Capability processing method, terminal device, network device, system, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose a capability processing method, a terminal device, a network device, a system and a storage medium. The capability processing method comprises: receiving a first capability query message sent by a network device, the first capability query message carrying a first query identifier and indication information of at least two radio access technology (RAT) types; encoding capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types respectively to generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries the first query identifier, indication information of one RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the one RAT type; and sending the at least two first capability response messages to the network device respectively. The technical solution of the embodiments of the present application can reduce the memory occupation of a device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a capability processing method, terminal device, network device, system, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In wireless communication systems, network devices typically need to obtain the capability information of terminal devices before configuring resources for them. The network device can send a capability query message to the terminal device, which carries indication information for at least one Radio Access Technology (RAT) type. Based on the capability query message, the terminal device reports the corresponding RAT type capability information to the network device.

[0003] With the development of technologies such as Carrier Aggregation (CA), the number of frequency band combinations supported by terminal devices has increased, and the length of capability information that terminal devices need to report has also increased. When network devices request capability information of multiple RAT types simultaneously, related technologies typically perform concatenated encoding, segmented transmission, and overall decoding of capability information of multiple RAT types, which results in high memory consumption for both terminal and network devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application addresses some of the deficiencies mentioned in the background art by providing a capability processing method, a terminal device, a network device, a system, and a storage medium.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a capability processing method, the method comprising: receiving a first capability query message sent by a network device, the first capability query message carrying a first query identifier and indication information of at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types; encoding capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types to generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type; and sending at least two first capability response messages to the network device respectively.

[0006] In one embodiment of the first aspect, generating at least two first capability response messages includes: when the independent reporting indication information carried in the first capability query message indicates that independent reporting is allowed, encoding the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types respectively, and generating at least two first capability response messages. And / or, if the estimated length of the concatenated encoding of capability information corresponding to at least two RAT types exceeds a preset threshold, the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types is encoded to generate at least two first capability response messages.

[0007] In this embodiment, by using independent reporting indication information, the network device can control whether the terminal device enables independent reporting, ensuring the consistency of behavior between the network device and the terminal device and facilitating compatibility between different versions of the device; by comparing the estimated length with the preset threshold, the terminal device can autonomously enable independent reporting when the total length of the capability information is too long, avoiding centralized encoding of ultra-long bitstreams.

[0008] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving a second capability query message sent by a network device, the second capability query message carrying a second query identifier and indication information of a missing RAT type from at least two RAT types; generating and sending at least one second capability response message to the network device, the second capability response message carrying a second query identifier, indication information of a missing RAT type, and capability information of the missing RAT type indicated by the indication information of the missing RAT type.

[0009] In this embodiment, when some first capability response messages fail to be transmitted, the terminal device only needs to re-report the capability information of the corresponding RAT type, without having to re-report the capability information corresponding to the successfully transmitted RAT type, which reduces air interface resource overhead and improves transmission robustness.

[0010] In one embodiment of the first aspect, at least one of the at least two first capability response messages further carries at least one of the following information: total number of response messages indication information, and sequence number indication information of the current response message.

[0011] In this embodiment, the network device can know the total number of response messages to be received for this query and the receiving progress, which makes it easier to determine whether the response messages have been received completely.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a capability processing method, the method comprising: sending a first capability query message to a terminal device, the first capability query message carrying a first query identifier and indication information of at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types; receiving a first capability response message sent by the terminal device, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type; associating the first capability response message with the first capability query message according to the first query identifier; and decoding each first capability response message to obtain capability information of the corresponding RAT type.

[0013] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the method further includes: starting a timer after sending the first capability query message; Receiving a first capability response message sent by a terminal device includes: receiving a first capability response message sent by a terminal device during the operation of a timer.

[0014] In this embodiment, the receiving process of multiple independent first capability response messages is monitored by a timer, so that the network device does not have to wait indefinitely, thus ensuring the controllability of the capability processing flow.

[0015] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the method further includes: when a timer times out and no first capability response messages corresponding to all RAT types in at least two RAT types are received, determining a missing RAT type among the at least two RAT types, wherein the missing RAT type is the RAT type among the at least two RAT types that corresponds to the unreceived first capability response message; and sending a second capability query message to the terminal device, wherein the second capability query message carries a second query identifier and indication information of the missing RAT type.

[0016] In this embodiment, the network device only performs selective re-requests for missing RAT types. Capability information corresponding to RAT types that have been successfully received does not need to be repeatedly acquired and transmitted, reducing air interface resource overhead and improving transmission robustness.

[0017] In one embodiment of the second aspect, decoding each first capability response message includes: after receiving any one of at least two first capability response messages and before receiving all the first capability response messages, decoding the received first capability response message, and releasing the cached resources corresponding to the first capability response message after decoding is completed.

[0018] In this embodiment, the network device can decode and release the corresponding cache resources as soon as it receives a response message, thereby realizing time-sharing reuse of cache resources and further reducing the peak memory usage of the network device.

[0019] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the method further includes: determining configuration information of the terminal device based on capability information of at least one RAT type that has been decoded.

[0020] In this embodiment, the network device does not need to wait for all RAT type capability information to arrive, but can pre-configure resources for the terminal device based on the capability information of some RAT types that have been obtained, thus shortening the access and configuration latency of the terminal device.

[0021] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a terminal device, including a processor, a memory, and a wireless module. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any of the methods in the first aspect.

[0022] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a network device including a processor, a memory, and a wireless module. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any of the methods in the second aspect.

[0023] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, including a terminal device (as described in the third aspect) and a network device (as described in the fourth aspect).

[0024] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any method of the first aspect, or implements the steps of any method of the second aspect.

[0025] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a capability processing apparatus, including: The first receiving module is configured to receive a first capability query message sent by a network device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information of at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types. The first generation module is used to encode the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types and generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type. The first sending module is used to send at least two first capability response messages to the network devices respectively.

[0026] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a capability processing apparatus, including: The second sending module is used to send a first capability query message to the terminal device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information of at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types. The second receiving module is used to receive a first capability response message sent by the terminal device, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of a RAT type indicated by the indication information of a RAT type. The association module is used to associate the first capability response message with the first capability query message based on the first query identifier; The decoding module is used to decode each first capability response message to obtain the capability information of the corresponding RAT type.

[0027] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of either the first or second aspect of the method.

[0028] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any method of the first aspect, or implements the steps of any method of the second aspect.

[0029] According to the capability processing method, terminal device, network device, system, and storage medium of this application embodiment, based on at least two RAT types indicated in the first capability query message, the capability information corresponding to each RAT type is encoded to generate at least two first capability response messages. Each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication of the RAT type. At least two first capability response messages are sent to the network device, enabling the network device to decode each first capability response message to obtain the capability information of the corresponding RAT type. This eliminates the need to concatenate and encode the capability information of all RAT types into a single ultra-long bitstream, thereby reducing the memory usage of the terminal device during the encoding process and the network device during the decoding process. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a capability processing method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a sub-flowchart of a capability processing method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of another capability processing method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a sub-flowchart of another capability processing method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the capability processing and interaction between a terminal device and a network device, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of a capability processing device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of another capability processing device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a computer program product provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 10 This is a hardware block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes a network device 101 and a terminal device 102, which communicate wirelessly. This communication system can be a fourth-generation mobile communication system, a fifth-generation mobile communication system, a sixth-generation mobile communication system, or other wireless communication systems. The terminal device refers to a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, vehicle-mounted terminal, wearable device, IoT terminal, reduced capability (RedCap) terminal, customer premise equipment (CPE), etc. Exemplarily, the network device can include at least one of the following: an evolved NodeB (eNB) in a fourth-generation mobile communication system, a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation mobile communication system, a next-generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), an access network device, an access network node, or an access network functional entity in a future evolved communication system. This application does not limit the specific form of the network device.

[0043] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a capability processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method can be applied to a terminal device. A capability processing method includes: S201, Receive a first capability query message sent by a network device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information of at least two RAT types.

[0044] Specifically, when a network device needs to obtain capability information from a terminal device, it sends a first capability query message to the terminal device. This first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information for at least two RAT types. For example, the first query identifier carried in the first capability query message has a value of 37, and the RAT type indication information indicates three RAT types: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA), New Radio (NR), and Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), indicating that the network device requests the terminal device to report capability information corresponding to these three RAT types. The first query identifier can be an integer, a transaction identifier, a random number, or other form of identification information. This application embodiment does not limit the specific value form and bit length of the first query identifier.

[0045] Optionally, the first capability query message may also carry independent reporting indication information, which is used to indicate whether the terminal device is allowed to report the capability information corresponding to each RAT type through multiple first capability response messages.

[0046] Optionally, the first capability query message may also carry timer configuration information to instruct the network device side on the duration of the timer monitoring the capability processing, so that the terminal device is aware of the reporting time constraint.

[0047] S202, respectively encode the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types to generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type.

[0048] Specifically, for each requested RAT type, the terminal device individually inputs the capability information corresponding to the same RAT type into the encoder for encoding, obtaining the bitstream corresponding to that RAT type. This bitstream, along with the first query identifier and the indication information for that RAT type, can be encapsulated into a first capability response message. The encoding operations for each RAT type are independent of each other, and each encoding process only processes the bitstream of capability information corresponding to a single RAT type. Encoding refers to the process of converting information into a bitstream suitable for air interface transmission according to the encoding rules agreed upon in the communication protocol. Decoding is the reverse process of encoding. The encoding and decoding rules themselves can be implemented using existing encoding and decoding technologies.

[0049] The capability information corresponding to a RAT type refers to information describing the functions and performance supported by a terminal device under a certain RAT type, including but not limited to at least one of the following: the frequency bands supported by the terminal device, the supported carrier aggregation (CA) frequency band combinations, the number of supported multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, the supported modulation schemes, the supported dual connectivity combinations, and the supported features or optional functions. The capability information corresponding to a RAT type in the first capability response message does not need to be concatenated with the content carried by other first capability response messages for decoding. For example, the capability information corresponding to a RAT type in the first capability response message is all the capability information of that RAT type, or it is all the capability information of that RAT type requested to be reported by the network device.

[0050] In this embodiment, capability information can be decoded independently. When decoding the capability information carried by any first capability response message, it does not depend on the content carried by other first capability response messages, and there is no need to concatenate or reassemble the contents of multiple messages. After decoding, the capability information of the corresponding RAT type is obtained. In one example, each first capability response message carries capability information of RAT type, which may include all capability information of that RAT type, or all capability information of the RAT type requested and reported by the network device.

[0051] For example, for the three RAT types in S201, the terminal device generates three first capability response messages: the first first capability response message carries the first query identifier 37, the indication information of EUTRA, and the capability information corresponding to EUTRA; the second first capability response message carries the first query identifier 37, the indication information of NR, and the capability information corresponding to NR; the third first capability response message carries the first query identifier 37, the indication information of UTRA, and the capability information corresponding to UTRA.

[0052] In one possible implementation, each first capability response message carries all capability information for the corresponding RAT type. In this case, each first capability response message is self-contained, and the network device can obtain the complete capability of the corresponding RAT type by decoding any first capability response message, without relying on other messages.

[0053] Regarding the triggering condition of S202, if the independent reporting indication information carried in the first capability query message indicates that independent reporting is allowed, the terminal device executes S202, that is, it encodes the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types, generating at least two first capability response messages. In this implementation, whether independent reporting is enabled is controlled by the network device, ensuring the consistency of behavior between the network device and the terminal device. For example, when the network device is an older version that does not support independent reporting, the first capability query message it sends does not carry independent reporting indication information or indicates that independent reporting is not allowed. The terminal device then adopts the reporting method in related technologies accordingly, thereby ensuring compatibility between different versions of the device.

[0054] Regarding the triggering condition of S202, in one implementation, the terminal device determines the estimated length of the concatenated encoded capability information corresponding to at least two RAT types. If the estimated length exceeds a preset threshold, the terminal device executes S202. For example, the terminal device estimates the total length of the concatenated encoded length based on the size of the capability information container corresponding to each RAT type, and compares this estimated length with a preset threshold (e.g., the maximum length of a Service Data Unit (SDU) in a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) is 8188 bytes). If the preset threshold is exceeded, the terminal device autonomously enables the independent reporting mode. In this implementation, even if the first capability query message does not carry independent reporting indication information, the terminal device can avoid centralized encoding of excessively long bitstreams when the total length of the capability information is too long. In this implementation, the preset threshold is a length threshold used to determine whether to enable independent reporting. For example, the preset threshold can be determined based on the maximum length of a single message allowed by the lower-layer protocol. Other methods can also be used to define it; this application embodiment does not limit the specific value of the preset threshold. A capability information container refers to a data structure formed by encapsulating capability information corresponding to a certain RAT type according to the format agreed upon by the communication protocol. The capability information carried in the container can be encoded and decoded as a whole. In some communication protocols, the capability information container can also be called a capability container, UE capability RAT container, etc. In the embodiments of this application, the capability information corresponding to a RAT type can be carried by the capability information container corresponding to that RAT type.

[0055] The above implementation methods one and two can be implemented individually or in combination. For example, the terminal device executes S202 when the independent reporting instruction information indicates that independent reporting is allowed and the estimated length exceeds a preset threshold; or, for example, the terminal device executes S202 when either the independent reporting instruction information indicates that independent reporting is allowed or the estimated length exceeds a preset threshold is met.

[0056] Optionally, if the estimated length does not exceed a preset threshold, the terminal device can report capability information corresponding to at least two RAT types in a single response message. In one possible approach, the number of carrier aggregation (CA) combinations reported by the terminal device can be reduced based on the frequency band priority queried by the network device and the bitstream length limited by the network device. While this method can reduce the reported length of capability information, it may result in some CA combinations not being reported, preventing the network device from configuring resources based on the complete CA capabilities of the terminal device, thus affecting user service traffic and user experience. In another possible approach, a segmented transmission method can be adopted, carrying all capability containers of the User Equipment (UE) in a single UE capability response message, and then dividing this UE capability response message into multiple segments for separate reporting. The capability container is used to carry UE capability information. In this approach, the terminal device still needs to fully encode the entire ultra-long UE capability response message, and the network device also needs to splice and decode the received ultra-long bitstream, which can easily increase the memory pressure on the terminal device and the network device. Furthermore, when some segments are lost or missed, it may affect the network device's processing of UE capability information for all Radio Access Technology (RAT) types.

[0057] S203, send at least two first capability response messages to the network devices respectively.

[0058] Specifically, the terminal device sends each generated first capability response message as an independent message to the network device. The sending order of each first capability response message can be consistent with the order indicated by the RAT type in the first capability query message, or it can be sent according to the order in which the encoding was completed. This embodiment of the application does not limit the sending order.

[0059] In the above method, the terminal device encodes and generates an independent first capability response message for each RAT type. The bitstream processed in each encoding is only the capability information corresponding to a single RAT type. There is no need to concatenate the capability information of all RAT types into a very long bitstream, which significantly reduces the peak memory usage and peak processor load of the terminal device during the encoding process. Each first capability response message carries a first query identifier and RAT type indication information, enabling the network device to associate multiple independent first capability response messages with the same query and independently decode and use each first capability response message, thereby reducing the peak memory usage of the network device and improving the latency performance and transmission robustness of the capability processing flow.

[0060] Optionally, at least one of the at least two first capability response messages may further carry at least one of the following information: a total number of response messages and a sequence number of the current response message. For example, the terminal device carries a total number of messages (with a value of 3) and a sequence number of messages (with a value of 1) in the first first capability response message it sends, so that the network device knows that a total of 3 first capability response messages need to be received for this query and the current receiving progress, which helps the network device determine whether the first capability response messages have been received completely.

[0061] In S201 to S203, capability information is organized internally within the terminal device according to RAT types. Each RAT type corresponds to its own capability information container, and the data is split according to the boundaries of the RAT types, allowing the capability information carried by each first capability response message to be independently encoded and decoded. In contrast, the segmentation in related technologies is a semantically meaningless segmentation performed byte-by-byte by the lower-layer protocol. The segment boundary may fall within the capability information of a certain RAT type, and a single segment cannot be independently decoded, nor can the capability information of any RAT type be obtained. Each encoding process only processes the bitstream corresponding to a single RAT type. The encoder only needs to allocate a memory buffer to hold the capability information of a single RAT type, and the buffer used in the previous encoding can be released and reused for the next encoding after the encoding is completed, realizing time-division multiplexing of memory. The resulting effects are: a significant reduction in peak memory usage and peak processor load during the encoding process of terminal devices; for devices with limited memory resources such as RedCap terminals and IoT terminals, memory allocation failures or frequent memory reclamation can be avoided, improving the stability of device operation; at the same time, each first capability response message carries a first query identifier and RAT type indication information, providing a basis for the network device side to associate multiple responses and independently decode and use each response.

[0062] In one possible implementation, see Figure 3 The method also includes: S301, receive a second capability query message sent by a network device. The second capability query message carries a second query identifier and indication information of the missing RAT type from at least two RAT types.

[0063] Specifically, when some of the first capability response messages sent in S203 fail to transmit due to channel quality or other reasons, the network device will initiate a new query for the unreceived RAT type. The missing RAT type is the RAT type that the network device determines after the timer expires, indicating that the corresponding first capability response message was not received. For example, the terminal device receives a second capability query message, which carries a second query identifier and NR indication information, indicating that the network device only requests to re-report the capability information corresponding to the NR. The value of the second query identifier can be set to be different from the first query identifier.

[0064] S302, generate and send at least one second capability response message to the network device, the second capability response message carrying a second query identifier, a missing RAT type indication information, and capability information of the missing RAT type indicated by the missing RAT type indication information.

[0065] Specifically, for the missing RAT type indicated by the second capability query message, the encoding, generation, and transmission operations similar to those in S202 and S203 are re-executed. The generated second capability response message carries a second query identifier, enabling the network device to associate it with the second capability query message. The capability information carried in the second capability response message can also be decoded independently. In this embodiment, the "first" and "second" in the first and second capability response messages are only used to distinguish responses to different capability query messages and do not constitute a limitation on the message format.

[0066] In this embodiment, since each first capability response message is independent, the failure to transmit a single first capability response message does not affect the reception and use of other first capability response messages. The terminal device only needs to regenerate and send the second capability response message for the missing RAT type indicated by the network device, without needing to re-report the capability information corresponding to the successfully transmitted RAT type. Compared to the related technologies where any segment transmission failure requires retransmission of the entire segment, this reduces air interface resource overhead and retransmission latency, and improves the transmission robustness of the capability reporting process.

[0067] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a capability processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. The execution subject of this method is a network device, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes: S401, a first capability query message is sent to the terminal device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information of at least two RAT types.

[0068] Specifically, when a network device needs to obtain capability information from a terminal device, it generates a first query identifier and determines at least two RAT types to be queried. The network device then sends the first query identifier and indication information for the at least two RAT types in a first capability query message to the terminal device. The network device stores the correspondence between the first query identifier and the requested RAT types for subsequent response association and missing information determination.

[0069] Optionally, the first capability query message may also carry independent reporting indication information and / or timer configuration information. For details, please refer to the description in S201 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0070] Optionally, the method further includes: starting a timer after sending the first capability query message. The timer is used to monitor the reception of multiple first capability response messages during this capability processing.

[0071] S402, receive a first capability response message sent by the terminal device, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type.

[0072] Specifically, the network device receives the first capability response message sequentially. A RAT type indication message and a capability message of the RAT type indicated by the RAT type indication message indicate that the RAT type corresponding to the capability message and the RAT type corresponding to the indication message are the same RAT type.

[0073] After sending the first capability query message, a timer is started. During the timer's execution, the network device receives the first capability response message sent by the terminal device. It should be noted that, since each first capability response message is independent of the others, the order in which the network device receives each first capability response message can be the same as the order in which the terminal device sends them, or it can be different due to differences in the transmission process. This application embodiment does not limit the receiving order.

[0074] S403, associate the first capability response message with the first capability query message according to the first query identifier.

[0075] Specifically, the network device can read the first query identifier from each received first capability response message and match the read first query identifier with the stored first query identifier. If a match is successful, the network device determines that the first capability response message is a response to the first capability query message corresponding to the first query identifier, and records that the capability information corresponding to the same RAT type has been received based on the RAT type indication information carried in the first capability response message. For example, when the network device receives a first capability response message carrying the first query identifier 37 and NR indication information, it associates it with the first capability query message corresponding to the first query identifier 37 and records that the capability information corresponding to NR has been received.

[0076] It should be noted that network devices may communicate with multiple terminal devices simultaneously, or may initiate multiple capability queries for the same terminal device. By matching the first query identifier, the network device can accurately assign multiple independent first capability response messages to the corresponding query, thus avoiding confusion between responses from different queries.

[0077] S404, decode each first capability response message to obtain the capability information of the corresponding RAT type.

[0078] Specifically, the network device can decode each first capability response message separately by inputting the bitstream corresponding to the capability information carried in that first capability response message into a decoder to obtain the capability information corresponding to the RAT type indicated by that first capability response message. The decoding operations of each first capability response message are independent of each other, and the decoding of any one first capability response message does not depend on other first capability response messages.

[0079] In one possible implementation, S404 includes: after receiving any one of the at least two first capability response messages but before receiving all the first capability response messages, decoding the received first capability response message; after completing the decoding of the received first capability response message, the network device releases the buffer resources corresponding to the first capability response message. For example, the network device first receives a first capability response message carrying NR indication information, immediately decodes it to obtain the capability information corresponding to the NR and stores the decoding result, and then releases the buffer resources occupied by the message's bitstream; these buffer resources can be reused for other subsequently received first capability response messages, achieving time-division multiplexing of buffer resources.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining the configuration information of the terminal device based on the capability information of at least one RAT type that has been decoded. For example, the network device can determine and send the NR carrier aggregation configuration information to the terminal device based on the NR-corresponding capability information, even if it has already obtained the capability information corresponding to the NR type and has not yet received the first capability response messages corresponding to the remaining RAT types, without waiting for the capability information of all RAT types to arrive.

[0081] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the network device establishes an association between "one query" and "multiple independent responses" through a first query identifier, enabling one-to-many interaction on the network device side. The network device decodes each first capability response message separately. The principle is that the capability information carried by each first capability response message is obtained by splitting and independently encoding according to the RAT type boundary. The bitstream of a single message itself constitutes a complete decodable object. Therefore, decoding does not require "collecting all messages and splicing them back together" as a prerequisite. The resulting effects are: First, the network device only processes the smaller bitstream corresponding to a single first capability response message each time it decodes, without reserving a large block of continuous memory for splicing back an ultra-long bitstream. The decoding computation is distributed to the arrival time of each message, avoiding concentrated bursts and reducing the peak memory usage and peak processor load of the network device. Second, the network device can obtain and use the capability information of the corresponding RAT type after receiving part of the first capability response message, pre-configuring resources for the terminal device and shortening the access and configuration latency of the terminal device. Third, combined with the implementation method of releasing cache resources after decoding, time-division multiplexing of the receiving cache on the network device side is realized, further reducing memory usage.

[0082] In one implementation, see Figure 5 The method also includes: S501, if the timer times out and no first capability response message corresponding to all RAT types in at least two RAT types is received, determine the missing RAT type among the at least two RAT types. The missing RAT type is the RAT type among the at least two RAT types that corresponds to the unreceived first capability response message.

[0083] Specifically, after the timer expires, the requested RAT type can be compared with the RAT types of the received capability information to determine the missing RAT type for which the corresponding first capability response message has not been received. For example, if the network device requests RAT types EUTRA, NR, and UTRA, and after the timer expires, the network device has received the first capability response messages corresponding to EUTRA and NR, but has not received the first capability response message corresponding to UTRA, then the network device determines that the missing RAT type is UTRA.

[0084] It should be noted that if the network device has received all the first capability response messages corresponding to the requested RAT type before the timer expires, the network device can stop the timer and end the current capability processing flow.

[0085] S502, a second capability query message is sent to the terminal device. The second capability query message carries a second query identifier and indication information of missing RAT type.

[0086] Specifically, the network device can generate a second query identifier, for example, a value of 38. This second query identifier, along with the indication information of the missing RAT type determined in S501, is carried in the second capability query message and sent to the terminal device to request the terminal device to re-report the capability information corresponding to the missing RAT type. Subsequently, the network device receives the second capability response message sent by the terminal device in response to the second capability query message and performs association and decoding in the same manner as described above, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, after sending the second capability query message, the network device can restart a timer to monitor the reception of the second capability response message corresponding to the second capability query message.

[0087] The technical solution of this application embodiment provides a time boundary for the reception process of multiple independent responses using a timer. In one-to-many interactions, the network device cannot determine the arrival time of each first capability response message in advance. Through the timer, the network device can continuously receive and process the arrived first capability response messages during the timer's operation, and can also end the waiting in time after the timer expires, ensuring the controllability of the capability processing flow and avoiding indefinite waiting. Furthermore, since the first query identifier and RAT type indication information enable the network device to judge the reception status of the response at the RAT type granularity, the network device can initiate selective re-requests only for missing RAT types. The capability information corresponding to the successfully received and decoded RAT types does not need to be repeatedly acquired and retransmitted. The resulting effect is that, compared with the method in related technologies where the entire process needs to be retransmitted when any segment is lost, the air interface resource overhead required for retransmission is significantly reduced, the overall latency of capability processing is shortened, and the transmission robustness is improved.

[0088] In one embodiment, a capability processing method includes: a network device sending a first capability query message to a terminal device, the first capability query message carrying a first query identifier and indication information for at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types. The terminal device receives the first capability query message sent by the network device, the first capability query message carrying a first query identifier and indication information for at least two RAT types. The terminal device encodes the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types to generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, indication information for one RAT type, and capability information for the RAT type indicated by the indication information. The terminal device sends at least two first capability response messages to the network device. The network device receives the first capability response messages sent by the terminal device, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, indication information for one RAT type, and capability information for the RAT type indicated by the indication information. The network device associates the first capability response messages with the first capability query messages based on the first query identifier. The network device decodes each first capability response message to obtain the capability information for the corresponding RAT type.

[0089] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a capability processing flow between a terminal device and a network device, provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the interaction flow includes: S601, the network device sends a first capability query message to the terminal device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information for at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types. In this embodiment, the network device is a base station. For example, the RAT type indication information carried in the first capability query message indicates five RAT types: RAT_1, RAT_2, RAT_3, RAT_4, and RAT_5.

[0090] S602, Network device startup timer.

[0091] S603, the terminal device encodes the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types, generating at least two first capability response messages. Each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information for a RAT type, and capability information for the RAT type indicated by the indication information. Specifically, the capability information for each RAT type indicated by the indication information can be encoded and carried in the corresponding capability information container to generate at least two independent first capability response messages.

[0092] S604, the terminal device sends at least two first capability response messages to the network device respectively.

[0093] For example, the network device receives a first capability response message sent by the terminal device. For example, the first capability response messages corresponding to RAT_4 and RAT_5 types fail to transmit due to channel quality or other reasons, and the network device receives three first capability response messages corresponding to RAT_1, RAT_2, and RAT_3 types respectively.

[0094] S605, the network device receives at least two first capability response messages sent by the terminal device.

[0095] S606, the network device associates the received first capability response message with the first capability query message based on the first query identifier. Specifically, it can associate first capability response messages with the same first query identifier with the first capability query message based on the first query identifier in both the first capability response message and the first capability query message.

[0096] S607, the network device decodes each received first capability response message to obtain capability information of the corresponding RAT type.

[0097] S608, if a network device times out and has not received all capability information, it determines the missing RAT type from at least two RAT types for which the corresponding capability response message was not received. Specifically, it can determine whether all capability information has been acquired based on the RAT types in the first capability query message and the RAT types in the received first capability response message. If none of the RAT types in the received first capability response message include all the RAT types in the first capability query message, then it is determined that not all capability information has been acquired, and the missing RAT type for which the corresponding capability response message was not received is determined from at least two RAT types. For example, if all RAT types in the first capability query message are RAT_1, RAT_2, RAT_3, RAT_4, and RAT_5, and all RAT types in the received first capability response message are RAT_1, RAT_2, and RAT_3, then capability information of types RAT_4 and RAT_5 is missing, i.e., the missing RAT types are RAT_4 and RAT_5.

[0098] S609, the network device sends a second capability query message to the terminal device. The second capability query message carries a second query identifier and indication information of the missing RAT type, such as indication information of RAT_4 type and RAT_5 type.

[0099] S610, the terminal device receives a second capability query message sent by the network device.

[0100] S611, the terminal device generates and sends at least one second capability response message to the network device. The second capability response message carries a second query identifier, an indication of a missing RAT type, and capability information of the missing RAT type indicated by the indication of the missing RAT type. For RAT_4 type and RAT_5 type, two second capability response messages can be generated respectively.

[0101] S612, the network device receives the second capability response message, associates the second capability response message with the second capability query message according to the second query identifier, and decodes them separately to obtain the capability information corresponding to all requested RAT types. Here, "decoding separately" means decoding each second capability response message individually.

[0102] In one embodiment, this application provides a capability processing device that can be applied to a terminal device, or be the terminal device itself, or be a chip or functional module in the terminal device. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a capability processing device provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, the capability processing device 700 includes a first receiving module 701, a first generating module 702, and a first transmitting module 703.

[0103] The first receiving module 701 is used to receive a first capability query message sent by the network device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and at least two RAT type indication information. The first generation module 702 is used to encode the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types and generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type. The first sending module 703 is used to send at least two first capability response messages to the network device respectively.

[0104] Optionally, the first generation module 702 is specifically used to: when the independent reporting indication information carried in the first capability query message indicates that independent reporting is allowed, encode the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types to generate at least two first capability response messages; and / or, when the estimated length of the concatenated encoding of the capability information corresponding to the at least two RAT types exceeds a preset threshold, encode the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types to generate at least two first capability response messages.

[0105] Optionally, the first receiving module 701 is further configured to receive a second capability query message sent by the network device, the second capability query message carrying a second query identifier and indication information of a missing RAT type from at least two RAT types; the first generating module 702 is further configured to generate a second capability response message, the second capability response message carrying a second query identifier, indication information of a missing RAT type, and capability information of the missing RAT type indicated by the indication information of the missing RAT type; the first sending module 703 is further configured to send the second capability response message to the network device.

[0106] In one embodiment, this application provides a capability processing device that can be applied to a network device, or be the network device itself, or be a chip or functional module in the network device. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a capability processing device provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 8 As shown, the capability processing device 800 includes a second transmitting module 801, a second receiving module 802, an association module 803, and a decoding module 804.

[0107] The second sending module 801 is used to send a first capability query message to the terminal device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and at least two RAT type indication information.

[0108] The second receiving module 802 is used to receive a first capability response message sent by the terminal device, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of a RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type.

[0109] The association module 803 is used to associate the first capability response message with the first capability query message based on the first query identifier.

[0110] The decoding module 804 is used to decode each first capability response message to obtain capability information of the corresponding RAT type.

[0111] Optionally, the capability processing device 800 further includes a timer module for starting a timer after the second sending module 801 sends the first capability query message; the second receiving module 802 is specifically used to receive the first capability response message sent by the terminal device during the timer's operation.

[0112] Optionally, the capability processing device 800 further includes a determining module, configured to determine a missing RAT type among at least two RAT types when the timer expires and no first capability response message corresponding to all RAT types among at least two RAT types has been received. The missing RAT type is the RAT type among at least two RAT types for which no corresponding first capability response message has been received. The second sending module 801 is further configured to send a second capability query message to the terminal device. The second capability query message carries a second query identifier and indication information of the missing RAT type.

[0113] Optionally, the decoding module 804 is specifically used to: decode the received first capability response message after receiving any one of the at least two first capability response messages and before receiving all the first capability response messages, and release the cached resources corresponding to the first capability response message after completing the decoding.

[0114] It should be noted that the above division of modules 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. Each module can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The specific process, principle, and effect of each module's operation can be found in the description of the corresponding steps in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0115] The technical solution of this application embodiment can be applied to scenarios where a network device requests capability information of multiple RAT types from a terminal device. For example, the terminal device is a multi-mode terminal supporting EUTRA, NR, and UTRA, supporting sub-6GHz and millimeter-wave bands. The number of supported CA band combinations can reach tens of thousands or even more. Correspondingly, the total length of capability information that the terminal device 102 needs to report may reach tens of thousands of bytes, far exceeding the maximum length allowed for a single air interface message (e.g., the maximum length of a PDCP SDU is 8188 bytes). In this scenario, using the method provided in this application embodiment, the terminal device 102 encodes the capability information corresponding to different RAT types into multiple independent capability response messages for reporting, avoiding centralized encoding and decoding of ultra-long code streams.

[0116] This application's embodiments are applicable to terminal devices with limited memory resources, such as RedCap terminals and IoT terminals. These terminal devices have limited available memory. If the ultra-long bitstream formed by concatenating capability information of all RAT types is encoded centrally according to related technologies, the encoder needs to allocate a continuous memory buffer large enough to accommodate the entire ultra-long bitstream at once. This can easily lead to memory allocation failures or trigger frequent memory reclamation, affecting the stability of device operation. Using the method provided in this application's embodiments, the terminal device processes only a smaller bitstream corresponding to a single RAT type each time it encodes, significantly reducing peak memory usage.

[0117] This application also provides a terminal device, including a processor, a memory, and a wireless module. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any of the methods in the first aspect of this application.

[0118] This application also provides a network device, including a processor, a memory, and a wireless module. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any of the methods in the second aspect of this application.

[0119] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned terminal device and network device. The terminal device is used to implement any of the aforementioned capability processing methods applied to the terminal device, and the network device is used to implement any of the aforementioned capability processing methods applied to the network device.

[0120] An exemplary embodiment of this application also provides an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any method of the embodiments of this application.

[0121] Exemplary embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any method of the embodiments of this application.

[0122] refer to Figure 9 An exemplary embodiment of this application also provides a computer program product 900, including a computer program 901, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any method of the embodiments of this application.

[0123] refer to Figure 10The present invention describes a structural block diagram of an electronic device 1000 that can serve as a terminal device or network device in this application, which is an example of a hardware device that can be applied to various aspects of this application. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital electronic computer devices, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the application described and / or claimed herein.

[0124] Electronic device 1000 includes a computing unit 1001, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a computer program stored in read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or a computer program loaded into random access memory (RAM) 1003 from storage unit 1008. The RAM 1003 may also store various programs and data required for device operation. The computing unit 1001, ROM 1002, and RAM 1003 are interconnected via bus 1004. An input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to bus 1004.

[0125] Multiple components in electronic device 1000 are connected to I / O interface 1005, including: input unit 1006, output unit 1007, storage unit 1008, and communication unit 1009. Input unit 1006 can be any type of device capable of inputting information to electronic device 1000. Input unit 1006 can receive input digital or character information and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and / or function control of electronic device. Output unit 1007 can be any type of device capable of presenting information and may include, but is not limited to, a display, speaker, video / audio output terminal, vibrator, and / or printer. Storage unit 1008 may include, but is not limited to, disk and optical disk. Communication unit 1009 allows electronic device 1000 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks, and may include, but is not limited to, modems, network cards, infrared communication devices, wireless communication transceivers, and / or chipsets, such as Bluetooth™ devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0126] The computing unit 1001 can be various general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 1001 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 1001 performs the various methods and processes described above. For example, in some embodiments, the methods of the embodiments of this application can be implemented as a computer software program, which is tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 1008. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the electronic device 1000 via ROM 1002 and / or communication unit 1009. In some embodiments, the computing unit 1001 can be configured to perform the methods of the embodiments of this application by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0127] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A capability processing method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a first capability query message sent by a network device, the first capability query message carrying a first query identifier and indication information of at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types; The capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types is encoded to generate at least two first capability response messages, wherein each first capability response message carries the first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and the capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type; Send at least two first capability response messages to the network device respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The generation of at least two first capability response messages includes: If the independent reporting indication information carried in the first capability query message indicates that independent reporting is allowed, the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types is encoded to generate the at least two first capability response messages; and / or, If the estimated length of the concatenated encoding of the capability information corresponding to the at least two RAT types exceeds a preset threshold, the capability information corresponding to each of the at least two RAT types is encoded to generate the at least two first capability response messages.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second capability query message sent by the network device, the second capability query message carrying a second query identifier and indication information of the missing RAT type among the at least two RAT types; Generate and send at least one second capability response message to the network device, the second capability response message carrying the second query identifier, an indication of a missing RAT type, and capability information of the missing RAT type indicated by the indication of the missing RAT type.

4. A capability processing method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a first capability query message to the terminal device. The first capability query message carries a first query identifier and indication information of at least two Radio Access Technology (RAT) types. The terminal device sends a first capability response message, wherein each first capability response message carries a first query identifier, an indication information of a RAT type, and capability information of the RAT type indicated by the indication information of the RAT type; Based on the first query identifier, associate the first capability response message with the first capability query message; Each of the first capability response messages is decoded to obtain the capability information of the corresponding RAT type.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: starting a timer after sending the first capability query message; Receiving the first capability response message sent by the terminal device includes: receiving the first capability response message sent by the terminal device during the operation of the timer.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the timer times out and no first capability response message corresponding to all RAT types in the at least two RAT types is received, a missing RAT type is determined among the at least two RAT types. The missing RAT type is the RAT type among the at least two RAT types that corresponds to the unreceived first capability response message. A second capability query message is sent to the terminal device. The second capability query message carries a second query identifier and indication information of the missing RAT type.

7. A terminal device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor, a memory, and a wireless module, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. A network device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor, a memory, and a wireless module, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 4 to 6.

9. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes the terminal device as described in claim 7 and the network device as described in claim 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, or the method as described in any one of claims 4 to 6.

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