message to the terminal device, causing the terminal device to repeatedly search for the same frequency point, wasting signaling overhead, increasing network outage time, and reducing network communication quality.

[0100] The technical solution provided in this application, when multiple searches for the same frequency point fail or multiple failures to access the same cell corresponding to a specified frequency point fail, directly performs cell reselection upon receiving the blind redirection indication information again, saving the time spent on frequency point search. This also shortens the process of the terminal device being in RRC interruption, reduces network interruption duration, and further improves network communication quality.

[0101] The network scenario of this application will be described below.

[0102] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an applicable network scenario according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the wireless communication system in this scenario includes at least one network device 210 and at least one user equipment (UE) 220. The wireless communication system can be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, a fifth-generation (5G) network, a future sixth-generation (6G) network, or various wireless communication systems that evolve thereafter.

[0103] In the embodiments of this application, network device 220 may include access network (AN) devices and radio access network (RAN) devices. Access network devices, such as base stations (e.g., access points), can refer to devices in the access network that communicate with wireless user equipment through one or more cells over the air interface. Base stations can be evolved base stations (NodeB, eNB, or e-NodeB), or they can include next-generation node B (gNB) or next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB), en-gNB (enhanced next-generation node B, gNB) in 5G systems: enhanced next-generation base stations, or sixth-generation network base stations or base stations of subsequent evolved wireless communication systems; they can also include centralized units (CU) and distributed units (DU) in cloud radio access network (Cloud RAN) systems, etc., which will not be listed one by one.

[0104] User equipment, also known as terminal equipment, can include computers, mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, XR terminals, in-vehicle terminals, etc. XR terminals can also include virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, and mixed reality (MR) terminals.

[0105] As mentioned above, if a terminal device is unable to successfully access the cell corresponding to the specified frequency point after the network device sends a blind redirection indication message, the network device will repeatedly send the same blind redirection indication message to the terminal device. This causes the terminal device to repeatedly search for the same frequency point, wasting signaling overhead and increasing the network interruption time, thus reducing the quality of network communication.

[0106] The technical solution provided in this application, when multiple searches for the same frequency point fail or multiple failures to access the same cell corresponding to a specified frequency point fail, directly performs cell reselection upon receiving the blind redirection indication information again, saving the time spent on frequency point search. This also shortens the process of the terminal device being in RRC interruption, reduces network interruption duration, and further improves network communication quality.

[0107] The communication method of the present application embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0108] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. This solution is applied to a terminal device.

[0109] S310, the terminal device receives the first instruction information sent by the network device.

[0110] The first indication information is used to indicate the first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, and the cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes the first cell.

[0111] Optionally, the first indication information refers to blind redirection indication information, or the first indication information is carried in the RRC release message; or the first indication information is related to the current communication protocol.

[0112] It should be understood that a frequency point refers to a specific frequency used to transmit signals, while a cell is a basic transmission unit in a wireless communication network, used to represent the network coverage area corresponding to a base station.

[0113] A single base station (also known as a network device) covers one or more cells. For each cell, one or more frequency points are assigned to a specific cell. Therefore, a terminal device can only access the cell associated with the frequency point and establish a communication link after searching for the frequency point. For example, frequency point 1 corresponds to cell 1, and frequency point 2 also corresponds to cell 1. Therefore, a terminal device can access cell 1 by searching for frequency point 1, or it can access cell 2 by searching for frequency point 2.

[0114] It should be understood that the first indication information is a blind redirection indication signaling sent by the network device to the terminal device. In other words, the first frequency point is the specified frequency point that the network device instructs the terminal device to perform frequency point search. The terminal device does not measure the signal quality corresponding to the first frequency point.

[0115] Because the first frequency point indicated in the first indication information has not been measured by signal, the terminal device may succeed in searching for the first frequency point or fail to search for the first frequency point. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0116] Optionally, the determination of the first frequency point includes at least one of the following:

[0117] 1. The terminal device is currently connected to the third cell, and the frequency point corresponding to the third cell is the second frequency point. Therefore, the network device randomly selects a frequency point other than the second frequency point from multiple candidate frequency points as the first frequency point;

[0118] 2. The terminal device is currently connected to the third cell, and the terminal device uploads historical measurement reports to the network device within the historical time range. The historical measurement reports store the signal quality of multiple candidate cells. The network device determines the designated cell from the historical measurement reports based on the signal quality of the candidate cells and uses the frequency point corresponding to the designated cell as the first frequency point.

[0119] It is worth noting that the above-described method for determining the first frequency point is merely an illustrative example, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0120] Optionally, the network device may send the first instruction information to the terminal device only once; or, the network device may send the first instruction information to the terminal device multiple times, without limitation.

[0121] The situation of sending the first instruction information multiple times can be further subdivided into at least one of the following cases:

[0122] The first scenario is that if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell during the first n first indication messages sent by the network device to the terminal device, and the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell after the network device sends the (n+1)th first indication message to the terminal device, then the network device will no longer send the first indication message to the terminal device.

[0123] The second scenario is that if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell during the first n times the network device sends the first indication information to the terminal device, and the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell after the network device sends the (n+1)th first indication information to the terminal device, then the network device will continue to send the first indication information to the terminal device.

[0124] It is worth noting that the above-described situation regarding the transmission of the first instruction information is merely an illustrative example, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0125] S320, if the first condition is met, performs cell reselection.

[0126] The first condition is used to indicate that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold. The number of failures includes one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0127] Optionally, the terminal device may fail to search for the first frequency point if at least one of the following conditions is met:

[0128] 1. The terminal device did not find the first frequency point in the spectrum resources, meaning that the first frequency point does not exist in this case;

[0129] 2. The terminal device finds the first frequency point in the spectrum resources, but the frequency point signal is weak and does not reach the preset frequency point dwell threshold.

[0130] Optionally, the failure of the terminal device to access the first cell includes at least one of the following situations:

[0131] 1. The number of devices currently connected to the first cell is too large, causing network congestion, thus preventing terminal devices from connecting to the first cell;

[0132] 2. The channel quality of the first cell is poor (e.g., weak signal, interference, etc.), which prevents the terminal device from accessing the first cell;

[0133] 3. The terminal device has a fault, including a hardware fault or a software fault, which prevents the terminal device from accessing the first cell.

[0134] Optionally, different threshold values ​​can be set for the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point (taking the first failure count as an example) and the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell (taking the second failure count as an example). For example, 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the first failure count and 4 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the second failure count; or, the same threshold value can be set, for example, 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the first failure count and 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the second failure count, without any limitation.

[0135] In this case, the first failure count and the second failure count are counted separately for different threshold settings. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the first failure count is incremented by 1. When the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the second failure count is incremented by 1. In other words, under the current circumstances, there are three scenarios: taking 3 failures as the first preset threshold and 4 failures as the second preset threshold as the first preset threshold, scenario 1: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection. Scenario 2: The terminal device fails to access the first cell 4 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection. Scenario 3: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times and fails to access the first cell 4 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection.

[0136] In cases where the same threshold number is set, the first failure count and the second failure count can be counted together. That is, regardless of whether the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell, the failure count will be incremented by 1. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the failure count is incremented by 1, and when the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the failure count is incremented by 1 again.

[0137] In cases where the same threshold number is set, the first failure count and the second failure count can be counted separately. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the first failure count is incremented by 1; when the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the second failure count is incremented by 1. In other words, under the current circumstances, there are three scenarios: taking setting 3 failures as the first preset threshold and setting 3 failures as the second preset threshold as the first preset threshold, scenario 1: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection; scenario 2: The terminal device fails to access the first cell 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection; scenario 3: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times and fails to access the first cell 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection.

[0138] It should be understood that cell reselection refers to the process by which a terminal device evaluates the signal quality of multiple candidate cells and selects the cell with the best signal to establish a communication link.

[0139] Indicatively, the number of failures is obtained before receiving the first indication message from the network device.

[0140] In this embodiment of the application, if the first condition is met upon receiving the first indication information, the frequency search process is not executed, but the cell reselection process is executed directly.

[0141] The following is a detailed explanation of the situations where the first condition is not met.

[0142] For illustration, please refer to Figure 4, which shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application. That is, after S310, there is also S330. S320 and S330 are two parallel cases. The method includes the following steps.

[0143] S330, if the first condition is not met, performs a frequency search based on the first frequency point to obtain the frequency search result.

[0144] The frequency search results include one or more of the following: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency but fails to access the first cell; the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell; or the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency.

[0145] Indicatively, upon receiving the first instruction information, if the number of failures (the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point and / or the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell) does not reach the first preset threshold, that is, the normal frequency point search process is currently executed.

[0146] Optionally, the frequency search results only include cases where the terminal device searches for the first frequency point, such as: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, or the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point.

[0147] Optionally, the frequency search results include not only the terminal device searching for the first frequency, but also the terminal device accessing the first cell, such as: the terminal device successfully accessing the first cell, or the terminal device failing to access the first cell.

[0148] It is worth noting that if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, it does not mean that the terminal device will definitely be able to access the first cell. However, if the terminal device is connected to the first cell, the terminal device will definitely successfully search for the first frequency point.

[0149] Optionally, the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point can be one or multiple different cells, without limitation.

[0150] In some embodiments, if the frequency point search result meets the second condition, the failure count is incremented by 1 and recorded; cell reselection is performed, and the second condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0151] For illustration, when the frequency search result meets the second condition, it indicates that the cell access process based on frequency search has failed in this round of blind redirection. Therefore, the failure count is incremented by 1 and recorded in the log file corresponding to the terminal device. The log file is used to record the communication data between the terminal device and the network device in real time.

[0152] In this embodiment, regardless of whether the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell, the failure count will be incremented by 1 and the total number of failures will be stored.

[0153] In this embodiment, the first indication information sent by the network device carries a first frequency point. The information structure corresponding to the first indication information can be found in the log file as follows:

[0154] redirectedCarrierInfo nr:

[0155] {

[0156] carrierFreq 154570

[0157] ssbSubcarrierSpacing kHz15

[0158] Smto

[0159] {

[0160] periodicityAndOffset sf 20:0

[0161] Duration sf3

[0162] Among them, 154570 represents the first frequency point.

[0163] In this embodiment, when the second condition of the frequency point search result is met, in addition to incrementing the number of failures by 1 and storing it in the log file, the result content corresponding to this frequency point search result will also be recorded in detail. For illustration, please refer to Figure 5, which shows a schematic diagram of the data structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the current display is frequency point search result 510.

[0164] Among them, frequency search result 510 is used to indicate that the terminal device failed to search for frequency 154570. Therefore, the status output result corresponding to frequency search result 510 is "failure". At this time, the cell detection identifier is recorded as 0, indicating that the terminal device has not accessed the cell corresponding to frequency 154570.

[0165] In some embodiments, if the frequency point search result meets the third condition, the device camps on the first frequency point, where the third condition indicates that the terminal device has successfully accessed the first cell; and the failure count is reset to 0.

[0166] For illustrative purposes, if the frequency search result meets the third condition, it means that the terminal device has successfully searched for the first frequency and successfully accessed the first cell corresponding to the first frequency.

[0167] For illustrative purposes, resetting the failure count to 0 means that if the current failure count is 3, and the search result for this frequency point meets the third condition, the failure count will be reset to 0 and stored in the log file.

[0168] In some embodiments, if the recording duration of the number of failures reaches a first duration threshold, the number of failures is reset to 0.

[0169] As an illustration, in addition to resetting the failure count to 0 when the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell, the failure count can also be automatically reset to 0 and stored in the log file after a specified period of time.

[0170] In some embodiments, the number of failures is associated with a first frequency point; or, the number of failures is associated with a first cell; or, the number of failures, the first frequency point, and the first cell are associated with each other.

[0171] As an illustration, in order to better determine the reasons for the failure of blind redirection results, the number of failures is associated with the relevant technologies during each recording of the number of failures. The following are some examples.

[0172] The first type is where the number of failures is correlated with the first frequency point.

[0173] The first frequency point information is stored in the MIB information. Therefore, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the terminal device can only read the MIB information and cannot decode the SIB information based on the MIB information. Therefore, associating the number of failures with the first frequency point can intuitively indicate that the current terminal device has failed to blindly redirect.

[0174] The second type is that the number of failures is related to the first cell.

[0175] In a feasible scenario, the number of failures is associated with the cell identifier corresponding to the first cell, which is used to indicate that the current terminal device ultimately fails to access the first cell.

[0176] The third method involves associating the number of failures with the first cell or the first frequency point, based on the failure situation.

[0177] Optionally, if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell, the number of failures is associated with the cell identifier corresponding to the first cell.

[0178] Optionally, if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell, the number of failures is associated with the cell identifier corresponding to the first cell and the first frequency point.

[0179] In some embodiments, a second cell is determined from a plurality of candidate cells; the second cell is accessed; if the second cell meets a fourth condition, the second cell is stored in a first set, and the cells in the first set do not participate in cell reselection. The fourth condition includes one or more of the following: the number of reselections of the second cell reaches a second preset threshold; the signal strength of the second cell is lower than a first strength threshold; the signal quality of the second cell is lower than a first quality threshold.

[0180] This is illustrative; during the cell reselection process, the second cell may be the cell in which the terminal device camped before receiving the first instruction information, or the second cell may be different from the cell in which the terminal device camped before receiving the first instruction information. No limitation is imposed on this.

[0181] As an illustration, in the event of blind redirection failure, the cell selected after cell reselection is very likely to be the same cell that the terminal device camped on before disconnecting the RRC connection. Therefore, if the same cell is obtained after multiple reselections, the cell identifier corresponding to that cell is stored in the first set so that it will not participate in subsequent cell reselections, thereby avoiding the terminal device being in a state of network abnormality for a long time and improving network communication quality.

[0182] Indicatively, during the cell reselection process, the terminal device scans the supported frequency bands to obtain multiple frequency points, and then scans these frequency points sequentially to determine the second cell. Once the second cell is selected, the terminal device performs cell access for the second cell and camps on the second cell. As shown in Figure 5, cell reselection result 520 is also displayed. During the cell reselection process, searching for frequency point 505230 failed, but searching for frequency point 504990 succeeded. Furthermore, access to the cell corresponding to frequency point 504990 was successful. Therefore, the status of frequency point 504990 is marked as "success," the status of frequency point 505230 is marked as "failure," and the cell detection flag for frequency point 504990 is marked as "1," indicating that the terminal device is currently camping on the cell corresponding to frequency point 504990. The cell detection flag for frequency point 505230 is marked as "0."

[0183] Indicatively, during communication between a network device and a terminal device, if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or access the first cell after the network device sends the first indication information to the terminal device for the first time, the network device will send multiple first indication information messages to the terminal device to try to camp on the first frequency point again. For illustrative purposes, please refer to Figure 6, which shows a schematic diagram of repeated transmission of the first indication information provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the current communication data record diagram is displayed. As shown in Figure 6, the communication data transmitted between the terminal device and the network device includes indication information 610 and indication information 620. Indication information 610 and indication information 620 are both blind redirection indications 1, corresponding to the same frequency point and the same cell. That is, if the network device fails to perform blind redirection for the first time, the network device will subsequently send the same blind redirection indication information to the terminal device.

[0184] Alternatively, regarding the calculation method for the number of failures, at least one of the following situations may exist:

[0185] 1. Continuous counting

[0186] That is, when the network device sends the first indication information to the terminal device three times in a row, and the terminal device fails to access the first cell in all three frequency point search results, the failure count is 3. If the network device sends the second indication information to the terminal device, the second indication information includes the second frequency point and the fourth cell is related to the second frequency point. If the terminal device fails to search for the second frequency point or fails to access the fourth cell, the failure count for the first indication information is reset to 0, and the failure count for the second indication information is updated to 1.

[0187] 2. Cumulative count

[0188] That is, when the network device sends the first indication information to the terminal device three times in a row, and the frequency search results of the terminal device indicate that the terminal device has failed to access the first cell in all three consecutive times, the count of failures is 3. If the network device sends the second indication information to the terminal device at this time, the second indication information includes the second frequency point and the fourth cell related to the second frequency point. If the terminal device fails to search for the second frequency point or fails to access the fourth cell, the count of failures corresponding to the first indication information is still 3, and the count of failures corresponding to the second indication information is updated to 1. If the network device sends the first indication information to the terminal device again in the next instance, and the frequency search results of the terminal device indicate that the terminal device has failed to access the first cell, the count of failures corresponding to the first indication information is updated to 4, and the count of failures corresponding to the second indication information is updated to 1.

[0189] In this embodiment of the application, since the first frequency point corresponds to the first cell, after successfully accessing the first cell, it can be said that the user camps on the first frequency point or the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point. This embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0190] For illustrative purposes, please refer to Figure 7, which shows a flowchart of a communication method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the method includes the following steps.

[0191] Step 710: Send the first instruction message.

[0192] The network device sends a first instruction message to the terminal device to instruct the terminal device to perform blind redirection. The first instruction message includes a first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, and a first cell corresponding to the first frequency point.

[0193] Step 720, RRC connection disconnected.

[0194] After receiving the first indication information, the terminal device disconnects the RRC connection and transitions from the RRC connected state to the RRC idle state.

[0195] At this point, it is determined whether the current number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, wherein the number of failures includes the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point and the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0196] If the number of failures reaches the first preset threshold, then step 740 is executed; if the number of failures does not reach the first preset threshold, then a frequency point search is performed on the first frequency point to obtain the frequency point search result.

[0197] The frequency search results are further evaluated. If the search for the first frequency is successful, proceed to step 750. If the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency, proceed to step 739.

[0198] Step 730, redirection failed, increment the failure count by 1.

[0199] If the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, it means that the terminal device failed to redirect to the first frequency point. In this case, the cumulative number of failures is incremented by 1 and stored in the log file.

[0200] Step 740: Cell reselection, stay in the reselected cell.

[0201] The terminal device selects the cell with the best current signal quality from the candidate cells, accesses it, and camps there.

[0202] Step 750: Connect to the first cell and reset the failure count to 0.

[0203] After the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, it attempts to access the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point. If the access to the first cell is successful, it stays in the first cell and resets the current failure count corresponding to the first indication information to 0.

[0204] It is worth noting that if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point, the cell reselection process in step 740 is re-executed, and the accumulated number of failures is incremented by 1 and stored in the log file.

[0205] For illustrative purposes, please refer to Figure 8, which shows an interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The interactive process includes a terminal device and a network device (also referred to as a wireless access network). As shown in Figure 8, the method includes the following steps.

[0206] Step 810: Receive the first instruction information.

[0207] The network device sends an RRC connection release message to the terminal device as the first indication information, which is used to instruct the terminal device to perform blind redirection. The first indication information includes the first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, and the first cell corresponds to the first frequency point.

[0208] Step 820, RRC connection disconnected.

[0209] After receiving the first instruction information, the terminal device disconnects the RRC connection, that is, the terminal device changes from the RRC connected state to the RRC idle state.

[0210] At this point, it is determined whether the current number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, wherein the number of failures includes the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point and the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0211] If the number of failures reaches the first preset threshold, then step 740 is executed; if the number of failures does not reach the first preset threshold, then a frequency point search is performed on the first frequency point to obtain the frequency point search result.

[0212] The frequency search results are further evaluated. If the search for the first frequency is successful, proceed to step 750. If the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency, proceed to step 739.

[0213] Step 830, redirection failed, increment the failure count by 1.

[0214] If the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, it means that the terminal device failed to redirect to the first frequency point. In this case, the cumulative number of failures is incremented by 1 and stored in the log file.

[0215] Step 840: Cell reselection, stay in the reselected cell.

[0216] The terminal device selects the cell with the best current signal quality from the candidate cells, accesses it, and camps there.

[0217] The process of cell access during cell reselection is explained.

[0218] First, the terminal device sends an RRC Setup Request message to the network device. Upon receiving the RRC Setup Request, the network device begins the RRC establishment process. During RRC establishment, the network device receives and decodes the RRC Setup Request message. The network device looks up the terminal device's context information based on the terminal identifier. If the terminal device is accessing the network for the first time, the network device cannot find the context information and will create a new context for the terminal device. The network device determines the reason for RRC establishment based on the establishment cause and performs subsequent processing accordingly. If access is allowed, the network device generates and sends an RRC Connection Setup message to the terminal device. If access is denied, an RRC Connection Reject message is generated and sent. Once RRC establishment is complete, successful access to the reselected cell is achieved.

[0219] Step 850: Connect to the first cell and reset the failure count to 0.

[0220] After the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, it attempts to access the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point. If the access to the first cell is successful, it stays in the first cell and resets the current failure count corresponding to the first indication information to 0.

[0221] The process of accessing the first cell is explained.

[0222] First, the terminal device sends an RRC Setup Request message to the network device. Upon receiving the RRC Setup Request, the network device begins the RRC establishment process. During RRC establishment, the network device receives and decodes the RRC Setup Request message. The network device looks up the terminal device's context information based on the terminal identifier. If the terminal device is accessing the network for the first time, the network device cannot find the context information and will create a new context for the terminal device. The network device determines the reason for RRC establishment based on the establishment cause and performs subsequent processing accordingly. If access is allowed, the network device generates and sends an RRC Connection Setup message to the terminal device. If access is denied, it generates and sends an RRC Connection Reject message. Once RRC establishment is complete, successful access to the first cell is achieved.

[0223] It is worth noting that if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point, the cell reselection process in step 740 is re-executed, and the accumulated number of failures is incremented by 1 and stored in the log file.

[0224] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG9, which illustrates a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9, the method includes the following steps.

[0225] S910, send the first instruction message.

[0226] The first indication information is used to indicate the first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, and the cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes the first cell.

[0227] It should be understood that a frequency point refers to a specific frequency used to transmit signals, while a cell is a basic transmission unit in a wireless communication network, used to represent the network coverage area corresponding to a base station.

[0228] A single base station (also known as a network device) covers one or more cells. For each cell, one or more frequency points are assigned to a specific cell. Therefore, a terminal device can only access the cell associated with the frequency point and establish a communication link after searching for the frequency point. For example, frequency point 1 corresponds to cell 1, and frequency point 2 also corresponds to cell 1. Therefore, a terminal device can access cell 1 by searching for frequency point 1, or it can access cell 2 by searching for frequency point 2.

[0229] It should be understood that the first indication information is a blind redirection indication signaling sent by the network device to the terminal device. In other words, the first frequency point is the specified frequency point that the network device instructs the terminal device to perform frequency point search. The terminal device does not measure the signal quality corresponding to the first frequency point.

[0230] Because the first frequency point indicated in the first indication information has not been measured by signal, the terminal device may succeed in searching for the first frequency point or fail to search for the first frequency point. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0231] Optionally, the determination of the first frequency point includes at least one of the following:

[0232] 1. The terminal device is currently connected to the third cell, and the frequency point corresponding to the third cell is the second frequency point. Therefore, the network device randomly selects a frequency point other than the second frequency point from multiple candidate frequency points as the first frequency point;

[0233] 2. The terminal device is currently connected to the third cell, and the terminal device uploads historical measurement reports to the network device within the historical time range. The historical measurement reports store the signal quality of multiple candidate cells. The network device determines the designated cell from the historical measurement reports based on the signal quality of the candidate cells and uses the frequency point corresponding to the designated cell as the first frequency point.

[0234] It is worth noting that the above-described method for determining the first frequency point is merely an illustrative example, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0235] Optionally, the network device may send the first instruction information to the terminal device only once; or, the network device may send the first instruction information to the terminal device multiple times, without limitation.

[0236] The situation of sending the first instruction information multiple times can be further subdivided into at least one of the following cases:

[0237] The first scenario is that if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell during the first n first indication messages sent by the network device to the terminal device, and the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell after the network device sends the (n+1)th first indication message to the terminal device, then the network device will no longer send the first indication message to the terminal device.

[0238] The second scenario is that if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell during the first n times the network device sends the first indication information to the terminal device, and the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell after the network device sends the (n+1)th first indication information to the terminal device, then the network device will continue to send the first indication information to the terminal device.

[0239] It is worth noting that the above-described situation regarding the transmission of the first instruction information is merely an illustrative example, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0240] S920 performs cell reselection if the first condition is met.

[0241] The first condition is used to indicate that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold. The number of failures includes one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

[0242] Optionally, the terminal device may fail to search for the first frequency point if at least one of the following conditions is met:

[0243] 1. The terminal device did not find the first frequency point in the spectrum resources, meaning that the first frequency point does not exist in this case;

[0244] 2. The terminal device finds the first frequency point in the spectrum resources, but the frequency point signal is weak and does not reach the preset frequency point dwell threshold.

[0245] Optionally, the failure of the terminal device to access the first cell includes at least one of the following situations:

[0246] 1. The number of devices currently connected to the first cell is too large, causing network congestion, thus preventing terminal devices from connecting to the first cell;

[0247] 2. The channel quality of the first cell is poor (e.g., weak signal, interference, etc.), which prevents the terminal device from accessing the first cell;

[0248] 3. The terminal device has a fault, including a hardware fault or a software fault, which prevents the terminal device from accessing the first cell.

[0249] Optionally, different threshold values ​​can be set for the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point (taking the first failure count as an example) and the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell (taking the second failure count as an example). For example, 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the first failure count and 4 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the second failure count; or, the same threshold value can be set, for example, 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the first failure count and 3 times can be set as the first preset threshold for the second failure count, without any limitation.

[0250] In this case, the first failure count and the second failure count are counted separately for different threshold settings. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the first failure count is incremented by 1. When the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the second failure count is incremented by 1. In other words, under the current circumstances, there are three scenarios: taking 3 failures as the first preset threshold and 4 failures as the second preset threshold as the first preset threshold, scenario 1: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection. Scenario 2: The terminal device fails to access the first cell 4 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection. Scenario 3: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times and fails to access the first cell 4 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection.

[0251] In cases where the same threshold number is set, the first failure count and the second failure count can be counted together. That is, regardless of whether the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell, the failure count will be incremented by 1. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the failure count is incremented by 1, and when the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the failure count is incremented by 1 again.

[0252] In cases where the same threshold number is set, the first failure count and the second failure count can be counted separately. For example, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the first failure count is incremented by 1; when the terminal device fails to access the first cell, the second failure count is incremented by 1. In other words, under the current circumstances, there are three scenarios: taking setting 3 failures as the first preset threshold and setting 3 failures as the second preset threshold as the first preset threshold, scenario 1: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection; scenario 2: The terminal device fails to access the first cell 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection; scenario 3: The terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point 3 times and fails to access the first cell 3 times, and the terminal device performs cell reselection.

[0253] It should be understood that cell reselection refers to the process by which a terminal device evaluates the signal quality of multiple candidate cells and selects the cell with the best signal to establish a communication link.

[0254] Indicatively, the number of failures is obtained before receiving the first indication message from the network device.

[0255] In this embodiment of the application, if the first condition is met upon receiving the first indication information, the frequency search process is not executed, but the cell reselection process is executed directly.

[0256] S930, if the first condition is not met, performs a frequency search based on the first frequency point to obtain the frequency search result.

[0257] The frequency search results include one or more of the following: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency but fails to access the first cell; the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell; or the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency.

[0258] Indicatively, upon receiving the first instruction information, if the number of failures (the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point and / or the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell) does not reach the first preset threshold, that is, the normal frequency point search process is currently executed.

[0259] Optionally, the frequency search results only include cases where the terminal device searches for the first frequency point, such as: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, or the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point.

[0260] Optionally, the frequency search results include not only the terminal device searching for the first frequency, but also the terminal device accessing the first cell, such as: the terminal device successfully accessing the first cell, or the terminal device failing to access the first cell.

[0261] It is worth noting that if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, it does not mean that the terminal device will definitely be able to access the first cell. However, if the terminal device is connected to the first cell, the terminal device will definitely successfully search for the first frequency point.

[0262] Optionally, the first cell corresponding to the first frequency point can be one or multiple different cells, without limitation.

[0263] S940, if the frequency search result meets the second condition, increment the number of failures by 1 and record it.

[0264] For illustration, when the frequency search result meets the second condition, it indicates that the cell access process based on frequency search has failed in this round of blind redirection. Therefore, the failure count is incremented by 1 and recorded in the log file corresponding to the terminal device. The log file is used to record the communication data between the terminal device and the network device in real time.

[0265] In this embodiment, regardless of whether the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point or fails to access the first cell, the failure count will be incremented by 1 and the total number of failures will be stored.

[0266] S950, perform cell reselection.

[0267] S960 will reside on the first frequency if the frequency search result meets the third condition.

[0268] For illustrative purposes, if the frequency search result meets the third condition, it means that the terminal device has successfully searched for the first frequency and successfully accessed the first cell corresponding to the first frequency.

[0269] For illustrative purposes, resetting the failure count to 0 means that if the current failure count is 3, and the search result for this frequency point meets the third condition, the failure count will be reset to 0 and stored in the log file.

[0270] In some embodiments, if the recording duration of the number of failures reaches a first duration threshold, the number of failures is reset to 0.

[0271] As an illustration, in addition to resetting the failure count to 0 when the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell, the failure count can also be automatically reset to 0 and stored in the log file after a specified period of time.

[0272] In some embodiments, the number of failures is associated with a first frequency point; or, the number of failures is associated with a first cell; or, the number of failures, the first frequency point, and the first cell are associated with each other.

[0273] As an illustration, in order to better determine the reasons for the failure of blind redirection results, the number of failures is associated with the relevant technologies during each recording of the number of failures. The following are some examples.

[0274] The first type is where the number of failures is correlated with the first frequency point.

[0275] The first frequency point information is stored in the MIB information. Therefore, when the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the terminal device can only read the MIB information and cannot decode the SIB information based on the MIB information. Therefore, associating the number of failures with the first frequency point can intuitively indicate that the current terminal device has failed to blindly redirect.

[0276] The second type is that the number of failures is related to the first cell.

[0277] In a feasible scenario, the number of failures is associated with the cell identifier corresponding to the first cell. This indicates that the current terminal device ultimately failed to access the first cell.

[0278] The third method involves associating the number of failures with the first cell or the first frequency point, based on the failure situation.

[0279] Optionally, if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell, the number of failures is associated with the cell identifier corresponding to the first cell.

[0280] Optionally, if the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point, the number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; if the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell, the number of failures is associated with the cell identifier corresponding to the first cell and the first frequency point.

[0281] In some embodiments, a second cell is determined from a plurality of candidate cells; the second cell is accessed; if the second cell meets a fourth condition, the second cell is stored in a first set, and the cells in the first set do not participate in cell reselection. The fourth condition includes one or more of the following: the number of reselections of the second cell reaches a second preset threshold; the signal strength of the second cell is lower than a first strength threshold; the signal quality of the second cell is lower than a first quality threshold.

[0282] This is illustrative; during the cell reselection process, the second cell may be the cell in which the terminal device camped before receiving the first instruction information, or the second cell may be different from the cell in which the terminal device camped before receiving the first instruction information. No limitation is imposed on this.

[0283] As an illustration, in the event of blind redirection failure, the cell selected after cell reselection is very likely to be the same cell that the terminal device camped on before disconnecting the RRC connection. Therefore, if the same cell is obtained after multiple reselections, the cell identifier corresponding to that cell is stored in the first set so that it will not participate in subsequent cell reselections, thereby avoiding the terminal device being in a state of network abnormality for a long time and improving network communication quality.

[0284] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the electronic device 4000 includes: at least one processor 4001 (only one is shown in Figure 10), a memory 4002, and a computer program 4003 stored in the memory 4002 and executable on at least one processor 4001. When the processor 4001 executes the computer program 4003, it implements the steps in any of the above methods.

[0285] In one implementation, the electronic device 4000 is a user device used to perform the steps executed by the user device in the above method.

[0286] In another implementation, the electronic device 4000 is a network device used to perform the steps performed by the network device in the above method.

[0287] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 10 is merely an example of an electronic device and does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. In practice, an electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, it may also include input / output devices, network access devices, etc.

[0288] Processor 4001 can be a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0289] In some embodiments, memory 4002 may be an internal storage unit of electronic device 4000, such as a hard disk or memory of electronic device 4000. In other embodiments, memory 4002 may be an external storage device of electronic device 4000, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on electronic device 4000. Optionally, memory 4002 may include both internal and external storage units of electronic device 4000. Memory 4002 is used to store operating system, application programs, bootloaders, data, and other programs, such as program code of computer programs. Memory 4002 may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0290] It should be noted that the information interaction and execution process between the above-mentioned devices / units are based on the same concept as the method embodiments of this application. For details on their specific functions and technical effects, please refer to the method embodiments section, and they will not be repeated here.

[0291] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0292] This application also provides an electronic device, which includes: at least one processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the at least one processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0293] The electronic device may be a user device for performing steps performed by the user device; or it may be a network device for performing steps performed by the network device.

[0294] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps described in the various method embodiments above.

[0295] This application also provides a chip including a processor, which is used to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it can implement the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0296] Optionally, the chip also includes a memory electrically connected to the processor.

[0297] Optionally, the chip may also include a communication interface.

[0298] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a processor, can implement the steps in the various method embodiments described above.

[0299] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments of this application can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include at least: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code to a photographic device / user equipment, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium. Examples include USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks. In some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media cannot be electrical carrier signals or telecommunication signals.

[0300] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0301] 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 application.

[0302] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices / electronic devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / electronic device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0303] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0304] It should be understood that, when used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or a collection thereof.

[0305] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0306] As used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "if" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as "when," "once," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, the phrase "if determined" or "if detected [the described condition or event]" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning "once determined," "in response to determination," "once detected [the described condition or event]," or "in response to detection [the described condition or event]."

[0307] Furthermore, in the description of this application and the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0308] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0309] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: receiving first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information being used to indicate a first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, wherein the cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes a first cell; performing cell reselection when a first condition is met, the first condition being used to indicate that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, the number of failures including one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: if the first condition is not met, performing a frequency point search based on the first frequency point to obtain a frequency point search result, wherein the frequency point search result includes one or more of the following: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point but fails to access the first cell; the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell; or the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: if the frequency point search result meets the second condition, incrementing the failure count by 1 and recording it; performing cell reselection, wherein the second condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: if the frequency search result meets the third condition, residing on the first frequency, the third condition being used to indicate that the terminal device has successfully accessed the first cell; and resetting the number of failures to 0.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: if the recording duration of the number of failures reaches a first duration threshold, resetting the number of failures to 0.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; or, the number of failures is associated with the first cell; or, the number of failures, the first frequency point, and the first cell are associated with each other.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The cell reselection process includes: determining a second cell from multiple candidate cells; accessing the second cell; after the cell reselection process, the process further includes: if the second cell meets a fourth condition, storing the second cell in a first set, wherein cells in the first set do not participate in cell reselection, and the fourth condition includes one or more of the following: the number of reselections of the second cell reaches a second preset threshold; the signal strength of the second cell is lower than a first strength threshold; the signal quality of the second cell is lower than a first quality threshold.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: sending first indication information to a terminal device, the first indication information being used to indicate a first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, the cell corresponding to the first frequency point including a first cell, the terminal device being used to perform cell reselection when a first condition is met, the first condition being used to indicate that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, the number of failures including one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device failed to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device failed to access the first cell.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The terminal device is also configured to perform a frequency point search based on the first frequency point if the first condition is not met, and obtain a frequency point search result. The frequency point search result includes one or more of the following: the terminal device successfully searches for the first frequency point, but fails to access the first cell. The terminal device successfully accessed the first cell; the terminal device failed to search for the first frequency point.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal device is further configured to increment the number of failures by 1 and record it when the frequency point search result meets the second condition; and to perform cell reselection, wherein the second condition includes one or more of the following: the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; or the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal device is also configured to, if the frequency search result meets the third condition, reside on the first frequency, the third condition being used to indicate that the terminal device has successfully accessed the first cell; and reset the number of failures to 0.

12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal device is also used to reset the number of failures to 0 when the recording duration of the number of failures reaches a first duration threshold.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The number of failures is associated with the first frequency point; or, the number of failures is associated with the first cell; or, the number of failures, the first frequency point, and the first cell are associated with each other.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The terminal device is further configured to determine a second cell from multiple candidate cells; access the second cell; and, if the second cell meets a fourth condition, store the second cell in a first set, wherein cells in the first set do not participate in cell reselection, the fourth condition including one or more of the following: the number of reselections of the second cell reaches a second preset threshold; the signal strength of the second cell is lower than a first strength threshold; the signal quality of the second cell is lower than a first quality threshold.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A receiving module is configured to receive first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information being used to indicate a first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on, wherein the cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes a first cell; a cell reselection module is configured to perform cell reselection when a first condition is met, the first condition being used to indicate that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold, the number of failures including one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The sending module is used to send first indication information to the terminal device. The first indication information is used to indicate the first frequency point that the terminal device needs to camp on. The cell corresponding to the first frequency point includes a first cell. The terminal device is used to perform cell reselection when a first condition is met. The first condition is used to indicate that the number of failures has reached a first preset threshold. The number of failures includes one or more of the following: the number of times the terminal device fails to search for the first frequency point; the number of times the terminal device fails to access the first cell.

17. A terminal device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

18. A network device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method as described in claims 8 to 14.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

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