Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a kind of communication method and device, it is related to communication field, can reduce the drop rate of user when carrier is turned off.In the method, the signal strength information of the first cell of the first terminal equipment in the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell are received, and the second cell is the first cell neighborhood, so as to determine the carrier turn-off of the first cell according to the signal strength information of the first cell of the first terminal equipment and the signal strength information of the second cell, by the way of gradually reducing carrier power, terminal equipment can gradually perceive that signal quality reduces, so that measurement event triggers, terminal equipment is actively migrated to other small cell with stronger signal, greatly reduce the drop risk due to far and near effect, also can reduce the energy consumption of access network equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless networks, the number of carriers in various standards and frequency bands is gradually increasing, leading to a significant increase in the energy consumption of access network equipment. Carrier shutdown is one of the key means to achieve energy saving. When the carrier corresponding to a cell at a certain frequency is shut down, the terminal equipment in the cell will migrate to a neighboring cell at the same or a different frequency. However, during the migration process, if the terminal equipment is far from the neighboring cell, the uplink signal sent by the terminal equipment will be interfered with by terminal equipment closer to the neighboring cell, thus causing dropped calls for users due to the aforementioned proximity effect. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce the call drop rate of users when the carrier is turned off.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first device, or by a component of the first device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first device. The method includes: receiving signal strength information of a first cell and a second cell from a first terminal device within a first cell, wherein the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell; and determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell.

[0006] In this method, the first device receives the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell from the first terminal device in the first cell. The second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell. Based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the second cell from the first terminal device, it determines to turn off the carrier in the first cell. By gradually reducing the carrier power, the terminal device can gradually perceive the signal quality reduction, triggering a measurement event. The terminal device actively migrates to other cells (or carriers) with stronger signals, which greatly reduces the risk of dropped calls due to the near-far effect and can also reduce the energy consumption of the access network equipment.

[0007] In one possible design, determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell can include: when the signal strength of the second cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold, determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell, where the first threshold is less than the signal strength of the first cell. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether to shut down the carrier of the first cell based on the signal strengths of the first and second cells and the first threshold. In this application, when the first threshold is less than the signal strength of the first cell, the difference between the first threshold and the signal strength of the first cell cannot be greater than the second threshold. In other words, the first threshold can be smaller than the signal strength of the first cell, but the difference cannot be too large. This ensures that after the first terminal device switches to the second cell, the signal strength of the second cell meets the communication requirements.

[0008] In one possible design, receiving signal strength information from a first terminal device within a first cell and signal strength information from a second cell can include receiving signal strength information from multiple terminal devices within the first cell, including the first terminal device. This allows for the collection of signal strength information measured by multiple terminal devices within the first cell to determine when to shut down the first cell, reducing coverage redundancy and thus lowering the power consumption of the access network equipment.

[0009] In one possible design scheme, determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell may include: determining the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell based on the signal strength information of multiple terminal devices in the first cell, where the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship indicates the proportion of terminal devices in neighboring cells that overlap with the first cell; and determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship. Thus, the co-frequency coverage relationship between the first cell and neighboring cells can be determined based on the signal strength information from multiple terminal devices within the first cell, allowing for the determination to shut down the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship, reducing coverage redundancy and thus lowering the power consumption of the access network equipment.

[0010] In one possible design scheme, determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell can include: determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship and coverage index threshold. After the first cell is turned off, the coverage index of the first cell meets the coverage index threshold. The coverage index of the first cell is used to characterize the proportion of terminal devices in the first cell that are covered by at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than the first signal strength threshold and co-frequency with the first cell. Therefore, when turning off the carrier of the first cell, it is also necessary to determine whether the coverage index of the first cell still meets the coverage index threshold after turning off the first cell. For example, the coverage index of the first cell should be greater than or equal to the coverage index threshold, or the difference between the coverage index of the first cell and the coverage index threshold should be less than or equal to the difference threshold (infinitely close to the coverage index threshold). If the coverage index of the first cell meets the coverage index threshold after turning off the first cell, it can be determined to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell.

[0011] In one possible design, receiving signal strength information from the first terminal device within the first cell and signal strength information from the second cell can include: receiving signal strength information from terminal devices within M co-frequency cells covering the target area, where the M co-frequency cells include the first cell and the second cell, and the terminal devices within the first cell include the first terminal device, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Thus, by receiving signal strength information from terminal devices within all co-frequency cells in the target area, the first device can determine the overlapping coverage relationship between co-frequency cells in the target area, i.e., the co-frequency coverage relationship of each co-frequency cell, thereby identifying the co-frequency cells in the target area where carrier shutdown is possible.

[0012] In one possible design scheme, determining the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell can include: determining the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to each of the M co-frequency cells based on the signal strength information of the terminal devices in the M co-frequency cells, where the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the i-th cell in the M co-frequency cells is used to indicate the proportion of terminal devices overlapping with the i-th cell in neighboring cells co-frequency with the i-th cell, i being a positive integer and i≤M; and determining the gradual reduction of the carrier power of N co-frequency cells in the M co-frequency cells based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to each of the M co-frequency cells, where N co-frequency cells include the first cell, and N being a positive integer less than M. Thus, by receiving the signal strength information of the terminal devices in all co-frequency cells within the target area, the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to each co-frequency cell is determined. This co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to each of the M co-frequency cells can be used to establish the overlap coverage ratio between co-frequency cells within the target area. Based on the overlap coverage ratio between co-frequency cells within the target area, it can be determined which co-frequency cells can be turned off.

[0013] In one possible design, the communication method may further include: obtaining the expected shutdown durations for each of the M co-frequency cells, where the expected shutdown duration for the i-th cell among the M co-frequency cells is the average daily shutdown duration of the i-th cell, i is a positive integer and i≤M; and determining the gradual reduction of the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells based on their respective co-frequency coverage relationships, including: determining the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the N co-frequency cells based on their respective co-frequency coverage relationships and expected shutdown durations. Thus, based on the co-frequency coverage relationships and expected shutdown durations, it is possible to optimize which N co-frequency cells should be shut down, maximizing the total shutdown duration of the co-frequency cells, thereby maximizing energy savings for the access network equipment and ensuring that the coverage indicators of the target area meet the coverage indicator threshold.

[0014] In one possible design, the communication method may further include: sending first information to the access network device corresponding to the first cell, the first information indicating a gradual reduction in the carrier power of the first cell. Thus, when the first device determines co-frequency cells within the target area that are gradually reducing their carrier power, the first device can use the first information to instruct the corresponding access network device to trigger the corresponding access network device to perform a gradual reduction in carrier power. This allows the terminal device to gradually perceive the signal quality degradation, thereby triggering a measurement event and actively migrating to other carriers, significantly reducing the risk of dropped calls. It should be understood that in this design, the first device is not the access network device corresponding to the first cell.

[0015] In one possible design, the communication method is executed by an access network device or a network management device. That is, the first device is an access network device or a network management device. For example, the first device can be the access network device corresponding to the first cell, or an access network device other than the access network devices corresponding to the M co-frequency cells.

[0016] In one possible design, signal strength information includes reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Signal strength can also be represented by other types of information, which is not limited in this application.

[0017] In one possible design, the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell are carried in the measurement report (MR) and sent.

[0018] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device. The method is applied to a terminal device within a first cell and includes: transmitting signal strength information of the first cell and signal strength information of a second cell, where the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell; and switching to the second cell when it is determined that the signal strength of the first cell is less than that of the second cell.

[0019] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. This communication device can be the first device described in the first aspect, or a device comprising the first device, or a device included in the first device, such as a chip. The communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for implementing the methods described in the first aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0020] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module receives signal strength information from a first terminal device within a first cell, specifically from a first cell and a second cell, where the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell. The processing module determines how to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information from the first cell and the second cell.

[0021] In one possible design, the processing module is used to determine how to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell. This may include: when the signal strength of the second cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the processing module is used to determine how to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell, wherein the first threshold is less than the signal strength of the first cell.

[0022] In one possible design, the transceiver module, used to receive signal strength information of the first cell and the second cell from the first terminal device in the first cell, may include: a transceiver module used to receive signal strength information from multiple terminal devices in the first cell, the multiple terminal devices including the first terminal device.

[0023] In one possible design, the processing module, used to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell, may include: the processing module, used to determine the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell based on the signal strength information of multiple terminal devices in the first cell, wherein the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell is used to indicate the proportion of terminal devices overlapping with the first cell in neighboring cells that are co-frequency with the first cell; the processing module is also used to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell based on the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell.

[0024] In one possible design, the processing module, used to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell, may include: the processing module, used to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell and the coverage index threshold, wherein the coverage index of the first cell meets the coverage index threshold after the first cell is turned off, and the coverage index of the first cell is used to characterize the proportion of terminal devices in the first cell that are covered by at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than the first signal strength threshold and co-frequency with the first cell.

[0025] In one possible design, the transceiver module, used to receive signal strength information of the first cell and the second cell from the first terminal device in the first cell, may include: a transceiver module used to receive signal strength information from terminal devices in M ​​co-frequency cells covering the target area, wherein the M co-frequency cells include the first cell and the second cell, the terminal devices in the first cell include the first terminal device, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0026] In one possible design, the processing module, used to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell, may include: a processing module used to determine the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to each of the M co-frequency cells based on the signal strength information of terminal devices in the M co-frequency cells, wherein the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the i-th cell among the M co-frequency cells is used to indicate the proportion of terminal devices overlapping with the i-th cell in neighboring cells co-frequency with the i-th cell, where i is a positive integer and i≤M; the processing module is further used to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to each of the M co-frequency cells, wherein the N co-frequency cells include the first cell, and N is a positive integer less than M.

[0027] In one possible design, the processing module is further configured to obtain the expected shutdown durations corresponding to the M co-frequency cells, where the expected shutdown duration of the i-th cell among the M co-frequency cells is the average total shutdown duration of the i-th cell per day, i is a positive integer and i≤M; the processing module is configured to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells, including: the processing module is further configured to determine the gradual reduction of the carrier power of N co-frequency cells based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells and the expected shutdown durations corresponding to the M co-frequency cells.

[0028] In one possible design, the transceiver module is also used to send first information to the access network equipment corresponding to the first cell, the first information being used to instruct the carrier power of the first cell to be gradually reduced.

[0029] In one possible design, the communication device is an access network device or a network management device.

[0030] In one possible design, the signal strength information includes the reference signal received power (RSRP), the reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

[0031] In one possible design, the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell are carried in the measurement report (MR) and sent.

[0032] In one possible design, the transceiver module may include a receiving module and a sending module. The sending module implements the sending function of the communication device, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of the communication device.

[0033] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a storage module storing programs or instructions. When the processing module executes the program or instructions, the communication device can perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0034] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory stores part or all of a computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions described in the first or second aspect. The one or more processors are executable to carry out the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect. The interface circuit is used to implement communication functions within the communication device and / or communication functions between the communication device and other devices or components.

[0035] In one possible design, the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0037] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory stores part or all of a computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions described in the first or second aspect. The one or more processors are executable to carry out the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect. The interface circuit is used to implement communication functions within the communication device and / or communication functions between the communication device and other devices or components.

[0038] It is understood that when the communication device provided by either the fourth or fifth aspect is a chip, the aforementioned sending action / function can be understood as an output, and the aforementioned receiving action / function can be understood as an input.

[0039] In a sixth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising: at least two access network devices, wherein one of the at least two access network devices is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0040] In a seventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising: a network management device for performing the method described in the first aspect above, and an access network device for communicating with the network management device.

[0041] Eighthly, a communication chip is provided, wherein instructions are stored that, when the chip is operated on a communication device, cause the method described in either the first or second aspect to be implemented.

[0042] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer-readable instructions, which, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the possible designs of the first or second aspect described above.

[0043] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the possible designs of the first or second aspect described above. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario involving a coverage layer cell and a capacity layer cell;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario where the carrier is turned off in a different frequency cell.

[0047] Figure 4 This application provides a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system.

[0048] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating a process for determining which co-frequency cells to shut down, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where the first cell is shut down by gradually reducing carrier power, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the following points are explained before introducing the embodiments of this application.

[0054] First, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, "first device" and "second device" are only used to distinguish different devices and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that "first," "second," etc., are not necessarily different.

[0055] Second, in the embodiments of this application, descriptions such as "when," "under the circumstances," "if," and "if" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0056] Third, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0057] Fourth, in this application, "sending information" can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "access network device sending information" can be understood as another device (such as a network management device) in the access network device sending information, or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the access network device sending information to logical module 2 in the access network device.

[0058] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "access network device receiving information" can be understood as the access network device receiving information from another device (such as a network management device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the access network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the access network device.

[0059] Fifth, the phrase "sending information to... (e.g., access network equipment)" in this application, or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as the destination of the information being the access network equipment. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the access network equipment. Similarly, "receiving information from... (e.g., access network equipment)," "receiving information from... (e.g., access network equipment)," or "receiving information sent (e.g., by access network equipment)," or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as the source of the information being the access network equipment. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the access network equipment. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0060] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches may also be used.

[0061] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 3rd generation (3G) mobile communication systems, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems, etc.

[0062] For ease of understanding, the relevant technologies and technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced below.

[0063] 1. Capacity layer and coverage layer

[0064] The coverage layer, also known as the base layer or basic coverage layer, provides basic coverage in a communication system. It typically uses low-frequency bands to construct the coverage layer, such as NR 700 MHz. Access network equipment that provides coverage using low-frequency signals can be called coverage layer access network equipment, and the corresponding cells can be called coverage layer cells.

[0065] The capacity layer, used to provide additional capacity, typically employs high frequencies, such as NR 2.6 gigahertz (GHz). This is because high frequencies offer greater bandwidth and higher data transmission rates, effectively improving user experience quality. Access network equipment providing the capacity layer can be called capacity layer access network equipment, and the corresponding cells can be called capacity layer cells.

[0066] Generally, the coverage area of ​​the coverage layer is wider than that of the capacity layer, and there is overlap between the capacity layer and the coverage layer. Furthermore, there can be overlap in coverage areas between cells of different capacity layers, such as... Figure 1 As shown, cell 1 is a coverage layer cell, and cells 2 through 8 are all capacity layer cells.

[0067] 2. Same-frequency measurement and different-frequency measurement

[0068] In mobile communication systems, when a device needs to assess the quality of available cell signals in the surrounding area, it performs frequency measurements. These measurements can be divided into two categories: same-frequency measurements and different-frequency measurements.

[0069] Co-frequency measurement: The serving cell of the terminal equipment and the target cell to be measured have the same carrier frequency (center frequency). In this case, since the two cells have the same frequency, there is no need to introduce an additional time gap for channel switching, i.e., no measurement interval (GAP) needs to be configured. This makes co-frequency measurement more efficient.

[0070] Inter-frequency measurement: The serving cell of the terminal equipment and the target cell to be measured have different carrier frequencies. In order to obtain signal strength and other parameter information in other frequency bands, a pause period, i.e., a measurement interval, is usually set in this process.

[0071] For same-frequency or different-frequency measurements, terminal equipment located in the serving cell can measure the serving cell and neighboring cells at the same or different frequencies using synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) or channel state information (CSI)-reference signals (RS).

[0072] 3. Good coverage

[0073] Good coverage is an indicator used to evaluate network coverage. Good coverage for a terminal device means that the device is covered by at least one cell with a signal strength greater than a signal strength threshold. At least one cell includes the serving cell and / or neighboring cells. The good coverage rate characterizes the proportion of terminal devices with good coverage within a network coverage area. This network coverage can be evaluated by setting a good coverage rate threshold (or limit).

[0074] 4. Access network equipment

[0075] Access network equipment, also known as access network nodes, radio access network (RAN) nodes, RAN entities, or access nodes, is located on the network side of a communication system. It assists terminal devices in achieving wireless access and is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, or a chip or chip system that can be installed in the device. Access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), access points (APs), transmit / receive points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in Wi-Fi systems. Access network equipment can be macro base stations, micro base stations or indoor stations, relay nodes or donor nodes, and radio controllers in open radio access networks (ORAN) or centralized radio access networks (CRAN) scenarios. Access network equipment can also be one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a 5G base station, or it can be a network node constituting a gNB, TRP, TP, or transmission measurement function (TMF), such as a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), a radio unit (RU), or a roadside unit (RSU) with base station functionality. Optionally, access network equipment can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in V2X technology can be an RSU. All or part of the functions of the network equipment in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The access network equipment in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the access network equipment functions.

[0076] In this network, CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that access network equipment can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or equipment including both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, CUs can be classified as network equipment within the access network RAN ​​or as network equipment within the CN; no restrictions are placed here.

[0077] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0078] In this application embodiment, the form of the access network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the access network device can be the access network device itself; it can also be a device that supports the access network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device.

[0079] 5. Terminal equipment

[0080] Terminal equipment can be a terminal device with transceiver functions, or it can be a chip or chip system installed in the terminal device. This terminal equipment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal device in this application can also be an onboard module, onboard unit, onboard component, onboard chip, or onboard unit that is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal device can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that functions as a terminal in device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0081] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0082] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication system architecture, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the communication system includes access network equipment and terminal equipment. The access network equipment and terminal equipment can communicate directly or through communication relay by other devices. It should be noted that... Figure 2 An example is shown with one access network device and one terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of access network devices and terminal devices.

[0083] With the rapid development of wireless networks, the number of carriers in various standards and frequency bands is gradually increasing, leading to a significant increase in the energy consumption of access network equipment. Carrier shutdown is one of the key means to achieve energy saving. When the user traffic in a cell corresponding to a carrier in a certain frequency band falls below a certain threshold, the users in that cell are migrated to other cells, and the carrier corresponding to that cell is shut down to achieve energy saving. The shutdown in this application can also be understood as closing, shutting down, etc., without limitation. Existing carrier shutdown is only implemented at the capacity layer and not at the coverage layer. Generally, users at the capacity layer whose service is shut down will be migrated to cells corresponding to other capacity layers or coverage layers.

[0084] Taking the cell that is shut down as the capacity layer cell and the cell that the user is switching to as the coverage layer cell as an example, such as... Figure 3 As shown, cell 1 is a capacity layer cell and cell 2 is a coverage layer cell. Cell 1 with frequency F1 and cell 2 with frequency F2 overlap and cover each other. F1 is greater than F2. When it is determined that the carrier of cell 1 should be turned off, the terminal equipment in cell 1 will be migrated to cell 2 first. After all the terminal equipment has been migrated, the carrier of cell 1 will be turned off.

[0085] However, if the terminal device is far from the access network device corresponding to cell 2, its uplink signal will be interfered with by terminal devices closer to the access network device corresponding to cell 2, thus causing dropped calls due to the aforementioned proximity effect. Therefore, this application provides a communication method to solve the above problem.

[0086] See Figure 4 , Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As an example, the communication system includes a first device and an access network device, which can communicate indirectly or directly, without limitation. The first device can be a network management device or an access network device; that is, the communication system can include at least two access network devices, or it can include both a network management device and an access network device.

[0087] Network management devices are used to manage access network devices deployed within a specific area. They can monitor the status and operation of these devices, and perform testing, analysis, prediction, planning, and configuration of network coverage and services. Network management devices can also be called network management systems, management devices, etc., without limitation. For example, a wireless network management system can be a server or upper-layer management device used to configure and manage access network devices. Similarly, a network management system (NMS) or an operation administration and maintenance (O&M) network element can be used.

[0088] exist Figure 4 In the communication system shown, there can be one or more first devices or access network devices. This application does not limit the form of the first device; the apparatus used to implement the function of the first device can be a device, network element, chip, or chip system, etc., or can be installed in or used in conjunction with the first device, and there is no limitation thereto.

[0089] It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced by the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0090] The following will combine Figures 5-7 The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0091] For example, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication method uses... Figure 4 The communication between the first device and the access network device shown is illustrated using this example.

[0092] like Figure 5 As shown, the communication method includes:

[0093] S501, the first terminal device sends signal strength information of the first cell and signal strength information of the second cell to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the signal strength information of the first cell and the second cell from the first terminal device.

[0094] In this context, the first cell is the serving cell of the first terminal device, and the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell. The second cell can be a co-frequency neighbor of the first cell, or it can be a different-frequency neighbor of the first cell; there are no restrictions on this.

[0095] The first cell can be either a capacity layer cell or a coverage layer cell, without limitation; the second cell can also be either a capacity layer cell or a coverage layer cell, without limitation.

[0096] Signal strength information is used to characterize the strength of cell signal coverage. Signal strength information may include the cell identifier and the cell's signal strength. For example, the cell identifier is the physical cell identifier (PCI), and the cell's signal strength can be characterized by at least one of the following parameters: RSRP, RSRQ, or SINR, etc. Signal strength can also be represented by other types of information, which are not limited in this application.

[0097] The first device can be either the aforementioned access network device or a network management device used to manage access network devices. When the first device is an access network device, it can directly or indirectly receive the aforementioned information from the first terminal device; when the first device is a network management device, it can obtain the aforementioned information from the access network device corresponding to the serving cell of the first terminal device.

[0098] For the first terminal device, it can measure the serving cell and neighboring cells according to the measurement configuration issued by the access network device corresponding to the first cell, and obtain the signal strength information corresponding to the serving cell and neighboring cells respectively, that is, the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell mentioned above.

[0099] One possible implementation is that the first terminal device sends an MR to the first device, the MR including signal strength information of the first cell and signal strength information of the second cell.

[0100] S502. The first device determines to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell.

[0101] The first device can determine whether to shut down the carrier of the first cell if the traffic volume of the first cell is small. Alternatively, the first device can determine whether to shut down the carrier of the first cell even if the traffic volume of the first cell is large, based on the management requirements of the communication system, such as reducing redundant coverage. In either case, S502 can be executed.

[0102] In one possible scenario, when the signal strength of the second cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the carrier power of the first cell is gradually reduced. The first threshold may be less than, equal to, or greater than the signal strength of the first cell.

[0103] When the first threshold is less than the signal strength of the first cell, the difference between the first threshold and the signal strength of the first cell cannot be greater than the second threshold. In other words, the first threshold can be smaller than the signal strength of the first cell, but the difference cannot be too large. This ensures that after the first terminal device switches to the second cell, the signal strength of the second cell meets the communication requirements.

[0104] In this embodiment, gradually reducing the carrier power of the first cell can refer to the first access network device regularly reducing the carrier power of the first cell. For example, it can periodically reduce the power at regular intervals until the carrier power falls below a certain set threshold to reach an energy-saving state (or low-power state), or even completely shut down the first cell. Alternatively, it can be understood as reducing the carrier power of the first cell to a first strength in a first time unit, and then reducing it to a second strength in a second time unit. The first strength is less than the signal strength of the first cell but greater than the second strength, and so on, until the carrier power is reduced to a strength below a certain set threshold. This allows the access network device to reach an energy-saving state, which puts the access network device in standby mode, allowing it to quickly return to normal operation when needed.

[0105] In one possible scenario, if the first device is the access network device corresponding to the serving cell (i.e., the first cell) of the first terminal device, after determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell, the first device can gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell, causing the first terminal device in the first cell to trigger a measurement event (e.g., the A3 event), and the first terminal device will actively switch the serving cell to the second cell, that is, switch from the first cell to the second cell.

[0106] In another possible scenario, if the first device is a network management device, after determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell, it instructs the access network device corresponding to the serving cell (i.e., the first cell) of the first terminal device to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell, thereby triggering a measurement event (e.g., an A3 event), and the first terminal device actively switches the serving cell to the second cell. In this case, the first device can send first information to the access network device corresponding to the first cell. Correspondingly, the access network device corresponding to the first cell receives the first information from the first device, wherein the first information is used to instruct the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell, or the first information is used to instruct the shutdown of the first cell. Optionally, the first information includes the identifier of the first cell. Thus, the access network device of the first cell can gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell according to the first information until the carrier power is 0 or in a low-power energy-saving state.

[0107] Since the first terminal device measures the signal strength of different cells, when a measurement event is triggered, the first terminal device will switch the serving cell.

[0108] It is understood that the first terminal device has multiple neighboring cells besides the second cell. The above example is described with the second cell having the best signal strength among the multiple neighboring cells. In S501, the first terminal device can also report the signal strength information of other neighboring cells besides the second cell. Then, in S502, the first device will determine whether to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of multiple neighboring cells collected in S501. This application does not impose any restrictions. In addition, since the first terminal device will periodically or irregularly measure the signal strength of the serving cell and neighboring cells, the above-mentioned S501 and S502 will be executed multiple times.

[0109] By gradually reducing the carrier power of the original serving cell through the above method, the measurement event is triggered, and the terminal device can actively switch to a cell with better signal strength for itself. This avoids problems such as dropped calls caused by the near-far effect to a certain extent and improves the user experience.

[0110] Further combining S501 and S502, the following description will take the first cell and the second cell as co-frequency neighboring cells as an example. In this case, the first cell and the second cell can be capacity layer cells.

[0111] The co-frequency cell information includes the signal strength information of the serving cell where the terminal device is located and the signal strength information of neighboring cells that are co-frequency with the serving cell. Optionally, the co-frequency cell information of any terminal device can be carried in the MR and transmitted. For the first terminal device, the co-frequency cell information of the first terminal device includes the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell. As described in S501 above, the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell are carried in the MR and transmitted. Therefore, the co-frequency cell information of the first terminal device is carried in the MR and transmitted, that is, the MR includes the co-frequency cell information of the first terminal device.

[0112] In the first possible scenario, the first device can collect co-frequency cell information from multiple terminal devices, including the first terminal device, within the first cell to obtain a certain amount of co-frequency cell information. Based on this certain amount of co-frequency cell information, it determines to reduce the carrier power of the first cell. That is, S501 includes: the first device receiving co-frequency cell information corresponding to multiple terminal devices within the first cell (or, in other words, the first device receiving signal strength information from multiple terminal devices within the first cell), where the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device. Therefore, the co-frequency cell information collected by the first device includes the signal strength information of its serving cell and the signal strength information of its neighboring cells measured by any of the aforementioned terminal devices.

[0113] If the first device is an access network device corresponding to the first cell, then the first device can receive co-frequency cell information from a certain number or all of the terminal devices in the first cell; if the first device is a network management device or other access network device used to manage access network devices, then the first device can receive co-frequency cell information from a certain number or all of the terminal devices in the first cell collected by the access network device corresponding to the first cell.

[0114] In this scenario, one possible design is that the access network device corresponding to the first cell (hereinafter referred to as the first access network device) can periodically or non-periodically select multiple terminal devices within the first cell to perform co-frequency measurements within a preset time period, for example, based on event triggering or at regular intervals. This involves sending co-frequency measurement configurations (such as broadcast co-frequency measurement configurations) to these multiple terminal devices. The co-frequency measurement configuration includes the frequency point of the co-frequency cell being measured (such as the first frequency point) and the measurement reporting method, such as periodic measurement reporting or non-periodic measurement reporting. Thus, the multiple terminal devices within the first cell designated by the first access network device perform co-frequency measurements, acquire and report co-frequency cell information, thereby enabling the first access network device to perform measurements within the preset time period. A certain number of co-frequency cell information can be collected within the segment. Specifically, if the first terminal device is not repeatedly selected, it can be one of multiple terminal devices selected by the first access network device at one time within a preset time period. If the first terminal device is repeatedly selected, it can be one of multiple terminal devices selected by the first access network device several times within the preset time period. In this case, the total number of terminal devices selected within the preset time period includes the number of times the first terminal device was repeatedly selected, and this is not limited. For the implementation of each terminal device selected by the first access network device within the preset time period sending co-frequency measurement information to the first device, refer to S501 above, and will not be elaborated further.

[0115] It should be understood that the collection of a certain amount of co-frequency measurement information in the first cell may include co-frequency measurement information measured by repeatedly selected terminal devices at different times. This application determines the overlapping coverage relationship between the serving cell and neighboring cells with the same frequency based on statistical characteristics. When selecting terminal devices, the distribution of terminal devices in the first cell will be considered. Furthermore, due to the mobility of terminal devices, the signal strength in the co-frequency measurement information obtained by the same terminal device at different times may be different. Therefore, when collecting co-frequency measurement information, deduplication of the co-frequency measurement information of repeatedly selected terminal devices is not required.

[0116] In this context, the number of terminal devices selected by the first access network device in each periodic and non-periodic period, such as those based on event triggering or timed selection, can be the same, different, or partially the same and partially different; there is no limitation in this regard. In other words, the certain amount of co-frequency cell information acquired by the first access network device can include co-frequency cell information reported by the same terminal device at different times.

[0117] Optionally, the preset time period and the number of selected terminal devices are indicated by the first device, or determined through negotiation between the first access network device and the first device, or pre-configured, and there are no restrictions on these.

[0118] For example, if the first access network device periodically collects co-frequency cell information three times within a preset time period in the first cell, then in the first period, it can select P1 terminal devices to perform co-frequency measurement. That is, the first access network device sends co-frequency measurement configuration to each of the P1 terminal devices. The co-frequency measurement configuration includes the measurement frequency point as the first frequency point, thereby obtaining P1 sets of co-frequency cell information. P1 terminal devices correspond one-to-one with P1 sets of co-frequency cell information. Similarly, in the second period, it selects P2 terminal devices to perform co-frequency measurement, and then the first access network device can obtain P2 sets of co-frequency cell information. In the third period, it selects P3 terminal devices to perform co-frequency measurement, and then the first access network device can obtain P3 sets of co-frequency cell information. Here, P1, P2, and P3 are positive integers. P1, P2, and P3 can be equal or unequal, and any two can be equal. There is no limitation on this. Therefore, the first access network device collects P1+P2+P3 sets of co-frequency cell information within a preset time period. Each set of co-frequency cell information includes the signal strength information of the serving cell (first cell) where the terminal device is located and the signal strength information of L neighboring cells of the terminal device that are co-frequency with the serving cell, where L≥0 and is an integer.

[0119] In this embodiment of the application, the information of co-frequency cells can also be referred to as co-frequency cell measurement information, co-frequency measurement information, etc., and there is no limitation thereto.

[0120] Optionally, for a terminal device within the first cell, it can measure multiple neighboring cells that operate on the same frequency as the first cell. In this case, the terminal device will report the signal strength information of these multiple neighboring cells that operate on the same frequency as the first cell. For example, if the first terminal device has L neighboring cells operating on the same frequency, including the second cell, the third cell, and the fourth cell, then the information reported by the first terminal device will include the signal strength information corresponding to the first cell, the second cell, the third cell, and the fourth cell, respectively.

[0121] It should be understood that for different terminal devices within the first cell, the measured signal strength information of neighboring cells on the same frequency as the first cell, the number of neighboring cells (i.e., different L), and the neighboring cells may differ. For example, for a second terminal device within the first cell, the signal strength information of neighboring cells measured on the same frequency includes the signal strength information of the second cell and the signal strength information of the fourth cell. The signal strength information of the second cell and the fourth cell measured by the second terminal device differs from the signal strength information of the second cell and the fourth cell measured by the first terminal device.

[0122] Optionally, in one possible scenario, some terminal devices within the first cell may have a small or no number of neighboring cells measured. For terminal devices with fewer than a certain threshold of neighboring cells measured, the first access network device can instruct them to perform uplink coverage gap filling. Uplink coverage gap filling refers to the first access network device identifying the top Q (Q is a positive integer) neighboring cells with the same frequency as the first cell, ranked from largest to smallest coverage ratio, and instructing the terminal devices to send sounding reference signals (SRS) to each of these Q neighboring cells. The signal strength information corresponding to each of these Q neighboring cells is then measured and reported based on the SRS. The coverage ratio can refer to the proportion of terminal devices covered by the neighboring cells within the first cell, or it can refer to the area covered by the neighboring cells within the first cell. The Q neighboring cells with the highest coverage ratios of the terminal devices within the first cell can be used for uplink coverage gap filling.

[0123] Therefore, the first device can obtain P from the first cell. s P reported by each terminal device s Information on cells operating on the same frequency, this P s The terminal devices include terminal devices that are repeatedly selected at different times, and the P s The information on co-frequency cells is used to determine the co-frequency coverage relationship between the first cell and its neighboring co-frequency cells (including the second cell). s It is an integer. That is, the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell are used to determine the co-frequency coverage relationship between the first cell and the second cell.

[0124] Therefore, S502 above can include the following situations:

[0125] After receiving the same-frequency cell information of the first terminal device within the first cell, the first device can determine the coverage status of the first terminal device based on the signal strength information of the same-frequency cells in the same-frequency cell information. For example, it can determine whether the signal strength of the serving cell (i.e., the first cell) covering the first terminal device and the neighboring cells of the same frequency are greater than a first signal strength threshold. The first signal strength threshold can be designed to be the minimum signal strength that can meet the communication needs of the terminal device. If the signal strength of at least one cell covering the first terminal device is greater than the first signal strength threshold, then the first terminal device is considered to be well covered.

[0126] If the co-frequency cell information of the first terminal device also includes signal strength information of other co-frequency neighboring cells, then the signal strength of each co-frequency neighboring cell is compared with a first signal strength threshold to determine how many co-frequency cells (including the serving cell and co-frequency neighboring cells) the first terminal device has good coverage. For the first terminal device, if the signal strength of at least one cell is greater than the first signal strength threshold, then the first terminal device is considered to be well covered.

[0127] Furthermore, the first device, for multiple sets of co-frequency cell information collected from multiple terminal devices within the first cell, determines whether each set of co-frequency cell information includes at least one cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold. Thus, based on the multiple sets of co-frequency cell information collected from the first cell, the first device can determine the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell. This co-frequency coverage relationship indicates the proportion of terminal devices overlapping with the first cell in neighboring cells sharing the same frequency. This proportion of overlapping terminal devices characterizes the proportion of terminals within the first cell that can be covered by neighboring cells sharing the same frequency. This proportion of covered terminals also reflects the size of the overlapping coverage area between the first cell and neighboring cells. In other words, the first device can determine the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell based on the co-frequency cell information of multiple terminal devices within the first cell.

[0128] Optionally, the first device further determines a coverage index for the first cell based on the total number of co-frequency cell information sets collected within the first cell and the number of co-frequency cell information sets that include at least one cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold. This coverage index characterizes the proportion of terminal devices within the first cell that are covered by at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than the first signal strength threshold. For example, the total number of co-frequency cell information sets collected from the first cell is P. s This includes P copies of co-frequency cell information for at least one cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold. t Then the coverage index of the first cell is P1 = P t / P s It should be understood that when the first cell is not shut down, its coverage index is usually 1.

[0129] Therefore, the first device can determine whether the first cell can be shut down based on the determined co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell. That is, it can determine whether, after shutting down the first cell, the terminal devices in the first cell can be covered by at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold that operates on the same frequency as the first cell. In other words, S502 includes: the first device determining the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell based on co-frequency cell information collected from the first cell, and then determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell.

[0130] Furthermore, based on the co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell, the first device determines that the terminal devices within the first cell can be basically covered by neighboring cells on the same frequency. Then, the first device can determine whether the coverage index of the first cell can still meet the coverage index threshold after shutting down the first cell. For example, the coverage index of the first cell should be greater than or equal to the coverage index threshold, or the difference between the coverage index of the first cell and the coverage index threshold should be less than or equal to the difference threshold (approaching the coverage index threshold infinitely). If the coverage index of the first cell meets the coverage index threshold after shutting down the first cell, it can be determined to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell. The coverage index threshold can be set considering the network coverage conditions to meet the communication needs of the terminal devices within the cell; it can be predefined or preconfigured, or determined through negotiation; there are no restrictions on this.

[0131] That is, S502 includes: the first device determines to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell according to the co-frequency coverage relationship and coverage index threshold corresponding to the first cell; after the first cell is turned off, the coverage index of the first cell meets the coverage index threshold; the coverage index of the first cell is used to characterize the proportion of terminal devices in the first cell that are covered by at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than the first signal strength threshold.

[0132] For example, the first device can determine, based on the co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell, that most terminal devices within the first cell can be covered by at least one neighboring cell. Then, assuming the first cell is turned off, if the collected P... s The signal strength of the first cell in the co-frequency cell information is set to zero, and P is based on the signal strength of the first cell after being set to zero. s Given a set of co-frequency cell information, determine whether there is at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold in each set of co-frequency cell information, and determine P after setting the signal strength of the first cell to zero. s Of the co-frequency cell information sets, how many sets contain at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold? For example, if P... z The co-frequency cell information includes at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold, thereby determining P. z With Ps The ratio indicates whether the coverage index after shutting down the first cell is greater than (or greater than or equal to) the coverage index threshold. If the coverage index after shutting down the first cell is greater than the coverage index threshold, then it can be determined that after shutting down the first cell, most terminal devices located in the first cell can be covered by neighboring cells with the same frequency as the first cell whose signal strength is greater than the first signal strength threshold. Therefore, the first device can determine to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell to eventually shut down the first cell.

[0133] Optionally, based on determining the co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell, the first device can also determine whether to shut down the first cell according to the expected shutdown duration of the first cell. The expected shutdown duration of the first cell is the total duration during which the first cell can be shut down within a preset time period. This total shutdown duration is determined based on any one of the following: the number of users in the first cell within the preset time period, the resource utilization rate of the first cell, the number of users in neighboring cells sharing the same frequency as the first cell, and the resource utilization rate of those neighboring cells sharing the same frequency as the first cell. For example, if the resource utilization rate of the first cell is lower than a certain threshold for some time periods within the preset time period, or if the resource utilization rate of neighboring cells sharing the same frequency as the first cell is greater than that of the first cell for some time periods within the preset time period, or if the number of users in the first cell is less than the number of users in the second cell for some time periods within the preset time period, then those periods constitute the expected shutdown duration.

[0134] In other words, the time period when the number of users in the first cell is low and / or the resource utilization rate is low is determined as the total duration for which the first cell can be shut down. In this way, shutting down the first cell will have little impact on the users in the first cell.

[0135] For example, if after the first cell is turned off, the terminal devices in the first cell can still be covered by neighboring cells with the same frequency whose signal strength is greater than the first signal strength threshold, but the expected shutdown duration of the first cell is short (e.g., less than the duration threshold 1), then it can be determined that the first cell will not be turned off. If after the first cell is turned off, the terminal devices in the first cell can still be covered by neighboring cells with the same frequency whose signal strength is greater than the first signal strength threshold, and the expected shutdown duration of the first cell is long (e.g., greater than or equal to the duration threshold 1), then it can be determined that the first cell is turned off.

[0136] In the above scenario, the first device can collect information on a certain number of co-frequency cells within the first cell to determine the co-frequency coverage relationship between the first cell and neighboring cells. Based on this co-frequency coverage relationship, it can determine to shut down the first cell, thereby reducing coverage redundancy and lowering the energy consumption of the access network equipment.

[0137] During the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell, terminal equipment located within the first cell can measure the signal strength of the first cell and the signal strength of neighboring cells (including the second cell) operating on the same frequency as the first cell. If it is determined that the signal strength of the first cell is less than (less than or equal to) the signal strength of a neighboring cell operating on the same frequency, the terminal equipment within the first cell actively triggers cell handover, such as triggering an A3 event, and switches to a neighboring cell with a higher signal strength on the same frequency. For example, the first terminal equipment switches to the second cell. In other words, the terminal equipment within the first cell determines whether to trigger cell handover by judging the relative signal strength of the serving cell to that of neighboring cells operating on the same frequency. Thus, by gradually reducing the carrier power, the extremely high call drop rate of terminal equipment caused by the near-far effect after the horizontal carrier shutdown takes effect is greatly reduced.

[0138] It should be understood that different terminal devices within the first cell may measure different signal strengths in neighboring cells and / or neighboring cells. Therefore, multiple terminal devices may migrate to different neighboring cells, i.e., they may handover to different cells. For example, a second terminal device may measure neighboring cells including a third and a fourth cell, and the signal strength of the third cell may be higher. Therefore, the second terminal device may handover to the third cell, which is different from the cell that the first terminal device handovers to.

[0139] In the second possible scenario, the first cell and the second cell are located within the target area, which is an area where some cells will be shut down. Generally, the access network equipment is densely deployed in the target area. The target area includes M co-frequency cells, or the target area is covered by M co-frequency cells, which includes the first cell and the second cell, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0140] M co-frequency cells refer to M cells located on the same center frequency (such as the first frequency mentioned above), and these M co-frequency cells correspond to K access network devices (including the first access network device, where K is a positive integer). In other words, the network coverage for these M co-frequency cells is provided by the K access network devices, and each of the K access network devices corresponds to at least one co-frequency cell. It should be understood that M ≥ K, but when an access network device corresponds to multiple cells, M > K.

[0141] In the second scenario, for the first device, in order to determine the co-frequency cells that need to be gradually shut down within the target area, which can not only reduce coverage redundancy in the target area but also reduce user call drop rates, in addition to receiving co-frequency cell information reported by terminal devices in the first cell, it can also receive co-frequency cell information from terminal devices in M-1 co-frequency cells. It should be understood that terminal devices in each of the M-1 co-frequency cells can refer to and execute S501, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0142] It should also be understood that the number of terminal devices selected by different access network devices to perform co-frequency measurements may vary, and therefore the number of co-frequency cell information samples obtained by different access network devices may also vary, which is not limited.

[0143] For example, M co-frequency cells respectively report P1, P2, ..., P M Information on co-frequency cells, that is, the first device obtains a total of P from M co-frequency cells. m =P1+P2…+P M Information on the same frequency cell.

[0144] Therefore, in this second scenario, S501 can be understood as follows: The first device receives co-frequency cell information from terminal devices in M ​​co-frequency cells, where the M co-frequency cells include the first cell and the second cell. The terminal devices in the first cell include the first terminal device, and the co-frequency cell information of the first terminal device includes the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell. The terminal devices in the first cell may include some or all of the terminal devices in the first cell, specifically selected by the first access network device, indicated by the first device to the first access network device, or determined through negotiation between the first device and the first access network device; no limitation is imposed in this regard.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the first device can be the first access network device among the aforementioned K access network devices (i.e., the access network device corresponding to the first cell). This can be understood as the primary access network device among the K access network devices. The first access network device can be specified or determined based on the computing power of the K access network devices; this application does not limit this.

[0146] In this design scheme, S501 includes: the first access network device receiving co-frequency cell information from terminal devices within the cell (including the first cell) corresponding to the first access network device among M co-frequency cells, and receiving co-frequency cell information from terminal devices within the co-frequency cells of K-1 access network devices (excluding the first access network device) among K access network devices. That is, the co-frequency cell information of terminal devices within the co-frequency cells (excluding the cell corresponding to the first access network device) among the M co-frequency cells is collected by the access network devices corresponding to the co-frequency cells (excluding the cell corresponding to the first access network device) and sent to the first access network device.

[0147] Optionally, the first access network device sends information to K-1 other access network devices (excluding the first access network device) among the K access network devices, indicating that they should report the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices, so that the K-1 access network devices can report the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices in the corresponding co-frequency cell. Alternatively, any of the K-1 access network devices can periodically or periodically report the co-frequency cell information to the first access network device, without any limitation.

[0148] In another possible design, the first device can be a network management device for managing K access network devices, including the first access network device.

[0149] In this design scheme, S501 includes: the first device receiving co-frequency cell information from terminal devices in co-frequency cells from K access network devices. That is, the co-frequency cell information of terminal devices in M ​​co-frequency cells is collected by their respective corresponding access network devices and sent to the first device.

[0150] Optionally, the first device may also send information to the K access network devices to instruct them to report the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices, so that the K access network devices may report the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices in the corresponding co-frequency cell. Alternatively, each of the K access network devices may periodically or periodically report the co-frequency cell information to the first device. This is not limited.

[0151] Regardless of the type of the first device, the above S502 can include the following situations:

[0152] The first device can refer to the method for determining the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell in the first scenario described above, thereby determining the co-frequency coverage relationships corresponding to the M co-frequency cells respectively. The co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the i-th cell among the M co-frequency cells is used to indicate the proportion of terminal devices whose coverage overlaps with that of neighboring cells co-frequency with the i-th cell, where i is a positive integer and i≤M. Therefore, the first device can determine to gradually reduce the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells based on the co-frequency coverage relationships corresponding to the M co-frequency cells respectively. The N co-frequency cells include the first cell, where N is a positive integer less than M.

[0153] The co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells can be used by the first device to establish the overlap coverage ratio between co-frequency cells in the target area. Based on the overlap coverage ratio between co-frequency cells in the target area, the first device can determine which co-frequency cells can be turned off.

[0154] S502 includes: the first device can determine the co-frequency coverage relationship of each of the M co-frequency cells based on the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices in the M co-frequency cells, and determine, based on the co-frequency coverage relationship of each of the M co-frequency cells, to gradually reduce the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells. That is, it determines which N co-frequency cells to gradually reduce the carrier power of, where the N co-frequency cells include the first cell, and N is a positive integer less than M.

[0155] Optionally, the first device further determines the coverage index of the target area based on the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices in the M co-frequency cells. The coverage index of the target area is used to characterize the proportion of terminal devices in the target area that are covered by at least one co-frequency neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold.

[0156] For example, the first device can determine the coverage indicators corresponding to the M co-frequency cells in the same way as the first cell in the first scenario described above, and then determine the coverage indicator of the target area based on the coverage indicators corresponding to the M co-frequency cells. For instance, the average of the coverage indicators corresponding to the M co-frequency cells can be used as the coverage indicator of the target area. For example, if M = 5, and the coverage indicators corresponding to the M co-frequency cells are c1, c2, c3, c4, and c5, then the coverage indicator of the target area is c1, c2, c3, c4, and c5. d = (c1+c2+c3+c4+c5) / 5.

[0157] For example, the first device can determine whether each set of co-frequency cell information collected from M co-frequency cells includes at least one cell with a signal strength greater than a first signal strength threshold. Based on the ratio of the number of sets of co-frequency cell information corresponding to the target area that includes at least one cell with a signal strength greater than the first signal strength threshold to the total number of sets of co-frequency cell information collected for the target area, the coverage index of the target area can be determined. For example, the first device obtains P from M co-frequency cells within the target area. m Same frequency measurement information, P m P is included in the same frequency measurement information. n If the signal strength of at least one cell in the same-frequency measurement information is greater than a first signal strength threshold, then the coverage index of the target area is c. d =P n / P m .

[0158] It should be understood that the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells can be used to determine the coverage indicators of the target area.

[0159] It should be understood that before the gradual shutdown of co-frequency cells is carried out, the coverage index of each cell or target area is usually 1.

[0160] In other words, when determining the N co-frequency cells to be shut down based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells, it is necessary to consider whether the coverage index of the target area meets the coverage index threshold after the N co-frequency cells in the target area are shut down. For details, refer to the calculation method of the coverage index of the first cell after the first cell is shut down. The N co-frequency cells that meet the coverage index threshold are the N co-frequency cells that need to be shut down.

[0161] It should be understood that based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to M co-frequency cells, multiple combinations of co-frequency cells that are to be shut down may be identified. The number of co-frequency cells to be shut down and the number of co-frequency cells in different combinations may be different. The specific co-frequency cells in which combination are shut down are determined based on the aforementioned coverage index threshold.

[0162] In one possible design, the first device can also obtain the expected shutdown durations corresponding to M co-frequency cells. The expected shutdown duration of the i-th cell among the M co-frequency cells is the total average daily shutdown duration of the i-th cell. The method for obtaining the expected shutdown duration of each of the M co-frequency cells can be found in the description of the method for obtaining the expected shutdown duration of the first cell in the first scenario described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0163] Optionally, the first device may locally obtain the expected shutdown durations corresponding to the M co-frequency cells. For example, the first device may be a network management device. Alternatively, the first device may obtain the expected shutdown durations corresponding to the M co-frequency cells from other devices. For example, if the first device is an access network device, then the first device may receive the expected shutdown durations corresponding to the M co-frequency cells from the network management device. There is no limitation on this.

[0164] If the expected shutdown durations corresponding to the M co-frequency cells are sent to the first device by the network management device, then the method by which the network management device determines them is similar to that of the first device described above, and will not be elaborated further.

[0165] Therefore, based on determining the co-frequency coverage relationships of the M co-frequency cells, the first device can also determine which N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells need to be shut down, i.e., determine which N co-frequency cells' carrier power should be gradually reduced, according to the expected shutdown duration of each of the M co-frequency cells. In other words, the first device determines to gradually reduce the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells based on their respective co-frequency coverage relationships. That is, S502 includes: the first device determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of N co-frequency cells based on their respective co-frequency coverage relationships and expected shutdown durations.

[0166] The first device can find an optimal set of N co-frequency cells to shut down. These N co-frequency cells maximize the total shutdown duration of the co-frequency cells, thereby maximizing energy savings for the access network equipment and ensuring that the coverage index of the target area meets the coverage index threshold. In other words, for the N co-frequency cells whose carrier power is gradually reduced (i.e., the N co-frequency cells are gradually shut down), the coverage index of the target area still meets the coverage index threshold after shutting down these N co-frequency cells, meaning that the vast majority of terminal devices in the target area can be well covered.

[0167] In other words, such as Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the co-frequency coverage relationship is established by obtaining the co-frequency cell information of the terminal devices in the co-frequency cell, and then the N co-frequency cells to be shut down are determined by optimizing the co-frequency coverage relationship. Then, the co-frequency cell shutdown is completed by gradually reducing the carrier power and waiting for the terminal devices in the shut-down co-frequency cells to migrate.

[0168] When the first device is a first access network device, in addition to gradually reducing the carrier power of the first cell, the first access network device can also instruct the access network devices corresponding to the N co-frequency cells (excluding the first cell) to perform corresponding operations. In one possible implementation, the access network devices corresponding to the N co-frequency cells (excluding the first cell) include a second access network device. In this case, the first access network device sends first information to the second access network device, and correspondingly, the second access network device receives the first information from the first access network device. The first information includes the identifier of the co-frequency cell whose carrier power is gradually reduced. The first information is used to instruct the gradual reduction of carrier power, or the first information is used to instruct the cell to be shut down.

[0169] When the first device is an access network device other than the aforementioned K access network devices, or a network management device for managing the K access network devices, the first device can send first information to the access network devices corresponding to the N co-frequency cells respectively. Taking the first access network device as an example, the first device sends first information to the first access network device, and correspondingly, the first access network device receives the first information from the first device. The first information includes the identifier of the co-frequency cell whose carrier power is gradually reduced (the identifier of the first cell). The first information is used to indicate the gradual reduction of the carrier power of the first cell, or the first information is used to indicate the shutdown of the first cell.

[0170] Therefore, after receiving the first information, the access network equipment corresponding to the N co-frequency cells can determine to gradually reduce the carrier power of the corresponding co-frequency cell based on the first information. For the terminal equipment in the N co-frequency cells, when the access network equipment corresponding to the N co-frequency cells gradually reduces the carrier power of the cell, the terminal equipment in the cell performs operations similar to those of the terminal equipment in the first cell described above. Based on the measured changes in the signal strength of the serving cell and neighboring cells, it actively triggers co-frequency cell handover, such as triggering the A3 event, which will not be elaborated further.

[0171] It should be understood that while reducing the carrier power of a cell, access network equipment will also prohibit new terminal devices from accessing the current carrier. For example... Figure 7 As shown, when the first access network device gradually reduces the carrier power of the first cell, it will prohibit new terminal devices from accessing the first cell. During the gradual reduction of the carrier power, the terminal devices in the first cell will migrate to a neighboring cell with higher signal strength (such as the second cell). When the carrier power is 0, the migration of the terminal devices in the first cell is completed, and the carrier of the first cell is turned off.

[0172] In the above scenario, the first device can determine the co-frequency coverage relationship of each cell based on the co-frequency cell information collected from each co-frequency cell in the target area, thereby determining which co-frequency cells need to be shut down. By gradually reducing the carrier power, the co-frequency cells can be shut down, which not only allows the terminal devices in the cell to gradually perceive the reduction in signal quality, thereby triggering a handover event and actively migrating to other carriers, greatly reducing the risk of dropped calls, but also reduces the coverage redundancy in the target area to reduce the power consumption of the access network equipment.

[0173] In this embodiment of the application, the actions performed by the access network device can also be performed by the BBU and RU in the access network device. For example, the BBU selects a corresponding number of terminal devices in each cycle and collects their co-frequency cell information. Or, for example, after the BBU determines to reduce the carrier power of the co-frequency cell, it instructs the corresponding RU to gradually reduce the carrier power.

[0174] It is understood that in the above embodiments, the first device can be an access network device or a network management device. The methods and / or steps implemented by the first device can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the first device.

[0175] The foregoing mainly describes the solutions provided in this application. Accordingly, this application also provides a communication device for implementing various methods in the above method embodiments. This communication device can be the first device in the above method embodiments, or a device containing the first device, or a component that can be used in the first device, such as a chip or chip system.

[0176] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0177] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0178] Taking the communication device as the first device in the above method embodiment as an example, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 includes a processing module 801 and a transceiver module 802. The processing module 801 is used to execute the processing functions of the first device in the above method embodiment. The transceiver module 802 is used to execute the transceiver functions of the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0179] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0180] In one possible design, in this embodiment of the application, the transceiver module 802 may include a receiving module and a sending module. Figure 8 (Not shown in the diagram). The transmitting module and receiving module are used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 800, respectively.

[0181] In one possible design, the communication device 800 may further include a storage module. Figure 8 (Not shown in the image), this storage module stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 801 executes the program or instructions, it enables the communication device 800 to perform... Figure 5 The function of the first device in the method shown.

[0182] In some embodiments, the processing module 801 involved in the communication device 800 may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and may be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 802 may be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and may be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0183] For example, Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device can be the first device in the above method embodiments, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the first device. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 900 may include a processor 901, a bus 902, a communication interface 903, and a memory 904. The processor 901, the memory 904, and the communication interface 903 communicate with each other via the bus 902. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the communication device 900.

[0184] The 902 bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 9 The bus 902 may be represented by a single line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus 902 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the communication device 900 (e.g., memory 904, processor 901, communication interface 903).

[0185] Processor 901 may include any one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processing unit (DSP).

[0186] The memory 904 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). The processor 901 may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD).

[0187] The communication interface 903 uses transceiver modules such as, but not limited to, network interface cards and transceivers to enable communication between the communication device 900 and other devices or communication networks.

[0188] The memory 904 stores executable program code, and the processor 901 executes the executable program code to implement the functions of the first device in the aforementioned method embodiments. That is, the memory 904 stores instructions for executing the aforementioned communication method.

[0189] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product containing instructions, including computer program code, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0190] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0191] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication system, including at least two access network devices for performing the above method embodiments.

[0192] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication system, including a network management device and an access network device for performing the above method embodiments.

[0193] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video disks, DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., SSDs), etc.

[0194] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0195] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0196] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0197] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0198] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0199] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or an access network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0200] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0201] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of this application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive signal strength information of the first cell and the second cell from the first terminal device in the first cell, wherein the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell; Based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell, it is determined to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell includes: When the signal strength of the second cell is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the carrier power of the first cell is gradually reduced, where the first threshold is less than the signal strength of the first cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Receiving signal strength information from the first terminal device within the first cell and signal strength information from the second cell includes: Receive signal strength information from multiple terminal devices in the first cell, wherein the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell includes: Based on the signal strength information of multiple terminal devices in the first cell, the corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell is determined. The corresponding co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell is used to indicate the proportion of terminal devices in neighboring cells that are co-frequency with the first cell that overlap with the coverage of the first cell. Based on the co-frequency coverage relationship of the first cell, the carrier power of the first cell is gradually reduced.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the first cell includes: Based on the co-frequency coverage relationship and coverage index threshold corresponding to the first cell, the carrier power of the first cell is gradually reduced. After the first cell is turned off, the coverage index of the first cell meets the coverage index threshold. The coverage index of the first cell is used to characterize the proportion of terminal devices in the first cell that are covered by at least one neighboring cell with a signal strength greater than the first signal strength threshold and co-frequency with the first cell.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Receiving signal strength information from the first terminal device within the first cell and signal strength information from the second cell includes: The system receives signal strength information from terminal devices in M ​​co-frequency cells covering the target area. The M co-frequency cells include the first cell and the second cell. The terminal devices in the first cell include the first terminal device. M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of determining to gradually reduce the carrier power of the first cell based on the signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell includes: Based on the signal strength information of the terminal devices in the M co-frequency cells, the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells is determined. The co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the i-th cell in the M co-frequency cells is used to indicate the proportion of terminal devices whose coverage overlaps with that of neighboring cells that are co-frequency with the i-th cell. i is a positive integer and i≤M. Based on the co-frequency coverage relationship corresponding to the M co-frequency cells, it is determined to gradually reduce the carrier power of N co-frequency cells among the M co-frequency cells, where the N co-frequency cells include the first cell, and N is a positive integer less than M.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method is performed by the access network device or the network management device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The signal strength information includes at least one of the following: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality, or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The signal strength information of the first cell and the signal strength information of the second cell are sent in the measurement report.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program code, which, when run on a communication device, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

14. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes at least two access network devices, one of which is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

15. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A network management device and an access network device communicating with the network management device, the network management device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

Images