User equipment, network equipment, and methods thereof

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for communication. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal device receives a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device from a network device. The dormant transmission configuration includes timing information indicating at least one of a first period of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second period of an active mode of the at least one cell. The terminal device receives a first indication from the network device indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during an active mode. The second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during an inactive mode is greater than the first period, or a transmission of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during an inactive mode is disabled. The terminal device performs data communication with the network device through the plurality of cells based on the dormant transmission configuration.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for controlling transmissions in a network device. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of communication technology, discontinuous transmission (DTX) and discontinuous reception (DRX) are introduced for energy saving of devices in communication systems. For example, in the DRX process of a terminal device, the terminal device can stop data reception in a DRX-off period or perform data reception in a DRX-on period. In addition, in order to improve communication efficiency, the terminal device can receive services from multiple cells provided by a network device. Carrier aggregation (CA) technology allows the terminal device to perform data communication on a bandwidth portion (BWP) of a component carrier in multiple component carriers, and each component carrier is associated with a corresponding cell among multiple cells. However, existing DTX and DRX are mainly applied from the perspective of the terminal device, and energy saving methods such as DTX and DRX for network devices have not been considered in detail, especially for CA scenarios. In addition, when DTX and / or DRX are applied on the network device side, it is also an important aspect to harmonize the transmission / reception window of the terminal device and the reception / transmission window of the network device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In general, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for controlling transmissions in a network device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect, a method is provided for implementation by a terminal device. In the method, the terminal device receives from a network device a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device. The dormant transmission configuration includes timing information indicating at least one of a first period of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second period of an active mode of the at least one cell. The terminal device receives from the network device a first indication indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode. A second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is greater than the first period or transmission of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled. The terminal device performs data communication with the network device via the plurality of cells based on the dormant transmission configuration.

[0005] In a second aspect, a method is provided that is implemented in a network device. In the method, the network device transmits to the terminal device a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device. The dormant transmission configuration includes timing information indicating at least one of a first period of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second period of an active mode of the at least one cell. The network device transmits to the terminal device a first indication indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode. A second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is greater than the first period or transmission of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled. The network device performs data communication with the terminal device via the plurality of cells based on the dormant transmission configuration.

[0006] In a third aspect, there is provided a terminal device comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the terminal device to perform the method of the first aspect.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a network device comprising a processor and a memory, coupled to the processor, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform the method of the second aspect.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a computer readable medium is provided having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods of the first and second aspects.

[0009] It should be understood that this Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will be more easily understood through the following Detailed Description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] Several exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures.

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example environment in which some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0012] [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a signaling process for configuring a dormant transmission setting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 9] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 10] 1 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 11] 4 illustrates the determination of an effective reception period according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 12] 4 illustrates the determination of an effective reception period according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example method implemented by a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 14] 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented by a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 15] FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] In the figures, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The principles of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to some embodiments. These embodiments are merely illustrative and are intended to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0028] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0029] In this specification, the term "terminal device" refers to any device having wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine type communications (MTC) devices, vehicle-mounted devices for V2X communications (where X stands for pedestrian, vehicle, or infrastructure / network), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), Small Data Transmission (SDT), mobility, Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS), positioning, dynamic / flexible duplexing in commercial networks, devices for reduced capability (RedCap), High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) including unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and spacecraft or aircraft in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) including satellites, and eXtended Reality (XR) including different types of reality such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR). Examples of "terminal devices" include, but are not limited to, Reality (VR) devices, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, which are aircraft that do not require a human pilot, devices on high speed trains (HST), imaging devices such as digital cameras, sensors, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, or Internet devices that allow wireless or wired Internet access and browsing. "Terminal devices" may also have multicast / broadcast capabilities to support public safety and mission critical, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, smart TV, wireless services, wireless software distribution, group communication, and IoT applications. They may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), known as multi-SIMs.The term "terminal equipment" may be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber equipment, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless equipment.

[0030] The term "network device" refers to a device capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage through which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, a Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), next generation Node B (gNB), transmit / receive point (TRP), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), IAB node, low power node such as femto node, pico node, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), network-controlled repeater, etc.

[0031] The terminal device or network device may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. Typically, this includes models that are learned from a large amount of data collected for a specific function and can be used to predict some information. The terminal device or network device may function in multiple frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), 71 GHz to 114 GHz, frequency bands higher than 100 GHz, Terahertz (THz), etc. Furthermore, it can function in licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. The terminal device may have multiple connections with the network device in a multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC) application scenario. The terminal device or network device can function in full duplex, flexible duplex, and cross-division duplex modes.

[0032] The network device may have a function of network energy saving, self-organizing network (SON) / minimization of drive test (MDT). The terminal may have a function of power saving.

[0033] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in test equipment, such as, for example, a signal generator, a signal analyzer, a spectrum analyzer, a network analyzer, a test terminal equipment, a test network equipment, a channel emulator, and the like.

[0034] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in accordance with any generation of communication protocols now known or developed in the future, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth generation (6G) networks.

[0035] In one embodiment, the terminal device may be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first network device and the second network device may be a master node and the other may be a secondary node. The first network device and the second network device may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to the different RATs is transmitted to the terminal device from at least one of the first network device and the second network device. In one embodiment, the first information may be transmitted to the terminal device from the first network device and the second information may be transmitted to the terminal device directly from the second network device or via the first network device. In one embodiment, information regarding the settings of the terminal device configured by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. Information regarding the reconfiguration of the terminal device configured by the second network device may be transmitted to the terminal device directly from the second network device or via the first network device.

[0036] In this disclosure, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include the plural, unless otherwise stated. The term "comprising" and variations thereof are read as open terms meaning "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" is read as "based at least in part on." The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are read as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" is read as "at least one other embodiment." Terms such as "first," "second," and the like may refer to different objects or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below.

[0037] In some instances, values, procedures, or devices are described in terms such as "optimum," "lowest," "highest," "minimum," "maximum," etc. Such descriptions represent a selection among many possible functional alternatives, and the option selected is not necessarily better, lesser, more expensive, or otherwise desirable than other options.

[0038] The term "circuitry" as used in this disclosure may refer to hardware circuits and / or combinations of hardware circuits and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware. As a further example, a circuit may be any portion of a hardware processor with software, including digital signal processors, software, and memory, that work together to cause a device, such as a terminal device or a network device, to perform various functions. As a further example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, that requires software / firmware for operation and that is not present if not required for operation. In this disclosure, the term "circuitry" also includes implementation as simply a hardware circuit or processor, or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) associated software or firmware.

[0039] As mentioned above, energy saving methods such as DTX and DRX are mainly applied on the terminal device side. One solution for energy saving on the network device side is to deactivate a secondary cell (SCell) among multiple cells provided by the network device. However, the energy saving efficiency of the network device is limited because the related synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) are transmitted normally in the deactivated cell. In addition, the terminal device may experience a significant delay due to the cell activation procedure.

[0040] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a mechanism for controlling transmission in a network device, in which the network device can configure a dormant transmission setting in the terminal device, which indicates timing information related to the active and inactive modes of a cell to the terminal device. In the inactive mode, the transmission of the physical downlink channel is stopped and the period of the transmission of the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in this cell is increased compared to the active mode. Or even the transmission of the channel reference signal or synchronization signal in this cell is disabled. When the transmission of the channel reference signal or synchronization signal is disabled, the terminal device receives the tracking reference signal and synchronization signal in another reference cell.

[0041] Specifically, the terminal device receives from the network device a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device. The dormant transmission configuration includes timing information indicating a first period of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and / or a second period of an active mode of the at least one cell. The terminal device receives from the network device a first indication indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode. The second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is greater than the first period, or the transmission of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled. The terminal device further performs data communication with the network device via the plurality of cells based on the dormant transmission configuration.

[0042] In this way, the energy saving efficiency of the network device can be further improved (e.g., the cell goes into deep sleep / inactive mode / hibernation), and the terminal device can anchor to a reference cell among a plurality of cells in which at least one of the cells can transmit a tracking signal or a synchronization signal, so that the traffic continuity and Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection of the terminal device can be maintained.

[0043] FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment 100 in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0044] An environment 100 that may exist as part of a communication network includes a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. The terminal device 110 may be served by multiple cells provided by the network device 120. CA technology allows the terminal device 110 to perform data communication with the network device 120 over BWPs of component carriers in multiple component carriers each associated with a corresponding one of the multiple cells.

[0045] It should be understood that the number of terminal devices and network devices shown in environment 100 is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, environment 100 may include additional terminal devices for communicating information with additional network devices.

[0046] Communications in environment 100 may conform to any suitable communications standard or protocol, existing or developed in the future, such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), LTE (long term evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standards. Any suitable communication technology may also be used, such as Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, Machine Type Communication (MTC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), Carrier Aggregation (CA), Dual Connection (DC), and New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) technologies.

[0047] 2 illustrates a signaling process 200 for configuring a dormant transmission setting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, process 200 is described with reference to FIG.

[0048] In the signaling process 200, the terminal device 110 receives (210) a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device from the network device 120. The dormant transmission configuration includes timing information indicating at least one of a first duration of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second duration of an active mode of the at least one cell.

[0049] In this disclosure, the terms "inactive mode of a cell" and "TX off period of a cell" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably. The terms "active mode of a cell" and "TX on period of a cell" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably. Also, the end of the inactive mode of at least one cell means the start of the active mode of at least one cell, and the end of the active mode also means the start of the inactive mode.

[0050] In some embodiments, at least one cell includes one or more SCells. During the inactive mode (or the first period), the one or more SCells may not transmit physical downlink channels (e.g., Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), and Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS)) and may transmit channel reference signals (e.g., Tracking Reference Signal (TRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), or Synchronization Signal / PBCH Block, SSB)) with a period greater than that in the active mode. In some embodiments, the TRS may include a set of CSI-RS resources used for frequency and time domain synchronization. Additionally or alternatively, the SCell may not transmit channel reference signals and synchronization signals during the inactive mode. In some embodiments, the at least one cell may include a further cell within the plurality of cells, such as a Primary Cell (PCell) or a Special Cell (SpCell).

[0051] In some embodiments, the timing information includes a period, a starting point, and a timer or length of the first or second period. For clarity of discussion, this idle transmission configuration is described with reference to FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive this idle transmission configuration in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0052] FIG. 3 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 3, the x-axis indicates the time domain and the y-axis indicates the frequency domain. Also, for illustration purposes only, CC1 is a component carrier associated with another cell other than the at least one cell, and CC2 is a component carrier associated with the at least one cell. In one example, the timing information of the dormant transmission configuration may indicate an active mode third period 310, an active mode timing offset 320, and an active mode timer of the at least one cell. With this timing information, the terminal device 110 may determine the third period 310 of the second period and the starting point / time / position of the second period. The terminal device 110 may further determine the length 330 of the first period based on the active mode timer. In this manner, the terminal device 110 may determine each of the first periods of the at least one cell. As described above, the end of the inactive mode of at least one cell also means the start of the active mode of at least one cell, and the end of the active mode also means the start of the inactive mode, so the terminal device may determine the second period in each period accordingly.

[0054] Additionally or alternatively, the timing information of the idle transmission configuration may indicate an inactive mode third period 310, an inactive mode timing offset 340, and an inactive mode timer. With the timing information, the terminal device 110 may determine the third period 310 of the second period and the starting point / time / location of the second period. The terminal device 110 may further determine the length of the second period based on the inactive mode timer. Similarly, the terminal device may further determine the first period of each period accordingly.

[0055] In some embodiments, the timing information may also indicate at least one of a third period of inactive mode of a cell in the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell, and a fourth period of active mode of the cell, where the first period and the third period are at least partially non-overlapping, or the second period and the fourth period are at least partially non-overlapping. For clarity of discussion, the timing information further indicating the third and fourth periods will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4, CC3 is a component carrier associated with one cell in the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell. In some embodiments, the first period and the third period are at least partially non-overlapping, or the second period and the fourth period are at least partially non-overlapping. In this way, the active mode of the at least one cell and the active mode of the cells other than the at least one cell are configured to be "staggered" in the time domain. In this way, the terminal device can be served by at least one cell in the plurality of cells even when idle transmission is applied to the plurality of cells. In some embodiments, the first period and the third period are non-overlapping, or the second period and the fourth period are non-overlapping.

[0058] In some embodiments, the multiple cells may be divided into a first group of cells and a second group of cells, where timing information indicating the first period and the second period is set in the first group, and timing information indicating the third period and the second period is set in the second group, and the cells of the first group transmit based on the first period and the second period, and the cells of the second group transmit based on the third period and the fourth period.

[0059] Referring again to FIG. 2, in addition to or instead of the timing information indicating the period, the pause transmission configuration may include at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication. The active indication and the inactive indication may indicate the start of associated first and second periods. For clarity of discussion, the pause transmission configuration including at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0060] FIG. 5 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0061] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may be configured with a specific search space for an active or inactive indication. For example, the search space may include a set of resources and at least one detection opportunity for an active or inactive indication. Terminal device 110 may detect the active or inactive indication in this search space accordingly. For example, the active or inactive indication may include a field of Downlink Control Information (DCI) transmitted from network device 120. In some embodiments, the active or inactive indication may include a predefined sequence.

[0062] In some embodiments, the active indication may indicate that the first period begins after the first gap. The active indication may also indicate that the second period begins after the second gap. If the terminal device 110 detects an inactive indication 501 in a particular search space, the terminal device 110 may assume that at least one cell transitions to an inactive mode after the second gap 510 and that the inactive mode continues for the second period. On the other hand, if the terminal device 110 detects an active indication 520 in the search space, the terminal device 110 may assume that at least one cell transitions to an active mode after the first gap 530 and that the active mode continues for the first period.

[0063] In some embodiments, the search space may be configured in a component carrier (CC1 shown in FIG. 5) associated with another cell other than the at least one cell. For example, the search space may be configured in a component carrier associated with a reference cell. The reference cell may include at least one of a PCell, a PSCell, or a serving cell indicated by the network device 120.

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, the search space may be configured on a component carrier (CC2) associated with at least one cell. For clarity of discussion, the search space configured on the component carrier associated with at least one cell is described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0065] FIG. 6 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 6, the search space is configured in a component carrier (CC2) associated with at least one cell. If the terminal device 110 detects an inactive indication 601 in the search space, the terminal device 110 may assume that at least one cell transitions to an inactive mode after a second gap 610 and that the inactive mode continues for a second period. On the other hand, if the terminal device 110 detects an active indication 620 in the search space, the terminal device 110 may assume that at least one cell transitions to an active mode after a first gap 630 and that the active mode continues for a first period.

[0067] In some embodiments, the timing information further indicating the third period may be used in combination with the active or inactive indication. For example, if an inactive indication is detected, the terminal device 110 may assume that at least one cell transitions to an inactive mode after the second gap 610 and that the inactive mode continues for a second period. The terminal device 110 may also assume that subsequent inactive and active modes occur in the period indicated in the timing information in the absence of additional active or inactive indications.

[0068] Referring again to FIG. 2, the terminal device 110 may be configured to have a specific dormant state. When the terminal device 110 is set to the dormant state, the terminal device 110 considers the active mode and the inactive mode of at least one cell only in the dormant state of the terminal device 110. For clarity of discussion, the dormant state of the terminal device is described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0069] FIG. 7 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 7, the terminal device 110 may have two states: a normal state 710 and a dormant state 720. In the normal state 710, the terminal device 110 may assume that the network device 120 always transmits a physical downlink channel, a tracking reference signal, or a synchronization signal, and the terminal device 110 may receive without considering any inactive mode of at least one cell. Meanwhile, in the dormant state 710, the terminal device 110 may receive a physical downlink channel, a tracking reference signal, or a synchronization signal accordingly based on the received dormant transmission configuration.

[0071] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive a terminal device dormancy indication, the dormancy indication indicating a period of dormancy of the terminal device, and the terminal device 110 may receive a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in at least one cell at a second period during the inactive mode and may not receive a physical downlink channel (230).

[0072] 2, the terminal device 110 receives 220 a first indication indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode. A second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is greater than the first period, or transmission of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled.

[0073] It should be understood that the order of steps 210 and 220 in FIG. 2 is for discussion purposes only, and that step 220 may be performed before step 210 or in parallel with step 220.

[0074] In some embodiments, the relationship between the second period and the first period is predefined. For example, the second period may be predefined as N times the first period, or the second period may be predefined as the first period plus a fixed period. Thus, upon receiving the first indication indicating the first period, the terminal device 110 may determine the second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal during inactivity based on the predefined relationship.

[0075] In some embodiments, the second period may be dynamically indicated by the network device 120. For example, the terminal device 110 may receive from the network device 120 a scaling parameter N for receiving a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in at least one cell during an inactive mode. The terminal device 110 understands that the second period is N times the indicated first period. Then, the terminal device 110 may accordingly perform data communication with the network device 120 through multiple cells based on the dormant transmission configuration (230). For clarity of discussion, data communication based on the dormant transmission configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 10.

[0076] FIG. 8 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 8, block 810 represents a second period of the active mode of the at least one cell. During the active mode of the at least one cell, the terminal device 110 may receive a physical downlink channel and a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell at a first period. For example, the terminal device 110 may perform transmission and reception, such as measurement, synchronization, Channel State Information (CSI) measurement, PDCCH monitoring, and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, as usual.

[0078] During the inactive mode of at least one cell, the terminal device 110 may receive a tracking reference signal or synchronization signal (shaded block above block 820 shown in FIG. 8) in the at least one cell with a second periodicity greater than the first periodicity. The second periodicity may be determined as described above. In some embodiments, during the inactive mode, the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal is also simplified. For example, during the active mode, the PBCH is transmitted as part of the SSB, but during the inactive mode, the PBCH is not transmitted.

[0079] Also, the terminal device 110 may not receive the physical downlink channel during the inactive mode. On the network device 120 side, the network device 120 does not substantially transmit the physical downlink channel 830 during the inactive mode. On the other hand, the terminal device 110 may assume that the network device 120 does not transmit the physical downlink channel and may not receive it.

[0080] Additionally or alternatively, the network device 120 may not transmit the physical downlink channel and the tracking reference signal during the inactive mode.

[0081] FIG. 9 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0082] As shown in Figure 9, block 910 represents a second period of active mode of at least one cell. During the active mode of at least one cell, the terminal device 110 may receive a physical downlink channel and a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell at a first period. For example, the terminal device 110 may perform transmission and reception, such as measurement, synchronization, Channel State Information (CSI) measurement, PDCCH monitoring, Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, as usual.

[0083] During the inactive mode of the at least one cell, the terminal device 110 does not receive the physical downlink channel and the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal (collectively represented as reference numeral 920 in FIG. 8) in the at least one cell. On the network device 120 side, the network device 120 may not transmit the physical downlink channel and the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal during the inactive mode.

[0084] In this case, the terminal device 110 may receive a tracking reference signal or synchronization signal of at least one cell in another cell. In some embodiments, the another cell may include at least one of a predefined reference cell, a PCell, a PSCell, and a cell indicated by the network device 120.

[0085] In this way, at least one cell can be moved into a "deep" inactive or sleep mode, optimizing the energy saving efficiency accordingly, and the continuity of the traffic of the terminal device 110 is maintained, since the terminal device 110 can be anchored to another reference cell.

[0086] In some embodiments, an aperiodic tracking reference signal may be configured at the beginning of the second time period to ensure time and frequency synchronization of at least one cell in active mode with the terminal device 110. For clarity of discussion, this is described with reference to FIG.

[0087] FIG. 10 illustrates a pause transmission configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0088] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may indicate an offset value of the aperiodic tracking reference signal relative to a start time of the second time period. In some embodiments, the offset value may be a number of OFDM symbols or slots. In some embodiments, the aperiodic tracking reference signal may be included in the second time period. For example, the network device 120 may indicate a positive offset value indicating a length of 1021. Additionally or alternatively, the aperiodic tracking reference signal may be located before the second time period. For example, the network device 120 may indicate a negative offset value indicating a length of 1022.

[0089] Through the above steps, the terminal device 110 may perform data communication with the network device 120 taking into account the dormant transmission setting. Specifically, from the perspective of the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 is configured with a DTX setting (or a dormant transmission setting) for the serving cell. During a DTX-off period of the DTX setting, the terminal device 110 may determine that the serving cell is in a dormant state, for example, that a BandWidth part (BWP) associated with the serving cell is in a dormant state. Also, during the DTX-off period, a dormant BWP previously configured by the network device 120 may be activated. The terminal device 110 may perform measurement / synchronization / AGC in the dormant BWP and not monitor the PDCCH.

[0090] In some embodiments, during a DTX on period, the active BWP is preset by the network device 120 to be used at the beginning of the DTX on period. In some embodiments, the active BWP is the most recent BWP used by the terminal device 110 during the previous DTX on period. In another embodiment, the active BWP is the most recent BWP other than the dormant BWP.

[0091] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal device 110 may be configured with a DCI-based dormant cell indication. In this case, if the terminal device 110 receives a DCI and the DCI indicates a serving cell switch to or from a deactive mode, the terminal device 110 should follow this indication. If the terminal device 110 receives a DCI indicating a deactive mode, the terminal device 110 should follow the periodic cell activation / deactivation mechanism described above. For example, if the terminal device 110 receives a DCI (e.g., in a PCell) during a DTX-off period and the DCI indicates that the serving cell is to be dormant, the terminal device 110 should continue to consider the serving cell to be in the deactive mode during the next DTX-on period until it receives another DCI indicating to the terminal device 110 that the serving cell should be in the active mode.

[0092] As described above, the terminal device 110 performs data communication with the network device 120 via multiple cells based on the idle transmission configuration.

[0093] Also, in some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may be pre-configured with a discontinuous reception setting. In this case, the terminal device 110 performs data reception only within some predefined reception periods. In this case, the terminal device 110 should determine (240) an effective reception period that corresponds to an active mode of at least one cell and perform (250) data reception. Alternatively, the terminal device 110 may detect (240) a wake-up signal in a search period that corresponds to a second period and determine (250) whether to perform data reception based on the wake-up signal. For clarity of discussion, this will be described with reference to FIGS. 11-12.

[0094] FIG. 11 illustrates the determination of an effective reception interval according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 11, block 1110 represents a second period of an inactive mode for at least one cell, and blocks 1120, 1130, and 1140 represent reception periods in a discontinuous reception setting.

[0096] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the effective reception period of the at least one cell based on the reception period and the second period of the discontinuous reception setting preset in the terminal device 110. Then, the terminal device 110 receives data from the at least one cell during the effective reception period.

[0097] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may consider a reception period that is completely included in the second period to be a valid reception period. For example, if the second period 1110 completely includes the reception period 1120, the terminal device 110 may determine the reception period 1120 as the valid reception period.

[0098] On the other hand, if the reception period is not completely included in the second period, for example, reception periods 1130 and 1140, the terminal device does not need to determine these reception periods as valid reception periods.

[0099] After determining the valid reception period, the terminal device 110 starts up and receives data only during the determined valid reception period.

[0100] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal device may determine a reception period in which the first portion is included in the second period as the valid reception period.

[0101] FIG. 12 illustrates the determination of an effective reception interval according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 12, block 1210 represents a second period of an inactive mode for at least one cell, and blocks 1220, 1230, and 1240 represent reception periods in a discontinuous reception setting.

[0103] In some embodiments, if the number of first symbols in the first part of the reception period included in the second period exceeds the first threshold, the terminal device 110 may determine the reception period as a valid reception period. In some embodiments, the first threshold may be one OFDM symbol or a specific number of OFDM symbols. Alternatively, the first threshold is 0. In this case, if only the first symbol of the reception period is included in the second period, the reception period may also be determined as a valid reception period.

[0104] For example, the terminal device 110 may determine blocks 1220 and 1230 as the valid reception period. Because the first portion of block 1240 is not included in the second period, block 1240 may not be determined as the valid reception period.

[0105] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal device 110 may detect a wake-up signal during a preset search period, monitor the wake-up signal, and determine whether to perform data reception during a reception period associated with the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the reception period associated with the wake-up signal may be a reception period following the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the reception period associated with the wake-up signal may be indicated by the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the reception period associated with the wake-up signal may be one or more reception periods following the wake-up signal.

[0106] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes two preset sequences, a first sequence and a second sequence. In one example, if the terminal device 110 detects the first sequence in a preset search period, the terminal device 110 may wake up and perform data reception during the associated reception period. On the other hand, if the terminal device 110 detects the second sequence in the preset search period, the terminal device 110 may not wake up to perform data reception during the associated reception period.

[0107] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may detect the wake-up signal only in a valid search period among the preset search periods. In this case, the terminal device 110 may determine in advance the valid search period of the wake-up signal based on the preset search period of the wake-up signal and the second period.

[0108] In some embodiments, the terminal device may determine the valid search period in the same manner as the determination of the valid reception period described in Figures 11 to 12. For example, in some embodiments, if the preset search period is completely included in the second period, the preset search period is determined as the valid search period.

[0109] Additionally or alternatively, if the number of second symbols in the first part of the preset search period included in the second period exceeds a second threshold, the terminal device 110 may determine the preset search period as the valid reception period.

[0110] 13 illustrates a flowchart of a communication method 900 implemented in a fourth network device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 1300 may be implemented in the terminal device 110 illustrated in FIG. 1. For purposes of discussion, the method 1300 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that the method 1300 may include additional operations not shown and / or omit some of the operations shown, although the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0111] At block 1310, terminal device 110 receives a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device from network device 120. The dormant transmission configuration includes timing information indicating at least one of a first duration of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second duration of an active mode of the at least one cell.

[0112] In block 1320, the terminal device 110 receives from the network device 120 a first indication indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode, a second period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode being greater than the first period, or transmission of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled.

[0113] At block 1330, the terminal device 110 performs data communication with the network device 120 via the multiple cells based on the idle transmission configuration.

[0114] In some embodiments, the timing information includes a third period for the inactive mode or the active mode, a timing offset for the inactive mode or the active mode, and a timer for the inactive mode or the active mode.

[0115] In some embodiments, the pause transmission configuration includes at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication, where the inactive indication indicates to start a first period after a first gap and the active indication indicates to start a second period after a second gap.

[0116] In some embodiments, receiving the dormant transmission configuration includes detecting at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication in a particular search space, the particular search space being configured in a first component carrier associated with the at least one cell or in a second component carrier associated with another cell in the plurality of cells.

[0117] In some embodiments, the other cell in the plurality of cells is indicated to the terminal device by the network device or the other cell is a predefined reference cell in the plurality of cells.

[0118] In some embodiments, the timing information further indicates at least one of a third time period of an inactive mode of a cell in the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell and a fourth time period of an active mode of the cell, the first time period and the third time period being at least partially non-overlapping, or the second time period and the fourth time period being at least partially non-overlapping.

[0119] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving an idle state indication for the terminal device indicating an idle state period for the terminal device, and performing data communication with a plurality of cells based on the idle transmission configuration during the idle state period.

[0120] In some embodiments, performing data communication includes receiving, in at least one cell, a physical downlink channel and one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in a first period during an active mode, and receiving, in at least one cell, one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in a second period and not receiving the physical downlink channel during an inactive mode.

[0121] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, from the network device, a scaling parameter N for receiving a tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode, and receiving, in the at least one cell during the inactive mode, the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal with a second periodicity that is N times the first periodicity.

[0122] In some embodiments, performing data communication includes receiving, in at least one cell during an active mode, a physical downlink channel and one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal at a first period, and not receiving, in at least one cell during an inactive mode, the physical downlink channel and one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal.

[0123] In some embodiments, performing the data communication includes receiving, during a first period, one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal of the at least one cell in another cell in the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell.

[0124] In some embodiments, the terminal device is pre-configured with a discontinuous reception setting, and performing data communication includes determining an effective reception period for at least one cell based on a reception period of the discontinuous reception setting and a second period, and performing data reception during the effective reception period.

[0125] In some embodiments, determining the valid reception period includes determining the reception period as the valid reception period according to determining that the reception period is included in the second period.

[0126] In some embodiments, determining the valid reception interval includes determining the reception interval as the valid reception interval according to determining that a first number of symbols in an initial portion of the reception interval included in the second period exceeds a first threshold.

[0127] In some embodiments, the terminal device is preset in a discontinuous reception setting, and performing data communication includes: determining a valid search period of the wake-up signal based on the preset search period and a second period of the wake-up signal; monitoring the wake-up signal in the valid search period; monitoring the wake-up signal in the valid search period; and determining whether to perform data reception during a reception period associated with the wake-up signal and indicated by the discontinuous reception setting according to the wake-up signal being detected in the valid search period based on the wake-up signal.

[0128] In some embodiments, determining the valid search period includes determining a preset search period as the valid search period according to determining that the preset search period is included in the second period.

[0129] In some embodiments, determining the valid search interval includes determining the preset search interval as the valid search interval according to determining that a second number of symbols in an initial portion of the preset search interval included in the second interval exceeds a second threshold.

[0130] 14 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1400 of communication implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 1400 may be implemented in network device 120 shown in FIG. For purposes of discussion, method 1400 will be described below with reference to FIG. It should be understood that method 1400 may include additional operations not shown and / or omit some of the operations shown, although the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0131] At block 1410, the network device 120 transmits to the terminal device 110 a dormant transmission configuration associated with a number of cells serving the terminal device 110.

[0132] At block 1410, the network device 120 transmits a first indication to the terminal device 110 indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in at least one cell during the active mode.

[0133] At block 1420, the network device 120 communicates data with the terminal device 110 over the multiple cells based on the idle transmission configuration.

[0134] In some embodiments, the timing information includes a third period for the inactive mode or the active mode, a timing offset for the inactive mode or the active mode, and a timer for the inactive mode or the active mode.

[0135] In some embodiments, the pause transmission configuration includes at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication, where the inactive indication indicates a first gap before the start of the first period and the active indication indicates a second gap before the start of the second period.

[0136] In some embodiments, transmitting the dormant transmission configuration includes transmitting at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication in a specific search space, the specific search space being configured in a first component carrier associated with the at least one cell or in a second component carrier associated with another cell in the plurality of cells.

[0137] In some embodiments, the other cell in the plurality of cells is indicated to the terminal device by the network device or the other cell is a predefined reference cell in the plurality of cells.

[0138] In some embodiments, the timing information further indicates at least one of a third duration of an inactive mode of a cell in the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell and a fourth duration of an active mode of the cell, and wherein the first duration and the third duration are at least partially non-overlapping or the second duration and the fourth duration are at least partially non-overlapping.

[0139] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting an inactivity indication of the terminal device indicating a duration of the inactivity of the terminal device.

[0140] In some embodiments, performing data communication includes transmitting, in at least one cell during the active mode, a physical downlink channel and one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal at a second period, and transmitting, in at least one cell during the inactive mode, a tracking reference signal and a synchronization signal at a first period and not transmitting a physical downlink channel.

[0141] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, to the terminal device, a scaling parameter N for receiving one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal during the inactive mode, and transmitting, during the first period, in at least one cell, the tracking reference signal and the synchronization signal with a second period that is N times the second period.

[0142] In some embodiments, performing data communication includes transmitting a physical downlink channel and one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal at a first period in at least one cell during the second time period, and not transmitting a physical downlink channel and one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in at least one cell during the inactive mode.

[0143] In some embodiments, performing the data communication includes transmitting, during the first period, one of a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal of the at least one cell in another cell in the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell.

[0144] Fig. 15 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus 1500 suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1500 can be considered as a further exemplary embodiment of the terminal apparatus 110 shown in Fig. 1 or the network apparatus 120 shown in Fig. 1. Thus, the apparatus 1500 can be implemented as or as part of the network apparatus or terminal apparatus described above.

[0145] As shown in the figure, the apparatus 1500 comprises a processor 1510, a memory 1520 coupled to the processor 1510, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 1540 coupled to the processor 1510, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 1540. The memory 1520 stores at least a portion of a program 1530. The TX / RX 1540 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 1540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although in practice the access nodes referred to herein may have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 interface for bidirectional communication between gNBs or eNBs, an S1 interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Serving Gateway (S-GW) and a gNB or eNB, an Un interface for communication between a gNB or eNB and a relay node (RN), and an Uu interface for communication between a gNB or eNB and a terminal device.

[0146] The program 1530 is assumed to include program instructions that, when executed by an associated processor 1510, cause the device 1500 to operate according to the embodiments described in the present disclosure as shown in Figures 1-14. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware executable by the processor 1510 of the device 1500. The processor 1510 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the combination of the processor 1510 and the memory 1520 may form a processing means 1550 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0147] The memory 1520 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may be implemented by any suitable data storage technology, including, but not limited to, computer-readable non-transitory storage media, semiconductor-based storage devices, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed and removable memories, etc. Although only one memory 1520 is shown in the device 1500, multiple physically distinct memory modules may be installed in the device 1500. The processor 1510 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor configurations. The device 1500 may have multiple processors, for example application specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock synchronous with the main processor.

[0148] In some embodiments, a terminal device comprises circuitry configured to perform the method 1300.

[0149] In some embodiments, a network device comprises circuitry configured to perform the method 1400.

[0150] The components included in the apparatus and / or device of the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more units may be implemented using software and / or firmware, e.g., machine-executable instructions stored in a storage medium. In addition to or in place of machine-executable instructions, some or all of the units of the apparatus and / or device may be implemented, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include, but are not limited to, Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0151] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented by hardware, while other aspects may be implemented by firmware or software that may be implemented by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or by some other pictorial representation, and it will be understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented by, for example, but not limited to, hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or combinations thereof.

[0152] The present disclosure further provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules. The instructions execute on a target real or virtual processor device to perform the process or method described above with reference to any of Figures 3-11. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split among program modules as appropriate. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0153] The program codes for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, and when the program codes are executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are implemented. The program codes may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a separate software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0154] The above program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0155] It should be understood that although operations are described in a particular order, it is not required to perform such operations in the particular order or sequence shown, or to perform all of the operations shown, in order to achieve desired results. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although the above discussion includes details of some specific embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to certain embodiments. Some features that are described in the context of individual embodiments may be implemented in combination in an embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of an embodiment may be implemented in multiple embodiments, either individually or in any suitable subcombination.

[0156] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method implemented in a terminal device, comprising: receiving from a network device a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device, the dormant transmission configuration including timing information indicative of at least one of a first period of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second period of an active mode of the at least one cell; receiving a first indication from the network device indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode; and performing data communication with the network device via the plurality of cells based on the idle transmission configuration; a second period for transmitting the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is greater than the first period, or transmission of the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled. Communication methods.

2. The timing information is a third period of the inactive mode or the active mode; a timing offset for the inactive mode or the active mode; and a timer for the inactive mode or the active mode. The method of claim 1.

3. The pause transmission configuration includes at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication; the inactivity indication indicates starting the first period after a first gap; the active indication indicates starting the second period after a second gap. The method of claim 1.

4. Receiving the pause transmission configuration includes: detecting at least one of the inactive indication and the active indication in a particular search space; the particular search space is configured in a first component carrier associated with the at least one cell, or in a second component carrier associated with another cell in the plurality of cells; The method according to claim 3.

5. Another cell in the plurality of cells is indicated to the terminal device by the network device, or the other cell is a predefined reference cell in the plurality of cells. The method according to claim 4.

6. The timing information further indicates at least one of a third period of an inactive mode of a cell other than the at least one cell of the plurality of cells and a fourth period of an active mode of the cell; the first period and the third period are at least partially non-overlapping, or the second period and the fourth period are at least partially non-overlapping; The method of claim 1.

7. receiving a dormant state indication of the terminal device, indicating a dormant state period of the terminal device; and performing data communication with the plurality of cells based on the idle transmission configuration during the idle state period. The method of claim 1.

8. The performing of the data communication includes: receiving, during the active mode, in the at least one cell, a physical downlink channel and one of the tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal at the first period; receiving, during the inactive mode, in the at least one cell, one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal at the second period and not receiving the physical downlink channel. The method of claim 1.

9. receiving from the network device a scaling parameter N for receiving the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode; receiving, during the inactive mode, at the at least one cell, the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal with a second period that is N times the first period. The method according to claim 8.

10. The performing of the data communication includes: receiving, during the active mode, in the at least one cell, a physical downlink channel and one of the tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal at the first period; not receiving the physical downlink channel and one of the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode. The method of claim 1.

11. The performing of the data communication includes: receiving, during the first period, one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal of the at least one cell in another cell of the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell; The method of claim 10.

12. The terminal device is pre-configured in a discontinuous reception setting; The performing of the data communication includes: determining an effective reception period of the at least one cell based on a reception period of the discontinuous reception setting and the second period; receiving data during the valid reception period; The method of claim 1.

13. Determining the effective reception period includes: determining the reception period as the effective reception period according to the determination that the reception period is included in the second period; The method of claim 12.

14. Determining the effective reception period includes: determining the reception period as the valid reception period according to a determination that a first symbol number of a first portion of the reception period included in the second period exceeds a first threshold value; The method of claim 12.

15. The terminal device is pre-configured in a discontinuous reception setting; The performing of the data communication includes: determining an effective search period of the wake-up signal based on a preset search period of the wake-up signal and the second period; monitoring the wake-up signal during the valid search period; and determining, in accordance with the detection of a wake-up signal during the valid search period, whether or not to perform data reception during a reception period associated with the wake-up signal and indicated by the discontinuous reception setting, based on the wake-up signal. The method of claim 1.

16. Determining the effective search period includes: determining the preset search period as the valid search period according to whether the preset search period is included in the second period; The method of claim 15.

17. Determining the effective search period includes: determining the preset search period as the valid search period according to a determination that a second number of symbols in a first portion of the preset search period included in the second period exceeds a second threshold. The method of claim 15.

18. 1. A method implemented in a network device, comprising: transmitting to the terminal device a dormant transmission configuration associated with a plurality of cells serving the terminal device, the dormant transmission configuration including timing information indicative of at least one of a first duration of an inactive mode of at least one cell in the plurality of cells and a second duration of an active mode of the at least one cell; transmitting a first indication to the terminal device indicating a first period for transmitting a tracking reference signal or a synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the active mode; performing data communication with the terminal device via the plurality of cells based on the pause transmission configuration; a second period for transmitting the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is greater than the first period, or transmission of the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode is disabled. method.

19. The timing information is a third period of the inactive or active mode of adjacent ones of the at least one cell; a timing offset for the inactive mode or the active mode; and a timer for the inactive mode or the active mode.

20. The method of claim 18.

20. The pause transmission configuration includes at least one of an inactive indication and an active indication; the inactivity indication indicates a first gap before a start of the first time period; the active indication indicating a second gap prior to a start of the second period.

20. The method of claim 18.

21. Transmitting the pause transmission configuration transmitting at least one of the inactive indication and the active indication in a particular search space; the particular search space is configured in a first component carrier associated with the at least one cell, or in a second component carrier associated with another cell in the plurality of cells; 20. The method of claim 18.

22. Another cell in the plurality of cells is indicated to the terminal device by the network device, or the other cell is a predefined reference cell in the plurality of cells.

20. The method of claim 18.

23. the timing information further indicates at least one of a third period of an inactive mode of a cell other than the at least one cell of the plurality of cells and a fourth period of an active mode of the cell; the first period and the third period are at least partially non-overlapping, or the second period and the fourth period are at least partially non-overlapping; 20. The method of claim 18.

24. transmitting a dormant state indication of the terminal device, the dormant state indication indicating a duration of the dormant state of the terminal device; 20. The method of claim 18.

25. The performing of the data communication includes: transmitting, during the active mode, in the at least one cell, a physical downlink channel and one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal at a second periodicity; transmitting the tracking reference signal and synchronization signal in the first channel and not transmitting the physical downlink channel in the at least one cell during the inactive mode.

20. The method of claim 18.

26. transmitting a scaling parameter N to the terminal device for receiving one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal during the inactive mode; transmitting, during the first period, in the at least one cell, the tracking reference signal and the synchronization signal with the second period, the second period being N times the second period.

26. The method of claim 25.

27. The performing of the data communication includes: transmitting, during the second period, in the at least one cell, a physical downlink channel and one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal at the first period; not transmitting the physical downlink channel and one of the tracking reference signal or synchronization signal in the at least one cell during the inactive mode.

20. The method of claim 18.

28. The performing of the data communication includes: transmitting, during the first period, one of the tracking reference signal or the synchronization signal of the at least one cell in another cell of the plurality of cells other than the at least one cell; 28. The method of claim 27.

29. A processor; a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions; The instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 17. Terminal device.

30. A processor; a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions; The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform the method of any one of claims 18 to 28. Network device.

31. A computer-readable medium storing instructions, comprising: A computer readable medium, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-17 or 18-28.

Images