Downlink signal monitoring method, sending method, device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

This application discloses a method, method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for monitoring downlink signals, belonging to the field of mobile communications. The method includes: monitoring downlink signals in a first search space and / or a first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal when transitioning from a first monitoring state to a second monitoring state; wherein the terminal is in an RRC connected state, and the power consumption in the first monitoring state is lower than that in the second monitoring state. This application clarifies the resources used by a terminal in an RRC connected state to monitor downlink signals when switching monitoring states.

Description

Downlink signal monitoring method, sending method, device, equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of mobile communications, and in particular to a downlink signal monitoring method, a sending method, an apparatus, a device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Network equipment can configure multiple search space set groups (SSSGs) for terminals. Using SSSGs with dense monitoring opportunities to monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) enables more timely scheduling and reduces service latency. Using SSSGs with sparse monitoring opportunities to monitor the PDCCH can also help save power.

[0003] When the terminal is in a low-power reception state, it activates the main receiver only after receiving a low-power wake-up signal (LP-WUS) to monitor downlink signals, thereby achieving energy conservation. The specific implementation of waking up the main receiver to monitor PDCCH requires further discussion and research.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a method for monitoring downlink signals, a method for transmitting downlink signals, an apparatus, a device, and a storage medium. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] According to one aspect of the present application, a method for monitoring a downlink signal is provided, the method being executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0007] In case of switching from the first listening state to the second listening state, monitoring the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal;

[0008] The terminal is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and power consumption in the first monitoring state is lower than that in the second monitoring state.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present application, a method for sending a downlink signal is provided, the method being executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0010] When the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state, sending the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal;

[0011] The terminal is in an RRC connected state, the first search space and / or the first SSSG is used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal, and the power consumption of the first monitoring state is lower than that of the second monitoring state.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present application, a device for monitoring a downlink signal is provided, the device comprising:

[0013] a receiving module, configured to monitor the downlink signal on a first search space and / or a first SSSG of a serving cell of a terminal when switching from a first monitoring state to a second monitoring state;

[0014] The terminal is in an RRC connected state, and power consumption in the first monitoring state is lower than that in the second monitoring state.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present application, a device for transmitting a downlink signal is provided, the device comprising:

[0016] a sending module, configured to send the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal when the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state;

[0017] The terminal is in an RRC connected state, the first search space and / or the first SSSG is used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal, and the power consumption of the first monitoring state is lower than that of the second monitoring state.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present application, a terminal is provided, comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the terminal is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the downlink signal monitoring method as described in the above aspects.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present application, a network device is provided, comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the network device is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the method for sending a downlink signal as described in the above aspects.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which executable instructions are stored. The executable instructions are loaded and executed by a processor to implement the downlink signal monitoring method or downlink signal sending method as described in the above aspects.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip is running on a computer device, it is used to implement the downlink signal monitoring method or downlink signal sending method described in the above aspects based on the programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present application, a computer program product or computer program is provided, which includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, so that a computer device executes the downlink signal monitoring method or downlink signal sending method described in the above aspects.

[0023] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application include at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] For a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a first listening state to a second listening state with higher power consumption, the terminal can monitor downlink signals on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the serving cell, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (such as PDCCH). This helps the terminal and the network device maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of downlink signals, preventing the terminal from missing downlink signals sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a receiver system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a communication system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG3 is a flowchart of a method for monitoring a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG4 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG5 is a flowchart of a method for monitoring a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a process of monitoring a PDCCH provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG7 is a flowchart of a method for monitoring a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a process of monitoring PDCCH provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG9 is a flowchart of a method for monitoring a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a process of monitoring PDCCH provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG11 is a block diagram of a downlink signal monitoring device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG12 is a block diagram of a downlink signal transmitting apparatus provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application more clear, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0040] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0041] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0042] First, some terms involved in the embodiments of this application are introduced as follows:

[0043] Introduction to New Radio (NR):

[0044] Currently, with people's pursuit of speed, latency, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency, coupled with the increasing diversity and complexity of future services, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) international standards organization has begun developing fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G). The main application scenarios of 5G are: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra reliable low latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC).

[0045] eMBB still aims to provide users with multimedia content, services, and data, and demand for this is growing rapidly. On the other hand, since eMBB can be deployed in different scenarios, such as indoors, in urban areas, and in rural areas, its capabilities and requirements vary significantly. Therefore, it cannot be generalized and requires detailed analysis based on specific deployment scenarios. Typical applications of URLLC include industrial automation, power automation, remote medical operations (surgery), and traffic safety. Typical characteristics of mMTC include high connection density, small data volumes, latency-insensitive services, low module costs, and long service life.

[0046] 5G NR can also be deployed independently. To reduce air interface signaling and quickly restore wireless connections and data services in 5G networks, a new RRC state, the RRC Inactive state, is defined. This state is different from the RRC Idle state and the RRC Active state.

[0047] RRC Idle state: Mobility is based on terminal cell selection and reselection. Paging is initiated by the Core Network (CN), and the paging area is configured by the CN. There is no terminal Access Stratum (AS) context on the base station side. No RRC connection exists.

[0048] RRC Connected state: An RRC connection exists, and a terminal AS context exists between the base station and the terminal. The network knows the terminal's location at the cell level. Mobility is controlled by the network. Unicast data can be transmitted between the terminal and the base station.

[0049] RRC inactive (INACTIVE) state: Mobility is based on terminal cell selection and reselection, a connection between CN and NR exists, the terminal AS context exists on a base station, paging is triggered by the Radio Access Network (RAN), and the RAN-based paging area is managed by the RAN. The network side knows the terminal's location based on the RAN paging area level.

[0050] This section introduces the terminal energy-saving mechanism:

[0051] 3GPP has studied energy-saving solutions for connected terminals in discontinuous reception (DRX) configurations, including solutions to reduce the number of terminals blindly detecting PDCCHs. One approach is to control the terminal's PDCCH monitoring behavior through an SSSG switching mechanism. Specifically, the network configures the terminal with multiple (for example, two or three) SSSGs, some of which correspond to more frequent PDCCH monitoring opportunities and others to less frequent PDCCH monitoring opportunities. Using more frequent SSSGs to monitor PDCCHs enables more timely scheduling and reduces service latency; using less frequent SSSGs to monitor PDCCHs enables terminal power savings.

[0052] SSSG switching can be achieved through explicit network indication. The network can instruct the terminal to use which SSSG to monitor the PDCCH by sending dynamic signaling. Generally, the network will be based on the downlink service demand of the terminal and the uplink service demand indication previously reported by the terminal through the Buffer Status Report (BSR). When the network believes that the terminal has no urgent uplink and downlink data transmission needs in the future, the network can instruct the terminal to use sparse SSSG to monitor the PDCCH to achieve the purpose of terminal power saving. In general, when the terminal receives an SSSG switching indication, the terminal should follow the SSSG switching indication.

[0053] SSSG switching can also be implemented implicitly. For example, the network configures a search space switching timer (searchSpaceSwitchTimer). When the network notifies the terminal to switch to SSSG index 1 or 2, the terminal starts the search space switching timer. When the timer expires, the terminal switches to SSSG index 0 to monitor the PDCCH.

[0054] Introduction to the receiver system:

[0055] By introducing a low power wake-up signal (LP-WUS), the wake-up receiver of the terminal device starts the main receiver only after receiving the LP-WUS to monitor the downlink signal to achieve the purpose of energy saving. For PDCCH monitoring, the state of the terminal at this time can be called the main receiver (Main Radio, MR) PDCCH monitoring state. In addition, in some embodiments, LP-WUS can be used in the RRC connected state in addition to the RRC idle / inactive state. In the embodiment of the present application, the low power wake-up signal is simply referred to as the wake-up signal.

[0056] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a receiver system. Taking a terminal 110 as an example, the terminal 110 includes a wake-up receiver (WUR) 112 and a main radio 114 .

[0057] In some embodiments, the wake-up receiver 112 includes at least one of a normal wake-up receiver and an ultra-Low Power Wake-Up Receiver (LP-WUR).

[0058] In some embodiments, the primary receiver 114 can be equivalently understood as a primary transceiver, or a primary air interface communication unit.

[0059] In order to further save power, a wake-up receiver 112 is introduced to receive the wake-up signal. The wake-up receiver 112 has the characteristics of extremely low cost, extremely low complexity and extremely low power consumption. It mainly receives the wake-up signal through an envelope detection-based method. Therefore, the wake-up signal received by the wake-up receiver 112 is different from the modulation method, waveform, etc. of the signal carried by the PDCCH defined in the relevant standards. The wake-up signal is mainly an envelope signal modulated by amplitude shift keying (ASK) of the carrier signal. The demodulation of the envelope signal can also be completed by driving a low-power circuit with the energy provided by the wireless radio frequency signal, so it can be passive. The wake-up receiver 112 can also be actively powered by the terminal 110. Regardless of the power supply method, the wake-up receiver 112 greatly reduces the power consumption compared to the main receiver 114. For example, the wake-up receiver 112 can achieve a power consumption of less than 1 milliwatt, which is much lower than the power consumption of the main receiver 114 of tens to hundreds of milliwatts. The wake-up receiver 112 may be combined with the terminal 110 as an additional module of the receiver of the terminal 110 , or may be independently used as a wake-up function module of the terminal 110 .

[0060] As shown in Figure 1(a), the main receiver 114 is in the OFF state or deep sleep state. The wake-up receiver 112 receives the wake-up signal and determines whether to wake up the main receiver 114 based on the indication of the wake-up signal. If the main receiver 114 needs to be woken up, the network device can send the wake-up signal to the wake-up receiver 112, and the wake-up receiver 112 wakes up the main receiver 114 after receiving the wake-up signal. Otherwise, the main receiver 114 remains in the OFF state.

[0061] In some embodiments, when the wake-up signal is sent, it is used to indicate wake-up; when the wake-up signal is not sent, it is used to indicate not wake-up.

[0062] In some embodiments, when a wake-up signal carrying a wake-up indication is sent to indicate wake-up, as shown in FIG1( b ), the wake-up signal carries the wake-up indication, and after the wake-up receiver 112 receives the wake-up signal, it wakes up the main receiver 114 , and the main receiver 114 is in an ON state after being woken up;

[0063] When a wake-up signal carrying a no-wake-up indication is sent, it is used to indicate no wake-up. As shown in FIG1( a ), the wake-up signal carries a no-wake-up indication. After the wake-up receiver 112 receives the wake-up signal, it does not wake up the main receiver 114, and the main receiver 114 remains in a closed state.

[0064] After the introduction of the low-power receiver state, the terminal monitors the LP-WUS in the low-power receiver state instead of using the primary receiver to monitor the PDCCH. If the terminal is configured with multiple SSSGs, then when the terminal in the RRC connected state wakes up the primary receiver to monitor the PDCCH after receiving the LP-WUS, the resources (search space and / or SSSG) used by the terminal to monitor the PDCCH need to be specified.

[0065] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application is that for a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a low-power receiving state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, the terminal may monitor the PDCCH on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on its serving cell. The first search space and / or the first SSSG may be agreed upon by the protocol, or configured by the network, or determined by the second search space and / or the second SSSG, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor the PDCCH. This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the PDCCH monitoring behavior, avoiding the terminal missing the PDCCH sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending the PDCCH on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0066] 2 shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a communication system 200 provided in one embodiment of the present application. The system architecture may include: a terminal 10, an access network device 20, and a core network device 30.

[0067] The terminal 10 may refer to a UE (User Equipment), an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user apparatus. Alternatively, the terminal may be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, a WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal in a 5GS (5th Generation System) or a terminal in a future-evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For convenience of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as terminals.

[0068] It should be noted that there are usually multiple terminals 10. One or more terminals 10 can be distributed within each cell managed by the access network device 20. Furthermore, one or more terminals 10 can also be distributed outside the cell managed by the access network device 20. Different terminals 10 can communicate with each other based on sidelinks.

[0069] Access network equipment 20 is a device deployed in an access network to provide wireless communication capabilities for terminal 10. Access network equipment 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, and the like. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of devices that provide access network equipment functions may vary. For example, in 5G NR systems, they are referred to as gNodeBs or gNBs. As communication technologies evolve, the term "access network equipment" may change. For ease of description, in the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned devices that provide wireless communication capabilities for terminal 10 are collectively referred to as access network equipment. Optionally, a communication relationship can be established between terminal 10 and core network equipment 30 through access network equipment 20. For example, in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, access network equipment 20 may be an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) or one or more eNodeBs in EUTRAN; in a 5G NR system, access network equipment 20 may be a RAN or one or more gNBs in the RAN.

[0070] The core network equipment 30 primarily provides user connectivity, user management, and service bearering, serving as a bearer network interface to external networks. For example, the core network equipment in a 5G NR system may include devices such as an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entity, a UPF (User Plane Function) entity, and an SMF (Session Management Function) entity. The access network equipment 20 and the core network equipment 30 may be collectively referred to as network equipment.

[0071] In one example, the access network device 20 and the core network device 30 communicate with each other via an air technology, such as the NG interface in a 5G NR system. The access network device 20 and the terminal 10 communicate with each other via an air technology, such as the Uu interface. The terminals 10 communicate with each other via an air technology, such as the PC5 interface.

[0072] FIG3 is a flow chart of a method for monitoring a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method may be executed by a terminal. The method includes:

[0073] Step 302: When switching from the first monitoring state to the second monitoring state, monitor downlink signals in the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal.

[0074] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0075] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0076] In some embodiments, the power consumption of a receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of a receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state may be the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state. For example, the first listening state may use a first receiver of the terminal, and the second listening state may use a second receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the first receiver during monitoring may be lower than the power consumption of the second receiver during monitoring. Alternatively, the first listening state and the second listening state may use the same receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the same receiver during monitoring in the first listening state may be lower than the power consumption of the second listening state.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0078] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in a first listening state and receives a wake-up signal, the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state. The wake-up signal is used to trigger the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS. The wake-up signal in the embodiment of the present application is equivalent to / replaceable with a trigger signal, a wake-up trigger signal, an exit sleep signal or a main receiver start signal, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the signal represented by the wake-up signal.

[0079] In some embodiments, the service cell of the terminal includes at least one of a special cell (SpCell) and a secondary cell (SCell). In some embodiments, for a terminal with dual connectivity, the two cell groups in the dual connectivity are a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG). Under the MCG, there may be many cells, one of which is used for the terminal to initiate initial access, which can be called a primary cell (PCell). The PCell under the MCG and the secondary cell (SCell) under the MCG are combined through carrier aggregation (CA), that is, the MCG includes a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell). The SCG includes a primary secondary cell (PSCell) and a secondary cell (SCell). Since many signalings are usually sent only on PCell and PSCell, for the convenience of description, a concept of special cell (SpCell) is also defined in the relevant communication protocol. PCell and PSCell can be collectively referred to as SpCell.

[0080] In some embodiments, a terminal is configured with multiple search spaces and / or SSSGs. The first search space and the first SSSG are used to indicate the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. In some embodiments, the first search space is used to indicate the search space in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state. The first SSSG is used to indicate the SSSG in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured by a network device. In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are agreed upon by a protocol. In some embodiments, the first search space is determined based on the second search space and / or the first SSSG is determined based on the second SSSG. In some embodiments, the first search space and the first SSSG are configured in the same or different manners.

[0082] For network device configuration:

[0083] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs) of each serving cell of the terminal. That is, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured for one or more BWPs corresponding to each serving cell of the terminal.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal. The one or more serving cells may be all or some of the serving cells of the terminal. That is, for all or some of the serving cells of the terminal, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured on one or more BWPs corresponding to each of the serving cells.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first search space includes one or more search spaces. For example, the first search space includes a search space identifier (ID) 1, or the first search space includes search space ID 1 and search space ID 2. In some embodiments, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs. For example, the first SSSG includes an SSSG index (index) 1, or the first SSSG includes SSSG index 1 and SSSG index 2.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terminal receives configuration information sent by the network device, where the configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of a system message and terminal-specific signaling.

[0087] In some embodiments, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC CE), and a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC recovery message, and an RRC establishment message.

[0088] In some embodiments, the terminal monitors downlink signals according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs.

[0089] Regarding the situations stipulated in the agreement:

[0090] In some embodiments, the terminal monitors downlink signals according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals is agreed upon by the protocol.

[0091] In some embodiments, the BWP includes at least one of an active BWP, an initial BWP, and a default BWP.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first search space used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all search spaces configured for the terminal and a portion of the search spaces within the total search spaces configured for the terminal. The portion of the search space includes one or more search spaces. For example, the first search space includes search space ID 1 within all search spaces configured for the terminal. Alternatively, the first search space includes search space ID 1 and search space ID 2 within all search spaces configured for the terminal.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all SSSGs configured for the terminal and a portion of all SSSGs configured for the terminal. The portion of the SSSG includes one or more SSSGs. For example, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 0 among all SSSGs configured for the terminal. Alternatively, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 0 and SSSG index 1 among all SSSGs configured for the terminal.

[0094] For the case determined according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG:

[0095] In some embodiments, the terminal monitors downlink signals according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals is determined based on the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first search space and the second search space are the same. In some embodiments, the first SSSG and the second SSSG are the same.

[0097] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state.

[0098] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal.

[0099] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the first listening state may be referred to as / equivalent to / replaceable with the LP-WUS listening state.

[0100] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment, for a terminal in an RRC connected state, can monitor downlink signals on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the serving cell when switching from the first monitoring state to the second monitoring state with higher power consumption, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (such as PDCCH). This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of downlink signals, preventing the terminal from missing downlink signals sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0101] FIG4 is a flow chart of a method for transmitting a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method may be executed by a network device. The method includes:

[0102] Step 402: When the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state, a downlink signal is sent in the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal.

[0103] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The first search space and / or the first SSSG are used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0104] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0105] In some embodiments, the power consumption of the receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of the receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state is the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0107] In some embodiments, the network device sends a wake-up signal to a terminal in a first listening state, and when the terminal is in the first listening state and receives the wake-up signal, the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state. The wake-up signal is used to trigger the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS. The wake-up signal in the embodiment of the present application is equivalent to / can be replaced by a trigger signal, a wake-up trigger signal, an exit sleep signal or a main receiver start signal, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the signal represented by the wake-up signal.

[0108] In some embodiments, the serving cell of the terminal includes at least one of a SpCell and a SCell.

[0109] In some embodiments, a terminal is configured with multiple search spaces and / or SSSGs. The first search space and the first SSSG are used to indicate the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. In some embodiments, the first search space is used to indicate the search space in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state. The first SSSG is used to indicate the SSSG in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured by the network device. In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are agreed upon by a protocol. In some embodiments, the first search space is determined based on the second search space and / or the first SSSG is determined based on the second SSSG. In some embodiments, the first search space and the first SSSG are configured in the same or different manners.

[0111] For network device configuration:

[0112] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. That is, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured for one or more BWPs corresponding to each serving cell of the terminal.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal. The one or more serving cells may be all or some of the serving cells of the terminal. That is, for all or some of the serving cells of the terminal, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured on one or more BWPs corresponding to each of the serving cells.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first search space includes one or more search spaces. In some embodiments, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs.

[0115] In some embodiments, the network device sends configuration information to the terminal, where the configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of a system message and terminal-specific signaling.

[0116] In some embodiments, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, MAC CE, and PDCCH. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC recovery message, and an RRC establishment message.

[0117] In some embodiments, the network device transmits the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. On one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal, the terminal monitors the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP.

[0118] Regarding the situations stipulated in the agreement:

[0119] In some embodiments, the network device sends the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. On one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal, the terminal monitors the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal is agreed upon by the protocol.

[0120] In some embodiments, the BWP includes at least one of an active BWP, an initial BWP, and a default BWP.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first search space used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of the entire search space configured for the terminal and a partial search space in the entire search space configured for the terminal. The partial search space includes one or more search spaces.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all SSSGs configured for the terminal and a portion of all SSSGs configured for the terminal. The portion of SSSG includes one or more SSSGs.

[0123] For the case determined according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG:

[0124] In some embodiments, the network device sends the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on a BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. On one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal, the terminal monitors the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal is determined based on the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first search space and the second search space are the same. In some embodiments, the first SSSG and the second SSSG are the same.

[0126] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state.

[0127] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal.

[0128] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the first listening state may be referred to as / equivalent to / replaceable with the LP-WUS listening state.

[0129] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment is that for a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a first listening state to a second listening state with higher power consumption, the network device sends a downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the terminal's service cell. The terminal can monitor the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the service cell, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal (such as PDCCH). This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of the downlink signal, avoiding the terminal missing the downlink signal sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0130] The method provided in this application is that for a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a first listening state to a second listening state, the terminal can monitor downlink signals in a first search space and / or a first SSSG on its serving cell, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (e.g., PDCCH). The determination of the first search space and / or the first SSSG includes the following three methods:

[0131] (1) Configured by network devices;

[0132] (2) agreed upon by agreement;

[0133] (3) Determined according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0134] Regarding the first determination method mentioned above:

[0135] FIG5 is a flow chart of a method for monitoring downlink signals provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0136] Step 502: The network device sends a wake-up signal to the terminal.

[0137] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The network device sends a wake-up signal to the terminal in the first listening state, and the wake-up signal is used to instruct the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS. The wake-up signal in the embodiment of the present application is equivalent to / can be replaced by a trigger signal, a wake-up trigger signal, an exit sleep signal or a main receiver start signal. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the signal represented by the wake-up signal.

[0138] The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0139] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0140] In some embodiments, the power consumption of a receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of a receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state may be the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state. For example, the first listening state may use a first receiver of the terminal, and the second listening state may use a second receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the first receiver during monitoring may be lower than the power consumption of the second receiver during monitoring. Alternatively, the first listening state and the second listening state may use the same receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the same receiver during monitoring in the first listening state may be lower than the power consumption of the second listening state.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0142] Step 504: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal.

[0143] The configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the terminal is configured with multiple search spaces and / or SSSGs. The first search space and the first SSSG are used to indicate the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. In some embodiments, the first search space is used to indicate the search space for the terminal to monitor the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state. The first SSSG is used to indicate the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state.

[0144] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of a system message and terminal-specific signaling. In some embodiments, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, MAC CE, and PDCCH. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC recovery message, and an RRC establishment message.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. That is, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured for one or more BWPs corresponding to each serving cell of the terminal.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal. The one or more serving cells may be all or some of the serving cells of the terminal. That is, for all or some of the serving cells of the terminal, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured on one or more BWPs corresponding to each of the serving cells.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first search space includes one or more search spaces. For example, the first search space includes search space ID 1, or the first search space includes search space ID 1 and search space ID 2. In some embodiments, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs. For example, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 1, or the first SSSG includes SSSG index 1 and SSSG index 2.

[0148] Step 506: When switching from the first listening state to the second listening state, the terminal monitors downlink signals in the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell.

[0149] In some embodiments, the serving cell of the terminal includes at least one of a SpCell and a SCell.

[0150] In some embodiments, the terminal monitors downlink signals according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs.

[0151] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the process of monitoring PDCCH provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, before t1, the terminal is in the MR PDCCH monitoring state, and the terminal monitors PDCCH on SSSG#1. At t1, the terminal receives an SSSG switching command. From t1 to t2, the terminal is in the MR PDCCH monitoring state, and the terminal monitors PDCCH on the switched SSSG#2. At t2, the terminal enters the LP-WUS monitoring state. At t3, the terminal receives the LP-WUS and re-enters the MR PDCCH monitoring state. After t3, the terminal monitors PDCCH on SSSG#3. SSSG#3 is configured by the network device, and SSSG#3 is the same as or different from SSSG#1 and SSSG#2.

[0152] It should be noted that step 502 may be performed before step 504, or after step 504, or simultaneously with step 504. This embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0153] In this embodiment, step 502, step 504, and step 506 are optional. In different embodiments, one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced.

[0154] Step 502 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a method for receiving a wake-up signal on the terminal side or a method for sending a wake-up signal on the network device side. Step 504 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a method for configuring the terminal side or the network device side. Step 506 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a method for monitoring downlink signals on the terminal side.

[0155] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment is that for a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a first listening state to a second listening state with higher power consumption, the terminal can monitor downlink signals on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the serving cell according to the network configuration, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (such as PDCCH), and providing a method for determining the first search space and / or the first SSSG through network configuration. This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of the downlink signal, avoiding the terminal missing the downlink signal sent by the network device, and the network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0156] The method provided in this embodiment also provides a method for rationally configuring resources for the first search space and / or the first SSSG by configuring the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the BWP of the terminal's serving cell. Furthermore, the first search space may include one or more search spaces, and the first SSSG may include one or more SSSGs, thereby enabling flexible configuration of the first search space and / or the first SSSG. The method provided in this embodiment also clarifies the signaling used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG. Furthermore, by monitoring downlink signals according to network configuration on a BWP of the serving cell, a method for rationally utilizing resources for monitoring downlink signals is provided.

[0157] Regarding the second determination method mentioned above:

[0158] FIG7 is a flow chart of a method for monitoring a downlink signal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0159] Step 702: The network device sends a wake-up signal to the terminal.

[0160] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The network device sends a wake-up signal to the terminal in the first listening state, and the wake-up signal is used to instruct the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS. The wake-up signal in the embodiment of the present application is equivalent to / can be replaced by a trigger signal, a wake-up trigger signal, an exit sleep signal or a main receiver start signal. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the signal represented by the wake-up signal.

[0161] The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0162] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0163] In some embodiments, the power consumption of a receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of a receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state may be the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state. For example, the first listening state may use a first receiver of the terminal, and the second listening state may use a second receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the first receiver during monitoring may be lower than the power consumption of the second receiver during monitoring. Alternatively, the first listening state and the second listening state may use the same receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the same receiver during monitoring in the first listening state may be lower than the power consumption of the second listening state.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0165] Step 704: When switching from the first listening state to the second listening state, the terminal monitors downlink signals in the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell.

[0166] In some embodiments, the terminal monitors downlink signals according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals is agreed upon by the protocol.

[0167] In some embodiments, the BWP includes at least one of an active BWP, an initial BWP, and a default BWP.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first search space used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all search spaces configured for the terminal and a portion of the search spaces within the total search spaces configured for the terminal. The portion of the search space includes one or more search spaces. For example, the first search space includes search space ID 1 within all search spaces configured for the terminal. Alternatively, the first search space includes search space ID 1 and search space ID 2 within all search spaces configured for the terminal.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all SSSGs configured for the terminal and a portion of all SSSGs configured for the terminal. The portion of the SSSG includes one or more SSSGs. For example, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 0 among all SSSGs configured for the terminal. Alternatively, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 0 and SSSG index 1 among all SSSGs configured for the terminal.

[0170] For example, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the process of monitoring PDCCH provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, before t1, the terminal is in the MR PDCCH monitoring state, and the terminal monitors PDCCH on SSSG#1. At t1, the terminal receives an SSSG switching command. From t1 to t2, the terminal is in the MR PDCCH monitoring state, and the terminal monitors PDCCH on the switched SSSG#2. At t2, the terminal enters the LP-WUS monitoring state. At t3, the terminal receives the LP-WUS and re-enters the MR PDCCH monitoring state. After t3, the terminal monitors PDCCH on SSSG#4. SSSG#4 is agreed upon by the protocol, for example, SSSG#4 includes at least one of SSSG#1 and SSSG#2.

[0171] In this embodiment, step 702 and step 704 are optional. In different embodiments, one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced.

[0172] Step 702 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a wake-up signal receiving method on the terminal side or a wake-up signal sending method on the network device side. Step 704 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a downlink signal monitoring method on the terminal side.

[0173] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment is that for a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a first listening state to a second listening state with higher power consumption, the terminal can monitor downlink signals on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the serving cell according to the protocol agreement, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (such as PDCCH), and providing a way to determine the first search space and / or the first SSSG through protocol agreement. This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of the downlink signal, avoiding the terminal missing the downlink signal sent by the network device, and the network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0174] The method provided in this embodiment also determines the first search space and / or first SSSG based on the search space and / or SSSG configured by the terminal through a protocol agreement, avoiding the use of additional resources for the first search space and / or first SSSG, thereby reducing resource overhead and achieving low implementation costs. In addition, by monitoring downlink signals according to network configuration on a BWP of the serving cell, a method for rationally utilizing resources for downlink signal monitoring is provided.

[0175] Regarding the third determination method mentioned above:

[0176] FIG9 is a flow chart of a method for monitoring downlink signals provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0177] Step 902: The network device sends a wake-up signal to the terminal.

[0178] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The network device sends a wake-up signal to the terminal in the first listening state, and the wake-up signal is used to instruct the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS. The wake-up signal in the embodiment of the present application is equivalent to / can be replaced by a trigger signal, a wake-up trigger signal, an exit sleep signal or a main receiver start signal. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the signal represented by the wake-up signal.

[0179] The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0180] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0181] In some embodiments, the power consumption of a receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of a receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state may be the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state. For example, the first listening state may use a first receiver of the terminal, and the second listening state may use a second receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the first receiver during monitoring may be lower than the power consumption of the second receiver during monitoring. Alternatively, the first listening state and the second listening state may use the same receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the same receiver during monitoring in the first listening state may be lower than the power consumption of the second listening state.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0183] Step 904: The terminal determines the first search space and / or the first SSSG according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first search space and the second search space are the same. In some embodiments, the first SSSG and the second SSSG are the same.

[0185] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state.

[0186] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitored downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal most recently or last monitored downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitored downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal most recently or last monitored downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal.

[0187] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the first listening state may be referred to as / equivalent to / replaceable with the LP-WUS listening state.

[0188] Step 906: When switching from the first listening state to the second listening state, the terminal monitors downlink signals in the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell.

[0189] In some embodiments, the terminal monitors downlink signals according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals is determined based on the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0190] For example, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a process for monitoring PDCCHs provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, before t1, the terminal is in the MR PDCCH monitoring state and monitors the PDCCH on SSSG#1. At t1, the terminal receives an SSSG switch command. From t1 to t2, the terminal is in the MR PDCCH monitoring state and monitors the PDCCH on the switched SSSG#2. At t2, the terminal enters the LP-WUS monitoring state. At t3, the terminal receives an LP-WUS and re-enters the MR PDCCH monitoring state. After t3, the terminal monitors the PDCCH on SSSG#5. SSSG#5 is the same as the SSSG (SSSG#2) on which the terminal last monitored the PDCCH before transitioning to the MR PDCCH monitoring state, or SSSG#5 is the same as the SSSG (SSSG#2) on which the terminal last monitored the PDCCH before receiving the LP-WUS, or SSSG#5 is the same as the SSSG (SSSG#2) on which the terminal last monitored the PDCCH before entering the LP-WUS monitoring state.

[0191] In this embodiment, step 902, step 904, and step 906 are optional. In different embodiments, one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced.

[0192] Step 902 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a method for receiving a wake-up signal on the terminal side or a method for sending a wake-up signal on the network device side. Step 904 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a method for determining resources on the terminal side. Step 906 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, such as a method for monitoring downlink signals on the terminal side.

[0193] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment is for a terminal in an RRC connected state. When switching from a first listening state to a second listening state with higher power consumption, the terminal can monitor downlink signals on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the serving cell according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (such as PDCCH) and providing a method for determining the first search space and / or the first SSSG according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG. This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of the downlink signal, avoiding the terminal missing the downlink signal sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0194] The method provided in this embodiment also determines the first search space and / or the first SSSG based on the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals before switching to the second monitoring state, or the resources used to monitor downlink signals before receiving a wake-up signal, or the resources used to monitor downlink signals before entering the first monitoring state. This allows the first search space and / or the first SSSG to be determined based on the terminal's existing configuration, avoiding the use of additional resources as the first search space and / or the first SSSG, thereby reducing resource overhead and achieving low implementation costs. In addition, by monitoring downlink signals according to network configuration on a BWP of the serving cell, a method for rationally utilizing resources for downlink signal monitoring is provided.

[0195] It should be noted that the order of the method steps provided in the embodiments of the present application can be appropriately adjusted, the steps can also be increased or decreased accordingly according to the circumstances, and different steps can be freely combined to form new embodiments. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present invention can easily think of the method of variation within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and should be included in the protection scope of this application, so it will not be repeated here. In addition, the order of the above-mentioned different situations does not have a preferred meaning, but is only for the convenience of expression.

[0196] FIG11 is a block diagram of a downlink signal monitoring device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The device can be implemented as a terminal or as part of a terminal through software or hardware or a combination of both. The device includes:

[0197] The receiving module 1101 is configured to monitor the downlink signal in the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal when switching from the first monitoring state to the second monitoring state.

[0198] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0199] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0200] In some embodiments, the power consumption of a receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of a receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state may be the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state. For example, the first listening state may use a first receiver of the terminal, and the second listening state may use a second receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the first receiver during monitoring may be lower than the power consumption of the second receiver during monitoring. Alternatively, the first listening state and the second listening state may use the same receiver of the terminal, and the power consumption of the same receiver during monitoring in the first listening state may be lower than the power consumption of the second listening state.

[0201] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0202] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a conversion module 1102 for converting from the first listening state to the second listening state when the terminal is in the first listening state and receives a wake-up signal. The wake-up signal is used to trigger the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS.

[0203] In some embodiments, the serving cell of the terminal includes at least one of a SpCell and a SCell.

[0204] In some embodiments, a terminal is configured with multiple search spaces and / or SSSGs. The first search space and the first SSSG are used to indicate the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. In some embodiments, the first search space is used to indicate the search space in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state. The first SSSG is used to indicate the SSSG in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured by a network device. In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are agreed upon by a protocol. In some embodiments, the first search space is determined based on the second search space and / or the first SSSG is determined based on the second SSSG. In some embodiments, the first search space and the first SSSG are configured in the same or different manners.

[0206] For network device configuration:

[0207] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs) of each serving cell of the terminal. That is, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured for one or more BWPs corresponding to each serving cell of the terminal.

[0208] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal. The one or more serving cells may be all or some of the serving cells of the terminal. That is, for all or some of the serving cells of the terminal, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured on one or more BWPs corresponding to each of the serving cells.

[0209] In some embodiments, the first search space includes one or more search spaces. For example, the first search space includes a search space identifier (ID) 1, or the first search space includes search space ID 1 and search space ID 2. In some embodiments, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs. For example, the first SSSG includes an SSSG index (index) 1, or the first SSSG includes SSSG index 1 and SSSG index 2.

[0210] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1101 is configured to receive configuration information sent by a network device, where the configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of a system message and terminal-specific signaling.

[0211] In some embodiments, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC CE), and a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC recovery message, and an RRC establishment message.

[0212] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1101 is configured to monitor the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP.

[0213] Regarding the situations stipulated in the agreement:

[0214] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1101 is configured to monitor the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on a BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal is agreed upon by the protocol.

[0215] In some embodiments, the BWP includes at least one of an active BWP, an initial BWP, and a default BWP.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first search space used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all search spaces configured for the terminal and a portion of the search spaces within the total search spaces configured for the terminal. The portion of the search space includes one or more search spaces. For example, the first search space includes search space ID 1 within all search spaces configured for the terminal. Alternatively, the first search space includes search space ID 1 and search space ID 2 within all search spaces configured for the terminal.

[0217] In some embodiments, the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all SSSGs configured for the terminal and a portion of all SSSGs configured for the terminal. The portion of the SSSG includes one or more SSSGs. For example, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 0 among all SSSGs configured for the terminal. Alternatively, the first SSSG includes SSSG index 0 and SSSG index 1 among all SSSGs configured for the terminal.

[0218] For the case determined according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG:

[0219] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1101 is configured to monitor the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on a BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal is determined based on the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first search space and the second search space are the same. In some embodiments, the first SSSG and the second SSSG are the same.

[0221] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state.

[0222] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal.

[0223] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the first listening state may be referred to as / equivalent to / replaceable with the LP-WUS listening state.

[0224] In summary, the apparatus provided in this embodiment allows a terminal in an RRC connected state to monitor downlink signals on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the serving cell when switching from the first monitoring state to the second monitoring state with higher power consumption, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals (e.g., PDCCH). This helps the terminal and the network device maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of downlink signals, preventing the terminal from missing downlink signals sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0225] FIG12 is a block diagram of a downlink signal transmitting apparatus provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The apparatus can be implemented as a network device or as part of a network device through software or hardware or a combination of both. The apparatus includes:

[0226] The sending module 1201 is configured to send the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal when the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state.

[0227] The terminal is in an RRC connected state. The first search space and / or the first SSSG are used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. The power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the first monitoring state is lower than the power consumption of the terminal monitoring in the second monitoring state.

[0228] In some embodiments, the signals monitored in the first monitoring state and the second monitoring state are different. For example, the first monitoring state is used to monitor a wake-up signal, and the second monitoring state is used to monitor a downlink signal.

[0229] In some embodiments, the power consumption of the receiver used in the first listening state is lower than the power consumption of the receiver used in the second listening state. The receiver used in the first listening state is the same as or different from the receiver used in the second listening state.

[0230] In some embodiments, the first listening state includes a low-power receiving state (low-power receiver state). In some embodiments, the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state. In some embodiments, the downlink signal includes a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the MR PDCCH listening state includes a state in which a wake-up signal is received, thereby waking up the primary receiver of the terminal to monitor the PDCCH.

[0231] In some embodiments, the sending module 1201 is configured to send a wake-up signal to the terminal in the first listening state. When the terminal is in the first listening state and receives the wake-up signal, the terminal switches from the first listening state to the second listening state. The wake-up signal is used to trigger the terminal to switch from the first listening state to the second listening state. Accordingly, the terminal can also switch from the second listening state to the first listening state. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes at least one of LP-WUS and ultra-low power WUS.

[0232] In some embodiments, the serving cell of the terminal includes at least one of a SpCell and a SCell.

[0233] In some embodiments, a terminal is configured with multiple search spaces and / or SSSGs. The first search space and the first SSSG are used to indicate the resources used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals. In some embodiments, the first search space is used to indicate the search space in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state. The first SSSG is used to indicate the SSSG in which the terminal monitors the PDCCH when the terminal transitions from a low-power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured by a network device. In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are agreed upon by a protocol. In some embodiments, the first search space is determined based on the second search space and / or the first SSSG is determined based on the second SSSG. In some embodiments, the first search space and the first SSSG are configured in the same or different manners.

[0235] For network device configuration:

[0236] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal. That is, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured for one or more BWPs corresponding to each serving cell of the terminal.

[0237] In some embodiments, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal. The one or more serving cells may be all or some of the serving cells of the terminal. That is, for all or some of the serving cells of the terminal, the first search space and / or the first SSSG may be configured on one or more BWPs corresponding to each of the serving cells.

[0238] In some embodiments, the first search space includes one or more search spaces. In some embodiments, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs.

[0239] In some embodiments, the sending module 1201 is configured to send configuration information to the terminal, where the configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of a system message and terminal-specific signaling.

[0240] In some embodiments, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, MAC CE, and PDCCH. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC recovery message, and an RRC establishment message.

[0241] In some embodiments, the sending module 1201 is configured to send the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. On one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal, the terminal monitors the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state transitions from a low power reception state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP.

[0242] Regarding the situations stipulated in the agreement:

[0243] In some embodiments, the sending module 1201 is configured to send the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. On one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal, the terminal monitors the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low-power receiving state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal is agreed upon by the protocol.

[0244] In some embodiments, the BWP includes at least one of an active BWP, an initial BWP, and a default BWP.

[0245] In some embodiments, the first search space used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of the entire search space configured for the terminal and a partial search space in the entire search space configured for the terminal. The partial search space includes one or more search spaces.

[0246] In some embodiments, the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor downlink signals includes at least one of all SSSGs configured for the terminal and a portion of all SSSGs configured for the terminal. The portion of SSSG includes one or more SSSGs.

[0247] For the case determined according to the second search space and / or the second SSSG:

[0248] In some embodiments, the sending module 1201 is configured to send the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on a BWP of each serving cell of the terminal. On one of the BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal, the terminal monitors the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG. For example, when a terminal in an RRC connected state switches from a low-power receiving state to an MR PDCCH monitoring state, for each serving cell, the terminal monitors the PDCCH according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one of the BWPs. The first search space and / or the first SSSG used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal is determined based on the second search space and / or the second SSSG.

[0249] In some embodiments, the first search space and the second search space are the same. In some embodiments, the first SSSG and the second SSSG are the same.

[0250] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before switching to the second listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before switching to the second listening state.

[0251] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals before receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before receiving the wake-up signal.

[0252] In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second search space includes a search space where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the second SSSG includes an SSSG where the terminal monitors downlink signals most recently or last before entering the first listening state. In some embodiments, the first listening state may be referred to as / equivalent to / replaceable with the LP-WUS listening state.

[0253] In summary, the apparatus provided in this embodiment, for a terminal in an RRC connected state, when switching from a first listening state to a second listening state with higher power consumption, the network device sends a downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the terminal's service cell. The terminal can monitor the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG on the service cell, thereby clarifying the resources used by the terminal to monitor the downlink signal (such as PDCCH). This helps the terminal and the network device to maintain a consistent understanding of the monitoring behavior of the downlink signal, avoiding the terminal missing the downlink signal sent by the network device. The network device can also avoid sending downlink signals on resources that the terminal does not monitor, resulting in additional resource overhead.

[0254] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example to implement its functions. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0255] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0256] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device (terminal / network device) provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 includes: a processor 1301 , a receiver 1302 , a transmitter 1303 , a memory 1304 and a bus 1305 .

[0257] The processor 1301 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 1301 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0258] The receiver 1302 and the transmitter 1303 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip.

[0259] The memory 1304 is connected to the processor 1301 via a bus 1305. The memory 1304 may be used to store at least one instruction, and the processor 1301 may be used to execute the at least one instruction to implement each step in the above method embodiment.

[0260] In addition, the memory 1304 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof. Volatile or non-volatile storage devices include but are not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), static random-access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0261] When the communication device is implemented as a terminal, the processor and transceiver in the communication device involved in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented together as a communication chip, or the transceiver can form a communication chip alone. The transmitter in the transceiver performs the sending step performed by the terminal in any of the above-mentioned methods, the receiver in the transceiver performs the receiving step performed by the terminal in any of the above-mentioned methods, and the processor performs steps other than the sending and receiving steps, which are not further described here.

[0262] When the communication device is implemented as a network device, the processor and transceiver in the communication device involved in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented together as a communication chip, or the transceiver can form a communication chip alone. The transmitter in the transceiver performs the sending step performed by the network device in any of the above-mentioned methods, the receiver in the transceiver performs the receiving step performed by the network device in any of the above-mentioned methods, and the processor performs steps other than the sending and receiving steps, which are not further described here.

[0263] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, in which at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set or an instruction set is stored. The at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set or the instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the downlink signal monitoring method or the downlink signal sending method provided in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0264] In an exemplary embodiment, a chip is also provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip is running on a communication device, it is used to implement the downlink signal monitoring method or downlink signal sending method provided by the above-mentioned various method embodiments based on the programmable logic circuit and / or program.

[0265] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is further provided. When the computer program product is executed on a processor of a computer device, the computer device executes the above-mentioned method for monitoring a downlink signal or the method for sending a downlink signal.

[0266] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0267] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a downlink signal, characterized in that, the method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: when transitioning from a first monitoring state to a second monitoring state, monitoring the downlink signal on a first search space and / or a first set of search space groups (SSSGs) of the serving cell of the terminal; wherein, the terminal is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and the power consumption of the first monitoring state is lower than that of the second monitoring state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured by a network device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more partial bandwidths (BWPs) of each serving cell of the terminal.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, the first search space includes one or more search spaces, and / or, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, the method further includes: receiving configuration information sent by the network device; wherein, the configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG, and the configuration information includes at least one of a system message and dedicated signaling of the terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, media access control control element (MAC CE), and physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC resume message, and an RRC establishment message.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that, monitoring the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal includes: on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal, monitoring the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are agreed upon by the protocol.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, monitoring the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal includes: on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal, monitoring the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The first search space is determined according to the second search space, and / or, the first SSSG is determined according to the second SSSG.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, monitoring the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal includes: monitoring the downlink signal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, the first search space is the same as the second search space, and / or, the first SSSG is the same as the second SSSG.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein, the second search space includes the search space for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before transitioning to the second listening state, and / or, the second SSSG includes the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before transitioning to the second listening state.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, the second search space includes the search space for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before receiving the wake-up signal, and / or, the second SSSG includes the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before receiving the wake-up signal.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein, the second search space includes the search space for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before entering the first listening state, and / or, the second SSSG includes the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before entering the first listening state.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein, the method further includes: when the terminal is in the first listening state and receives a wake-up signal, transitioning from the first listening state to the second listening state.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein, the power consumption of the receiver used in the first listening state is lower than that of the receiver used in the second listening state.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein, the first listening state includes a low-power reception state, and the second listening state includes a main receiver MR PDCCH listening state.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein, the downlink signal includes PDCCH.

22. A method for transmitting a downlink signal, wherein, the method is executed by a network device, and the method includes: when the terminal transitions from the first listening state to the second listening state, transmitting the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal; wherein, the terminal is in the RRC connected state, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are used for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal, and the power consumption of the first listening state is lower than that of the second listening state.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured by the network device.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of each serving cell of the terminal.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, wherein, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are configured on one or more BWPs of one or more serving cells of the terminal.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein, the first search space includes one or more search spaces, and / or, the first SSSG includes one or more SSSGs.

27. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein, the method further includes: sending configuration information to the terminal; wherein, the configuration information is used to configure the first search space and / or the first SSSG, and the configuration information includes at least one of system information and dedicated signaling of the terminal.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein, the dedicated signaling includes at least one of RRC signaling, MAC CE, and PDCCH.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein, the RRC signaling includes at least one of an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC resume message, and an RRC establishment message.

30. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 29, wherein, sending the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal includes: sending the downlink signal on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG.

31. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are agreed upon by the protocol.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, sending the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal includes: sending the downlink signal on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG.

33. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 32, wherein, the first search space is determined according to a second search space, and / or, the first SSSG is determined according to a second SSSG.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein, sending the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal includes: sending the downlink signal on one BWP of each serving cell of the terminal according to the first search space and / or the first SSSG.

35. The method according to claim 33 or 34, wherein, The first search space is the same as the second search space, and / or, the first SSSG is the same as the second SSSG.

36. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein, the second search space includes the search space for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before transitioning to the second listening state, and / or, the second SSSG includes the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before transitioning to the second listening state.

37. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein, the second search space includes the search space for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before receiving the wake-up signal, and / or, the second SSSG includes the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before receiving the wake-up signal.

38. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 37, wherein, the second search space includes the search space for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before entering the first listening state, and / or, the second SSSG includes the SSSG for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal before entering the first listening state.

39. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 38, wherein, the method further includes: sending a wake-up signal to the terminal in the first listening state; wherein, the wake-up signal is used to instruct the terminal to transition from the first listening state to the second listening state.

40. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 39, wherein, the power consumption of the receiver used in the first listening state is lower than that of the receiver used in the second listening state.

41. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 40, wherein, the first listening state includes a low-power reception state, and the second listening state includes an MR PDCCH listening state.

42. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 41, wherein, the downlink signal includes PDCCH.

43. A downlink signal monitoring device, wherein, the device includes: a receiving module, configured to monitor the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal when transitioning from the first listening state to the second listening state; wherein, the terminal is in the RRC connected state, and the power consumption of the first listening state is lower than that of the second listening state.

44. A downlink signal transmitting device, wherein, the device includes: a transmitting module, configured to transmit the downlink signal on the first search space and / or the first SSSG of the serving cell of the terminal when the terminal transitions from the first listening state to the second listening state; wherein, the terminal is in the RRC connected state, the first search space and / or the first SSSG are used for the terminal to monitor the downlink signal, and the power consumption of the first listening state is lower than that of the second listening state.

45. A terminal, wherein, the terminal includes: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; A memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; Wherein, the terminal is configured to load the executable instructions so that the terminal implements the method for listening to a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 1 to 21.

46. A network device, Characterized in that, The network device includes: A processor; A transceiver connected to the processor; A memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; Wherein, the network device is configured to load the executable instructions so that the network device implements the method for transmitting a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 22 to 42.

47. A computer-readable storage medium, Characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores executable instructions, and the executable instructions are loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method for listening to a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 1 to 21, or the method for transmitting a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 22 to 42.

48. A chip, Characterized in that, The chip includes a programmable logic circuit or program, and the chip is used to implement the method for listening to a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 1 to 21, or the method for transmitting a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 22 to 42 based on the programmable logic circuit or program.

49. A computer program product, Characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium, a processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions so that the computer device executes the method for listening to a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 1 to 21, or the method for transmitting a downlink signal as described in any one of claims 22 to 42.

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