Paging resource determination, communication methods, apparatuses, terminals, and network-side devices

Abstract

The application discloses a paging resource determination, a communication method, a device, a terminal and a network side equipment, and belongs to the communication field. The communication method comprises the following steps: a terminal selects a first frequency domain resource for listening to a page from at least two frequency domain resources of a service cell according to first information. The first information comprises at least one of the following: a terminal type of the terminal, a terminal identifier of the terminal, a signal quality representation value on the first frequency domain resource and frequency domain resource information indicated by a network side equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a paging resource determination, communication method, device, terminal, and network-side equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, a cell is configured with only one downlink carrier, and a terminal camps on only one cell at a time. Network-side equipment determines the terminal's camping range by updating the tracking area information reported by the terminal. When a downlink service request occurs, the network-side equipment, based on the tracking area corresponding to the camped cell, initiates paging within the designated area using its downlink carrier to find the corresponding terminal.

[0003] With the advent of single-cell multi-carrier technology, a single cell may be configured with multiple downlink frequency domain resources. Since a single cell only has one set of System Information (SI), the cell as a whole still belongs to the same tracking area. This means that from the network's perspective, the terminal location is still identified at the tracking area or even the cell level. However, within a single cell, multiple frequency domain resources are actually used for paging offload, which raises a key contradiction—although the network still uses the entire cell as the paging unit at the macro level, at the micro level, the terminal needs to select the appropriate frequency domain resources for listening and paging within the cell. Therefore, how to establish an efficient frequency domain resource selection mechanism for listening and paging, enabling the terminal to be efficiently paging by network-side devices configured with multiple downlink frequency domain resources, has become a pressing technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a paging resource determination, communication method, apparatus, terminal, and network-side equipment to solve the problem of how to establish an efficient paging resource selection mechanism in a single cell with multi-frequency domain resources.

[0005] Firstly, a method for determining paging resources is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] The terminal selects the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell based on the first information;

[0007] The first information includes at least one of the following:

[0008] The terminal type of the terminal;

[0009] The terminal identifier of the terminal;

[0010] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource;

[0011] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0012] Secondly, a communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0013] The network-side device sends frequency domain resource information to the terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

[0014] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0015] The first network-side device sends third information to the second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

[0016] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which includes:

[0017] The second network-side device receives third information sent by the first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

[0018] Fifthly, a paging resource determination device is provided, the device comprising:

[0019] The processing module is used to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell based on the first information;

[0020] The first information includes at least one of the following:

[0021] Terminal type;

[0022] Terminal identifier;

[0023] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource;

[0024] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0025] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, the device comprising:

[0026] The sending module is used to send frequency domain resource information to the terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, the device comprising:

[0028] The sending module is used to send third information to a second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

[0029] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, the device comprising:

[0030] A receiving module is configured to receive third information sent by a first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

[0031] A ninth aspect provides a paging resource determination apparatus configured to perform the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0032] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, the device being configured to perform the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or to implement the steps of the method described in the third aspect, or to implement the steps of the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0033] Eleventhly, a terminal is provided, the terminal including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the method as described in the first aspect.

[0034] In a twelfth aspect, a terminal is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of a serving cell according to first information;

[0035] The first information includes at least one of the following:

[0036] Terminal type;

[0037] Terminal identifier;

[0038] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource;

[0039] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0040] In a thirteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, the network-side device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the method as described in the second, third, or fourth aspect.

[0041] In a fourteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to send frequency domain resource information to a terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of a serving cell.

[0042] In a fifteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to send third information to a second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to a terminal.

[0043] In a sixteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive third information sent by a first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to a terminal.

[0044] In a seventeenth aspect, a readable storage medium is provided, on which a program or instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect, or the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method described in the third aspect, or the steps of the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0045] Eighteenthly, a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal and a network-side device, wherein the terminal is configured to perform the steps of the method described in the first aspect, and the network-side device is configured to perform the steps of the method described in the second aspect.

[0046] In a nineteenth aspect, a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: a first network-side device and a second network-side device, wherein the first network-side device is configured to perform the steps of the method described in the third aspect, and the second network-side device is configured to perform the steps of the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0047] In a twentieth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to run programs or instructions to implement the method as described in the first aspect, or the method as described in the second aspect, or the method as described in the third aspect, or the method as described in the fourth aspect.

[0048] In a twenty-first aspect, a computer program / program product is provided, the computer program / program product being stored in a storage medium, the computer program / program product being executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the third aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the fourth aspect.

[0049] In this embodiment, for a cell configured with at least two frequency domain resources, the terminal can efficiently select a first frequency domain resource for paging monitoring based on at least one of the following first pieces of information: terminal type, terminal identifier, signal quality on the frequency domain resource, and frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device. Furthermore, this efficient selection mechanism allows the terminal to be effectively distributed across different frequency domain resources for paging monitoring, which helps balance network load and improve paging efficiency, while also ensuring a good terminal access experience. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a paging resource determination method proposed in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method proposed in one embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method proposed in another embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method proposed in another embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a paging resource determination device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to another embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to another embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network-side device proposed in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0063] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same class, not limited in number; for example, the first object can be one or more. Furthermore, "or" in this application indicates at least one of the connected objects. For example, the scope of protection for "A or B" covers at least three scenarios: Scenario 1: including A but not B; Scenario 2: including B but not A; Scenario 3: including both A and B. In addition, the terms "A and / or B," "at least one of A and B," and "at least one of A or B" also cover at least the above three scenarios. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0064] The term "instruction" in this application can be either a direct instruction (or explicit instruction) or an indirect instruction (or implicit instruction). A direct instruction can be understood as one in which the sender explicitly informs the receiver of specific information, the operation to be performed, or the requested result, etc., in the instruction sent. An indirect instruction can be understood as one in which the receiver determines the corresponding information based on the instruction sent by the sender, or makes a judgment and determines the operation to be performed or the requested result, etc., based on the judgment result.

[0065] It is worth noting that the technologies described in this application are not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, but can also be used in other wireless communication systems, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single-carrier Frequency-Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), or other systems. The terms "system" and "network" in this application are often used interchangeably, and the described technologies can be used with the systems and radio technologies mentioned above, as well as with other systems and radio technologies. The following description describes New Radio (NR) systems for illustrative purposes, and the term NR is used in most of the following description; however, these technologies can also be applied to systems other than NR systems, such as 6th generation (6G) radio systems. th Generation 6G communication system.

[0066] Figure 1This diagram illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. The wireless communication system includes a terminal 11 and a network-side device 12. The terminal 11 can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld computer, netbook, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), mobile internet device (MID), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) device, robot, wearable device, flight vehicle, vehicle user equipment (VUE), shipboard equipment, pedestrian user equipment (PUE), smart home devices (home appliances with wireless communication capabilities, such as refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, or furniture), game consoles, personal computers (PCs), ATMs, or self-service machines, etc. Wearable devices include: smartwatches, smart bracelets, smart headphones, smart glasses, smart jewelry (smart bracelets, smart chains, smart rings, smart necklaces, smart anklets, smart anklets, etc.), smart wristbands, smart clothing, etc. Among these, in-vehicle devices can also be referred to as in-vehicle terminals, in-vehicle controllers, in-vehicle modules, in-vehicle components, in-vehicle chips, or in-vehicle units, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of terminal 11 is not limited in this application embodiment. Network-side equipment 12 may include access network equipment or core network equipment, wherein access network equipment may also be referred to as Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, radio access network function, or radio access network unit. Access network equipment may include base stations, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access points (AS), or Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) nodes, etc.The term "base station" can be referred to as Node B (NB), Evolved Node B (eNB), Next Generation Node B (gNB), New Radio Node B (NR Node B), Access Point, Relay Base Station (RBS), Serving Base Station (SBS), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Radio Base Station, Radio Transceiver, Basic Service Set (BSS), Extended Service Set (ESS), Home Node B (HNB), Home Evolved Node B, Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), or any other suitable term in the relevant field, as long as the same technical effect is achieved. The term "base station" is not limited to any specific technical terminology. It should be noted that this application embodiment only uses a base station in an NR system as an example for description and does not limit the specific type of base station.

[0067] Core network equipment, also known as core network nodes, core network functions, or core network elements, includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Edge Application Server Discovery Function (EASDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Unified Data Repository (UDR), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Centralized network configuration (CNC), Network Repository Function (NRF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Local NEF (or L-NEF), and Binding Support Function. Support Functions (BSF), Application Functions (AF), Location Management Functions (LMF), Gateway Mobile Location Centres (GMLC), and Network Data Analytics Functions (NWDAF), etc. It should be noted that this application embodiment only uses core network equipment in the NR system as an example and does not limit the specific type of core network equipment. If the name of the core network equipment mentioned in this application embodiment changes in subsequent protocol versions (e.g., 6G), it will still be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] Optionally, the core network equipment can be implemented by one or more functional modules in a single device, or by multiple devices working together; this application does not specifically limit this. It is understood that the aforementioned functional modules can be network elements in hardware devices, software functional modules running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functional modules instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0069] To facilitate understanding, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies involved in this application will be given below.

[0070] I. Multi-carrier single cell

[0071] Long-Term Evolution Narrowband Internet of Things (LTE NB-IoT) supports single-cell multi-carrier technology, where one carrier is called the anchor carrier and the others are called non-anchor carriers.

[0072] New Radio (NR) supports Supplementary Uplink (SUL). In other words, two uplink carriers can be configured within a single cell, which can also be classified as a multi-carrier single-cell architecture.

[0073] In 6G, for reasons such as discrete spectrum utilization, network energy saving (e.g., a cell containing multiple carriers only transmits common signals on some carriers), and saving resource scheduling signaling overhead, a multicarrier / band single cell model may be considered. For example, a cell may include 700 / 800 / 900MHz of frequency domain resources.

[0074] II. Paging

[0075] In NR, paging can be categorized according to the message source:

[0076] 1) 5G core network (5GC) paging originates from the 5G core network. In the RRC_IDLE state, when downlink data arrives at the UE in the RRC_IDLE state, the 5GC notifies the UE through a paging message.

[0077] 2) Radio Access Network (RAN) paging originates from the base station (gNodeB, gNB). When downlink data arrives at a terminal in a Radio Resource Control (RRC_INACTIVE) inactive state, the base station notifies the terminal to start data transmission via a RAN paging message.

[0078] Both types of paging messages are ultimately sent to the terminal by the base station (gNodeB, gNB) via the air interface.

[0079] Paging messages are carried on the Paging Control Channel (PCCH), a logical channel. The data blocks of the PCCH are carried on the Paging Channel (PCH), a transport channel, and the data blocks of the PCH are carried on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), a physical channel. Since the PDSCH is a downlink shared physical channel, it can carry both the PCH and the Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH). Therefore, before receiving a paging message (carried on the PDSCH), the terminal needs to listen to the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and then determine whether the network device has sent a paging message to it in the current paging cycle based on whether the PDCCH carries a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI).

[0080] Paging frame (PF) and paging occasion (PO) are two important paging-related parameters. A PF is a radio frame that can contain one or more POs. A PO may contain a subframe of a paging message.

[0081] If the terminal knows the paging-related parameters such as the paging cycle, PF, and PO, it can determine the exact time to receive the paging message. To reduce the terminal's power consumption in the RRC idle / RRC inactive (RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE) state, the terminal uses Discontinuous Reception (DRX) to receive paging messages. A DRX cycle contains several PFs, and each PF corresponds to several POs. The terminal wakes up only once per DRX cycle to monitor one PO. The terminal monitors one PO in each DRX cycle. A PO is a set of PDCCH monitoring opportunities, and a PO can include multiple time slots (e.g., subframes or OFDM symbols) for sending downlink control information (DCI).

[0082] The DRX period represents the period during which the terminal detects paging, PF represents the system frame for detecting paging, PO represents the specific PDCCH monitoring occasions for detecting paging, and i_s represents the index of the PO corresponding to PF. PF and i_s are calculated as follows:

[0083] PF: (SFN+PF_offset)mod T=(T div N)*(UE_ID mod N)

[0084] i_s:i_s=floor(UE_ID / N)mod Ns

[0085] The parameters are explained as follows:

[0086] SFN represents the system frame number;

[0087] T represents the DRX period. The system message will have a cell-level indication Tc, and the RRC may also have a UE-level indication Tue. If there is no indication Tue, then T = Tc. If there is an indication Tue, then T = min(Tc, Tue).

[0088] N represents the total number of PFs in T;

[0089] Ns represents the number of POs corresponding to one PF;

[0090] PF_offset represents the offset of PF;

[0091] UE_ID represents 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024, where 5G-S-TMSI refers to the SAE Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity in 5G.

[0092] TMSI stands for Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identifier, which is used to uniquely distinguish different terminals. TMSI is also used in Msg3 for random access. When a terminal does not have a TMSI, the default UE_ID = 0.

[0093] III. Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWA)

[0094] LPWA is a wireless communication technology designed to meet the low-power, wide-area coverage, and low-cost communication needs of IoT devices. LPWA technology features long communication distances, low power consumption, and low cost, making it suitable for the large-scale connectivity and low-power requirements of IoT applications. With the deployment of 6G expected to begin in the near future, existing cellular IoT devices such as NB-IoT will reach the end of their lifespan, making 6G a suitable time to deploy a new generation of higher-performance, lower-cost, and larger-scale LPWA devices. The LPWA market is expected to experience strong growth with the rollout of 6G. Existing 4G LPWA solutions, such as Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), are not well-compatible. The physical layers of NB-IoT user equipment and eMBB user equipment differ significantly, increasing both standardization efforts and the cost of NB-IoT user equipment. Furthermore, NB-IoT user equipment requires dedicated NB-IoT base stations, increasing network deployment costs and operational efficiency. Therefore, when designing 6G LPWA solutions, it is desirable to achieve maximum compatibility between 6G LPWA and eMBB. Correspondingly, on the network side, a single 6G base station will simultaneously serve LPWA and eMBB devices, dynamically optimizing resource allocation for instantaneous service requests. To reduce network deployment and operating costs, future 6G mobile communication systems will consider the organic integration of broadband and narrowband communication as much as possible.

[0095] In related technologies, a cell is configured with only one downlink carrier, and a terminal camps on only one cell at a time. Network-side equipment determines the terminal's camping range by updating the tracking area information reported by the terminal. When a downlink service request arises, the network-side equipment, based on the tracking area corresponding to the camped cell, initiates paging within the designated area using its downlink carrier to locate the corresponding terminal. The division of the tracking area is a trade-off considering system-level performance factors such as reporting overhead and paging overhead.

[0096] In future multi-carrier single-cell models (such as in 6G), a single cell may contain multiple downlink paging carriers or paging frequency units. A single cell may be configured with multiple downlink paging carriers or paging frequency units. Since a single cell is configured with only one set of System Information (SI), the cell as a whole still belongs to the same tracking area. This also means that from the network's perspective, the terminal location is still identified at the tracking area or even the cell level. However, within a single cell, multiple paging carriers actually exist for paging offload, which leads to a key contradiction—although the network still treats the entire cell as the paging unit at the macro level, it needs to make decisions regarding different paging resources within the cell at the micro level.

[0097] However, there is currently no efficient paging resource selection mechanism that enables network-side equipment to efficiently paging a specific terminal on different frequency domain resources (such as carriers / frequency units) within a cell.

[0098] Specifically, the following problems exist for the multi-carrier single-cell model:

[0099] 1) For the multi-carrier single-cell model in 6G, since a cell no longer contains only one downlink carrier, but may contain multiple downlink carriers / downlink frequency units, and multiple downlink carriers / downlink frequency units cannot achieve complete overlapping coverage due to differences in frequency bandwidth, and need to support multiple types of terminals, multiple scenarios, and multiple service requirements at the same time, how to efficiently paging the corresponding terminal under such complex system and requirements is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0100] 2) Paging on multiple carriers as much as possible may increase the success rate, but at the cost of higher paging overhead. Conversely, paging on multiple carriers results in a lower success rate and lower overhead, requiring more comprehensive information to help network-side devices make decisions on paging resources.

[0101] 3) Different situations and different terminals may require different paging strategies. Network-side equipment needs to be able to control these strategies and provide services better as needed.

[0102] To address at least one of the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application propose a paging resource determination method and a communication method. The methods provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through some embodiments and application scenarios.

[0103] First, an embodiment of this application is provided to illustrate a method for determining paging resources.

[0104] like Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of this application proposes a paging resource determination method, which may include:

[0105] Step 201: The terminal selects the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell based on the first information.

[0106] The first information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0107] The terminal type of the terminal;

[0108] The terminal identifier of the terminal;

[0109] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource, wherein the signal quality characterization value may include, but is not limited to, at least one of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR);

[0110] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0111] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit selected from a plurality of downlink carriers or a plurality of downlink frequency units.

[0112] In other embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit selected from a plurality of paging carriers or a plurality of paging frequency units.

[0113] It is understandable that when a cell contains only one downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit, the terminal selects a suitable and not-banned cell to camp on using the traditional cell selection / reselection principle, and then listens for paging. After upgrading the NB-IoT system and introducing a multi-carrier mechanism, in some embodiments, when there are multiple downlink paging carriers, the terminal is assigned a weight based on its UE ID and each paging carrier according to the modulo operation. This allows the terminal to listen for paging on a designated paging carrier according to the network configuration, and the terminal and network-side equipment have a consistent understanding of the calculated paging carriers. Therefore, paging can be sent according to the calculated method, and generally, the terminal will not be unable to be paged. This method of distributing terminals according to UE ID maintains consistency in understanding and calculation between the network-side equipment and the terminal, and also helps the network-side equipment control the load of different paging requests. However, an important premise of this method is that NB-IoT systems are narrowband, approximately 200kHz, and the multiple paging carriers are relatively close in spectrum, so the coverage of different paging carriers can be considered basically the same.

[0114] However, the deployment requirements of future communication systems (such as 6G) have changed significantly. Firstly, carriers / frequency units with certain frequency intervals or even different frequency bands may be aggregated into a single cell for unified operation and scheduling, and the bandwidth of each carrier / frequency unit will also vary considerably. Therefore, the previous assumption of consistent coverage for each paging carrier in NB-IoT systems will no longer hold. Secondly, future communication systems (such as 6G) aim to connect different types of terminals to the network using a unified Radio Access Technology (RAT). For example, LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals, despite significant differences in capabilities and requirements, still require a unified RAT for network access. Therefore, in the multi-carrier single-cell model of future communication systems (such as 6G), a more flexible and efficient method is needed for terminals to determine the carrier / frequency unit for paging.

[0115] In some embodiments, considering the requirements of future communication systems (such as 6G), when a terminal selects a cell to camp on according to the cell selection / reselection principle, the carrier / frequency unit on which it performs paging listening can be selected based on at least one of the following:

[0116] 1) The terminal type of the terminal, that is, the first information includes the terminal type of the terminal.

[0117] In some embodiments, the network-side device may configure frequency domain resource lists corresponding to at least two terminal types for the terminal.

[0118] In some embodiments, step 201 may specifically include: the terminal selecting a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal, wherein different terminal types correspond to different frequency domain resource lists, and a frequency domain resource list contains at least one frequency domain resource, which may be a paging carrier / paging frequency unit, or the frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit.

[0119] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resources contained in different frequency domain resource lists may completely overlap, partially overlap, or not overlap at all. For example, if frequency domain resource list 1 contains frequency domain resource 1, frequency domain resource 2, and frequency domain resource 3, and frequency domain resource list 2 also contains frequency domain resource 1, frequency domain resource 2, and frequency domain resource 3, it indicates that the frequency domain resources contained in frequency domain resource list 1 and frequency domain resource list 2 completely overlap in terms of both the number of resources. If frequency domain resource list 1 contains frequency domain resource 1 and frequency domain resource 2, and frequency domain resource list 2 contains frequency domain resource 2 and frequency domain resource 3, it indicates that the frequency domain resources contained in frequency domain resource list 1 and frequency domain resource list 2 partially overlap. If frequency domain resource list 1 contains frequency domain resource 1 and frequency domain resource 2, and frequency domain resource list 2 contains frequency domain resource 3 and frequency domain resource 4, it indicates that the frequency domain resources contained in frequency domain resource list 1 and frequency domain resource list 2 do not overlap at all.

[0120] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the following control parameters:

[0121] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0122] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0123] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0124] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0125] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0126] In some embodiments, the control parameters (such as weights, RSRP thresholds, and at least one of paging packet parameters) of frequency domain resources in different frequency domain resource lists are configured independently.

[0127] In some embodiments, the terminal type may include LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals. It is understood that ordinary terminals and LPWA terminals are just examples of terminal classification methods, and there may be other classification methods or more detailed classifications under LPWA terminals.

[0128] For example, compared to LPWA terminals, ordinary terminals can select from list 1, which contains paging carriers / paging frequency units; while LPWA terminals can select from list 2, where the composition and number of paging carriers / paging frequency units in list 1 can completely overlap, partially overlap, or not overlap at all with those in list 2. Furthermore, the weight of each paging carrier / paging frequency unit in list 1 is completely independent of the weight of each paging carrier / paging frequency unit in list 2. Even if the same paging carrier / paging frequency unit is included in both frequency domain resource lists, different weight configurations are possible. Additionally, ordinary terminals and LPWA terminals are just examples of classification methods; other classification methods or more detailed classifications under LPWA terminals are also possible. The principle remains the same: different controls are applied to different terminal types. Besides the weight of paging carriers / paging frequency units, other related independent configurations are also possible, such as PO-related parameters, RSRP thresholds, paging scheduling parameters, and the number of paging repetitions.

[0129] 2) The terminal identifier of the terminal, that is, the first information includes the terminal identifier of the terminal.

[0130] In this case, as an example, if the first information includes not only the terminal type of the terminal but also the terminal identifier of the terminal, then the terminal selecting the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal may include: the terminal selecting the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal based on the terminal identifier of the terminal.

[0131] In scenarios where paging carriers / frequency units have inconsistent coverage, there is generally a primary paging carrier / frequency unit. This primary paging carrier / frequency unit is typically characterized by a lower frequency, better coverage, and both System Information Block (SIB) messages and SSB signals are transmitted on it. Secondary paging carriers / frequency units may be located in adjacent frequencies or even other frequency bands, therefore their coverage is generally weaker than that of the primary paging carrier / frequency unit. Furthermore, SIB messages may not be transmitted on secondary paging carriers / frequency units, and SSB signals may or may not be transmitted. In such scenarios with different coverage, network-side devices and terminals can use publicly known information, such as terminal type and terminal identifier (UE ID), as the primary basis for selecting the carrier / frequency unit for paging. Based on the UE ID and the weights of each carrier / frequency unit, a specific carrier / frequency unit in the frequency domain resource list corresponding to that terminal type is selected as the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging.

[0132] 3) Frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device, that is, the first information includes frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device.

[0133] In this case, before step 201, Figure 2 The method shown may further include: the terminal receiving frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

[0134] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource information is indicated by the network-side device via SIB.

[0135] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource information includes at least one of the following:

[0136] a. The first frequency domain resource. That is, the network-side device instructs the terminal to perform paging listening on the specified paging carrier / paging frequency unit.

[0137] In some embodiments, before the terminal receives frequency domain resource information from the network-side device... Figure 2The method may further include: the terminal sending second information to the network-side device, wherein the second information includes reporting information of the terminal in RRC connected state, the reporting information including at least one of the terminal's characteristic information, measurement information, and downlink paging configuration request information. Accordingly, the network-side device can select a suitable paging carrier / paging frequency unit as a first frequency domain resource for the terminal based on the reporting information in RRC connected state, and notify the terminal with the second information.

[0138] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried by an RRC message.

[0139] For example, a terminal can synchronize paging carrier / paging frequency unit information with the network-side equipment when entering connected state. Especially for LPWA terminals, one type is fixedly deployed, such as electricity meters, water meters, and fixed-installation sensors / cameras. These terminals are characterized by not moving or having a very small range of movement. One approach is that when they enter connected state, the network side can select the most suitable paging carrier / paging frequency unit for the terminal based on the information reported in connected state and notify the terminal via an RRC message, for example, carried in an RRC Release message. After receiving this, the terminal, upon entering idle or inactive state, will listen for paging on the designated paging carrier / paging frequency unit. The network-side equipment will also record this information. For inactive terminals, the base station can record it, but a more common practice is to send this recorded information to the core network for retention. The core network then sends this information to the base station the next time paging is triggered, allowing the base station to initiate paging on the designated paging carrier / paging frequency unit.

[0140] b. At least one frequency domain resource list. That is, the network-side device can indicate at least one unified frequency domain resource list for paging to the terminal.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first information further includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes the at least one frequency domain resource list. In this case, step 201 may specifically include: the terminal selects a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the at least one frequency domain resource list according to the terminal identifier of the terminal.

[0142] In some embodiments, the at least one frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the following control parameters:

[0143] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0144] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0145] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0146] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0147] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0148] In some embodiments, if the first information further includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes the at least one frequency domain resource list, and the at least one frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the aforementioned control parameters, then step 201 may specifically include: the terminal selecting the first frequency domain resource for paging listening from the at least one frequency domain resource list based on the terminal identifier of the terminal and the control parameters included in the at least one frequency domain resource list. For example, assuming the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes a unified frequency domain resource list containing N frequency domain resources, the terminal can calculate, based on the control parameters and related formulas in the list, which PO on which frequency domain resource it should paging listen on.

[0149] The following example uses P-RNTI listening and non-anchor carrier paging in the multi-carrier single-cell model of NB-IoT to illustrate the relevant formulas.

[0150] If the UE listens for P-RNTI on the NPDCCH and supports non-anchor carrier paging, and the system information provides non-anchor carrier paging configuration, then the paging carrier is determined by the smallest index n (0≤n≤Nn-1) that satisfies the following formula:

[0151]

[0152] If the terminal knows the paging-related parameters such as the paging cycle, PF, and PO, it can determine the exact time to receive the paging message. To reduce the terminal's power consumption in the RRC idle / RRC inactive (RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE) state, the terminal uses Discontinuous Reception (DRX) to receive paging messages. A DRX cycle contains several PFs, and each PF corresponds to several POs. The terminal wakes up only once per DRX cycle to monitor one PO. The terminal monitors one PO in each DRX cycle. A PO is a set of PDCCH monitoring opportunities, and a PO can include multiple time slots (e.g., subframes or OFDM symbols) for sending downlink control information (DCI).

[0153] The DRX period represents the period during which the terminal detects paging, PF represents the system frame for detecting paging, PO represents the specific PDCCH monitoring occasions for detecting paging, and i_s represents the index of the PO corresponding to PF. PF and i_s are calculated as follows:

[0154] PF: (SFN+PF_offset)mod T=(T div N)*(UE_ID mod N)

[0155] i_s:i_s=floor(UE_ID / N)mod Ns

[0156] The parameters are explained as follows:

[0157] W represents the carrier weight;

[0158] SFN represents the system frame number;

[0159] T represents the DRX period. The system message will have a cell-level indication Tc, and the RRC may also have a UE-level indication Tue. If there is no indication Tue, then T = Tc. If there is an indication Tue, then T = min(Tc, Tue).

[0160] N represents the total number of PFs in T;

[0161] Ns represents the number of POs corresponding to one PF;

[0162] PF_offset represents the offset of PF;

[0163] UE_ID represents 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024, where 5G-S-TMSI refers to the SAE Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity in 5G.

[0164] TMSI stands for Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identifier, which is used to uniquely distinguish different terminals. TMSI is also used in Msg3 for random access. When a terminal does not have a TMSI, the default UE_ID = 0.

[0165] In addition, regarding the updating of DRX parameters in system information: when the DRX parameter values ​​in the system information change, the terminal needs to update the locally stored DRX parameters. If the terminal does not have an IMSI (e.g., for emergency calls without USIM), then UE_ID = 0 is used by default in PF, i_s, and PNB calculations; if the terminal does not have an SG-S-TMSI (e.g., not registered to the network), then UE_ID = 0 is used by default in PF and i_s calculations.

[0166] c. A list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type. That is, the network-side device can indicate to the terminal a list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type, and the terminal can select a first frequency domain resource from the list of frequency domain resources corresponding to the terminal type for listening to paging.

[0167] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the following control parameters:

[0168] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0169] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0170] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0171] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0172] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0173] In some embodiments, if the first information further includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes a frequency domain resource list corresponding to at least one terminal type, and the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the at least one terminal type further includes at least one of the aforementioned control parameters, then step 201 may specifically include: the terminal selecting the first frequency domain resource for paging listening from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the at least one terminal type based on the terminal identifier of the terminal and the control parameters included in the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the at least one terminal type. Similarly, assuming the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes a frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource list contains N frequency domain resources, the terminal can calculate which PO on which frequency domain resource it should paging listen on based on the control parameters in the list and the formula described above.

[0174] 4) The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource, that is, the first information includes the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first frequency domain resource selected based on the terminal type, terminal identifier, and frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device may change. For example, the signal quality on the first frequency domain resource may suddenly fail to meet the monitoring requirements, such as obstruction or deep attenuation. In such cases, it is necessary to determine the frequency domain resource for monitoring and paging separately.

[0176] In some embodiments, Figure 2 The method shown may also include:

[0177] The terminal determines whether the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. For example, the terminal determines whether the RSRP on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the RSRP threshold.

[0178] In some embodiments, Figure 2 The method shown may also include at least one of the following:

[0179] If the signal quality characterization value of the terminal on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, for example, if the RSRP of the terminal on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the RSRP threshold, then paging monitoring is performed on the first frequency domain resource.

[0180] If the signal quality characterization value of the terminal on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a preset threshold, for example, if the RSRP of the terminal on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the RSRP threshold, the terminal will perform paging monitoring on the second frequency domain resource.

[0181] In some embodiments, prior to paging listening on the second frequency domain resource, Figure 2 The method shown also includes at least one of the following:

[0182] When the first frequency domain resource is a secondary carrier or a secondary frequency unit, the terminal determines the primary carrier or primary frequency unit of the serving cell as the second frequency domain resource;

[0183] The terminal selects a new frequency domain resource from the at least two frequency domain resources as the second frequency domain resource based on the terminal's identifier.

[0184] Wherein, the signal quality characterization value on the second frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, and / or, the coverage area of ​​the second frequency domain resource is greater than that of the first frequency domain resource. It is understood that in some communication systems, multiple frequency domain resources configured for a cell may not distinguish between primary carriers or primary frequency units and secondary carriers or secondary frequency units. In this case, the second frequency domain resource can be selected based on at least one of the coverage area and signal quality characterization of the frequency domain resource.

[0185] In some embodiments, Figure 2 The method shown may also include:

[0186] After paging and monitoring on the second frequency domain resource, if the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource becomes greater than or equal to a preset threshold, then paging and monitoring will be performed again on the first frequency domain resource.

[0187] The preset threshold can be agreed upon by the protocol and / or indicated by the network-side device. For different frequency domain resources, the corresponding preset thresholds can be the same or different.

[0188] As an example, the paging carrier / frequency unit indicated by the network-side equipment may also change. For instance, the signal quality may suddenly fail to meet the listening requirements due to obstruction or deep attenuation. In this case, the terminal needs to be allowed to fall back, for example, to another paging carrier / frequency unit with greater coverage, typically back to the primary paging carrier / frequency unit. Alternatively, when the signal quality improves, the terminal can return to the paging carrier / frequency unit indicated by the network-side equipment for listening. This way, from the network side's perspective, there's a high probability that the terminal can be paged on the paging carrier / frequency unit specified by the network-side equipment. If it still fails, it can try paging again on the primary paging carrier / frequency unit.

[0189] As another example, since the coverage of different frequency domain resources varies, the first frequency domain resource selected based on publicly known information such as the UE ID may not be able to be listened to properly because the terminal is located at the edge, thus requiring further adjustment:

[0190] a. If there is an SSB or other measurement reference signal on the secondary carrier / frequency unit, the terminal can obtain the signal quality characterization value of the secondary carrier / frequency unit by measuring the SSB or other reference signal when selecting the paging carrier / frequency unit. If the signal quality characterization value of the reference signal is greater than or equal to a preset threshold; or, by measuring the SSB specifically for that carrier / frequency unit to obtain the signal quality characterization value of the secondary carrier / frequency unit, if the signal quality characterization value of the reference signal is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, then the secondary carrier / frequency unit selected according to the UE ID allocation principle can be used for paging monitoring. Otherwise, the UE needs to fall back to other carriers / frequency units with larger coverage, such as the primary carrier / frequency unit for paging monitoring. The preset threshold can be specified by the protocol or broadcast in the cell's SIB. This preset threshold can be a general threshold for paging monitoring.

[0191] b. If there is no SSB or other measurement reference signal on the secondary carrier / frequency unit, the terminal cannot determine whether the signal quality on that secondary carrier / frequency unit meets the requirements for paging monitoring by measuring that secondary carrier / frequency unit. In this case, the terminal can measure the signal quality characterization value of the primary carrier / frequency unit and compare it with a preset threshold. When the signal quality characterization value on the primary carrier / frequency unit is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the secondary carrier / frequency unit selected according to the UE ID allocation principle can be used for paging monitoring. Otherwise, the UE needs to fall back to other carrier / frequency units with larger coverage for paging monitoring, such as the primary carrier / frequency unit. The preset threshold can be a preset threshold broadcast in the SIB specifically for that secondary carrier / frequency unit.

[0192] In this approach, the first step is to select a carrier / frequency unit based on publicly known information from both sides (such as terminal type and / or terminal identifier). The terminal then decides whether to perform paging listening on the selected carrier / frequency unit based on actual signal quality characteristics. This approach, to some extent, satisfies the controllability requirements of the network-side equipment while also accommodating adjustments for different coverage levels. For the terminal, it will always select a suitable carrier / frequency unit for paging listening. For the network-side equipment, there may be two scenarios: selecting a carrier / frequency unit and backing up a carrier / frequency unit. In practice, multiple attempts are required when sending paging messages, or both may be triggered simultaneously.

[0193] In some embodiments, Figure 2 The method shown may further include: when the terminal is listening for paging on the second frequency domain resources, reporting the frequency domain resource change information of the paging listening to the network side device.

[0194] Typically, paging involves defining different areas, such as Tracking Area (TA) or RAN Notification Area (RNA). Terminals can move freely within these areas without informing the network. However, if a terminal moves out of the area or fails to report within an area for an extended period, it will trigger a report to the network. This allows the network to have a general idea of ​​the terminal's location. When a downlink service arrives, the network will prioritize paging within the most recently reported area, which will likely be able to page the terminal and enter a connected state for service transmission.

[0195] Traditionally, regions are defined at the cell level, such as broadcasting the TA and / or RNA information of a cell in the cell system broadcast. With the introduction of the multi-carrier single-cell model, from a macroscopic perspective, the TA or RNA information of a cell can still be determined in the traditional SIB broadcast manner. Therefore, network-side equipment can, to some extent, grasp the cell-level information where the UE is camped. However, within a single cell, different paging carriers / frequency units are used for paging offload. Therefore, after determining the cell, the network-side equipment needs to further determine which paging carrier / frequency unit to send the terminal's paging message to.

[0196] The principle of traffic splitting across different paging carriers / frequency units is detailed in the above embodiments. One approach involves selecting the paging carrier / frequency unit based on information known to both ends, such as terminal type and UE ID. This ensures that the terminal and network-side equipment have consistent predictions regarding the paging carrier / frequency unit. However, various anomalies can occur during actual operation, such as coverage gaps or deep attenuation. This can prevent the terminal from monitoring the paging carrier / frequency unit that is mutually agreed upon, causing it to either back off or reselect a suitable paging carrier / frequency unit. This backoff or reselection can be performed automatically under certain conditions, such as determining whether the signal quality indicator value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. For network-side devices, guessing or trying in various situations is necessary, which can cause paging delays (e.g., trying to send a paging message on the most likely carrier first, and then gradually trying other carriers) or additional overhead (e.g., sending a paging message on multiple possible carriers at the same time, which would be wasteful). Therefore, one effective way to avoid network-side devices blindly trying to send messages is for the terminal to report. That is, once the terminal has performed a non-agreement paging carrier / paging frequency unit reselection, it should promptly notify the network-side device. The advantage of this method is that the network-side device can be informed of the change in a timely manner, but it will increase the reporting overhead.

[0197] To balance paging performance and overhead, the reporting of frequency domain resource change information can be controlled to some extent. Therefore, in some embodiments, reporting frequency domain resource change information related to paging to the network-side device may include:

[0198] If the first condition is met, the frequency domain resource change information of the listening paging is reported to the network-side device.

[0199] The first condition may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0200] 1) The serving cell of the terminal supports the function of reporting frequency domain resource change information.

[0201] 2) The frequency domain resource change information reporting function of the serving cell of the terminal is enabled.

[0202] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set a reporting switch: the switch is used to determine whether the cell supports the frequency domain resource change information reporting function. For example, for cells carrying a specific identifier or containing a specific domain, the function is set to support the function. Lower version cells do not even have the domain and are not supported by default. For cells that support the function, the network-side device can also decide when to enable the function and when to disable the function, such as enabling it during the day and disabling it at night, or enabling it when the load is low and disabling it when the load is high.

[0203] 3) The terminal belongs to the type of terminal that is allowed to report frequency domain resource change information.

[0204] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set the types of terminals allowed to report: the network-side device can control the types of terminals allowed to report, for example, only emergency or important terminal types, such as terminals that perform environmental alarm monitoring or notification, are allowed to report, while other terminals are prevented from consuming overhead; or only VIP type terminals are allowed to report, etc.

[0205] 4) Meets at least one of the reporting conditions set by the network-side device.

[0206] In some embodiments, the network-side device may configure at least one reporting condition:

[0207] a. The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold;

[0208] b. The duration of the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource being less than or equal to the preset threshold is greater than or equal to the first duration. That is, if the paging carrier / paging frequency unit determined according to the agreed public information (such as terminal type, UE ID, etc.) does not meet the monitoring conditions, such as RSRP being lower than the RSRP threshold and the duration reaching a certain threshold length, then reporting is triggered.

[0209] c. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the first specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the first specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0210] d. The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the second specified range. For example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the second specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0211] e. The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, as only inactive terminals have services). For example, if at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, then reporting is allowed.

[0212] 5) None of the reporting prohibition conditions set by the network-side device were met.

[0213] In some embodiments, the network-side device may set at least one of the following conditions to prohibit reporting:

[0214] a. The time elapsed since the last report of the frequency domain resource change information is less than or equal to the second time elapsed;

[0215] b. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the third specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the third specified range, then reporting is prohibited.

[0216] c. If the first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the fourth specified range, for example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the fourth specified range, reporting is prohibited;

[0217] d. When the terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, because only inactive terminals have services), for example, when at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, reporting is prohibited.

[0218] In some embodiments, the terminal can report the frequency domain resource change information to the network-side device via RRC signaling. This RRC signaling can be an extension or reuse of existing RRC messages, such as UEAssistanceInformation, or the introduction of a new message type, such as PagingCarrierUpdate.

[0219] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource change information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0220] Frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging before the change;

[0221] The revised frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging;

[0222] Reasons for change, for example, may include: the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a preset threshold;

[0223] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging before the change;

[0224] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging, after the changes.

[0225] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state, the network-side device is a core network device; when the terminal is in the RRC inactive state, the network-side device is an anchor access network device. It is understood that the frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal may still exist at its anchor base station for inactive terminals, and therefore can be reported to the anchor base station as part of the terminal context. A more common approach is for the base station to report this information to the core network device via an interface message for storage, and for the core network device to carry this information in the next paging message. This facilitates the base station in finding the actual paging carrier / paging frequency unit it is listening to, enabling efficient paging of the terminal.

[0226] This application proposes a paging resource determination method. For cells configured with at least two frequency domain resources, the terminal can efficiently select a first frequency domain resource for paging monitoring based on at least one of the following first pieces of information: terminal type, terminal identifier, signal quality on the frequency domain resource, and frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side equipment. Furthermore, this efficient selection mechanism allows terminals to be effectively distributed across different frequency domain resources for paging monitoring, which helps balance network load and improve paging efficiency while ensuring a good terminal access experience. Moreover, by controlling the frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal regarding paging monitoring, the reporting of useful information can be flexibly controlled, meeting the most important experience requirements with minimal overhead, thereby achieving a better balance between paging overhead and paging performance.

[0227] like Figure 3 As shown, another embodiment of this application proposes a communication method, which may include:

[0228] Step 301: The network-side device sends frequency domain resource information to the terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

[0229] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit selected from a plurality of downlink carriers or a plurality of downlink frequency units.

[0230] In other embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit selected from a plurality of paging carriers or a plurality of paging frequency units.

[0231] The frequency domain resource information includes at least one of the following:

[0232] a. The first frequency domain resource. That is, the network-side device instructs the terminal to perform paging listening on the specified paging carrier / paging frequency unit.

[0233] In some embodiments, before step 301 Figure 3 The method shown may also include:

[0234] The network-side device receives second information sent by the terminal, wherein the second information includes reporting information of the terminal in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, and the reporting information includes at least one of the terminal's characteristic information, measurement information, and downlink paging configuration request information.

[0235] In some embodiments, the network-side device may select the first frequency domain resource for the terminal based on the second information.

[0236] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried by an RRC message.

[0237] b. At least one list of frequency domain resources. That is, the network-side device can indicate a unified list of frequency domain resources for paging to the terminal.

[0238] c. A list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type. That is, the network-side device can indicate to the terminal a list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type, and the terminal can select a first frequency domain resource from the list of frequency domain resources corresponding to the terminal type for listening to paging.

[0239] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource list may further include at least one of the following control parameters:

[0240] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0241] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0242] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0243] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0244] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0245] In some embodiments, the control parameters (such as weights, RSRP thresholds, and at least one of paging packet parameters) of frequency domain resources in different frequency domain resource lists are configured independently.

[0246] In some embodiments, the terminal type may include LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals. It is understood that ordinary terminals and LPWA terminals are just examples of terminal classification methods, and there may be other classification methods or more detailed classifications under LPWA terminals.

[0247] In some embodiments, Figure 3 The method shown may further include: the network-side device receiving frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal for listening to paging, wherein the frequency domain resource change information is reported by the terminal when listening to paging on the second frequency domain resource.

[0248] In some embodiments, the first frequency domain resource is selected by the terminal based on first information, wherein the first information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0249] The terminal type of the terminal;

[0250] The terminal identifier of the terminal;

[0251] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource, wherein the signal quality characterization value may include, but is not limited to, at least one of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR);

[0252] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0253] In some embodiments, the second frequency domain resource includes a primary carrier or a primary frequency unit.

[0254] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource change information is reported by the terminal when a first condition is met.

[0255] The first condition may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0256] 1) The serving cell of the terminal supports the function of reporting frequency domain resource change information.

[0257] 2) The frequency domain resource change information reporting function of the serving cell of the terminal is enabled.

[0258] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set a reporting switch: the switch is used to determine whether the cell supports the frequency domain resource change information reporting function. For example, for cells carrying a specific identifier or containing a specific domain, the function is set to support the function. Lower version cells do not even have the domain and are not supported by default. For cells that support the function, the network-side device can also decide when to enable the function and when to disable the function, such as enabling it during the day and disabling it at night, or enabling it when the load is low and disabling it when the load is high.

[0259] 3) The terminal belongs to the type of terminal that is allowed to report frequency domain resource change information.

[0260] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set the types of terminals allowed to report: the network-side device can control the types of terminals allowed to report, for example, only emergency or important terminal types, such as terminals that perform environmental alarm monitoring or notification, are allowed to report, while other terminals are prevented from consuming overhead; or only VIP type terminals are allowed to report, etc.

[0261] 4) Meets at least one of the reporting conditions set by the network-side device.

[0262] In some embodiments, the network-side device may configure at least one reporting condition:

[0263] a. The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold;

[0264] b. The duration of the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource being less than or equal to the preset threshold is greater than or equal to the first duration. That is, if the paging carrier / paging frequency unit determined according to the agreed public information (such as terminal type, UE ID, etc.) does not meet the monitoring conditions, such as RSRP being lower than the RSRP threshold and the duration reaching a certain threshold length, then reporting is triggered.

[0265] c. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the first specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the first specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0266] d. The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the second specified range. For example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the second specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0267] e. The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, as only inactive terminals have services). For example, if at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, then reporting is allowed.

[0268] 5) None of the reporting prohibition conditions set by the network-side device were met.

[0269] In some embodiments, the network-side device may set at least one of the following conditions to prohibit reporting:

[0270] a. The time elapsed since the last report of the frequency domain resource change information is less than or equal to the second time elapsed;

[0271] b. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the third specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the third specified range, then reporting is prohibited.

[0272] c. If the first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the fourth specified range, for example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the fourth specified range, reporting is prohibited;

[0273] d. When the terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, because only inactive terminals have services), for example, when at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, reporting is prohibited.

[0274] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource change information may include at least one of the following:

[0275] Frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging before the change;

[0276] The revised frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging;

[0277] Reasons for change, for example, may include: the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a preset threshold;

[0278] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging before the change;

[0279] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging, after the changes.

[0280] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state, the network-side device is a core network device; when the terminal is in the RRC inactive state, the network-side device is an anchor access network device. It is understood that the frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal may still exist at its anchor base station for inactive terminals, and therefore can be reported to the anchor base station as part of the terminal context. A more common approach is for the base station to report this information to the core network device via an interface message for storage, and for the core network device to carry this information in the next paging message. This facilitates the base station in finding the actual paging carrier / paging frequency unit it is listening to, enabling efficient paging of the terminal.

[0281] This application proposes a communication method in which a network-side device can instruct a terminal to select a first frequency domain resource for paging listening from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell. This allows the terminal to efficiently select the first frequency domain resource for paging listening. Furthermore, this efficient selection mechanism effectively distributes the terminal across different frequency domain resources for paging listening, which helps balance network load and improve paging efficiency while ensuring a good terminal access experience. Moreover, by controlling the frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal regarding paging listening, the reporting of useful information can be flexibly controlled, satisfying the most important experience requirements with minimal overhead, thereby achieving a better balance between paging overhead and paging performance.

[0282] like Figure 4 As shown, another embodiment of this application proposes a communication method, which may include:

[0283] Step 401: The first network-side device sends third information to the second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

[0284] In some embodiments, the first network-side device may be a core network device, and the second network-side device may be an access network device.

[0285] In related technologies, the paging messages sent by core network equipment to access network equipment contain relatively little information, such as only basic paging information and characteristic information. Information about services and / or terminal type is limited or not included. Among them, the paging priority information, which includes levels 1 to 8, contains very little information and is only used to determine which terminals should be paged first and which terminals should be paged in the next / several cycles when paging resources are insufficient.

[0286] With the clarification of 6G system design requirements, such as the introduction of multi-carrier single-cell models and unified access for LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals, communication systems will be more compatible and flexible. Therefore, more information can be introduced to facilitate access network equipment in making judgments on paging resource allocation.

[0287] In some embodiments, the third information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0288] 1) Business requirements information.

[0289] In some embodiments, the service requirement information may include at least one of service characteristic information and service type information. For example, the service characteristic information may include: the latency characteristics of the service, whether the latency requirement is high or low, or specific latency parameters; the service type information may include: latency-sensitive service or latency-insensitive service, etc.

[0290] 2) Initial access requirements information.

[0291] In some embodiments, the initial access requirement information may include access latency requirement information. For example, the initial access latency requirement information may include paging or access latency requirements, such as access latency requirements of 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms; or, the initial access latency requirement information may include access latency level requirements, wherein the access latency level can be divided into 1-16 levels, with different latency levels corresponding to different access latency requirements, wherein as the latency level increases, the access latency requirement continuously decreases. It is understood that providing access network devices with access latency requirement information facilitates the access network's determination of how to reasonably allocate paging resources.

[0292] 3) First paging auxiliary information, which includes paging effect requirement information.

[0293] In some embodiments, the paging effect requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0294] Paging delay requirement information;

[0295] Paging cost requirements information.

[0296] For example, paging effect requirements may specifically include: whether latency is prioritized for this paging, and / or whether overhead is prioritized, etc.

[0297] 4) Second paging assistance information, which includes recommended information on paging resources.

[0298] In some embodiments, the recommendation information may include at least one of the following:

[0299] Recommended neighborhood information;

[0300] Recommended frequency domain resource information.

[0301] For example, the recommendation information may include recommended cell information and / or specific information about the paging carrier / paging frequency unit under the recommended cell, such as recommending paging on paging carrier 2 of cell 1. The recommendation information may also include: terminal camping information under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may provide this information to the access network equipment in a list format, for example, listing and providing detailed information such as the terminal's camping trajectory and camping duration under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may also provide other recommended paging carriers / downlink frequency units related to the trajectory or camping carrier, even if the terminal has not camped on them, as second paging auxiliary information to the access network equipment.

[0302] 5) Paging terminal information.

[0303] In some embodiments, the terminal information includes the terminal type. For example, the terminal type may include a regular terminal or an LPWA terminal, and may even include fixed-position terminal types, low-speed mobile terminal types, high-speed mobile terminal types, etc., within LPWA. For instance, water meters, electricity meters, fixed-installation cameras, and sensors are considered fixed-position terminals; airport trolleys and warehouse goods are considered low-speed mobile terminals; and terminals installed on cars or other vehicles are considered high-speed mobile terminals. There are even categories such as low-altitude flight terminals. Of course, further terminal information may also be included, such as gold card users, VIP users, etc.

[0304] In the aforementioned third information, since some information is semi-static or even static, such as terminal information, some information is related to paging, such as various auxiliary information, and some is related to services, the first network-side device can send this information to the second network-side device in different processes.

[0305] In some embodiments, the first network-side device may send third information to the second network-side device during the first process.

[0306] The first process may include at least one of the following:

[0307] 1) Paging process;

[0308] In some embodiments, the first network-side device may send all or part of the information in the third information to the second network-side device during the paging process.

[0309] The paging process is primarily used by core network devices to initiate core network paging from access network devices. It is generally a single process for idle-state terminals. Therefore, as an example, the core network device can carry the following information related to this paging in the initial paging message: first paging assistance information and second paging assistance information. The core network device can also carry service requirement information and initial access requirement information related to this paging in the initial paging message (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established service information). Furthermore, terminal information can also be carried in the initial paging message if necessary (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established context information).

[0310] For example, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the core network can send third information to Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) nodes via paging messages. Here, the AMF is an example of a first network-side device, and the NG-RAN node is an example of a second network-side device.

[0311] 2) Business management process;

[0312] In some embodiments, the service management process may include procedures related to the establishment, modification, and release of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions. Service-related information is generally sent from the core network device to the access network device during the establishment and modification of the PDU session. Since the service management process typically occurs after an idle terminal successfully initiates paging and enters the connected state, it seems impossible to use the service management process to obtain relevant information for paging resource decisions for idle terminals. However, for inactive terminals, since they have already established an RRC connection and possess basic service information, the service requirement information and initial access requirement information exchanged with the access network device through the service management process can be used for paging resource decisions for inactive terminals.

[0313] For example, a business management process capable of transmitting business requirement information and / or initial access requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0314] PDU session resource establishment;

[0315] Release PDU session resources;

[0316] PDU session resource modification;

[0317] PDU session resource notification;

[0318] PDU Session Resource Modification Instructions.

[0319] 3) Terminal context management process;

[0320] Terminal context management is generally used by core network equipment to send terminal-specific context information to access network equipment. This context information may include the aforementioned terminal information. Similar to service information, terminal context management occurs after an idle terminal enters the connected state after initial paging. Therefore, in some embodiments, the terminal information required for initial paging can only be carried in the initial paging message. After a terminal enters the connected state from the idle state, terminal context information is established. At this time, the terminal information can be sent to the access network equipment through context establishment or management processes, and stored by the access network equipment for use in paging resource decisions for inactive terminals. In some embodiments, the RAN paging request process initiated by the core network equipment for inactive terminals also belongs to the context management process. The RAN paging request may carry auxiliary information and demand information related to a single paging. In some embodiments, information related to the downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit where the terminal has previously camped or connected, such as terminal identifier and camping duration, can also be reported by the base station to the core network equipment for storage through the context management process, so that the core network equipment can carry second paging auxiliary information in the next paging message.

[0321] For example, a terminal context management process capable of transmitting terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0322] Initial context establishment;

[0323] UE context release request (initiated by NG-RAN node);

[0324] UE context release (AMF initiated);

[0325] UE context modification;

[0326] RRC inactive state transition report;

[0327] Connection establishment instruction;

[0328] AMF control plane repositioning indication;

[0329] RAN control plane relocation indication;

[0330] Retrieve UE information;

[0331] UE information transmission;

[0332] UE context suspended;

[0333] UE context recovery;

[0334] MT communication processing;

[0335] RAN paging request.

[0336] 4) Terminal mobility management process;

[0337] In some embodiments, the terminal mobility management process may include mobility management-related processes, such as the NG handover process between core network equipment and access network equipment (e.g., gNB), and the Xn handover process between one access network equipment (e.g., gNB) and another access network equipment (e.g., gNB). During the handover process, the source node can transmit and store at least one of the following: terminal service requirement information, paging information, and terminal information, to the target node for subsequent paging resource decisions. In 5G networks, NG refers to Next Generation, specifically the key interface between the 5G core network (5GC) and the base station (gNB), i.e., the NG interface.

[0338] For example, a terminal mobility management process capable of transmitting at least one of terminal service demand information, paging information, and terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0339] Switching preparation;

[0340] Switch resource allocation;

[0341] Toggle notifications;

[0342] Path switching request;

[0343] Switch to Cancel;

[0344] Uplink wireless access network status transmission;

[0345] Downlink radio access network status transmission;

[0346] Switching successful;

[0347] Uplink radio access network early status transmission;

[0348] Downlink radio access network early status transmission.

[0349] 5) Terminal capability management process.

[0350] If terminal capability information related to the paging mechanism (such as a new paging mechanism) is reported, it also needs to be reported and exchanged between the core network equipment and the access network equipment to facilitate the execution of paging operations based on the capabilities.

[0351] For example, a terminal capability management process capable of transmitting terminal capability information may include at least one of the following:

[0352] UE radio capability information indication;

[0353] UE wireless capability check;

[0354] Wireless capability ID mapping.

[0355] The present application proposes a communication method in which a first network-side device sends more information for paging resource decision-making to a second network-side device through an interface, enabling the second network-side device to perform efficient scheduling of paging resources, thereby improving both system efficiency and user experience.

[0356] like Figure 5 As shown, another embodiment of this application proposes a communication method, which may include:

[0357] Step 501: The second network-side device receives third information sent by the first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

[0358] In some embodiments, the first network-side device may be a core network device, and the second network-side device may be an access network device.

[0359] In related technologies, the paging messages sent by core network equipment to access network equipment contain relatively little information, such as only basic paging information and characteristic information. Service information and / or terminal type information are rarely or not included. Among them, the paging priority information, levels 1-8, contains very little information and is only used to determine which terminals should be paged first and which terminals should be paged in the next / several cycles when paging resources are insufficient.

[0360] With the clarification of 6G system design requirements, such as the introduction of multi-carrier single-cell models and unified access for LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals, communication systems will be more compatible and flexible. Therefore, more information can be introduced to facilitate access network equipment in making judgments on paging resource allocation.

[0361] In some embodiments, the third information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0362] 1) Business requirements information.

[0363] In some embodiments, the service requirement information may include at least one of service characteristic information and service type information. For example, the service characteristic information may include: the latency characteristics of the service, whether the latency requirement is high or low, or specific latency parameters; the service type information may include: latency-sensitive service or latency-insensitive service, etc.

[0364] 2) Initial access requirements information.

[0365] In some embodiments, the initial access requirement information may include access latency requirement information. For example, the initial access latency requirement information may include paging or access latency requirements, such as access latency requirements of 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms; or, the initial access latency requirement information may include access latency level requirements, wherein the access latency level can be divided into 1-16 levels, with different latency levels corresponding to different access latency requirements, wherein as the latency level increases, the access latency requirement continuously decreases. It is understood that providing access network devices with access latency requirement information facilitates the access network's determination of how to reasonably allocate paging resources.

[0366] 3) First paging auxiliary information, which includes paging effect requirement information.

[0367] In some embodiments, the paging effect requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0368] Paging delay requirement information;

[0369] Paging cost requirements information.

[0370] For example, paging effect requirements may specifically include: whether latency is prioritized for this paging, and / or whether overhead is prioritized, etc.

[0371] 4) Second paging assistance information, which includes recommended information on paging resources.

[0372] In some embodiments, the recommendation information may include at least one of the following:

[0373] Recommended neighborhood information;

[0374] Recommended frequency domain resource information.

[0375] For example, the recommendation information may include recommended cell information and / or specific information about the paging carrier / paging frequency unit under the recommended cell, such as recommending paging on paging carrier 2 of cell 1. The recommendation information may also include: terminal camping information under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may provide this information to the access network equipment in a list format, for example, listing and providing detailed information such as the terminal's camping trajectory and camping duration under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may also provide other recommended paging carriers / downlink frequency units related to the trajectory or camping carrier, even if the terminal has not camped on them, as second paging auxiliary information to the access network equipment.

[0376] 5) Paging terminal information.

[0377] In some embodiments, the terminal information includes the terminal type. For example, the terminal type may include a regular terminal or an LPWA terminal, and may even include fixed-position terminal types, low-speed mobile terminal types, high-speed mobile terminal types, etc., within LPWA. For instance, water meters, electricity meters, fixed-installation cameras, and sensors are considered fixed-position terminals; airport trolleys and warehouse goods are considered low-speed mobile terminals; and terminals installed on cars or other vehicles are considered high-speed mobile terminals. There are even categories such as low-altitude flight terminals. Of course, further terminal information may also be included, such as gold card users, VIP users, etc.

[0378] In the aforementioned third information, since some information is semi-static or even static, such as terminal information, some information is related to paging, such as various auxiliary information, and some is related to services, the first network-side device can send this information to the second network-side device in different processes.

[0379] In some embodiments, the second network-side device may receive third information sent by the second network-side device during the first process.

[0380] The first process may include at least one of the following:

[0381] 1) Paging process;

[0382] In some embodiments, the second network-side device may receive all or part of the information in the third information sent by the second network-side device during the paging process.

[0383] The paging process is primarily used by core network devices to initiate core network paging from access network devices. It is generally a single process for idle-state terminals. Therefore, as an example, the core network device can carry the following information related to this paging in the initial paging message: first paging assistance information and second paging assistance information. The core network device can also carry service requirement information and initial access requirement information related to this paging in the initial paging message (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established service information). Furthermore, terminal information can also be carried in the initial paging message if necessary (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established context information).

[0384] For example, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the core network can send third information to Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) nodes via paging messages. Here, the AMF is an example of a first network-side device, and the NG-RAN node is an example of a second network-side device.

[0385] 2) Business management process;

[0386] In some embodiments, the service management process may include procedures related to the establishment, modification, and release of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions. Service-related information is generally sent from the core network device to the access network device during the establishment and modification of the PDU session. Since the service management process typically occurs after an idle terminal successfully initiates paging and enters the connected state, it seems impossible to use the service management process to obtain relevant information for paging resource decisions for idle terminals. However, for inactive terminals, since they have already established an RRC connection and possess basic service information, the service requirement information and initial access requirement information exchanged with the access network device through the service management process can be used for paging resource decisions for inactive terminals.

[0387] For example, a business management process capable of transmitting business requirement information and / or initial access requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0388] PDU session resource establishment;

[0389] Release PDU session resources;

[0390] PDU session resource modification;

[0391] PDU session resource notification;

[0392] PDU Session Resource Modification Instructions.

[0393] 3) Terminal context management process;

[0394] Terminal context management is generally used by core network equipment to send terminal-specific context information to access network equipment. This context information may include the aforementioned terminal information. Similar to service information, terminal context management occurs after an idle terminal enters the connected state after initial paging. Therefore, in some embodiments, the terminal information required for initial paging can only be carried in the initial paging message. After a terminal enters the connected state from the idle state, terminal context information is established. At this time, the terminal information can be sent to the access network equipment through context establishment or management processes, and stored by the access network equipment for use in paging resource decisions for inactive terminals. In some embodiments, the RAN paging request process initiated by the core network equipment for inactive terminals also belongs to the context management process. The RAN paging request may carry auxiliary information and demand information related to a single paging. In some embodiments, information related to the downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit where the terminal has previously camped or connected, such as terminal identifier and camping duration, can also be reported by the base station to the core network equipment for storage through the context management process, so that the core network equipment can carry second paging auxiliary information in the next paging message.

[0395] For example, a terminal context management process capable of transmitting terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0396] Initial context establishment;

[0397] UE context release request (initiated by NG-RAN node);

[0398] UE context release (AMF initiated);

[0399] UE context modification;

[0400] RRC inactive state transition report;

[0401] Connection establishment instruction;

[0402] AMF control plane repositioning indication;

[0403] RAN control plane relocation indication;

[0404] Retrieve UE information;

[0405] UE information transmission;

[0406] UE context suspended;

[0407] UE context recovery;

[0408] MT communication processing;

[0409] RAN paging request.

[0410] 4) Terminal mobility management process;

[0411] In some embodiments, the terminal mobility management process may include mobility management-related processes, such as the NG handover process between core network equipment and access network equipment (e.g., gNB), and the Xn handover process between one access network equipment (e.g., gNB) and another access network equipment (e.g., gNB). During the handover process, the source node can transmit and store at least one of the following: terminal service requirement information, paging information, and terminal information, to the target node for subsequent paging resource decisions. In 5G networks, NG refers to Next Generation, specifically the key interface between the 5G core network (5GC) and the base station (gNB), i.e., the NG interface.

[0412] For example, a terminal mobility management process capable of transmitting at least one of terminal service demand information, paging information, and terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0413] Switching preparation;

[0414] Switch resource allocation;

[0415] Toggle notifications;

[0416] Path switching request;

[0417] Switch to Cancel;

[0418] Uplink wireless access network status transmission;

[0419] Downlink radio access network status transmission;

[0420] Switching successful;

[0421] Uplink radio access network early status transmission;

[0422] Downlink radio access network early status transmission.

[0423] 5) Terminal capability management process.

[0424] If terminal capability information related to the paging mechanism (such as a new paging mechanism) is reported, it also needs to be reported and exchanged between the core network equipment and the access network equipment to facilitate the execution of paging operations based on the capabilities.

[0425] For example, a terminal capability management process capable of transmitting terminal capability information may include at least one of the following:

[0426] UE radio capability information indication;

[0427] UE wireless capability check;

[0428] Wireless capability ID mapping.

[0429] The above describes the interaction process between the first network-side device (such as the core network device) and the second network-side device (such as the gNB) regarding useful information (third information) related to paging. Next, we will briefly introduce how the second network-side device uses this information to make paging resource decisions.

[0430] It should be noted that the specific operation of the second network-side device in making paging resource decisions using third information is part of the algorithm implementation of the second network-side device, and is generally not mandatory in the protocol. Therefore, the embodiments in this application are merely illustrative examples and can serve as some references for the implementation of the second network-side device.

[0431] In simple terms, the basic principle of paging initiated by the second network-side device is to page the designated terminal as quickly as possible using as few paging resources as possible. This involves a trade-off and balance between paging overhead and paging effectiveness. Generally speaking, the higher the service requirements, access latency requirements, or terminal level, the greater the paging overhead that the second network-side device needs to bear. For example, it may immediately initiate the paging process on as many downlink carriers / downlink frequency units as possible simultaneously to facilitate the terminal's prompt response and access. Conversely, when the demand is low, the second network-side device can prioritize overhead considerations and initiate paging in the most likely small range, such as one or a few downlink carriers / downlink frequency units. After n failed attempts, it can then expand the range to other relevant downlink carriers / downlink frequency units until the terminal is paged. This approach effectively controls paging overhead because it is likely to succeed in paging within a small range, thus avoiding the waste of resources by initiating paging in a large range from the beginning. However, its problem is that because it involves multiple steps, if the terminal is not camped in the small range, more latency is required to page the terminal.

[0432] The present application proposes a communication method in which a second network-side device receives more information for paging resource decision-making from a first network-side device through an interface, enabling the second network-side device to perform efficient scheduling of paging resources, thereby improving both system efficiency and user experience.

[0433] This application provides a paging resource determination method, which can be executed by a virtual device. This application uses a virtual device executing the paging resource determination method as an example to illustrate the paging resource determination device provided in this application.

[0434] like Figure 6As shown, one embodiment of this application proposes a paging resource determination device 600, which can be used in a terminal. The device 600 may include: a processing module 601, which is used to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell according to first information.

[0435] The first information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0436] The terminal type of the terminal;

[0437] The terminal identifier of the terminal;

[0438] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource, wherein the signal quality characterization value may include, but is not limited to, at least one of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR);

[0439] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0440] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit selected from a plurality of downlink carriers or a plurality of downlink frequency units.

[0441] In other embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit selected from a plurality of paging carriers or a plurality of paging frequency units.

[0442] In some embodiments, considering the requirements of future communication systems (such as 6G), when a terminal selects a cell to camp on according to the cell selection / reselection principle, the processing module 601 may consider selecting which carrier / frequency unit to listen for paging on based on at least one of the following:

[0443] 1) The terminal type of the terminal, that is, the first information includes the terminal type of the terminal.

[0444] In some embodiments, the network-side device may configure frequency domain resource lists corresponding to at least two terminal types for the terminal.

[0445] In some embodiments, the processing module 601 may be specifically used to: select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal, wherein different terminal types correspond to different frequency domain resource lists, and a frequency domain resource list contains at least one frequency domain resource, which may be a paging carrier / paging frequency unit, or the frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit.

[0446] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resources contained in different frequency domain resource lists may completely overlap, partially overlap, or not overlap at all.

[0447] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the following control parameters:

[0448] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0449] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0450] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0451] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0452] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0453] In some embodiments, the control parameters (such as weights, RSRP thresholds, and at least one of paging packet parameters) of frequency domain resources in different frequency domain resource lists are configured independently.

[0454] In some embodiments, the terminal type may include LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals. It is understood that ordinary terminals and LPWA terminals are just examples of terminal classification methods, and there may be other classification methods or more detailed classifications under LPWA terminals.

[0455] 2) The terminal identifier of the terminal, that is, the first information includes the terminal identifier of the terminal.

[0456] In this case, as an example, if the first information includes not only the terminal type of the terminal but also the terminal identifier of the terminal, then the processing module 601 can be specifically used to: select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal based on the terminal identifier of the terminal.

[0457] In scenarios where paging carriers / frequency units have inconsistent coverage, there is generally a primary paging carrier / frequency unit. This primary paging carrier / frequency unit is typically characterized by a lower frequency, better coverage, and both System Information Block (SIB) messages and SSB signals are transmitted on this primary paging carrier / frequency unit. The secondary paging carrier / frequency unit may be located in adjacent frequencies or even other frequency bands, so its coverage is generally weaker than that of the primary paging carrier / frequency unit. Furthermore, the secondary paging carrier / frequency unit may not transmit SIB messages, and for SSB signals, it may or may not transmit them. In such scenarios with different coverage, network-side equipment and terminals can use publicly known information, such as the terminal identifier (UE ID), as the primary basis for selecting the carrier / frequency unit for paging. According to the UE ID and the weight of each carrier / frequency unit, a specific terminal is assigned to a specific carrier / frequency unit for paging monitoring.

[0458] 3) Frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device, that is, the first information includes frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device.

[0459] In this situation Figure 6 The apparatus 600 shown may further include: a receiving module for receiving frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

[0460] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource information is indicated by the network-side device via SIB.

[0461] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource information includes at least one of the following:

[0462] a. The first frequency domain resource. That is, the network-side device instructs the terminal to perform paging listening on the specified paging carrier / paging frequency unit.

[0463] In some embodiments, Figure 6 The illustrated apparatus 600 may further include: a transmitting module, configured to transmit second information to the network-side device before the receiving module receives frequency domain resource information from the network-side device, wherein the second information includes reporting information from the terminal in RRC connected state, the reporting information including at least one of the terminal's characteristic information, measurement information, and downlink paging configuration request information. Accordingly, the network-side device can select a suitable paging carrier / paging frequency unit as a first frequency domain resource for the terminal based on the reporting information in the RRC connected state, and notify the terminal using the second information.

[0464] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried by an RRC message.

[0465] b. At least one frequency domain resource list. That is, the network-side device can indicate at least one unified frequency domain resource list for paging to the terminal.

[0466] In some embodiments, the first information further includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes the at least one frequency domain resource list. In this case, the processing module 601 can be specifically used to: select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the at least one frequency domain resource list according to the terminal identifier of the terminal.

[0467] In some embodiments, the at least one frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the following control parameters:

[0468] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0469] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0470] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0471] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0472] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0473] In some embodiments, if the first information further includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes the at least one frequency domain resource list, and the at least one frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the aforementioned control parameters, then the processing module 601 can specifically be used to: select the first frequency domain resource for paging listening from the at least one frequency domain resource list according to the terminal identifier of the terminal and the control parameters included in the at least one frequency domain resource list. For example, assuming the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes a unified frequency domain resource list containing N frequency domain resources, the processing module 601 can calculate, based on the control parameters and related formulas in the list, which PO on which frequency domain resource it should perform paging listening.

[0474] c. A list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type. That is, the network-side device can indicate to the terminal a list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type, and the terminal can select a first frequency domain resource from the list of frequency domain resources corresponding to the terminal type for listening to paging.

[0475] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource list further includes at least one of the following control parameters:

[0476] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0477] The signal quality characterization value comparison threshold for each frequency domain resource, such as the RSRP threshold for each frequency domain resource;

[0478] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0479] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0480] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0481] In some embodiments, if the first information further includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes a frequency domain resource list corresponding to at least one terminal type, and the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the at least one terminal type further includes at least one of the aforementioned control parameters, then the processing module 601 can specifically be used to: select the first frequency domain resource for paging monitoring from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the at least one terminal type according to the terminal identifier of the terminal and the control parameters included in the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the at least one terminal type. Similarly, assuming the frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device includes a frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource list contains N frequency domain resources, the processing module 601 can calculate, according to the control parameters in the list and the formula described above, which PO on which frequency domain resource it should perform paging monitoring.

[0482] 4) The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource, that is, the first information includes the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource.

[0483] In some embodiments, the first frequency domain resource selected based on the terminal type, terminal identifier, and frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device may change. For example, the signal quality on the first frequency domain resource may suddenly fail to meet the monitoring requirements, such as obstruction or deep attenuation. In such cases, it is necessary to determine the frequency domain resource for monitoring and paging separately.

[0484] In some embodiments, the processing module 601 may also be used to: determine whether the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, for example, determine whether the RSRP on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the RSRP threshold.

[0485] In some embodiments, the processing module 601 may also be used for at least one of the following:

[0486] If the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, for example, if the RSRP on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the RSRP threshold, paging monitoring is performed on the first frequency domain resource.

[0487] If the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a preset threshold, for example, if the RSRP on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the RSRP threshold, paging monitoring is performed on the second frequency domain resource.

[0488] In some embodiments, before paging listening on the second frequency domain resource, the processing module 601 may also be used for at least one of the following:

[0489] When the first frequency domain resource is a secondary carrier or secondary frequency unit, the primary carrier or primary frequency unit of the serving cell is determined as the second frequency domain resource;

[0490] Based on the identifier of the terminal, a frequency domain resource is reselected from the at least two frequency domain resources as the second frequency domain resource.

[0491] Wherein, the signal quality characterization value on the second frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, and / or, the coverage area of ​​the second frequency domain resource is greater than that of the first frequency domain resource. It is understood that in some communication systems, multiple frequency domain resources configured for a cell may not distinguish between primary carriers or primary frequency units and secondary carriers or secondary frequency units. In this case, the second frequency domain resource can be selected based on at least one of the coverage area and signal quality characterization of the frequency domain resource.

[0492] In some embodiments, the processing module 601 can also be used to: after paging monitoring on the second frequency domain resource, if the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource becomes greater than or equal to a preset threshold, then return to the first frequency domain resource to perform paging monitoring.

[0493] The preset threshold can be agreed upon by the protocol and / or indicated by the network-side device. For different frequency domain resources, the corresponding preset thresholds can be the same or different.

[0494] In some embodiments, Figure 6The apparatus shown may further include a transmitting module, used to report frequency domain resource change information of the paging to the network-side device when paging is being monitored on the second frequency domain resource.

[0495] To balance paging performance and overhead, the reporting of frequency domain resource change information can be controlled to a certain extent. Therefore, in some embodiments, the sending module can specifically be used to: report frequency domain resource change information of paging to the network-side device when a first condition is met.

[0496] The first condition may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0497] 1) The serving cell of the terminal supports the function of reporting frequency domain resource change information.

[0498] 2) The frequency domain resource change information reporting function of the serving cell of the terminal is enabled.

[0499] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set a reporting switch: the switch is used to determine whether the cell supports the frequency domain resource change information reporting function. For example, for cells carrying a specific identifier or containing a specific domain, the function is set to support the function. Lower version cells do not even have the domain and are not supported by default. For cells that support the function, the network-side device can also decide when to enable the function and when to disable the function, such as enabling it during the day and disabling it at night, or enabling it when the load is low and disabling it when the load is high.

[0500] 3) The terminal belongs to the type of terminal that is allowed to report frequency domain resource change information.

[0501] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set the types of terminals allowed to report: the network-side device can control the types of terminals allowed to report, for example, only emergency or important terminal types, such as terminals that perform environmental alarm monitoring or notification, are allowed to report, while other terminals are prevented from consuming overhead; or only VIP type terminals are allowed to report, etc.

[0502] 4) Meets at least one of the reporting conditions set by the network-side device.

[0503] In some embodiments, the network-side device may configure at least one reporting condition:

[0504] a. The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold;

[0505] b. The duration of the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource being less than or equal to the preset threshold is greater than or equal to the first duration. That is, if the paging carrier / paging frequency unit determined according to the agreed public information (such as terminal type, UE ID, etc.) does not meet the monitoring conditions, such as RSRP being lower than the RSRP threshold and the duration reaching a certain threshold length, then reporting is triggered.

[0506] c. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the first specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the first specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0507] d. The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the second specified range. For example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the second specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0508] e. The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, as only inactive terminals have services). For example, if at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, then reporting is allowed.

[0509] 5) None of the reporting prohibition conditions set by the network-side device were met.

[0510] In some embodiments, the network-side device may set at least one of the following conditions to prohibit reporting:

[0511] a. The time elapsed since the last report of the frequency domain resource change information is less than or equal to the second time elapsed;

[0512] b. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the third specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the third specified range, then reporting is prohibited.

[0513] c. If the first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the fourth specified range, for example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the fourth specified range, reporting is prohibited;

[0514] d. When the terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, because only inactive terminals have services), for example, when at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, reporting is prohibited.

[0515] In some embodiments, the terminal can report the frequency domain resource change information to the network-side device via RRC signaling. This RRC signaling can be an extension or reuse of existing RRC messages, such as UEAssistanceInformation, or the introduction of a new message type, such as PagingCarrierUpdate.

[0516] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource change information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0517] Frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging before the change;

[0518] The revised frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging;

[0519] Reasons for change, for example, may include: the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a preset threshold;

[0520] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging before the change;

[0521] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging, after the changes.

[0522] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state, the network-side device is a core network device; when the terminal is in the RRC inactive state, the network-side device is an anchor access network device. It is understood that the frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal may still exist at its anchor base station for inactive terminals, and therefore can be reported to the anchor base station as part of the terminal context. A more common approach is for the base station to report this information to the core network device via an interface message for storage, and for the core network device to carry this information in the next paging message. This facilitates the base station in finding the actual paging carrier / paging frequency unit it is listening to, enabling efficient paging of the terminal.

[0523] This application proposes a paging resource determination device. For a cell configured with at least two frequency domain resources, it can efficiently select a first frequency domain resource for paging monitoring based on at least one of the following first pieces of information: terminal type, terminal identifier, signal quality on the frequency domain resource, and frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side equipment. Furthermore, this efficient selection mechanism allows terminals to be effectively distributed across different frequency domain resources for paging monitoring, which helps balance network load and improve paging efficiency while ensuring a good terminal access experience. Moreover, by controlling the frequency domain resource change information reported by terminals regarding paging monitoring, the reporting of useful information can be flexibly controlled, meeting the most important experience requirements with minimal overhead, thereby achieving a better balance between paging overhead and paging performance.

[0524] This application provides a communication method in which the executing entity can be a virtual device. This application uses a virtual device executing the communication method as an example to illustrate the communication device provided in this application.

[0525] like Figure 7 As shown, one embodiment of this application proposes a communication device 700, which can be used in network-side equipment. The device 700 may include: a sending module 701, used to send frequency domain resource information to a terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

[0526] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a downlink carrier or a downlink frequency unit selected from a plurality of downlink carriers or a plurality of downlink frequency units.

[0527] In other embodiments, the frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit. The first frequency domain resource may be a paging carrier or a paging frequency unit selected from a plurality of paging carriers or a plurality of paging frequency units.

[0528] The frequency domain resource information includes at least one of the following:

[0529] a. The first frequency domain resource. That is, the network-side device instructs the terminal to perform paging listening on the specified paging carrier / paging frequency unit.

[0530] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may further include: a receiving module, configured to receive second information sent by the terminal before sending frequency domain resource information to the terminal, wherein the second information includes reporting information of the terminal in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, and the reporting information includes at least one of the terminal's characteristic information, measurement information, and downlink paging configuration request information.

[0531] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may further include: a processing module, configured to select the first frequency domain resource for the terminal based on the second information.

[0532] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried by an RRC message.

[0533] b. At least one frequency domain resource list. That is, the network-side device can indicate to the terminal a unified list of frequency domain resources for paging, as well as the relevant parameters for the terminal to select the first frequency domain resource for paging listening from the list. For example, assuming that the list of frequency domain resources contains N frequency domain resources, the terminal can calculate, based on these relevant parameters and formulas, which PO on which frequency domain resource it should paging listen.

[0534] c. A list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type. That is, the network-side device can indicate to the terminal a list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type, and the terminal can select a first frequency domain resource from the list of frequency domain resources corresponding to the terminal type for listening to paging.

[0535] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource list may further include at least one of the following control parameters:

[0536] The weight of each frequency domain resource;

[0537] The signal quality characterization value for each frequency domain resource is compared to the threshold.

[0538] Paging group parameters, such as paging period, UE ID, number of paging subframes in the paging frame, PO, PF, and the DRX period monitored by the terminal, at least one of the following parameters;

[0539] Paging scheduling parameters;

[0540] The number of times the pager is repeated.

[0541] In some embodiments, the control parameters (such as weights, RSRP thresholds, and at least one of paging packet parameters) of frequency domain resources in different frequency domain resource lists are configured independently.

[0542] In some embodiments, the terminal type may include LPWA terminals and ordinary terminals. It is understood that ordinary terminals and LPWA terminals are just examples of terminal classification methods, and there may be other classification methods or more detailed classifications under LPWA terminals.

[0543] In some embodiments, Figure 7 The apparatus 700 shown may further include: a receiving module, configured to receive frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal for listening to paging, wherein the frequency domain resource change information is reported by the terminal when listening to paging on the second frequency domain resource.

[0544] In some embodiments, the first frequency domain resource is selected by the terminal based on first information, wherein the first information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0545] The terminal type of the terminal;

[0546] The terminal identifier of the terminal;

[0547] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource, wherein the signal quality characterization value may include, but is not limited to, at least one of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR);

[0548] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0549] In some embodiments, the second frequency domain resource includes a primary carrier or a primary frequency unit.

[0550] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource change information is reported by the terminal when a first condition is met.

[0551] The first condition may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0552] 1) The serving cell of the terminal supports the function of reporting frequency domain resource change information.

[0553] 2) The frequency domain resource change information reporting function of the serving cell of the terminal is enabled.

[0554] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set a reporting switch: the switch is used to determine whether the cell supports the frequency domain resource change information reporting function. For example, for cells carrying a specific identifier or containing a specific domain, the function is set to support the function. Lower version cells do not even have the domain and are not supported by default. For cells that support the function, the network-side device can also decide when to enable the function and when to disable the function, such as enabling it during the day and disabling it at night, or enabling it when the load is low and disabling it when the load is high.

[0555] 3) The terminal belongs to the type of terminal that is allowed to report frequency domain resource change information.

[0556] In some embodiments, the network-side device can set the types of terminals allowed to report: the network-side device can control the types of terminals allowed to report, for example, only emergency or important terminal types, such as terminals that perform environmental alarm monitoring or notification, are allowed to report, while other terminals are prevented from consuming overhead; or only VIP type terminals are allowed to report, etc.

[0557] 4) Meets at least one of the reporting conditions set by the network-side device.

[0558] In some embodiments, the network-side device may configure at least one reporting condition:

[0559] a. The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold;

[0560] b. The duration of the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource being less than or equal to the preset threshold is greater than or equal to the first duration. That is, if the paging carrier / paging frequency unit determined according to the agreed public information (such as terminal type, UE ID, etc.) does not meet the monitoring conditions, such as RSRP being lower than the RSRP threshold and the duration reaching a certain threshold length, then reporting is triggered.

[0561] c. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the first specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the first specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0562] d. The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the second specified range. For example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the paging carrier / paging frequency unit within the second specified range, then reporting is allowed.

[0563] e. The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, as only inactive terminals have services). For example, if at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, then reporting is allowed.

[0564] 5) None of the reporting prohibition conditions set by the network-side device were met.

[0565] In some embodiments, the network-side device may set at least one of the following conditions to prohibit reporting:

[0566] a. The time elapsed since the last report of the frequency domain resource change information is less than or equal to the second time elapsed;

[0567] b. The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the third specified range. For example, if the reselected paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the third specified range, then reporting is prohibited.

[0568] c. If the first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the fourth specified range, for example, if the abandoned paging carrier / paging frequency unit belongs to the carrier / frequency unit within the fourth specified range, reporting is prohibited;

[0569] d. When the terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements (this only applies to inactive terminals, because only inactive terminals have services), for example, when at least one of the service parameters such as QoS, service characteristics, and service type meets the service requirements, reporting is prohibited.

[0570] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource change information may include at least one of the following:

[0571] Frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging before the change;

[0572] The revised frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging;

[0573] Reason for change;

[0574] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging before the change;

[0575] Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging, after the changes.

[0576] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state, the network-side device is a core network device; when the terminal is in the RRC inactive state, the network-side device is an anchor access network device.

[0577] The communication apparatus proposed in this application can efficiently select a first frequency domain resource for paging listening by instructing a terminal to select such a resource from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell. Furthermore, this efficient selection mechanism effectively distributes the terminal across different frequency domain resources for paging listening, which helps balance network load and improve paging efficiency while ensuring a good terminal access experience. Moreover, by controlling the frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal regarding paging listening, the reporting of useful information can be flexibly controlled, meeting the most important experience requirements with minimal overhead, thereby achieving a better balance between paging overhead and paging performance.

[0578] like Figure 8 As shown, one embodiment of this application proposes a communication device 800, which can be used for a first network-side device. The device 800 may include: a sending module 801, used to send third information to a second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to a terminal.

[0579] In some embodiments, the first network-side device may be a core network device, and the second network-side device may be an access network device.

[0580] In some embodiments, the third information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0581] 1) Business requirements information.

[0582] In some embodiments, the service requirement information may include at least one of service characteristic information and service type information. For example, the service characteristic information may include: the latency characteristics of the service, whether the latency requirement is high or low, or specific latency parameters; the service type information may include: latency-sensitive service or latency-insensitive service, etc.

[0583] 2) Initial access requirements information.

[0584] In some embodiments, the initial access requirement information may include access latency requirement information. For example, the initial access latency requirement information may include paging or access latency requirements, such as access latency requirements of 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms; or, the initial access latency requirement information may include access latency level requirements, wherein the access latency level can be divided into 1-16 levels, with different latency levels corresponding to different access latency requirements, wherein as the latency level increases, the access latency requirement continuously decreases. It is understood that providing access network devices with access latency requirement information facilitates the access network's determination of how to reasonably allocate paging resources.

[0585] 3) First paging auxiliary information, which includes paging effect requirement information.

[0586] In some embodiments, the paging effect requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0587] Paging delay requirement information;

[0588] Paging cost requirements information.

[0589] For example, paging effect requirements may specifically include: whether latency is prioritized for this paging, and / or whether overhead is prioritized, etc.

[0590] 4) Second paging assistance information, which includes recommended information on paging resources.

[0591] In some embodiments, the recommendation information may include at least one of the following:

[0592] Recommended neighborhood information;

[0593] Recommended frequency domain resource information.

[0594] For example, the recommendation information may include recommended cell information and / or specific information about the paging carrier / paging frequency unit under the recommended cell, such as recommending paging on paging carrier 2 of cell 1. The recommendation information may also include: terminal camping information under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may provide this information to the access network equipment in a list format, for example, listing and providing detailed information such as the terminal's camping trajectory and camping duration under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may also provide other recommended paging carriers / downlink frequency units related to the trajectory or camping carrier, even if the terminal has not camped on them, as second paging auxiliary information to the access network equipment.

[0595] 5) Paging terminal information.

[0596] In some embodiments, the terminal information includes the terminal type. For example, the terminal type may include a regular terminal or an LPWA terminal, and may even include fixed-position terminal types, low-speed mobile terminal types, high-speed mobile terminal types, etc., within LPWA. For instance, water meters, electricity meters, fixed-installation cameras, and sensors are considered fixed-position terminals; airport trolleys and warehouse goods are considered low-speed mobile terminals; and terminals installed on cars or other vehicles are considered high-speed mobile terminals. There are even categories such as low-altitude flight terminals. Of course, further terminal information may also be included, such as gold card users, VIP users, etc.

[0597] In the aforementioned third information, since some information is semi-static or even static, such as terminal information, some information is related to paging, such as various auxiliary information, and some is related to services, the first network-side device can send this information to the second network-side device in different processes.

[0598] In some embodiments, the sending module 801 may send third information to the second network-side device during the first process.

[0599] The first process may include at least one of the following:

[0600] 1) Paging process;

[0601] In some embodiments, the sending module 801 may send all or part of the information in the third information to the second network-side device during the paging process.

[0602] The paging process is primarily used by core network devices to initiate core network paging from access network devices. It is generally a single process for idle-state terminals. Therefore, as an example, the core network device can carry the following information related to this paging in the initial paging message: first paging assistance information and second paging assistance information. The core network device can also carry service requirement information and initial access requirement information related to this paging in the initial paging message (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established service information). Furthermore, terminal information can also be carried in the initial paging message if necessary (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established context information).

[0603] For example, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the core network can send third information to Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) nodes via paging messages. Here, the AMF is an example of a first network-side device, and the NG-RAN node is an example of a second network-side device.

[0604] 2) Business management process;

[0605] In some embodiments, the service management process may include procedures related to the establishment, modification, and release of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions. Service-related information is generally sent from the core network device to the access network device during the establishment and modification of the PDU session. Since the service management process typically occurs after an idle terminal successfully initiates paging and enters the connected state, it seems impossible to use the service management process to obtain relevant information for paging resource decisions for idle terminals. However, for inactive terminals, since they have already established an RRC connection and possess basic service information, the service requirement information and initial access requirement information exchanged with the access network device through the service management process can be used for paging resource decisions for inactive terminals.

[0606] For example, a business management process capable of transmitting business requirement information and / or initial access requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0607] PDU session resource establishment;

[0608] Release PDU session resources;

[0609] PDU session resource modification;

[0610] PDU session resource notification;

[0611] PDU Session Resource Modification Instructions.

[0612] 3) Terminal context management process;

[0613] Terminal context management is generally used by core network equipment to send terminal-specific context information to access network equipment. This context information may include the aforementioned terminal information. Similar to service information, terminal context management occurs after an idle terminal enters the connected state after initial paging. Therefore, in some embodiments, the terminal information required for initial paging can only be carried in the initial paging message. After a terminal enters the connected state from the idle state, terminal context information is established. At this time, the terminal information can be sent to the access network equipment through context establishment or management processes, and stored by the access network equipment for use in paging resource decisions for inactive terminals. In some embodiments, the RAN paging request process initiated by the core network equipment for inactive terminals also belongs to the context management process. The RAN paging request may carry auxiliary information and demand information related to a single paging. In some embodiments, information related to the downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit where the terminal has previously camped or connected, such as terminal identifier and camping duration, can also be reported by the base station to the core network equipment for storage through the context management process, so that the core network equipment can carry second paging auxiliary information in the next paging message.

[0614] For example, a terminal context management process capable of transmitting terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0615] Initial context establishment;

[0616] UE context release request (initiated by NG-RAN node);

[0617] UE context release (AMF initiated);

[0618] UE context modification;

[0619] RRC inactive state transition report;

[0620] Connection establishment instruction;

[0621] AMF control plane repositioning indication;

[0622] RAN control plane relocation indication;

[0623] Retrieve UE information;

[0624] UE information transmission;

[0625] UE context suspended;

[0626] UE context recovery;

[0627] MT communication processing;

[0628] RAN paging request.

[0629] 4) Terminal mobility management process;

[0630] In some embodiments, the terminal mobility management process may include mobility management-related processes, such as the NG handover process between core network equipment and access network equipment (e.g., gNB), and the Xn handover process between one access network equipment (e.g., gNB) and another access network equipment (e.g., gNB). During the handover process, the source node can transmit and store at least one of the following: terminal service requirement information, paging information, and terminal information, to the target node for subsequent paging resource decisions. In 5G networks, NG refers to Next Generation, specifically the key interface between the 5G core network (5GC) and the base station (gNB), i.e., the NG interface.

[0631] For example, a terminal mobility management process capable of transmitting at least one of terminal service demand information, paging information, and terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0632] Switching preparation;

[0633] Switch resource allocation;

[0634] Toggle notifications;

[0635] Path switching request;

[0636] Switch to Cancel;

[0637] Uplink wireless access network status transmission;

[0638] Downlink radio access network status transmission;

[0639] Switching successful;

[0640] Uplink radio access network early status transmission;

[0641] Downlink radio access network early status transmission.

[0642] 5) Terminal capability management process.

[0643] If terminal capability information related to the paging mechanism (such as a new paging mechanism) is reported, it also needs to be reported and exchanged between the core network equipment and the access network equipment to facilitate the execution of paging operations based on the capabilities.

[0644] For example, a terminal capability management process capable of transmitting terminal capability information may include at least one of the following:

[0645] UE radio capability information indication;

[0646] UE wireless capability check;

[0647] Wireless capability ID mapping.

[0648] The communication device proposed in this application can send more information for paging resource decision-making to a second network-side device through an interface, so that the second network-side device can perform efficient scheduling of paging resources accordingly, thereby improving system efficiency and user experience at the same time.

[0649] like Figure 9 As shown, one embodiment of this application proposes a communication device 900, which can be used for a second network-side device. The device 900 may include: a receiving module 901, which is used to receive third information sent by a first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources to send a paging message to a terminal.

[0650] In some embodiments, the first network-side device may be a core network device, and the second network-side device may be an access network device.

[0651] In some embodiments, the third information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0652] 1) Business requirements information.

[0653] In some embodiments, the service requirement information may include at least one of service characteristic information and service type information. For example, the service characteristic information may include: the latency characteristics of the service, whether the latency requirement is high or low, or specific latency parameters; the service type information may include: latency-sensitive service or latency-insensitive service, etc.

[0654] 2) Initial access requirements information.

[0655] In some embodiments, the initial access requirement information may include access latency requirement information. For example, the initial access latency requirement information may include paging or access latency requirements, such as access latency requirements of 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms; or, the initial access latency requirement information may include access latency level requirements, wherein the access latency level can be divided into 1-16 levels, with different latency levels corresponding to different access latency requirements, wherein as the latency level increases, the access latency requirement continuously decreases. It is understood that providing access network devices with access latency requirement information facilitates the access network's determination of how to reasonably allocate paging resources.

[0656] 3) First paging auxiliary information, which includes paging effect requirement information.

[0657] In some embodiments, the paging effect requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0658] Paging delay requirement information;

[0659] Paging cost requirements information.

[0660] For example, paging effect requirements may specifically include: whether latency is prioritized for this paging, and / or whether overhead is prioritized, etc.

[0661] 4) Second paging assistance information, which includes recommended information on paging resources.

[0662] In some embodiments, the recommendation information may include at least one of the following:

[0663] Recommended neighborhood information;

[0664] Recommended frequency domain resource information.

[0665] For example, the recommendation information may include recommended cell information and / or specific information about the paging carrier / paging frequency unit under the recommended cell, such as recommending paging on paging carrier 2 of cell 1. The recommendation information may also include: terminal camping information under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may provide this information to the access network equipment in a list format, for example, listing and providing detailed information such as the terminal's camping trajectory and camping duration under paging carrier 2. The core network equipment may also provide other recommended paging carriers / downlink frequency units related to the trajectory or camping carrier, even if the terminal has not camped on them, as second paging auxiliary information to the access network equipment.

[0666] 5) Paging terminal information.

[0667] In some embodiments, the terminal information includes the terminal type. For example, the terminal type may include a regular terminal or an LPWA terminal, and may even include fixed-position terminal types, low-speed mobile terminal types, high-speed mobile terminal types, etc., within LPWA. For instance, water meters, electricity meters, fixed-installation cameras, and sensors are considered fixed-position terminals; airport trolleys and warehouse goods are considered low-speed mobile terminals; and terminals installed on cars or other vehicles are considered high-speed mobile terminals. There are even categories such as low-altitude flight terminals. Of course, further terminal information may also be included, such as gold card users, VIP users, etc.

[0668] In the aforementioned third information, since some information is semi-static or even static, such as terminal information, some information is related to paging, such as various auxiliary information, and some is related to services, the first network-side device can send this information to the second network-side device in different processes.

[0669] In some embodiments, the receiving module 901 may receive third information sent by the second network-side device during the first process.

[0670] The first process may include at least one of the following:

[0671] 1) Paging process;

[0672] In some embodiments, the receiving module 901 may send all or part of the information in the third information to the second network-side device during the paging process.

[0673] The paging process is primarily used by core network devices to initiate core network paging from access network devices. It is generally a single process for idle-state terminals. Therefore, as an example, the core network device can carry the following information related to this paging in the initial paging message: first paging assistance information and second paging assistance information. The core network device can also carry service requirement information and initial access requirement information related to this paging in the initial paging message (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established service information). Furthermore, terminal information can also be carried in the initial paging message if necessary (because the idle-state terminal has not yet established context information).

[0674] For example, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the core network can send third information to Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) nodes via paging messages. Here, the AMF is an example of a first network-side device, and the NG-RAN node is an example of a second network-side device.

[0675] 2) Business management process;

[0676] In some embodiments, the service management process may include procedures related to the establishment, modification, and release of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions. Service-related information is generally sent from the core network device to the access network device during the establishment and modification of the PDU session. Since the service management process typically occurs after an idle terminal successfully initiates paging and enters the connected state, it seems impossible to use the service management process to obtain relevant information for paging resource decisions for idle terminals. However, for inactive terminals, since they have already established an RRC connection and possess basic service information, the service requirement information and initial access requirement information exchanged with the access network device through the service management process can be used for paging resource decisions for inactive terminals.

[0677] For example, a business management process capable of transmitting business requirement information and / or initial access requirement information may include at least one of the following:

[0678] PDU session resource establishment;

[0679] Release PDU session resources;

[0680] PDU session resource modification;

[0681] PDU session resource notification;

[0682] PDU Session Resource Modification Instructions.

[0683] 3) Terminal context management process;

[0684] Terminal context management is generally used by core network equipment to send terminal-specific context information to access network equipment. This context information may include the aforementioned terminal information. Similar to service information, terminal context management occurs after an idle terminal enters the connected state after initial paging. Therefore, in some embodiments, the terminal information required for initial paging can only be carried in the initial paging message. After a terminal enters the connected state from the idle state, terminal context information is established. At this time, the terminal information can be sent to the access network equipment through context establishment or management processes, and stored by the access network equipment for use in paging resource decisions for inactive terminals. In some embodiments, the RAN paging request process initiated by the core network equipment for inactive terminals also belongs to the context management process. The RAN paging request may carry auxiliary information and demand information related to a single paging. In some embodiments, information related to the downlink carrier / downlink frequency unit where the terminal has previously camped or connected, such as terminal identifier and camping duration, can also be reported by the base station to the core network equipment for storage through the context management process, so that the core network equipment can carry second paging auxiliary information in the next paging message.

[0685] For example, a terminal context management process capable of transmitting terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0686] Initial context establishment;

[0687] UE context release request (initiated by NG-RAN node);

[0688] UE context release (AMF initiated);

[0689] UE context modification;

[0690] RRC inactive state transition report;

[0691] Connection establishment instruction;

[0692] AMF control plane repositioning indication;

[0693] RAN control plane relocation indication;

[0694] Retrieve UE information;

[0695] UE information transmission;

[0696] UE context suspended;

[0697] UE context recovery;

[0698] MT communication processing;

[0699] RAN paging request.

[0700] 4) Terminal mobility management process;

[0701] In some embodiments, the terminal mobility management process may include mobility management-related processes, such as the NG handover process between core network equipment and access network equipment (e.g., gNB), and the Xn handover process between one access network equipment (e.g., gNB) and another access network equipment (e.g., gNB). During the handover process, the source node can transmit and store at least one of the following: terminal service requirement information, paging information, and terminal information, to the target node for subsequent paging resource decisions. In 5G networks, NG refers to Next Generation, specifically the key interface between the 5G core network (5GC) and the base station (gNB), i.e., the NG interface.

[0702] For example, a terminal mobility management process capable of transmitting at least one of terminal service demand information, paging information, and terminal information may include at least one of the following:

[0703] Switching preparation;

[0704] Switch resource allocation;

[0705] Toggle notifications;

[0706] Path switching request;

[0707] Switch to Cancel;

[0708] Uplink wireless access network status transmission;

[0709] Downlink radio access network status transmission;

[0710] Switching successful;

[0711] Uplink radio access network early status transmission;

[0712] Downlink radio access network early status transmission.

[0713] 5) Terminal capability management process.

[0714] If terminal capability information related to the paging mechanism (such as a new paging mechanism) is reported, it also needs to be reported and exchanged between the core network equipment and the access network equipment to facilitate the execution of paging operations based on the capabilities.

[0715] For example, a terminal capability management process capable of transmitting terminal capability information may include at least one of the following:

[0716] UE radio capability information indication;

[0717] UE wireless capability check;

[0718] Wireless capability ID mapping.

[0719] The present application provides a communication device in which a second network-side device receives more information for paging resource decision-making from a first network-side device through an interface, enabling the second network-side device to perform efficient scheduling of paging resources, thereby improving both system efficiency and user experience.

[0720] The communication device 700 provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figure 3 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments of this application achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition. The communication device 800 provided in the embodiments of this application can realize Figure 4 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments of this application achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition. The communication device 900 provided in the embodiments of this application can realize Figure 5 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0721] like Figure 10As shown in the illustration, this application also provides a communication device 1000, including a processor 1001 and a memory 1002. The memory 1002 stores a program or instructions that can run on the processor 1001. For example, when the communication device 1000 is a terminal, the program or instructions executed by the processor 1001 implement the various steps of the above-described paging resource determination method embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. When the communication device 1000 is a network-side device, the program or instructions executed by the processor 1001 implement the various steps of the above-described communication method embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0722] This application embodiment also provides a terminal, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement, for example... Figure 2 The steps in the method embodiment shown are illustrated. This terminal embodiment corresponds to the above-described terminal-side method embodiment. All implementation processes and methods of the above-described method embodiments can be applied to this terminal embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. The terminal can be... Figure 6 The communication device shown. Specifically, Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a terminal to implement an embodiment of this application.

[0723] The terminal 1100 includes, but is not limited to, at least some of the following components: radio frequency unit 1101, network module 1102, audio output unit 1103, input unit 1104, sensor 1105, display unit 1106, user input unit 1107, interface unit 1108, memory 1109, and processor 1110.

[0724] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terminal 1100 may also include a power supply (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components. The power supply may be logically connected to the processor 1110 through a power management system, thereby enabling functions such as managing charging, discharging, and power consumption through the power management system. Figure 11 The terminal structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the terminal. The terminal may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements, which will not be elaborated here.

[0725] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the input unit 1104 may include a graphics processor 11041 and a microphone 11042. The graphics processor 11041 processes image data of still images or videos obtained by an image capture device (such as a camera) in video capture mode or image capture mode. The display unit 1106 may include a display panel 11061, which may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, or the like. The user input unit 1107 includes at least one of a touch panel 11071 and other input devices 11072. The touch panel 11071 is also called a touch screen. The touch panel 11071 may include a touch detection device and a touch controller. Other input devices 11072 may include, but are not limited to, physical keyboards, function keys (such as volume control buttons, power buttons, etc.), trackballs, mice, and joysticks, which will not be described in detail here.

[0726] In this embodiment, after receiving downlink data from the network-side device, the radio frequency unit 1101 can transmit it to the processor 1110 for processing; in addition, the radio frequency unit 1101 can send uplink data to the network-side device. Typically, the radio frequency unit 1101 includes, but is not limited to, antennas, amplifiers, transceivers, couplers, low-noise amplifiers, duplexers, etc.

[0727] The memory 1109 can be used to store software programs or instructions, as well as various data. The memory 1109 may primarily include a first storage area for storing programs or instructions and a second storage area for storing data. The first storage area may store the operating system, application programs or instructions required for at least one function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.). Furthermore, the memory 1109 may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DRRAM). The memory 1109 in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0728] Processor 1110 may include one or more processing units; optionally, processor 1110 integrates an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles operations involving the operating system, user interface, and applications, and the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication signals, such as a baseband processor. It is understood that the aforementioned modem processor may also not be integrated into processor 1110.

[0729] The processor 1110 is configured to select a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell based on the first information.

[0730] The first information includes at least one of the following:

[0731] The terminal type of the terminal;

[0732] The terminal identifier of the terminal;

[0733] The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource;

[0734] Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

[0735] This application proposes a terminal that, for a cell configured with at least two frequency domain resources, can efficiently select a first frequency domain resource for paging monitoring based on at least one of the following first pieces of information: terminal type, terminal identifier, signal quality on the frequency domain resource, and frequency domain resource information indicated by the network-side device. Furthermore, this efficient selection mechanism allows terminals to be effectively distributed across different frequency domain resources for paging monitoring, which helps balance network load and improve paging efficiency, while also ensuring a good terminal access experience.

[0736] It is understood that the implementation process of each implementation method mentioned in this embodiment can refer to the relevant description of the method embodiment and achieve the same or corresponding technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0737] This application embodiment also provides a network-side device, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement, for example... Figure 3 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The steps of the method embodiment shown are illustrated. This network-side device embodiment corresponds to the above-described network-side device method embodiment. All implementation processes and methods of the above-described method embodiments can be applied to this network-side device embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect.

[0738] Specifically, embodiments of this application also provide a network-side device, which may be... Figure 7 , Figure 8 or Figure 9 The communication device shown. (For example) Figure 12 As shown, the network-side device 1200 includes: an antenna 121, a radio frequency (RF) device 122, a baseband device 123, a processor 124, and a memory 125. The antenna 121 is connected to the RF device 122. In the uplink direction, the RF device 122 receives information through the antenna 121 and transmits the received information to the baseband device 123 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 123 processes the information to be transmitted and sends it to the RF device 122. The RF device 122 processes the received information and transmits it through the antenna 121.

[0739] The method executed by the network-side device in the above embodiments can be implemented in the baseband device 123, which includes a baseband processor.

[0740] The baseband device 123 may include, for example, at least one baseband board on which multiple chips are disposed, such as... Figure 12 As shown, one of the chips is, for example, a baseband processor, which is connected to the memory 125 via a bus interface to call the program in the memory 125 and execute the network-side device operations shown in the above method embodiment.

[0741] The network-side device may also include a network interface 126, such as a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

[0742] Specifically, the network-side device 1200 in this application embodiment further includes: instructions or programs stored in memory 125 and executable on processor 124, wherein processor 124 calls the instructions or programs in memory 125 to execute. Figure 7 , Figure 8 or Figure 9 The methods executed by each module shown achieve the same technical effect, and to avoid repetition, they will not be described in detail here.

[0743] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing a program or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the various processes of the above-described paging resource determination method or communication method embodiments and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0744] The processor mentioned above is the processor in the terminal described in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes computer-readable storage media, such as computer read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk. In some examples, the readable storage medium may be a non-transient readable storage medium.

[0745] This application embodiment also provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is coupled to the processor. The processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the various processes of the above-described paging resource determination method or communication method embodiments, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0746] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0747] This application also provides a computer program / program product, which is stored in a storage medium and executed by at least one processor to implement the various processes of the above-described paging resource determination method or communication method embodiments, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0748] This application also provides a communication system, including: a terminal and a network-side device, wherein the terminal can be used to perform... Figure 2 The network-side device can be used to execute the steps of the communication method described above. Figure 3 The steps of the communication method described above.

[0749] This application also provides a communication system, including: a first network-side device and a second network-side device, wherein the first network-side device can be used to perform... Figure 4 The second network-side device can be used to execute the steps of the communication method described above. Figure 5 The steps of the communication method described above.

[0750] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0751] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of computer software products plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, they can also be implemented by hardware. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.) and includes several instructions to cause the terminal or network-side device to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0752] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other implementations under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these implementations are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining paging resources, characterized in that, The method includes: The terminal selects the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell based on the first information; The first information includes at least one of the following: The terminal type of the terminal; The terminal identifier of the terminal; The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource; Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information includes the terminal type of the terminal, wherein the terminal selects a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell according to the first information, including: The terminal selects the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal. Different terminal types correspond to different frequency domain resource lists, and the frequency domain resource list includes at least one frequency domain resource.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first information also includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, wherein the terminal selects a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from a frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal, including: The terminal selects the first frequency domain resource for listening and paging from the frequency domain resource list corresponding to the terminal type of the terminal based on the terminal identifier of the terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource information includes at least one of the following: The first frequency domain resource; At least one list of frequency domain resources; A list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type; The frequency domain resource list includes at least one frequency domain resource.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first information also includes the terminal identifier of the terminal, and the frequency domain resource information includes the at least one frequency domain resource list, wherein the terminal selects a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell according to the first information, including: The terminal selects a first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from the list of at least one frequency domain resources based on the terminal identifier of the terminal.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal sends second information to the network-side device, wherein the second information includes the terminal's reporting information in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, and the reporting information includes at least one of the terminal's characteristic information, measurement information, and downlink paging configuration request information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2-6, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource list also includes at least one of the following control parameters: The weight of each frequency domain resource; The signal quality characterization value for each frequency domain resource is compared to the threshold. Paging group parameters; Paging scheduling parameters; The number of times the pager is repeated.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first information includes signal quality characterization values ​​on the first frequency domain resource, and the method further includes at least one of the following: If the terminal's signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the terminal will perform paging monitoring on the first frequency domain resource. If the terminal's signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it will perform paging monitoring on the second frequency domain resource.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Before performing paging listening on the second frequency domain resource, the method further includes at least one of the following: When the first frequency domain resource is a secondary carrier or a secondary frequency unit, the terminal determines the primary carrier or primary frequency unit of the serving cell as the second frequency domain resource; The terminal selects a new frequency domain resource from the at least two frequency domain resources as the second frequency domain resource based on the terminal's identifier; Wherein, the signal quality characterization value on the second frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, and / or, the coverage of the second frequency domain resource is greater than that of the first frequency domain resource.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the terminal is listening for paging on the second frequency domain resources, it reports the frequency domain resource change information of the paging listening to the network side device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The reporting of frequency domain resource change information for listening paging to the network-side device includes: If the first condition is met, the frequency domain resource change information of the listening paging is reported to the network-side device; The first condition includes at least one of the following: The terminal's serving cell supports frequency domain resource change information reporting function; The frequency domain resource change information reporting function of the serving cell of the terminal is enabled. The terminal belongs to the type of terminal that is allowed to report frequency domain resource change information; The network-side device must meet at least one of the allowed reporting conditions set by the network-side device. None of the reporting prohibition conditions set by the network-side device were met.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The conditions for allowing reporting include at least one of the following: The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold; The duration for which the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold is greater than or equal to the first duration; The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the first specified range; The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the second specified range; The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The conditions for prohibiting reporting include at least one of the following: The time elapsed since the last report of the frequency domain resource change information is less than or equal to the second time elapsed; The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the third specified range; The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the fourth specified range; The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource change information includes at least one of the following: Frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging before the change; The revised frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging; Reason for change; Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging before the change; Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging, after the changes.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The network-side device sends frequency domain resource information to the terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource information includes at least one of the following: The first frequency domain resource; At least one list of frequency domain resources; A list of frequency domain resources corresponding to at least one terminal type; The frequency domain resource list includes at least one frequency domain resource.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, Before the network-side device sends frequency domain resource information to the terminal, the method further includes: The network-side device receives second information sent by the terminal, wherein the second information includes reporting information of the terminal in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, and the reporting information includes at least one of the terminal's characteristic information, measurement information, and downlink paging configuration request information.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource list also includes at least one of the following control parameters: The weight of each frequency domain resource; The signal quality characterization value for each frequency domain resource is compared to the threshold. Paging group parameters; Paging scheduling parameters; The number of times the pager is repeated.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15-18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network-side device receives frequency domain resource change information reported by the terminal regarding listening to paging, wherein the frequency domain resource change information is reported by the terminal when listening to paging on the second frequency domain resource.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, When the first frequency domain resource is a secondary carrier or a secondary frequency unit, the second frequency domain resource is the primary carrier or primary frequency unit of the serving cell; And / or, The second frequency domain resource is a frequency domain resource that the terminal reselects from the at least two frequency domain resources according to the terminal's identifier, wherein the signal quality characterization value on the second frequency domain resource is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and / or the coverage area of ​​the second frequency domain resource is greater than that of the first frequency domain resource.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The first frequency domain resource is selected by the terminal based on first information, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: The terminal type of the terminal; The terminal identifier of the terminal; The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource; The frequency domain resource information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19-21, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource change information is reported by the terminal when the first condition is met; The first condition includes at least one of the following: The terminal's serving cell supports frequency domain resource change information reporting function; The frequency domain resource change information reporting function of the serving cell of the terminal is enabled. The terminal belongs to the type of terminal that is allowed to report frequency domain resource change information; The network-side device must meet at least one of the allowed reporting conditions set by the network-side device. None of the reporting prohibition conditions set by the network-side device were met.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The conditions for allowing reporting include at least one of the following: The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold; The duration for which the signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource is less than or equal to the preset threshold is greater than or equal to the first duration; The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the first specified range; The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the second specified range; The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The conditions for prohibiting reporting include at least one of the following: The time elapsed since the last report of the frequency domain resource change information is less than or equal to the second time elapsed; The second frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resource within the third specified range; The first frequency domain resource belongs to the frequency domain resources within the fourth specified range; The terminal's current service parameters meet the service requirements.

25. The method according to any one of claims 19-24, characterized in that, The frequency domain resource change information includes at least one of the following: Frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging before the change; The revised frequency domain resource information used for listening to paging; Reason for change; Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging before the change; Measurement information of the frequency domain resources used for listening to paging, after the changes.

26. The method according to any one of claims 19-25, characterized in that, When the terminal is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state, the network-side device is a core network device; When the terminal is in the RRC inactive state, the network-side device is an anchor access network device.

27. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The first network-side device sends third information to the second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that, The third information includes at least one of the following: Business requirements information; Initial access requirements; First paging assistance information, the first paging assistance information includes paging effect requirement information; Second paging assistance information, which includes recommended paging resources; Paging terminal information.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The business requirement information includes at least one of the following: Business characteristic information; Business type information.

30. The method according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that, The initial access requirements information includes access latency requirements.

31. The method according to any one of claims 28-30, characterized in that, The paging effect requirement information includes at least one of the following: Paging delay requirement information; Paging cost requirements information.

32. The method according to any one of claims 28-31, characterized in that, The recommendation information includes at least one of the following: Recommended neighborhood information; Recommended frequency domain resource information.

33. The method according to any one of claims 28-32, characterized in that, The terminal information includes the terminal type.

34. The method according to any one of claims 27-33, characterized in that, The first network-side device sends third information to the second network-side device, including: The first network-side device sends third information to the second network-side device during the first process; The first process includes at least one of the following: Paging process; Business management process; Terminal context management process; Terminal mobility management process; Terminal capability management process.

35. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The second network-side device receives third information sent by the first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

36. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that, The third information includes at least one of the following: Business requirements information; Initial access requirements; First paging assistance information, the first paging assistance information includes paging effect requirement information; Second paging assistance information, which includes recommended paging resources; Paging terminal information.

37. The method according to claim 36, characterized in that, The business requirement information includes at least one of the following: Business characteristic information; Business type information.

38. The method according to claim 36 or 37, characterized in that, The initial access requirements information includes access latency requirements.

39. The method according to any one of claims 36-38, characterized in that, The paging effect requirement information includes at least one of the following: Paging delay requirement information; Paging cost requirements information.

40. The method according to any one of claims 36-39, characterized in that, The recommendation information includes at least one of the following: Recommended neighborhood information; Recommended frequency domain resource information.

41. The method according to any one of claims 36-40, characterized in that, The terminal information includes the terminal type.

42. The method according to any one of claims 35-41, characterized in that, The second network-side device receives third information sent by the first network-side device, including: The second network-side device receives the third information sent by the second network-side device during the first process; The first process includes at least one of the following: Paging process; Business management process; Terminal context management process; Terminal mobility management process; Terminal capability management process.

43. A paging resource determination device, characterized in that, include: The processing module is used to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell based on the first information; The first information includes at least one of the following: Terminal type; Terminal identifier; The signal quality characterization value on the first frequency domain resource; Frequency domain resource information indicated by network-side devices.

44. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The sending module is used to send frequency domain resource information to the terminal, wherein the frequency domain resource information is used by the terminal to select the first frequency domain resource for listening to paging from at least two frequency domain resources of the serving cell.

45. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The sending module is used to send third information to a second network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

46. ​​A communication device, characterized in that, include: A receiving module is configured to receive third information sent by a first network-side device, wherein the third information is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource from at least two frequency domain resources for sending a paging message to the terminal.

47. A terminal, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions that can run on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

48. A network-side device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions that can run on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 15 to 42.

49. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The readable storage medium stores a program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 42.

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