Communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium. The communication method comprises: a network device can send first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used for a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function is a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection. Thus, the terminal supporting the first function is configured with specific information to determine the second information, and the first terminal selects or reselects a more suitable cell, which can improve the communication performance when the first terminal accesses the selected or reselected cell.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment, communication systems and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device, communication system and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) can provide wireless resources via satellite (or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platforms). In NTNs, system performance can be improved through downlink coverage enhancement (DL CE). Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium.

[0004] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a communication method executed by a network device, comprising: sending first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0005] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following: the cell's first minimum received level; the cell's first minimum quality level; the cell's first received level offset; and the cell's first quality level offset.

[0006] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality.

[0007] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, sending first information to the first terminal includes: sending a system message to the first terminal, wherein the system message includes: the first information.

[0008] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes: sending third information to a first terminal, wherein the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum received level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second received level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0011] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a communication method executed by a first terminal, comprising: receiving first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following: the cell's first minimum received level; the cell's first minimum quality level; the cell's first received level offset; and the cell's first quality level offset.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality.

[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, receiving the first information sent by the network device includes: receiving a system message sent by the network device, wherein the system message includes: the first information.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes: determining support for a first function; determining second information based on the first information; and performing cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes: receiving third information sent by a network device, wherein the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes: determining that the first function is not supported; determining second information based on third information; and performing cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0018] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum received level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second received level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset.

[0019] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0020] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a network device, which includes a transceiver module for sending first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0021] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following: the cell's first minimum received level; the cell's first minimum quality level; the cell's first received level offset; and the cell's first quality level offset.

[0022] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality.

[0023] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module is configured to: send a system message to a first terminal, wherein the system message includes: first information.

[0024] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module is further configured to: send third information to the first terminal, wherein the third information is used by the terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0025] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum received level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second received level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset.

[0026] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0027] The fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a first terminal, which includes a transceiver module for receiving first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0028] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following: the cell's first minimum received level; the cell's first minimum quality level; the cell's first received level offset; and the cell's first quality level offset.

[0029] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality.

[0030] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module is configured to: receive system messages sent by a network device, wherein the system messages include: first information.

[0031] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing module is configured to: determine that a first function is supported; determine second information based on the first information; and perform cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0032] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module is further configured to: receive third information sent by the network device, wherein the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0033] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing module is configured to: determine that the first function is not supported; determine the second information based on the third information; and perform cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0034] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum receive level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second receive level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset.

[0035] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0036] A fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to perform the method as described in the first aspect above, or to perform the method as described in the second aspect above.

[0037] A sixth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication system including a network device and a first terminal. The network device is used to perform the method as described in the first aspect above, and the first terminal is used to perform the method as described in the second aspect above.

[0038] A seventh aspect of this disclosure provides a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect above, or to perform the method described in the second aspect above.

[0039] An eighth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer program product including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in the first aspect above, or implements the method as described in the second aspect above.

[0040] In the proposed solution of this disclosure, in the above embodiments, the network device can send first information to a first terminal. The first information is used by the terminal supporting a first function to determine second information. The first function is a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection. This enables the configuration of specific information for the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, and allows the first terminal to select or reselect a more suitable cell. When the first terminal accesses the selected or reselected cell, communication performance can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure will be described below.

[0042] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of an NTN network in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 3 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 4 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0050] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0051] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0052] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, and storage media.

[0053] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network device, comprising: sending first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the network device can send first information to the first terminal, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection. Thus, specific information is configured for the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, enabling the first terminal to select or reselect a more suitable cell. When the first terminal accesses the selected or reselected cell, communication performance can be improved.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: a first minimum received level of the cell; a first minimum quality level of the cell; a first received level offset of the cell; and a first quality level offset of the cell.

[0056] In the above embodiments, the network device can configure at least one of a first minimum receive level, a first minimum quality level, a first receive level offset, and a first quality level offset for a terminal that supports the first function, so as to enable the terminal to flexibly select various or at least one possible content contained in the first information to determine the second information, improve flexibility, be suitable for personalized communication systems, and ensure the cell selection or reselection effect.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality.

[0058] In the above embodiments, when cell selection or reselection is performed based on at least one of cell selection level and cell selection quality, it can be ensured that the selected or reselected cell meets the S criterion, thereby improving the effect of cell selection or reselection.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending first information to a first terminal includes: sending a system message to the first terminal, wherein the system message includes: the first information.

[0060] In the above embodiments, the network device can send a system message to the first terminal, carrying the aforementioned first information within the system message. This allows for the reuse of existing messages to indicate the first information to the terminal, saving indication overhead and ensuring the indication effect.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending third information to a first terminal, wherein the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the network device can send third information to the first terminal, wherein the third information is used by the terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second information. This enables the terminal that does not support the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell, and when the terminal that does not support the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, it can ensure correct reception of the PDCCH and / or PDSCH.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum received level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second received level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset.

[0064] In the above embodiments, the network device can configure at least one of the following for terminals that do not support the first function: a second minimum receive level, a second minimum quality level, a second receive level offset, and a second quality level offset. This enables terminals that do not support the first function to flexibly select various or at least one possible content contained in the third information, thereby determining the second information, improving flexibility, making it suitable for personalized communication systems, and ensuring the effectiveness of cell selection or reselection.

[0065] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0066] In the above embodiments, the first minimum receive level of the cell configured by the network device for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function, and / or the first minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function. This enables terminals not supporting the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell, and when a terminal not supporting the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, it can ensure correct reception of PDCCH and / or PDSCH. Furthermore, enabling terminals supporting the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell improves communication performance when a terminal supporting the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell.

[0067] Secondly, this disclosure provides a communication method, which is executed by a first terminal, including: receiving first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: a first minimum received level of the cell; a first minimum quality level of the cell; a first received level offset of the cell; and a first quality level offset of the cell.

[0069] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, receiving first information sent by a network device includes: receiving a system message sent by the network device, wherein the system message includes: the first information.

[0071] In some embodiments, in conjunction with the second aspect, the method further includes: determining support for a first function; determining second information based on the first information; and performing cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving third information sent by a network device, wherein the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0073] In some embodiments, in conjunction with the second aspect, the method further includes: determining that the first function is not supported; determining second information based on third information; and performing cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum received level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second received level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset.

[0075] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0076] Thirdly, this disclosure provides a network device comprising: a transceiver module for sending first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0077] Fourthly, this disclosure provides a first terminal, which includes a transceiver module for receiving first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used by a terminal supporting a first function to determine second information, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information being used for cell selection or reselection.

[0078] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors; wherein the communication device is used to execute the first aspect and optional implementations of the first aspect, or to execute the second aspect and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0079] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a first terminal and a network device; wherein the network device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, and the first terminal is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

[0080] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect and its optional implementations, or to perform the method described in the second aspect and its optional implementations.

[0081] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method as described in the first aspect and optional implementations of the first aspect, or to perform the method as described in the second aspect and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0082] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in the first aspect and optional implementations of the first aspect, or to perform the method as described in the second aspect and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0083] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described according to the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, or configured to perform the method described according to the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

[0084] It is understood that the aforementioned first terminal, network device, communication device, communication system, storage medium, computer program product, computer program, chip, or chip system are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] This disclosure provides a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information processing method," "communication control method," etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms "communication method apparatus" and "information processing apparatus," "communication control apparatus," etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms "transmission system" and "information processing system," "communication system," etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0086] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0087] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0088] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0089] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0091] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0092] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0093] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0094] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0095] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0096] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0097] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0098] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0099] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0100] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0101] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0102] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0104] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0105] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0106] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0107] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0109] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0110] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device and core network device.

[0111] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0112] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0113] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0114] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the aforementioned one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Protocol Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), or a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0115] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0116] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0117] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New Radio Access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0118] Optionally, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) can provide wireless resources via satellite (or an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platform). As shown in Figure 1B, which is a schematic diagram of an NTN network in this embodiment, it includes a satellite or UAS platform, a gateway, and a data network (DN). The satellite or UAS platform can cover several beam footprints. The satellite or UAS platform provides services to user equipments via a service link and communicates with the gateway and DN via a feeder link.

[0119] Optionally, in NTN, system performance can be improved through Downlink Coverage Enhancement (DL CE). Related solutions include:

[0120] (1) Extend the period of the Synchronization Signal Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SSB).

[0121] (2) Enhanced coverage of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0122] (3) Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) coverage enhancement, for example, PDSCH repetition of message 4 in the four-step random access procedure (Msg4 PDSCH repetition).

[0123] Optionally, for terrestrial networks (TN) or NTNs, the terminal can perform cell selection or reselection. Several rules can be referenced when performing cell selection or reselection, including the S-criteria, which is defined as follows:

[0124] S rxlev >0;

[0125] S qual >0;

[0126] Among them, S rxlev Indicates the cell selection level, Squal This indicates the quality of cell selection. Cells selected or reselected by the terminal must meet the S criterion.

[0127] Optional, for S rxlev and S qual The following are examples of the formulas:

[0128] Among them, S rxlev Indicates the cell selection level, Q rxlevmeas Q represents the measured cell reception level. rxlevmin Q represents the minimum received signal level of the cell. rxlevmin offset represents the received level offset of the cell, S qual Q represents the quality of the community selection. qualmeas Q represents the measured cell quality. qualmin Q represents the minimum quality level of the cell. qualmin offset represents the quality level offset of the cell, P compensation This represents a value; if the terminal supports the first frequency band (Frequency Range 1, FR1), then P... compensation It can be done through P EMAX1 P EMAX2 P PowerClass Calculations show that P EMAX1 P EMAX2 P represents the maximum transmission power that the terminal can use when performing uplink transmission in the cell. PowerClass This indicates the terminal's power level. If the terminal supports Frequency Range 2 (FR2), then P... compensation If the terminal is an Integrated Access and Backhaul-Mobile Termination (IAB-MT) terminal, then P is 0. compensation Q is 0 offsettemp This indicates the offset temporarily applied to the cell (in decibels (dB)).

[0129] Optionally, when the terminal is normally camped on a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN), the indicated value Q is applied only when cell selection evaluation is performed on the cell due to the periodic search for higher-priority Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs). rxlevminoffset and Q qualminoffset During this period, the terminal may use parameter values ​​stored from different cells of the higher-priority PLMN to check the S-criteria of that cell.

[0130] Optionally, in NTNDLCE, the longest SSB period is 160ms, so terminals that do not support DLCE can still access cells that support DLCE. However, when a terminal that does not support DLCE accesses a cell that supports DLCE, it may not be able to receive PDCCH and PDSCH when it is in a coverage-enhanced area. Therefore, for terminals that support DLCE, specific parameters can be configured so that the terminal can use specific parameters to evaluate and select or reselect a cell based on the S-criterion.

[0131] Optionally, for a serving cell, both terminals that do not support DL CE and terminals that support DL CE can camp on the NTN DL CE cell. The minimum received signal level and / or minimum quality level of the cell used by the "terminal that does not support DL CE" can be higher than the minimum received signal level and / or minimum quality level of the cell used by the "terminal that supports DL CE" in the "NTN DL CE cell".

[0132] Optionally, for neighboring cells that support DL CE, a "terminal that does not support DL CE" can use the minimum received level and / or minimum quality level of the cell that is higher than that of the "terminal that supports DL CE" to evaluate the S-criterion. Therefore, specific information can be introduced for terminals that support DL CE to perform S-criterion-based evaluations of DL CE-supporting cells (which may include serving cells and neighboring cells), thereby supporting improved accuracy in cell selection or reselection and ensuring communication performance.

[0133] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be used in a communication system 100. The communication system 100 may include network devices and terminals, and there are no limitations on this. The above method includes:

[0134] Step S2101: The network device sends the first information to the first terminal.

[0135] Optionally, in some embodiments, the network device can be a base station, and the first terminal can be a UE. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal can be a terminal supporting the first function, or it can be a terminal not supporting the first function. In this embodiment, an example is given of a first terminal supporting the first function; for the case where the first terminal does not support the first function, please refer to the following embodiments. Optionally, in some embodiments, the UE can support the first function, or it can not support the first function. In this embodiment, an example is given of a UE supporting the first function; for the case where the UE does not support the first function, please refer to the following embodiments.

[0136] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first function can be the DownLink Coverage Enhancement (DL CE) function described above. That is, in this embodiment, the first terminal can be one that supports the DL CE function.

[0137] Optionally, in some embodiments, the network device may send first information to the first terminal. Optionally, in some embodiments, the base station may send first information to the UE.

[0138] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, which is used for cell selection or reselection. That is, the network device can configure specific first information for the terminal supporting the first function. The configured first information is used to determine the second information, which refers to information used for cell selection or reselection. This introduces specific information to the terminal supporting the first function, enabling it to accurately evaluate cells based on the S-criteria, thereby improving the accuracy of cell selection or reselection and ensuring communication performance. In other words, the information "introducing specific information to the terminal supporting the first function" can be used to determine the second information, which is then used by the first terminal to evaluate the S-criteria.

[0139] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: a first minimum received level of the cell; a first minimum quality level of the cell; a first received level offset of the cell; and a first quality level offset of the cell. Thus, the network device can configure a terminal supporting the first function with a specific first minimum received level, a first minimum quality level, a first received level offset, and a first quality level offset, to support the terminal in flexibly selecting various or at least one possible content included in the first information to determine the second information, improving flexibility, suitability for personalized communication systems, and ensuring the effectiveness of cell selection or reselection.

[0140] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure at least one cell's first minimum receive level (e.g., the Q level mentioned above) for terminals supporting the first function. rxlevmin For example, a corresponding first minimum receive level (such as Q mentioned above) can be configured for each cell. rxlevmin The first minimum received level of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevmin The first minimum received level (e.g., Q) can be the same or different. rxlevmin () can be frequency-dependent. For example, for the same frequency, the first minimum received level (e.g., Q) of different cells can vary. rxlevmin The same applies. For example, if cells 1 and 2 are deployed on the same frequency f1, the network device can configure the first minimum receive level (e.g., Q) for cells 1 (cell 1) for terminals that support the first function. rxlevmin The first minimum received level of cell 2 (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevmin Then, the first minimum received level of cell 1 (e.g., Q as mentioned above) rxlevmin ) and the first minimum received level of cell 2 (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevmin The values ​​of ) are the same.

[0141] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a first minimum quality level (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for a terminal supporting the first function. qualmin For example, a corresponding first minimum quality level (such as Q mentioned above) can be configured for each cell. qualmin ), the first minimum quality level of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualmin The first minimum quality level (e.g., Q mentioned above) can be the same or different. qualmin () can be frequency-dependent. For example, for the same frequency, the first minimum quality level (e.g., Q) of different cells can be different. qualmin The same applies. For example, for the same frequency f1, if cell 1 and cell 2 are deployed, the network device can configure the first minimum quality level (e.g., Q) for cell 1 (cell 1) for terminals that support the first function. qualmin The first minimum quality level of cell 2 (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualmin If the first minimum quality level of cell 1 is Q (e.g., Q mentioned above), then the first minimum quality level of cell 1 is Q. qualmin) and the first minimum quality level of cell 2 (e.g., Q mentioned above). qualmin The values ​​of ) are the same.

[0142] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a first received level offset (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for a terminal supporting the first function. rxlevminoffset For example, a corresponding first receive level offset can be configured for each cell (e.g., Q mentioned above). rxlevminoffset The first received level offset of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevminoffset They can be the same or different.

[0143] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a first quality level offset (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for a terminal supporting the first function. qualminoffset For example, a corresponding first quality level offset can be configured for each cell (such as the Q mentioned above). qualminoffset ), the first quality level offset of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset They can be the same or different.

[0144] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure at least one cell's first minimum receive level (e.g., the Q level mentioned above) for terminals supporting the first function. rxlevmin ), the first minimum mass level (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualmin ), first received level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevminoffset ), first mass level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset At least one of the following, so that a terminal supporting the first function can receive signals based on the cell's first minimum reception level (e.g., Q mentioned above). rxlevmin ), the first minimum mass level (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualmin ), first received level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevminoffset ), first mass level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset At least one of the following is used to determine the second information for cell selection or reselection.

[0145] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0146] The aforementioned third information may be information configured by the network device for terminals that do not support the first function. This third information can be used by terminals that do not support the first function to determine the second information, and the determined second information can be used by terminals that do not support the first function to perform cell selection or reselection. For details regarding the configuration and usage of the third information, please refer to the following embodiments. Specifically, the third information is used to evaluate the S-criteria for terminals that do not support DLCE.

[0147] Optionally, in some embodiments, the third information may include at least: the second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal that does not support the first function, and / or the second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal that does not support the first function, without limitation.

[0148] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first minimum receive level of a cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the minimum receive level of a cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function.

[0149] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first minimum quality level of a cell configured for a terminal that supports the first function may be lower than the minimum quality level of a cell configured for a terminal that does not support the first function.

[0150] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first minimum receive level of a cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the minimum receive level of a cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function; and the first minimum quality level of a cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the minimum quality level of a cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function.

[0151] Therefore, the first minimum receive level of the cell configured by the network device for a terminal supporting the first function can be lower than the second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function; and the first minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function can be lower than the second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function. This enables terminals not supporting the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell, and when a terminal not supporting the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, it can ensure correct reception of PDCCH and / or PDSCH. Furthermore, enabling terminals supporting the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell improves communication performance when a terminal supporting the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell.

[0152] Optionally, in some embodiments, during the process of sending the first information to the first terminal, the network device may send a system message to the first terminal, and carry the aforementioned first information in the system message. This allows existing messages to be reused to indicate the first information to the terminal, saving indication overhead and ensuring the indication effect.

[0153] Optionally, in some embodiments, the network device may broadcast system messages, and the first terminal may receive the system messages broadcast by the network device and obtain first information from the system messages. For example, the system messages may be, for example, System Information Block 1 (SIB1) messages, System Information Block 2 (SIB2) messages, System Information Block 3 (SIB3) messages, and System Information Block 4 (SIB4) messages, without limitation.

[0154] Optionally, in some embodiments, the base station can configure first information for the UE by sending at least one of SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, and SIB4 messages.

[0155] Step S2102: The first terminal confirms that it supports the first function.

[0156] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal may receive first information sent by the network device. Optionally, in some embodiments, the UE may receive first information sent by the base station. Optionally, in some embodiments, the base station may configure first information for the UE by sending at least one of SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, and SIB4 messages, and the UE may receive first information by sending at least one of SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, and SIB4 messages.

[0157] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal can determine whether it supports the first function. If it is determined that the first function is supported, at least one of S2103 and S2104 is executed; if it is determined that the first function is not supported, the embodiment shown in FIG2B can be executed, as detailed in the following description. Optionally, in this embodiment, the example is that the first terminal determines that it supports the first function.

[0158] In step S2103, the first terminal determines the second information based on the first information.

[0159] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection. That is, if the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, then when the first terminal determines that it supports the first function, the first terminal can use the first information to determine the second information. For a detailed description of the first information, please refer to the above description.

[0160] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the UE supporting DL CE to determine the second information, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection. That is, if the first information is used by the UE supporting DL CE to determine the second information, then when the UE determines that it supports DL CE, the UE can use the first information to determine the second information. For a detailed description of the first information, please refer to the description above.

[0161] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality. Therefore, when cell selection or reselection is performed based on at least one of cell selection level and cell selection quality, it can be ensured that the selected or reselected cell meets the S criterion, thus improving the effectiveness of cell selection or reselection.

[0162] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second information may include a cell selection level, such as the S level described above. rxlev Alternatively, the second information may include cell selection quality, which could be, for example, the S mentioned above. qual Alternatively, the second information may include cell selection level and cell selection quality, for example, the second information may include the aforementioned S... rxlev and S qual .

[0163] Optionally, in some embodiments, if the first terminal supports the first function, the first terminal can calculate the second information based on the first information. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal can calculate the second information based on the cell's first minimum received level (e.g., Q as described above). rxlevmin ), the first minimum mass level (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualmin ), first received level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevminoffset ), first mass level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset At least one of the following is used to determine the cell selection level (S) mentioned above. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual For example, the first terminal can calculate the cell selection level (S) based on the above. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual The formula, along with various contents of the configured first information, is used to calculate the cell selection level (S). rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual For example, if there are multiple cells, the first terminal can calculate the cell selection level (S) based on the above. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual The formula for calculating the cell selection level (S) of the corresponding cell is obtained by using the content of each cell in the first configured information.rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual ).

[0164] In step S2104, the first terminal performs cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0165] Optionally, in some embodiments, after the first terminal calculates the second information based on the first information, it can perform cell selection or reselection based on the second information. For example, if the terminal calculates the cell selection level (S) of each cell in a plurality of cells... rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual ), can be based on the calculated cell selection level (S) rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual Cells that satisfy the S criterion are selected as the chosen cells. The S criterion is defined as follows:

[0166] S rxlev >0;

[0167] S qual >0;

[0168] Among them, S rxlev Indicates the cell selection level, S qual This indicates the quality of cell selection. Cells selected or reselected by the terminal must meet the S criterion.

[0169] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2104. For example, steps S2101, S2102, S2103, and S2104 can each be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2101+S2102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2101+S2103 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2101+S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2102+S2103 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2102+S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; and steps S2103+S2104... These steps can be implemented as independent embodiments, such as S2101+S2102+S2103, S2101+S2102+S2104, S2101+S2103+S2104, S2102+S2103+S2104, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0170] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0171] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0172] In this embodiment, the network device sends first information to the first terminal. The first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine second information. The second information is used for cell selection or reselection. If the first terminal determines that it supports the first function, it can determine the second information based on the first information and perform cell selection or reselection accordingly. This allows for configuring specific information for the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, and enables the terminal supporting the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell. When the terminal supporting the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, communication performance can be improved.

[0173] It should be noted that in the following embodiments, the descriptions of the same or corresponding terms and method steps as in the above embodiments can be found in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0174] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method that can be used in a communication system 100. The communication system 100 may include network devices and terminals, and there are no limitations on this. The above method includes:

[0175] Step S2201: The network device sends third information to the first terminal.

[0176] Optionally, in some embodiments, the network device can be a base station, and the first terminal can be a UE. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal can be a terminal supporting the first function, or it can be a terminal not supporting the first function. In this embodiment, an example is given where the first terminal does not support the first function; for the case where the first terminal supports the first function, please refer to the above embodiments. Optionally, in some embodiments, the UE can support the first function, or it can not support the first function. In this embodiment, an example is given where the UE does not support the first function; for the case where the UE supports the first function, please refer to the above embodiments.

[0177] Optionally, in some embodiments, the network device may send third information to the first terminal. Optionally, in some embodiments, the base station may send third information to the UE.

[0178] Optionally, in some embodiments, the third information is used by terminals that do not support the first function to determine the second information, which is used for cell selection or reselection. That is, the network device can configure the third information for terminals that do not support the first function. The configured third information is used by the terminals to determine the second information, which refers to information used for cell selection or reselection. This allows terminals that do not support the first function to perform accurate cell evaluation based on the S criterion, thereby improving the accuracy of cell selection or reselection and ensuring communication performance.

[0179] Optionally, in some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: the cell's second minimum receive level; the cell's second minimum quality level; the cell's second receive level offset; and the cell's second quality level offset. Thus, the network device can configure at least one of the second minimum receive level, second minimum quality level, second receive level offset, and second quality level offset for terminals that do not support the first function. This allows terminals that do not support the first function to flexibly select various or at least one possible content included in the third information, thereby determining the second information, improving flexibility, making it suitable for personalized communication systems, and ensuring the effectiveness of cell selection or reselection.

[0180] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a second minimum receive level (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for terminals that do not support the first function. rxlevmin For example, a corresponding second minimum receive level can be configured for each cell (such as Q mentioned above). rxlevmin The second minimum received level for different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevmin The two minimum received levels (Q) can be the same or different. rxlevmin () can be frequency-dependent.

[0181] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a second minimum quality level (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for terminals that do not support the first function. qualmin For example, a second minimum quality level (Q) can be configured for each cell. qualmin ), the second minimum quality level of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualmin The two minimum quality levels (e.g., Q mentioned above) can be the same or different. qualmin () can be frequency-dependent.

[0182] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a second receive level offset (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for terminals that do not support the first function.rxlevminoffset For example, a corresponding second receive level offset can be configured for each cell (such as the Q mentioned above). rxlevminoffset The second received level offset of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) rxlevminoffset They can be the same or different.

[0183] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a second quality level offset (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for terminals that do not support the first function. qualminoffset For example, a corresponding second quality level offset can be configured for each cell (such as the Q mentioned above). qualminoffset ), the second quality level offset of different cells (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset They can be the same or different.

[0184] Optionally, in some embodiments, the "cell" mentioned above can be a serving cell or a neighboring cell. The network device can configure a second minimum receive level (e.g., Q) of at least one cell for terminals that do not support the first function. rxlevmin ), and the second minimum quality level (e.g., Q mentioned above). qualmin ), and the second received level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above). rxlevminoffset ), and the second mass level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset At least one of the following, so that a terminal that does not support the first function can receive the second minimum level of the cell (e.g., Q mentioned above). rxlevmin ), and the second minimum quality level (e.g., Q mentioned above). qualmin ), and the second received level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above). rxlevminoffset ), and the second mass level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset At least one of the following is used to determine the second information for cell selection or reselection.

[0185] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information in the above embodiments and the third information in this embodiment may satisfy at least one of the following: the first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; the first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information. That is, the second minimum received level in the third information is greater than the first minimum received level in the first information, and the second minimum received level in the third information is greater than the first minimum quality level in the first information.

[0186] The aforementioned first information may be information configured by the network device for terminals supporting the first function. This first information is used by terminals supporting the first function to determine the second information, while the third information can be used by terminals not supporting the first function to determine the second information. The determined second information can be used for cell selection or reselection. For details regarding the configuration and usage of the first information, please refer to the above embodiments.

[0187] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first information may include at least: a first minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function, and / or a first minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function. Optionally, in some embodiments, the third information may include at least: a second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function, and / or a second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function.

[0188] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function, and the first minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function. That is, the network device may configure the first minimum receive level of the cell for a terminal supporting the first function to be lower than the second minimum receive level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function, and / or the first minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal supporting the first function may be lower than the second minimum quality level of the cell configured for a terminal not supporting the first function. Therefore, a terminal not supporting the first function can select or reselect a more suitable cell, and when a terminal not supporting the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, it can ensure correct reception of the PDCCH and / or PDSCH. Furthermore, it enables terminals that support the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell, and when a terminal that supports the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, it can improve communication performance.

[0189] Step S2202: The first terminal determines that it does not support the first function.

[0190] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal may receive third information sent by the network device. Optionally, in some embodiments, the UE may receive third information sent by the base station. Optionally, in some embodiments, the base station may configure third information for the UE by sending at least one of SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, and SIB4 messages, and the UE may receive third information by sending at least one of SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, and SIB4 messages.

[0191] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal can determine whether it supports the first function. If it is determined that the first function is not supported, at least one of S2203 and S2204 is executed; if it is determined that the first function is supported, the embodiment shown in FIG2A can be executed. Optionally, in this embodiment, the example can be given by the first terminal determining that it does not support the first function.

[0192] In step S2203, the first terminal determines the second information based on the third information.

[0193] Optionally, in some embodiments, the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second information, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection. That is, the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second information. In this case, if the first terminal determines that it does not support the first function, the first terminal can use the third information to determine the second information. For a detailed description of the third information, please refer to the description above.

[0194] Optionally, in some embodiments, the third information is used by a UE that does not support DL CE to determine the second information, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection. That is, if the third information is used by a UE that does not support DL CE to determine the second information, then when the UE determines that it does not support DL CE, the UE can use the third information to determine the second information. For a detailed description of the third information, please refer to the description above.

[0195] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: cell selection level; cell selection quality. Therefore, when cell selection or reselection is performed based on at least one of cell selection level and cell selection quality, it can be ensured that the selected or reselected cell meets the S criterion, thus improving the effectiveness of cell selection or reselection.

[0196] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second information may include a cell selection level, such as the S level described above. rxlev Alternatively, the second information may include cell selection quality, which could be, for example, the S mentioned above. qualAlternatively, the second information may include cell selection level and cell selection quality, for example, the second information may include the aforementioned S... rxlev and S qual .

[0197] Optionally, in some embodiments, if the first terminal does not support the first function, the first terminal can calculate the second information based on the third information. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first terminal can calculate the second information based on the second minimum received level of the cell (e.g., Q as described above). rxlevmin ), and the second minimum quality level (e.g., Q mentioned above). qualmin ), and the second received level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above). rxlevminoffset ), and the second mass level offset (e.g., Q mentioned above) qualminoffset At least one of the following is used to determine the cell selection level (S) mentioned above. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual For example, the first terminal can calculate the cell selection level (S) based on the above. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual The formula, along with various contents of the configured third information, is used to calculate the cell selection level (S). rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual For example, if there are multiple cells, the first terminal can calculate the cell selection level (S) based on the above. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual The formula for calculating the cell selection level (S) of the corresponding cell is obtained by using the formula for calculating the cell selection level of the corresponding cell and the content of each cell in the configured third information. rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual ).

[0198] In step S2204, the first terminal performs cell selection or reselection based on the second information.

[0199] Optionally, in some embodiments, after the first terminal calculates the second information based on the third information, it can perform cell selection or reselection based on the second information. For example, if the first terminal calculates the cell selection level (S) of each cell in a plurality of cells... rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual ), can be based on the calculated cell selection level (S) rxlev ) and / or cell selection quality (S qual Cells that satisfy the S criterion are selected as the chosen cells. The S criterion is defined as follows:

[0200] S rxlev >0;

[0201] Squal >0;

[0202] Among them, S rxlev Indicates the cell selection level, S qual This indicates the quality of cell selection. Cells selected or reselected by the terminal must meet the S criterion.

[0203] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2204. For example, steps S2201, S2202, S2203, and S2204 can each be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2201+S2202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2201+S2203 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2201+S2204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2202+S2203 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; steps S2202+S2204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; and steps S2203+S2204... These steps can be implemented as independent embodiments, such as S2201+S2202+S2203, S2201+S2202+S2204, S2201+S2203+S2204, S2202+S2203+S2204, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0204] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0205] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0206] In this embodiment, the network device sends third information to the first terminal. This third information is used by the terminal, which does not support the first function, to determine second information. The second information is used for cell selection or reselection. If the first terminal determines that it does not support the first function, it can determine the second information based on the third information and perform cell selection or reselection accordingly. This allows the terminal that does not support the first function to select or reselect a more suitable cell. When the terminal that does not support the first function accesses the selected or reselected cell, it can ensure correct reception of the PDCCH and / or PDSCH.

[0207] Figure 3 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method that can be used in network devices. The method includes:

[0208] Step S3101: Send first information to the first terminal, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, the first function is downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used to perform cell selection or reselection.

[0209] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include step S3101. For example, step S3101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0210] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0211] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0212] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0213] The cell's first minimum received signal level;

[0214] The first minimum quality level of the community;

[0215] The first received signal level offset in the cell;

[0216] The first quality level of the community has shifted.

[0217] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0218] Cell selects the level;

[0219] Choose a residential community based on quality.

[0220] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, sending first information to the first terminal includes:

[0221] Send a system message to the first terminal, wherein the system message includes: first information.

[0222] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes:

[0223] Send a third message to the first terminal, wherein the third message is used by the terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second message, and the first message and the third message are different.

[0224] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following:

[0225] The second minimum received signal level of the cell;

[0226] The second minimum quality level of the community;

[0227] The second received level offset in the cell;

[0228] The second quality level of the community is offset.

[0229] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following:

[0230] The first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information;

[0231] The first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0232] Figure 4 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method that can be used in a first terminal. The method includes:

[0233] Step S4101: Receive first information sent by the network device, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, the first function is downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used to perform cell selection or reselection.

[0234] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include step S4101. For example, step S4101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0235] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0236] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0237] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0238] The cell's first minimum received signal level;

[0239] The first minimum quality level of the community;

[0240] The first received signal level offset in the cell;

[0241] The first quality level of the community has shifted.

[0242] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0243] Cell selects the level;

[0244] Choose a residential community based on quality.

[0245] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, receiving the first information sent by the network device includes:

[0246] Receive system messages sent by network devices, wherein the system messages include: first information.

[0247] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes:

[0248] The first function is confirmed to be supported;

[0249] Based on the first piece of information, determine the second piece of information;

[0250] Based on the second piece of information, select or reselect a cell.

[0251] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes:

[0252] Receive third information sent by network device, wherein the third information is used by terminals that do not support the first function to determine the second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0253] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes:

[0254] It is confirmed that the first function is not supported;

[0255] Based on the third piece of information, determine the second piece of information;

[0256] Based on the second piece of information, select or reselect a cell.

[0257] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following:

[0258] The second minimum received signal level of the cell;

[0259] The second minimum quality level of the community;

[0260] The second received level offset in the cell;

[0261] The second quality level of the community is offset.

[0262] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following:

[0263] The first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information;

[0264] The first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0265] Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method that can be used in a communication system, which may include a network device and a first terminal. The method includes:

[0266] Step S5101: The network device sends the first information to the first terminal.

[0267] In step S5102, the first terminal determines that it supports the first function, determines the second information based on the first information, and performs cell selection or reselection based on the second information, wherein the first function is the downlink coverage enhancement function.

[0268] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S5101 to S5102. For example, steps S5101 and S5102 may be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S5101+S5102 may be implemented as independent embodiments, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0269] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0270] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0271] The following is an exemplary description of the above method.

[0272] Optionally, the following embodiments are available:

[0273] The following example uses the UE as the terminal.

[0274] Optionally, in some embodiments, the method provided in this disclosure can be applied to a terminal supporting downlink coverage enhancement to determine whether a cell meets the S criterion for selection or reselection.

[0275] Optionally, in some embodiments, the network configures the UE to calculate the cell selection level (S) for supporting downlink coverage enhancement. rxlev ), community selection quality (S qual The parameters of ) (an optional example of the first information above).

[0276] Optionally, in some embodiments, the parameter includes: the minimum received level (Q) of the cell. rxlevmin The minimum quality level of the community (Q) qualmin ).

[0277] Optionally, in some embodiments, if the UE supports DL CE, the above parameters can be used to calculate the cell selection level (S) when evaluating the S criterion. rxlev ) and community selection quality (S qual ).

[0278] Optionally, in some embodiments, if the UE does not support DL CE, existing parameters (an optional example of the third information mentioned above) can be used to calculate the cell selection level (S) when evaluating the S criterion. rxlev ) and community selection quality (S qual ).

[0279] Optionally, in some embodiments, the parameters can be sent via system messages, such as at least one of SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, and SIB4.

[0280] Optionally, in some embodiments, the parameters for a UE supporting DL CE (an optional example of the first information above) are smaller than the parameters for a UE not supporting DL CE (an optional example of the third information above). That is, when evaluating the selection or reselection S-criteria of an NTN DL CE cell, the minimum received signal level of the cell for a UE not supporting DL CE is higher than the minimum received signal level of the cell for a UE supporting DL CE, and / or the minimum quality level of the cell is higher than the minimum quality level of the cell for a UE supporting DL CE.

[0281] This disclosure also provides embodiments of an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., a RAN) in any of the above methods.

[0282] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0283] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0284] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 6100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6101, a processing module 6102, etc.

[0285] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 is a network device, wherein...

[0286] The transceiver module 6101 is used to send first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, the first function is downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used to perform cell selection or reselection.

[0287] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0288] The cell's first minimum received signal level;

[0289] The first minimum quality level of the community;

[0290] The first received signal level offset in the cell;

[0291] The first quality level of the community has shifted.

[0292] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0293] Cell selects the level;

[0294] Choose a residential community based on quality.

[0295] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module 6101 is used for:

[0296] Send a system message to the first terminal, wherein the system message includes: first information.

[0297] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module 6101 is further configured to:

[0298] Send a third message to the first terminal, wherein the third message is used by the terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second message, and the first message and the third message are different.

[0299] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following:

[0300] The second minimum received signal level of the cell;

[0301] The second minimum quality level of the community;

[0302] The second received level offset in the cell;

[0303] The second quality level of the community is offset.

[0304] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following:

[0305] The first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information;

[0306] The first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0307] Optionally, the transceiver module described above is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0308] Optionally, the above processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0309] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 is a first terminal, wherein...

[0310] The transceiver module 6101 is used to receive first information sent by the network device, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine the second information, the first function is downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used to perform cell selection or reselection.

[0311] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0312] The cell's first minimum received signal level;

[0313] The first minimum quality level of the community;

[0314] The first received signal level offset in the cell;

[0315] The first quality level of the community has shifted.

[0316] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0317] Cell selects the level;

[0318] Choose a residential community based on quality.

[0319] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module 6101 is used for:

[0320] Receive system messages sent by network devices, wherein the system messages include: first information.

[0321] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing module 6102 is configured to:

[0322] The first function is confirmed to be supported;

[0323] Based on the first piece of information, determine the second piece of information;

[0324] Based on the second piece of information, select or reselect a cell.

[0325] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module 6101 is further configured to:

[0326] Receive third information sent by network device, wherein the third information is used by terminals that do not support the first function to determine the second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

[0327] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing module 6102 is configured to:

[0328] It is confirmed that the first function is not supported;

[0329] Based on the third piece of information, determine the second piece of information;

[0330] Based on the second piece of information, select or reselect a cell.

[0331] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the third information includes at least one of the following:

[0332] The second minimum received signal level of the cell;

[0333] The second minimum quality level of the community;

[0334] The second received level offset in the cell;

[0335] The second quality level of the community is offset.

[0336] Optionally, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following:

[0337] The first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information;

[0338] The first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

[0339] Optionally, the transceiver module described above is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0340] Optionally, the above processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps executed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0341] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 7100 can be the network device described above, or it can be the terminal described above. The communication device 7100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0342] As shown in Figure 7A, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 7100 is used to execute any of the above methods.

[0343] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7102 may also be located outside the communication device 7100.

[0344] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7103. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7103, the transceivers 7103 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method, and the processor 7101 performs other steps.

[0345] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0346] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 may include one or more interface circuits 7104. Optionally, the interface circuit 7104 is connected to the memory 7102, and the interface circuit 7104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 7102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 7102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7104 can read instructions stored in the memory 7102 and send the instructions to the processor 7101.

[0347] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0348] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 7200 shown in Figure 7B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0349] Chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201, which are used to perform any of the above methods.

[0350] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202. Optionally, the interface circuit 7202 is connected to memory 7203, and the interface circuit 7202 can be used to receive signals from memory 7203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 7202 can be used to send signals to memory 7203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7202 can read instructions stored in memory 7203 and send the instructions to processor 7201.

[0351] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 7202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method, and the processor 7201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0352] In some embodiments, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, transceiver, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0353] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside of chip 7200.

[0354] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 7100, cause the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0355] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 7100, causes the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0356] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0357] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0358] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0359] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0360] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Send first information to a first terminal, wherein the first information is used by the terminal supporting the first function to determine second information, the first function is a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used to perform cell selection or reselection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: The cell's first minimum received signal level; The first minimum quality level of the community; The first received signal level offset in the cell; The first quality level of the community has shifted.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: Cell selects the level; Choose a residential community based on quality.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Sending the first information to the first terminal includes: A system message is sent to the first terminal, wherein the system message includes: the first information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send third information to the first terminal, wherein the third information is used by the terminal that does not support the first function to determine the second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The third information includes at least one of the following: The second minimum received signal level of the cell; The second minimum quality level of the community; The second received signal level offset in the cell; The second quality level of the community is offset.

7. The method according to any one of claims 5-6, wherein, The first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: The first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; The first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

8. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is executed by a first terminal, and the method includes: The terminal receives first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used to determine second information for a terminal supporting a first function, the first function being a downlink coverage enhancement function, and the second information is used for cell selection or reselection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: The cell's first minimum received signal level; The first minimum quality level of the community; The first received signal level offset in the cell; The first quality level of the community has shifted.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8-9, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: Cell selects the level; Choose a residential community based on quality.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The first information sent by the receiving network device includes: Receive a system message sent by the network device, wherein the system message includes: the first information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first function is confirmed to be supported; Based on the first information, determine the second information; Based on the second information, cell selection or reselection is performed.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein, The method further includes: The system receives third information sent by a network device, wherein the third information is used by a terminal that does not support the first function to determine second information, and the first information and the third information are different.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The method further includes: It is confirmed that the first function is not supported; Based on the third information, determine the second information; Based on the second information, cell selection or reselection is performed.

15. The method of any one of claims 13-14, wherein, The third information includes at least one of the following: The second minimum received signal level of the cell; The second minimum quality level of the community; The second received signal level offset in the cell; The second quality level of the community is offset.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The first information and the third information satisfy at least one of the following: The first minimum received level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information; The first minimum quality level in the first information is less than the second minimum received level in the third information.

17. A communication device, characterized by The communication device includes one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7 or 8-16.

18. A communication system, characterized by The device includes a network device and a first terminal, wherein the network device is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, and the first terminal is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8-16.

19. A storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-7 or 8-16.

20. A computer program product, characterised in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1-7 or 8-16.

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