SIB1 validity handling

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to handling of SIB1 validity. Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to terminal device, method, apparatus, computer readable storage medium and computer program product for validity of stored SIB1. In this solution, the terminal device can store SIB1 associated with a first network device, the SIB1 comprising first information related to a first value tag. The terminal device can receive system information comprising second information related to a second value tag. Further, the terminal device can determine validity of the stored SIB1 based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag. In this way, the validity of the stored SIB1 can be determined and, thus, if the stored SIB1 is valid, no SIB1 acquisition procedure is needed, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and particularly to terminal devices, methods, apparatuses, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for processing the validity of System Information Block 1 (SIB1). Background Technology

[0002] One of the goals of Version 19 (Rel-19 or R19) of the 5G New Radio (NR) Network Energy Saving (NES) feature is to enable On-Demand (OD) SIB1 cell operation for Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle / inactive / connected conditions, depending on cell load, for example. User Equipment (UE) can request OD SIB1 scheduling by sending a request (e.g., a Wake-up Signal (WUS) for this purpose). For example, the WUS could be a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) preamble. This feature eliminates the need for periodically sending SIB1 and provides a significant network energy saving gain; the higher the gain, the lower the rate of SIB1 request. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for handling SIB1 validity.

[0004] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the terminal device to at least: store an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information related to a first value tag; determine, based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag, that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, based on a triggering of system information (SI) for obtaining or re-obtaining from the first network device including second information related to a second value tag; and determine, based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, that an SIB1 acquisition process is not required.

[0005] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the terminal device to at least: store an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag, a first portion of the first value tag being associated with an access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag being associated with a residency information portion of the stored SIB1; determine, based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information from the first network device, whether the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, at least based on the corresponding portion of the first value tag; and perform an SIB1 acquisition process on at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1, based on the determination that at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid for the first network device.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: storing an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information related to a first value tag; determining, based on a triggering of system information for acquiring or reacquiring from the first network device, including second information related to a second value tag, that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, and based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag; and determining, based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, that an SIB1 acquisition process is not required.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: storing an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag, a first portion of the first value tag being associated with an access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag being associated with a residency information portion of the stored SIB1; determining, based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information from the first network device, whether the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, at least based on the corresponding portion of the first value tag; and performing an SIB1 acquisition process on at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1, based on the determination that at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid for the first network device.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for storing an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information related to a first value tag; components for determining, based on triggering of system information for obtaining or re-obtaining from the first network device including second information related to a second value tag, and based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag, that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device; and components for determining, based on determining that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, that an SIB1 acquisition process is not required.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for storing an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag, a first portion of the first value tag being associated with an access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag being associated with a residency information portion of the stored SIB1; means for determining, based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information from the first network device, at least based on a corresponding portion of the first value tag, whether the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device; and means for performing an SIB1 acquisition process on at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 based on the determination that at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid for the first network device.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a storage circuitry configured to store an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag; a determination circuitry configured to determine that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device based on triggering of system information for acquiring or re-acquiring second information including second value tag from the first network device; and a determination circuitry configured to determine that an SIB1 acquisition process is unnecessary based on determining that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device.

[0011] In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a storage circuitry configured to store an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag, a first portion of the first value tag being associated with an access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag being associated with a residency information portion of the stored SIB1; a determination circuitry configured to determine, based at least on a corresponding portion of the first value tag, whether the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information from the first network device; and an execution circuitry configured to perform an SIB1 acquisition process on at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 based on the determination that at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid for the first network device.

[0012] In a ninth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the methods of the third or fourth aspect.

[0013] In a tenth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method of the third or fourth aspect.

[0014] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1A The illustration shows an example diagram of option 1 in the non-independent mode;

[0017] Figure 1B The illustration shows an example diagram of option 2 in the non-independent mode;

[0018] Figure 1C The illustration shows an example diagram of the standalone mode;

[0019] Figure 1D The illustration shows an example of a network environment in which some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented;

[0020] Figure 2A The illustration shows an example process of the SIB acquisition process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2BThe illustration shows another example process of the SIB acquisition process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 2C The illustration shows another example process of the SIB acquisition process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 The illustration shows an example of a process flow for checking the validity of stored SIB1 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4 The illustration shows another example of a process flow for checking the validity of stored SIB1 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5A The illustration shows an example of a process flow for receiving a value tag according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5B The illustration shows an example process for checking the validity of stored OD-SIB1 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 8 The illustration shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0030] Figure 9 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Unless otherwise stated, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements in all the figures. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0033] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0034] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," and "example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that, whether explicitly described or not, combining it with other embodiments to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0035] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further understanding, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “<at least one of a list of two or more elements>” and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0037] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including digital signal processors), software, and memory (including multiple memory), which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0038] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0039] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), IoT over NTN, Wi-Fi, etc. Furthermore, communications within a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, the IEEE 802.11 protocol, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody future types of communication technologies and systems. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0040] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), New Radio (NR) NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), Remote Radio Header End (RRH), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, relay, low-power node (such as femtosecond, picosecond), depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0041] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), access terminal (AT), or Internet of Things (IoT) device. Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, commercially operated devices and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0042] In this disclosure, the term "anchor cell" can be used interchangeably with coverage cell, coverage layer cell, cell A, etc., and the term "NES cell" can be used interchangeably with capacity cell, non-anchor cell, etc. In this disclosure, in some cases, the terminal device can be a UE with NES capability. In this disclosure, the term "WUS configuration" can be used interchangeably with SIB1 request configuration, SIB request configuration, etc.

[0043] As part of the ongoing Rel-19 Work Item Description (WID), on-demand SIB1 operation for UEs in idle / inactive or connected modes is defined in 5G NR with the support of anchor cells. The aim is for capacity cells to not periodically broadcast SIB1. Instead, the capacity cell (or its associated coverage cell) provides SIB1 on demand (i.e., based on the transmission of the SIB1 requested by the UE). The UE triggers the transmission by sending a wake-up signal, which can be a PRACH preamble. For the UE to send an SIB1 request, it first needs to acquire an 'SIB1 request' configuration so that it knows which resources(s) it can use to send the SIB1 request. However, when no SIB1 is available in the capacity cell, the cell itself cannot provide the 'SIB1 request' configuration.

[0044] SIB1 is the first information the UE currently reads in the cell (e.g., after the Master Information Block (MIB)), and it defines how all other SIBs are acquired. The capacity cell's MIB may not currently provide the necessary information. This means that a capacity cell operating in on-demand SIB1 mode requires another cell (e.g., a coverage cell) to provide configuration on its behalf in its SIB1 or another of its SIBs. In other words, a single NES cell cannot operate in on-demand SIB1 mode in 5G, but requires a dual-carrier scenario involving a capacity cell (referred to as the NES cell) and a coverage cell (also known as the anchor cell or cell A). However, in some other cases, the MIB content can differ, and therefore, OD-SIB1 operation without an anchor cell becomes feasible and attractive.

[0045] Regardless of whether anchor cells are needed, OD-SIB1 operation should be supported. The On-Demand SIB1 feature has two operating modes: - Non-standalone mode, i.e., with anchor cell support, such as Figures 1A-1B As shown; and - Standalone mode, i.e., without anchor cell support, such as Figure 1C As shown.

[0046] Figure 1A The illustration shows an example diagram of option 1 in the non-independent mode, and Figure 1B The illustration shows an example diagram of option 2 in non-standalone mode. In non-standalone mode, the covering cell can instruct on-demand SSB / SIB1 operation in neighboring cells and instruct wake-up signal configurations that can be used to request on-demand SSB and / or SIB1 transmissions, for example, to request denser SSB / SIB1.

[0047] Figure 1CThe diagram illustrates an example of standalone mode. In standalone mode, if the cell supports on-demand SIB1, wake-up signal configuration can be supplied to the UE directly via the NES cell.

[0048] For on-demand SIB1 operation in standalone or non-standalone modes, the UE needs to be able to determine whether the stored SIB1 content or WUS configuration content is still valid (and therefore usable), or whether the SIB1 content previously obtained by the UE for the cell has changed. In this regard, an effective solution is needed to verify the SIB1 of the NES cell.

[0049] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for determining the validity of stored SIB1s associated with an NES cell. In standalone mode, the provided solution can also be applied to determining the validity of stored SIB1s associated with a coverage cell. In this solution, a terminal device can store SIB1s associated with a first network device, and the stored SIB1s include first information associated with a first value tag. The terminal device can receive system information including second information associated with a second value tag. Furthermore, the terminal device can determine the validity of the stored SIB1s based on the first information associated with the first value tag and the second information associated with the second value tag. Therefore, the validity of the stored SIB1s can be determined, and thus, if the stored SIB1s are valid, an SIB1 acquisition process is not required, thereby reducing signaling overhead and power consumption. The principles and implementation of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Figure 1D The illustration shows an example of a network environment 100 in which some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The network environment 100 may also be referred to as a network system, communication environment, communication network, communication system, etc., and the present disclosure is not limiting in this respect.

[0051] Environment 100 (which may be part of a communication network) includes a first network device 110, a second network device 120, and a terminal device 130. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices and cells.

[0052] In the communication environment 100, the first network device 110 can provide services to the terminal device 130, for example, an NES cell can be provided. The first network device 110 is associated with the NES cell. In some cases, the first network device 110 and the terminal device 130 can transmit data and control information to each other. In some embodiments, the first network device 110 and the terminal device 130 can communicate using a direct link / channel.

[0053] In the communication environment 100, the second network device 120 can provide services to the terminal device 130, for example, an anchor cell can be provided. The second network device 120 is associated with the anchor cell. In some cases, the second network device 120 and the terminal device 130 can transmit data and control information to each other. In some embodiments, the second network device 120 and the terminal device 130 can communicate using a direct link / channel.

[0054] Communication in network environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Spectrum OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technologies currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0055] It should be understood that Figure 1D The number of devices, their connections, and types shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent any limitation. For example, environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0056] It should be understood that Figure 1D The environment described is for illustrative purposes only and has no limitations. For example, the first network device 110 and the second network device 120 can be on different carriers, and a dual-carrier scenario can be applied. For example, in some cases, such as when applying... Figure 1C In standalone mode, a second network device 120 is not required. For example, although Figure 1D Terminal device 130 is described as a mobile phone, but terminal device 130 can be any type of user equipment.

[0057] Figure 2A An example of process flow 210 for the SIB acquisition process of option 1 in non-standalone mode according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference will be made to this example for discussion purposes. Figure 1D Process flow 210 is described. Process flow 210 involves a first network device 110, a second network device 120, and a terminal device 130. (See reference...) Figure 1AThe first network device 110 can be associated with the NES cell, and the second network device 120 can be associated with cell A.

[0058] In process flow 210, at point 211, the second network device 120 receives the WUS configuration from the first network device 110. In some examples, a value tag (which may be referred to as ValueTag1 for ease of discussion) may be provided along with the WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110. In some examples, the first network device 110 may send WUS information (e.g., OD-WUS information) to the second network device 120, wherein the WUS information includes the WUS configuration and the value tag (i.e., ValueTag1).

[0059] At 212, the second network device 120 sends the WUS configuration, and the terminal device 130 receives the WUS configuration. In some examples, the WUS configuration and value tag (i.e., ValueTag1) may be provided to the terminal device 130. In some examples, the identifier of the first network device 110 may also be provided to the terminal device 130 so that the terminal device 130 can know that the WUS configuration is associated with the first network device 110.

[0060] Furthermore, at 213, terminal device 130 stores the WUS configuration received from the first network device 110. For example, the stored WUS configuration has a value tag (i.e., ValueTag1).

[0061] In process flow 210, at point 214, terminal device 130 sends an OD-SIB1 request, and first network device 110 receives the request. In some examples, terminal device 130 may send the request based on WUS configuration. In one example, terminal device 130 is allowed to use WUS configuration based on value tag (i.e., ValueTag1).

[0062] At 215, the first network device 110 sends OD-SIB1, and the terminal device 130 receives OD-SIB1. In some examples, the first network device 110 may send OD-SIB1 based on this request. In some examples, OD-SIB1 has a value tag, which may be a first value tag. For example, the first value tag may be the same as ValueTag1 used for WUS configuration described above.

[0063] Furthermore, at 216, terminal device 130 stores the OD-SIB1 received from the first network device 110. For example, the stored SIB1 has a first value tag (e.g., ValueTag1). In some examples, the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with the first value tag.

[0064] Figure 2B An example flow 220 of the SIB acquisition process for Option 2 in non-standalone mode, according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, is illustrated. Reference will be made to this example flow 220 for purposes of discussion. Figure 1D Process flow 220 is described. Process flow 220 involves a first network device 110, a second network device 120, and a terminal device 130. (Reference) Figure 1B The first network device 110 can be associated with the NES cell, and the second network device 120 can be associated with cell A.

[0065] In process flow 220, at point 221, the second network device 120 receives the WUS configuration from the first network device 110. In some examples, a value tag (which may be referred to as ValueTag1 for ease of discussion) may be provided along with the WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110. In some examples, the first network device 110 may send WUS information (e.g., OD-WUS information) to the second network device 120, wherein the WUS information includes the WUS configuration and the value tag (i.e., ValueTag1).

[0066] At 222, the second network device 120 sends the WUS configuration, and the terminal device 130 receives the WUS configuration. In some examples, the WUS configuration and value tag (i.e., ValueTag1) may be provided to the terminal device 130. In some examples, the identifier of the first network device 110 may also be provided to the terminal device 130 so that the terminal device 130 can know that the WUS configuration is associated with the first network device 110.

[0067] Furthermore, at 223, terminal device 130 stores the WUS configuration received from the first network device 110. For example, the stored WUS configuration has a value tag (i.e., ValueTag1).

[0068] In process flow 220, at point 224, terminal device 130 sends an OD-SIB1 request to first network device 110, and second network device 120 receives the request. In some examples, terminal device 130 may send the request based on WUS configuration.

[0069] At 225, the second network device 120 can obtain the OD-SIB1 of the first network device 110. In some examples, the OD-SIB1 has a value tag, which can be a first value tag. For example, the first value tag can be the same as ValueTag1 used for WUS configuration described above.

[0070] At point 226, the second network device 120 sends the OD-SIB1 from the first network device 110, and the terminal device 130 receives the OD-SIB1. In some examples, the second network device 120 may send the OD-SIB1 based on an OD-SIB1 request.

[0071] Furthermore, at 227, terminal device 130 stores the OD-SIB1 received from the first network device 110. For example, the stored SIB1 has a first value tag (e.g., ValueTag1). In some examples, the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with the first value tag.

[0072] Figure 2C An example of process flow 230 for a stand-alone mode SIB acquisition process according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference will be made to this example for discussion purposes. Figure 1D Process flow 230 is described. Process flow 230 involves the first network device 110 and the terminal device 130. (See reference...) Figure 1C The first network device 110 can be associated with the NES cell.

[0073] In process flow 230, at point 231, the first network device 110 sends the WUS configuration, and the terminal device 130 receives the WUS configuration. In some examples, the WUS configuration has a value tag (which may be referred to as ValueTag1 for ease of discussion).

[0074] Furthermore, at 232, terminal device 130 stores the WUS configuration received from the first network device 110. For example, the stored WUS configuration has a value tag (i.e., ValueTag1).

[0075] In process flow 230, at point 233, terminal device 130 sends an OD-SIB1 request, and first network device 110 receives the request. In some examples, terminal device 130 may send the request based on WUS configuration.

[0076] At point 234, the first network device 110 sends OD-SIB1, and the terminal device 130 receives OD-SIB1. In some examples, the first network device 110 may send OD-SIB1 based on this request. In some examples, OD-SIB1 has a value tag, which may be a first value tag. For example, the first value tag may be the same as ValueTag1 used for WUS configuration described above.

[0077] Furthermore, at 235, terminal device 130 stores the OD-SIB1 received from the first network device 110. For example, the stored SIB1 has a first value tag (e.g., ValueTag1). In some examples, the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with the first value tag.

[0078] According to the reference Figures 2A-2C In any of the embodiments, terminal device 130 may store SIB1 associated with the first network device 110, and the stored SIB1 may include first information associated with a first value tag. In some examples, the first value tag may indicate the version of the stored SIB1.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first value tag may include a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion of the first value tag may be associated with the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and the second portion of the first value tag may be associated with the residency information portion of the stored SIB1. For example, the first portion of the first value tag may be referred to as a first sub-tag, and the second portion of the first value tag may be referred to as a second sub-tag.

[0080] It should be noted that, although Figures 2A-2C The process flow is related to OD-SIB1 acquisition, but these are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other SIB1 acquisition methods besides OD-SIB1 acquisition are also applied in this disclosure.

[0081] Now for reference Figure 3 The illustration shows an example of a process flow 300 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1D Process flow 300 is described. Process flow 300 involves the first network device 110 and the terminal device 130. It should be understood that, although in Figure 1D The process flow 300 is described in the network environment 100, but this process flow can also be applied to other communication scenarios.

[0082] In process flow 300, at point 310, terminal device 130 stores SIB1 associated with the first network device 110. In some embodiments, SIB1 may be based on... Figures 2A-2C The information may be obtained through any process flow, or may be obtained based on different process flows, and this disclosure is not limiting in this respect. In some implementations, when the terminal device 130 selects, reselects, or switches to a network device different from the first network device 110 (such as a second network device 120), the SIB1 associated with the first network device 110 is stored. In some embodiments, the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with the first value label.

[0083] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown in step 410, the first value tag may include a first part and a second part, and the first part of the first value tag may be associated with the access information part of the stored SIB1, and the second part of the first value tag may be associated with the residency information part of the stored SIB1. For example, the first part of the first value tag may be called a first sub-tag, and the second part of the first value tag may be called a second sub-tag.

[0084] For example, you can define the information element (IE) as "ValueTag-SIB1" or "ValueTag-SIB1-Seg" for different examples.

[0085] In process flow 300, at 320, terminal device 130 returns to first network device 110. In some embodiments, terminal device 130 may return to first network device 110 based on any of the following: during cell selection (e.g., upon power-on), cell reselection, returning from outside coverage, after a reconfiguration with synchronization completed, after entering the network from another RAT, upon receiving a request from a higher layer (e.g., a location request), due to handover from another cell, etc. For example, terminal device 130 may switch from another network device to first network device 110 in RRC_Connected mode. For example, terminal device 130 may access or select first network device 110 after power-on. In one example, the trigger is an explicit indication from the network device that SIB1 / system information has changed or that SIB1 needs to be reacquired.

[0086] In process flow 300, at 330, terminal device 130 receives system information from first network device 110, for example, based on a trigger for acquiring or reacquiring system information. In some examples, the trigger may include at least one of the following: connecting or reconnecting to first network device 110, selecting or reselecting first network device 110, or returning to first network device 110.

[0087] In some examples, the system information includes second information associated with the second value label. In some examples, the second information associated with the second value label can be used to determine whether the stored SIB1 associated with the first network device 110 is still valid. In some examples, the second value label can indicate the version of the SIB1 associated with the returned first network device 110.

[0088] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown in step 430, the second value label may include a first part and a second part, and the first part of the second value label may be associated with the access information part of SIB1, and the second part of the second value label may be associated with the residency information part of SIB1. For example, the first part of the second value label may be called a third sub-label, and the second part of the second value label may be called a fourth sub-label. For example, the second value label may be associated with SIB1 of the first network device 110 used for return.

[0089] In some implementations, when returning to the first network device 110, the terminal device 130 may receive the MIB or the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH).

[0090] In some embodiments, the system information may be a MIB or PBCH, that is, the MIB or PBCH includes second information associated with the second value label.

[0091] In some embodiments, the system information may be part of the information included in SIB1. In some examples, the system information may be received by the terminal device 130 after the MIB or PBCH. In some examples, the MIB or PBCH may include an indication of the system information. For example, after receiving the MIB or PBCH, the terminal device 130 may also receive the system information based on the indication, and the received system information includes second information associated with the second value tag. For example, the indication in the MIB or PBCH may indicate that the system information will be sent after the MIB or PBCH. For example, the indication in the MIB or PBCH may be a pointer to the system information.

[0092] In embodiments where the system information is a part of the information that can be included in SIB1, the system information may be referred to as mini-SIB1, mini-SIB, short SIB1, etc., and may not need to include all the information in SIB1. For a specific example, the system information only includes second information related to the second value label. For another specific example, SIB1 does not include the system information included in mini-SIB1.

[0093] In process flow 300, at 340, terminal device 130 determines whether the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device 110. In some embodiments, terminal device 130 may determine whether the stored SIB1 is valid based on first information associated with a first value tag and second information associated with a second value tag.

[0094] In some examples, if the first information associated with the first value tag and the second information associated with the second value tag meet the criteria, the terminal device 130 may determine that the stored SIB1 associated with the first network device 110 is valid. Otherwise, if the first information associated with the first value tag and the second information associated with the second value tag do not meet the criteria, the terminal device 130 may determine that the stored SIB1 associated with the first network device 110 is invalid. For example, the criteria may include that the second value tag is the same as the first value tag. For example, the criteria may include that a subset of the second value tag is the same as a subset of the first value tag.

[0095] In some examples, the first value tag includes a plurality of bits having a first number (e.g., N1 bits), and the second value tag includes a plurality of bits having a second number (e.g., N2 bits). For example, N1 bits and N2 bits may be the same, where N2 = N1, or N2 bits may be a part of N1 bits, where N2 < N1. For example, a part of N1 bits is the same as a part of N2 bits, where N1 = N2 or N1 ≠ N2.

[0096] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown in step 440 of [], the terminal device 130 may determine whether the access information part of the stored SIB1 is valid based on the first part of the first value tag and the first part of the second value tag. The terminal device 130 may determine whether the residence information part of the stored SIB1 is valid based on the second part of the first value tag and the second part of the second value tag.

[0097] In some examples, if the first part of the first value tag and the first part of the second value tag meet the first criteria, the terminal device 130 determines that the access information part of the stored SIB1 is valid. Otherwise, if the first part of the first value tag and the first part of the second value tag do not meet the first criteria, the terminal device 130 determines that the access information part of the stored SIB1 is invalid. For example, the first criteria may include that the first part of the second value tag is the same as the first part of the first value tag. For example, the first criteria may include that a subset of the first part of the second value tag is the same as a subset of the first part of the first value tag.

[0098] In some examples, if the second portion of the first value tag and the second portion of the second value tag satisfy the second criterion, then the terminal device 130 determines that the stored residency information portion of SIB1 is valid. Otherwise, if the second portion of the first value tag and the second portion of the second value tag do not satisfy the second criterion, then the terminal device 130 determines that the stored residency information portion of SIB1 is invalid. For example, the second criterion may include the second portion of the second value tag being the same as the second portion of the first value tag. For example, the second criterion may include a subset of the second portion of the second value tag being the same as a subset of the second portion of the first value tag.

[0099] In process flow 300, if the stored SIB1 is valid, then at 350, the terminal device 130 determines that the first network device 110 does not need the SIB1 acquisition process.

[0100] If the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device 110, then the terminal device 130 uses the stored SIB1 of the first network device 110. In some examples, the SIB1 acquisition process is not required, and therefore power can be saved. For example, the stored SIB1 can be used to acquire additional SIBs of the first network device 110.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first network device 110 may provide an NES cell. If the terminal device 130 has already acquired the SIB1 of the NES cell from an earlier access to the NES cell, and the terminal device 130 later returns to the same NES cell, the stored SIB1 can be reused if it is valid, thereby avoiding triggering the SIB1 acquisition process (e.g., acquiring WUS configuration or sending WUS) for each access to the cell. Therefore, network energy saving and improved communication efficiency can be achieved.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first network device 110 may provide an NES cell. If the terminal device 130 has already acquired the SIB1 of the NES cell in which it resides, and the previously acquired SIB1 is still valid for 3 hours, the stored SIB1 can be reused. Even if the 3-hour validity period has expired, it is not necessary to trigger WUS to request a new SIB1 while the stored SIB1 is still valid.

[0103] In some embodiments, if the stored access information portion of SIB1 is valid, the terminal device 130 determines that an SIB1 acquisition process for the access information portion of SIB1 is not required. In some embodiments, if the stored residency information portion of SIB1 is valid, the terminal device 130 determines that an SIB1 acquisition process for the residency information portion of SIB1 is not required.

[0104] In some implementations, if the stored SIB1 is invalid for the first network device 110, the terminal device 130 may determine that an SIB1 retrieval process is required. For example, although the terminal device 130 has stored SIB1 associated with the first network device 110, if the first information associated with the first value label and the second information associated with the second value label do not meet the criteria, the stored SIB1 is invalid. In some examples, if the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 may determine that an SIB1 retrieval process is required.

[0105] In some embodiments, if the first network device 110 is operating in OD-SIB1 mode and the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 may determine whether the stored WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110 is valid. In some examples, if the stored WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110 is valid, the terminal device 130 may perform an SIB1 acquisition process based on the stored WUS configuration. In some examples, if the stored WUS configuration is invalid, the terminal device 130 may acquire the WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110 and then trigger an on-demand SIB1 acquisition process based on the acquired WUS configuration. For example, the WUS configuration may be acquired from either the first network device 110 or the second network device 120, details of which can be found accordingly. Figures 2A-2C Steps 212, 222, or 231 in the process. For example, terminal device 130 may send an OD-SIB1 request for the triggered on-demand SIB1 acquisition process, the details of which can be referred to accordingly. Figures 2A-2C Steps 214, 224, or 233 in the text.

[0106] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown in step 450, if at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 may determine that an SIB1 acquisition process is required for at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the SIB1.

[0107] In some embodiments, if the access information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 may determine that an SIB1 acquisition process is required for the access information portion of the SIB1. For example, the terminal device 130 may perform an SIB1 acquisition process for the access information portion of the SIB1.

[0108] In some embodiments, if the stored SIB1 residency information portion is invalid, the terminal device 130 may determine that an SIB1 acquisition process is required for the SIB1 residency information portion. For example, the terminal device 130 may perform an SIB1 acquisition process for the SIB1 residency information portion.

[0109] In some embodiments, if the first network device 110 is operating in OD-SIB1 mode and the stored SIB1 access information portion (or residency information portion) is invalid, the terminal device 130 may determine whether the stored WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110 is valid. In some examples, the WUS configuration may be dedicated to the SIB1 access information portion (or residency information portion). In some examples, the WUS configuration may be shared or public for both the SIB1 access information portion and the residency information portion.

[0110] In some examples, if the stored WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110 is valid, the terminal device 130 can perform an SIB1 acquisition procedure for the access information portion (or residency information portion) of SIB1 based on the stored WUS configuration. In some examples, if the stored WUS configuration is invalid, the terminal device 130 can acquire the WUS configuration associated with the first network device 110 and then trigger an on-demand SIB1 acquisition procedure for the access information portion (or residency information portion) of SIB1 based on the acquired WUS configuration. For example, the WUS configuration can be acquired from either the first network device 110 or the second network device 120, details of which can be found accordingly. Figures 2A-2C Steps 212, 222, or 231 in the process. For example, terminal device 130 can send an OD-SIB1 request for the access information portion (or residency information portion) of SIB1 based on the WUS configuration, the details of which can be referred to accordingly. Figures 2A-2C Steps 214, 224, or 233 in the process. In some examples, the acquisition of the access information portion (or residency information portion) of SIB1 does not require an on-demand process and can be based on a broadcast mode, i.e., the information is sent by the network according to a specific schedule, which may be indicated, for example, in the MIB or specification.

[0111] According to the above embodiments, if the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device 110, the SIB1 acquisition process is not required, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0112] As described above, terminal device 130 can receive a MIB or PBCH from first network device 110, for example, upon returning to first network device 110. In some examples, the MIB or PBCH may also include a modification indication indicating that at least a portion of the system information has been modified. In some examples, terminal device 130 may, for example, send a request for at least a portion of the modified system information based on the modification indication. For example, this request may be sent to first network device 110. Therefore, first network device 110 may, for example, provide terminal device 130 with at least a portion of the modified system information based on this request.

[0113] In some examples, the MIB or PBCH may also include an indication that modifications to system information were not announced in the paging indication (i.e., via paging). For example, the MIB may include an "Unused SI Modification" indication. In some examples, the "Unused SI Modification" indication may indicate that only certain SI modifications were not explicitly signaled; for example, certain SI modifications may be relevant only to certain SIBs, such as only to UL configurations.

[0114] In some examples, the minimum system information associated with Mobile Initiated (MO) access to the network can be provided in a dedicated SIB1 section (here referred to as SIB1-UL). This section may include PRACH configurations that can only be used for MO access, small data transmission configurations, access class / category-related parameters, etc. The UE can ensure that it has valid SIB1-UL information before initiating MO access to the network. In some examples, NW-based SI modifications can be used for SIB1-DL information, which contains information related to Mobile Termination (MT) access, such as paging configurations, PRACH configurations for responding to paging, etc.

[0115] In some examples, SIBs associated with special device types (such as RedCap, NTN) can operate without SI modifications notified by the NW.

[0116] Which SIBs operate with or without NW-announced SI modifications can be predefined or specified in SIB1 / MiniSIB1.

[0117] As described above, in some examples, the first value tag may include a first portion of the first value tag (related to the access information portion of the stored SIB1) and a second portion of the first value tag (related to the residency information portion of the stored SIB1). It should be noted that in some other embodiments, these terms may be replaced with other names. For example, the first portion of the first value tag may be referred to as a first sub-tag or value tag 1, and the second portion of the first value tag may be referred to as a second sub-tag or value tag 2. For example, the stored SIB1 may include information related to value tag 1 and information related to value tag 2, wherein value tag 1 is related to the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and value tag 2 is related to the residency information portion of the stored SIB1.

[0118] As described above, in some examples, the second value label may include a first portion of the second value label (related to the access information portion of SIB1) and a second portion of the second value label (related to the residency information portion of SIB1). It should be noted that in some other embodiments, these terms may be replaced with other names. For example, the first portion of the second value label may be referred to as a third sub-label or value label 3, and the second portion of the second value label may be referred to as a fourth sub-label or value label 4. For example, value label 3 is related to the access information portion of SIB1, and value label 4 is related to the residency information portion of SIB1. In some examples, terminal device 130 may obtain the access information portion of SIB1 based on value label 3 and obtain the residency information portion of SIB1 based on value label 4.

[0119] For example, IE "SIB1" can be defined as follows:

[0120] It should be noted that while some examples are provided where the first value label comprises two parts corresponding to the access information portion and the residency information portion of the stored SIB1, those skilled in the art will understand that in some other examples, the first value label can be split. For example, the first value label can be split into two parts related to the MO access SIB and the MT access SIB. For example, the first value label can be split into multiple parts related to SIBs of different service types.

[0121] To provide further details of this disclosure, please refer to the following: Figures 5A-5B A solution for checking the validity of OD-SIB1 associated with the first network device 110 is discussed.

[0122] Figure 5AAn example of a process flow 500 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Process flow 500 relates to a first network device 110 and a terminal device 130. It is assumed that the terminal device 130 has a stored SIB1 associated with the first network device 110, and the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag.

[0123] When the terminal device 130 returns to the first network device 110, alternative scheme 1 or alternative scheme 2 can be executed.

[0124] In alternative scheme 1, at point 520, the first network device 110 sends a MIB including second information related to the second value tag, and the terminal device 130 receives the MIB. For example, the MIB includes an OD-SIB1 value tag.

[0125] In alternative embodiment 2, at point 530, the first network device 110 sends a MIB including an indication of a mini-SIB, and the terminal device 130 receives the MIB. Furthermore, at point 535, the first network device 110 sends a mini-SIB including second information associated with a second value tag, and the terminal device 130 receives the mini-SIB. For example, the mini-SIB includes an OD-SIB1 value tag.

[0126] In some examples, the indication of a mini-SIB included within a MIB can be represented as an information element (IE) "SIB1-Info". For instance, the content within a MIB can be represented as:

[0127] Furthermore, IE's "SIB1-Info" can be defined as:

[0128] At point 540, terminal device 130 triggers a check against the stored value tag to examine the received second value tag (e.g., OD-SIB1 value tag). For example, terminal device 130 may check the validity of the stored SIB1 based on first information associated with the first value tag and second information associated with the second value tag. For example, the second value tag and the first value tag may be compared.

[0129] In process flow 500, it is assumed that terminal device 130 determines that the stored SIB1 is invalid. For example, at 560, terminal device 130 determines that the first value label and the second value label are different, thereby determining that the stored SIB1 is invalid. It should be noted that step 560 shown is only one example of invalidity in this disclosure, and some other examples that do not meet the standard may also be applied, and this disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0130] Furthermore, at 580, terminal device 130 can trigger the SIB1 acquisition process, for example, by sending an SIB1 request (e.g., denoted as an OD-SIB1 request). This request can be made, for example, in non-standalone mode (…). Figure 1A ) or independent mode ( Figure 1C The request is sent to the first network device 110 in option 1 of the non-standalone mode. For example, the request can also be sent to option 2 of the non-standalone mode. Figure 1B The request is sent to the second network device 120. For example, the request can be sent based on a valid stored WUS configuration. It should be noted that the validity of the stored WUS configuration can be checked by the terminal device 130, and its details will not be provided for the sake of brevity.

[0131] Figure 5B An example process 550 for checking the validity of a stored OD-SIB1 is illustrated according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Process 550 can be executed by terminal device 130.

[0132] At 502, terminal device 130 can connect to or return to an NES cell, for example, an NES cell provided by a first network device 110 operating in on-demand SIB1 mode. At 504, terminal device 130 can determine whether it has a stored SIB1 associated with the NES cell, for example, the stored SIB1 including first information related to a first value tag. If no stored SIB1 is associated with the NES cell, terminal device 130 further executes step 506.

[0133] At 506, terminal device 130 obtains the WUS configuration of the NES cell from the NES cell or cell A. Furthermore, at 508, the obtained WUS configuration, including the value label, can be stored. At 510, terminal device 130 can also obtain the OD-SIB1 associated with the NES cell based on the WUS configuration. Furthermore, at 510, the obtained OD-SIB1, including the value label, can be stored.

[0134] If at 504, terminal device 130 has a stored SIB1 associated with the NES cell, then terminal device 130 may further perform step 514.

[0135] At 514, terminal device 130 reads the MIB or mini-SIB1 containing second information related to the second value tag, and at 516 further determines whether the second value tag is the same as the first value tag.

[0136] If the second value label is the same as the first value label, then at 518, the terminal device 130 can determine that the stored SIB1 is valid and further use the stored SIB1.

[0137] If the second value label is different from the first value label, the terminal device 130 can determine that the stored SIB1 is invalid. Furthermore, at 522, the terminal device 130 can also determine whether the stored WUS configuration is valid, for example, by comparing the second value label with the value label included in the stored WUS configuration. If the stored WUS configuration is invalid, the terminal device 130 can perform step 506. If the stored WUS configuration is valid, at 524, the terminal device 130 can obtain the OD-SIB1 associated with the NES cell based on the stored WUS configuration, and therefore at 526, the obtained OD-SIB1 can be stored.

[0138] It should be noted that Figure 5B The diagram illustrates a simplified procedure performed by terminal device 130 to check the validity of OD-SIB1 associated with the NES cell. Details related to this procedure can be found in the reference above. Figures 2A-5A The details provided will not be repeated here.

[0139] It should be noted that although sub-labels are used in some of the embodiments described above, these terms are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the term "sub-label" can be replaced with value label or label, etc.

[0140] According to embodiments of this disclosure, if the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device 110, the SIB1 acquisition process may not be required, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0141] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method 600 implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1D The angle description method of the terminal device 130 in 600.

[0142] At block 610, terminal device 130 stores an SIB1 associated with the first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information related to a first value tag. At block 620, based on a triggering of system information for obtaining or re-obtaining second information including a second value tag from the first network device, terminal device 130 determines that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag. At block 630, based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, terminal device 130 determines that an SIB1 acquisition process is not required.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the system information is the MIB or PBCH.

[0144] In some example embodiments, the trigger for acquiring or reacquiring system information includes at least one of the following: connecting or reconnecting to the first network device, selecting or reselecting the first network device, or returning to the first network device.

[0145] In some example embodiments, terminal device 130 receives a MIB or PBCH containing an indication of system information from a first network device. In some example embodiments, the trigger for acquiring or reacquiring system information includes the indication in the MIB or PBCH. In some examples, the system information includes a portion of the information included in SIB1, for example, the system information includes only second information related to the second value label.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the system information includes second information associated with the second value label for checking whether the stored SIB1 is valid.

[0147] In some example embodiments, the MIB includes a modification indication that at least a portion of the system information has been modified.

[0148] In some example embodiments, terminal device 130 sends a request to a first network device for at least a portion of system information.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the MIB includes an indication that modifications to system information were not announced in the paging indication.

[0150] In some example embodiments, based on determining that the first value label and the second value label meet the criteria, the terminal device 130 determines that the stored SIB1 associated with the first network device is valid.

[0151] In some example embodiments, the standard includes at least one of the following: the second value label is the same as the first value label, or a subset of the second value labels is the same as a subset of the first value labels.

[0152] In some example embodiments, after the terminal device selects, reselects, or switches to a network device different from the first network device, the SIB1 associated with the first network device is stored.

[0153] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 determines that an SIB1 acquisition process is required.

[0154] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the first network device is operating in on-demand SIB1 mode and that the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 determines whether the stored WUS configuration associated with the first network device is valid. In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the stored WUS configuration is valid, the terminal device 130 performs the SIB1 acquisition process based on the stored WUS configuration.

[0155] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the stored WUS configuration is invalid, the terminal device 130 obtains the WUS configuration associated with the first network device; and the terminal device 130 triggers the on-demand SIB1 acquisition process.

[0156] In some example embodiments, the WUS configuration associated with the first network device is obtained from either the first network device or the second network device.

[0157] In some example embodiments, terminal device 130 sends an SIB1 request to a first network device or a second network device based on WUS configuration.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the second network device is the anchor of the first network device.

[0159] In some example embodiments, a first portion of the first value tag is associated with the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag is associated with the residency information portion of the stored SIB1.

[0160] In some example embodiments, the first value tag is associated with the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and the stored SIB1 also includes a third value tag associated with the residency information portion of the stored SIB1.

[0161] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 130 obtains at least one of access-related information or residency-related information based on the corresponding value label.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the first network device is associated with an NES cell.

[0163] In some example embodiments, the first value label indicates the version of SIB1 stored.

[0164] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method 700 implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1D The angle description method of the terminal device 130 in 700.

[0165] At block 710, terminal device 130 stores an SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag, a first portion of the first value tag being associated with the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag being associated with the residency information portion of the stored SIB1. At block 720, based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information from the first network device, terminal device 130 determines, at least based on the corresponding portion of the first value tag, whether the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device. At block 730, based on the determination that at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid for the first network device, terminal device 130 performs an SIB1 acquisition process for at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the SIB1.

[0166] In some example embodiments, terminal device 130 receives system information from a first network device including second information associated with a second value tag, wherein the second value tag is used to determine whether at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device.

[0167] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 130 determines whether the access information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid based on the first portion of the first value tag and the first portion of the second value tag; and determines whether the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid based on the second portion of the first value tag and the second portion of the second value tag.

[0168] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the first portion of the first value tag and the first portion of the second value tag meet the criteria, the terminal device 130 determines that the stored access information portion of the SIB1 is valid. In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the second portion of the first value tag and the second portion of the second value tag meet the criteria, the terminal device 130 determines that the stored residency information portion of the SIB1 is valid.

[0169] In some example embodiments, the standard includes at least one of the following: a first portion or a second portion of the second value label is the same as a corresponding portion of the first value label, or a subset of the first portion or the second portion of the second value label is the same as a subset of a corresponding portion of the first value label.

[0170] In some example embodiments, the trigger for acquiring or reacquiring system information includes at least one of the following: connecting or reconnecting to the first network device, selecting or reselecting the first network device, or returning to the first network device.

[0171] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the access information portion of the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, the terminal device 130 determines that the SIB1 acquisition process for the access information portion of SIB1 is not required.

[0172] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the stored SIB1 residency information portion is valid for the first network device, the terminal device 130 determines that an SIB1 acquisition process for the SIB1 residency information portion is not required.

[0173] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the access information portion or the residency information portion of the stored SIB1 is invalid, the terminal device 130 determines whether the stored WUS configuration associated with the first network device is valid. In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the stored WUS configuration is valid, the terminal device 130 performs an SIB1 acquisition process on the access information portion or the residency information portion of the SIB1 based on the stored WUS configuration.

[0174] In some example embodiments, based on the determination that the stored WUS configuration is invalid, the terminal device 130 obtains the WUS configuration associated with the first network device; and based on the stored WUS configuration, performs the on-demand SIB1 procedure on the access information portion or the residency information portion of SIB1.

[0175] In some example embodiments, the WUS configuration associated with the first network device is obtained from a first network device or a second network device.

[0176] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 130 sends an SIB1 request, consisting of at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion of SIB1, to a first network device or a second network device based on the WUS configuration.

[0177] In some example embodiments, the second network device is the anchor of the first network device.

[0178] In some example embodiments, the WUS configuration includes at least one of the access information portion or the residency information portion dedicated to SIB1.

[0179] In some example embodiments, the system information is the MIB or PBCH.

[0180] In some example embodiments, terminal device 130 receives a MIB or PBCH containing an indication of system information from a first network device. In some example embodiments, the system information is received based on the indication in the MIB or PBCH.

[0181] In some example embodiments, the MIB includes a modification indication that at least a portion of the system information has been modified.

[0182] In some example embodiments, terminal device 130 sends a request to a first network device for at least a portion of system information.

[0183] In some example embodiments, the MIB includes an indication that modifications to system information have not been notified.

[0184] In some example embodiments, after the terminal device selects, reselects, or switches to a network device different from the first network device, the SIB1 associated with the first network device is stored.

[0185] In some example embodiments, the first network device is associated with an NES cell.

[0186] In some example embodiments, the first value label indicates the version of SIB1 stored.

[0187] In some example embodiments, the first part and the second part of the first value label are two different sub-labels.

[0188] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 600 (e.g., terminal device 130) may include components for performing corresponding steps of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0189] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for storing SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag; components for determining that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device based on triggering of system information for obtaining or re-obtaining second information including second value tag from the first network device, and based on the first information associated with the first value tag and the second information associated with the second value tag; and components for determining that an SIB1 acquisition process is not required based on determining that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device.

[0190] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 700 (e.g., terminal device 130) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0191] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for storing SIB1 associated with a first network device, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information associated with a first value tag, a first portion of the first value tag being associated with an access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag being associated with a residency information portion of the stored SIB1; components for determining, based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information from the first network device, at least based on a corresponding portion of the first value tag, whether the stored access information portion or residency information portion is valid for the first network device; and components for performing an SIB1 acquisition process on at least one of the access information portion or residency information portion of the SIB1 based on determining that at least one of the stored access information portion or residency information portion is invalid for the first network device.

[0192] The term "component" as used in the specification and claims may refer to one or more individual elements configured to perform one or more corresponding functions, or it may refer to several elements performing one or more such functions. Furthermore, the functions recited in the claims may be performed by the same individual components or a combination of the same components. For example, the execution of one or more such functions may be caused in the device by a processor executing instructions stored in the device's memory.

[0193] Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. The device 800 can be provided to implement the aforementioned terminal device, for example... Figure 1D The terminal device 130 is shown in the figure. The device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to the processors 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to the processors 810.

[0194] Communication module 840 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 840 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0195] Processor 810 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 800 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0196] Memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0197] Computer program 830 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 810. Program 830 may be stored in ROM 824. Processor 810 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 830 into RAM 822.

[0198] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 830, enabling device 800 to execute reference... Figures 2A-7 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0199] In some example embodiments, program 830 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 800 (such as memory 820) or other storage device accessible to device 800. Device 800 may load program 830 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 822 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0200] Figure 9 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium 900 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A program 830 is stored on the computer-readable medium 900. It should be noted that although the computer-readable medium 900... Figure 9 The program is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but the computer-readable medium 900 may be any other form suitable for carrying or storing the program 830.

[0201] Various embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while others may be implemented using firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0202] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-mentioned... Figures 2A-7 Any of the methods described herein. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can execute on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0203] The program code of the methods disclosed herein can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The program code can be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0204] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0205] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0206] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0207] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features or actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: A system information block 1 (SIB1) associated with a first network device is stored, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information related to a first value tag; Based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information including second information related to the second value tag from the first network device, and based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag, it is determined that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device; as well as Based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, it is determined that the SIB1 acquisition process is not required.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the system information is a Master Information Block (MIB) or a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH).

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger for acquiring or reacquiring the system information includes at least one of the following: Connect or reconnect to the first network device. Select or reselect the first network device, or Return to the first network device.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Receive an MIB or PBCH containing the system information from the first network device.

5. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the system information includes: The second information associated with the second value label is used to check whether the stored SIB1 is valid.

6. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the MIB comprises: A modification instruction indicating that at least a portion of the system information has been modified.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Send a request for at least a portion of the system information to the first network device.

8. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the MIB comprises: An indication that the modification of the system information was not announced in the paging instruction.

9. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the terminal device to determine that the stored SIB1 is valid by: Based on the determination that the first value label and the second value label meet the criteria, the stored SIB1 associated with the first network device is determined to be valid.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the standard includes at least one of the following: The second value label is the same as the first value label, or The subset of the second value label is the same as the subset of the first value label.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein after the terminal device selects, reselects, or switches to a network device different from the first network device, the SIB1 associated with the first network device is stored.

12. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is invalid, it is determined that the SIB1 acquisition process is required.

13. The terminal device of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Based on the determination that the first network device is operating in on-demand SIB1 mode and that the stored SIB1 is invalid, it is determined whether the stored wake-up signal WUS configuration associated with the first network device is valid; and Based on the determination that the stored WUS configuration is valid, the SIB1 acquisition process is performed based on the stored WUS configuration.

14. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Based on the determination that the stored WUS configuration is invalid, obtain the WUS configuration associated with the first network device; and Trigger the on-demand SIB1 acquisition process.

15. The terminal device of claim 14, wherein the WUS configuration associated with the first network device is obtained from the first network device or the second network device.

16. The terminal device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the terminal device to perform the on-demand SIB1 process in such a way as: Based on the WUS configuration, an SIB1 request is sent to the first network device or the second network device.

17. The terminal device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the second network device is the anchor of the first network device.

18. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein a first portion of the first value tag is associated with the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and a second portion of the first value tag is associated with the residency information portion of the stored SIB1.

19. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the first value tag is associated with the access information portion of the stored SIB1, and wherein the stored SIB1 further includes a third value tag associated with the residency information portion of the stored SIB1.

20. A communication method, comprising: A system information block 1 (SIB1) associated with a first network device is stored, wherein the stored SIB1 includes first information related to a first value tag; Based on a trigger for obtaining or re-obtaining system information including second information related to the second value tag from the first network device, and based on the first information related to the first value tag and the second information related to the second value tag, it is determined that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device; as well as Based on the determination that the stored SIB1 is valid for the first network device, it is determined that the SIB1 acquisition process is not required.

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