Method and apparatus for starting a timer

Abstract

Embodiments of this disclosure disclose a method and apparatus for initiating a timer applicable to the communications technology, the method being performed by an Internet of Things terminal device, includes the steps of determining a start time for a DRX inactivity timer based on transmission time information of a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and a first time length, and starting the DRX inactivity timer at the start time. By thus ensuring that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer coincides as much as possible with the monitoring start time of the PDCCH, it is ensured that the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the Internet of Things communications system.

Description

Cross-reference to Related Art

[0001] This application is filed based on a PCT patent application with an application number of PCT / CN2022 / 109357 and an application date of November 2, 2022, claims the priority of the PCT patent application, and all the contents of the PCT patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for starting a timer.

Background Art

[0003] Currently, in related communication protocols, it is agreed that only one hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process is set for an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device, or multiple HARQ processes are set. For the case where only one HARQ process is set, the protocol agrees that in the subframe where the last repetition of physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission is located, a discontinuous reception inactivity timer (drx-inactivity timer) is started. For the case where multiple HARQ processes are set, when receiving a new transmission indicated by the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the drx-inactivity timer is also immediately started.

[0004] However, in the case of narrowband (NB) IoT terminal devices, the protocol also agrees that the terminal device should not monitor the narrowband PDCCH within 12 milliseconds (ms) after the end of narrowband PDSCH reception, i.e., should not start the drx-inactivity timer. This does not align with the timing of the drx-inactivity timer start in the above agreement. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for starting a timer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An embodiment of a first aspect of this disclosure is a method for starting a timer that is performed by an Internet of Things terminal device, A step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) non-activity timer based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), A method for starting a timer is provided, which includes the step of starting the DRX non-activity timer at the aforementioned start time.

[0007] In this disclosure, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device determines the start time of the DRX inactivity timer based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and a first time length, and then starts the DRX inactivity timer at the start time of the DRX inactivity timer. Therefore, by ensuring that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer coincides with the monitoring start time of the PDCCH as much as possible, it is ensured that the IoT terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0008] An embodiment of a second aspect of this disclosure is a method for starting a timer that is performed by a network device, A method for starting a timer is provided, which includes the step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0009] An embodiment of a third aspect of this disclosure is a communication device, which includes a processing module. The processing module is configured to determine the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The processing module further provides a communication device configured to start the DRX inactivity timer at the start time.

[0010] An embodiment of a fourth aspect of this disclosure is a communication device, which includes a processing module. The processing module provides a communication device configured to determine the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0011] A fifth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device comprising a processor and memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor causes the communication device to execute the method for starting a timer described in the first embodiment by executing the computer program stored in the memory.

[0012] A sixth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device comprising a processor and memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor causes the communication device to execute the method for starting a timer described in the second embodiment by executing the computer program stored in the memory.

[0013] A seventh embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device comprising a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to receive and transmit code instructions to the processor, the processor being configured to execute the code instructions, thereby causing the communication device to perform the timer start method described in the first embodiment.

[0014] An embodiment of the eighth aspect of the present disclosure provides a communication device comprising a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to receive and transmit code instructions to the processor, the processor being configured to execute the code instructions, thereby causing the communication device to perform the method of starting the timer described in the embodiment of the second aspect.

[0015] An embodiment of the ninth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication system comprising a communication device described in the third aspect and the communication device described in the fourth aspect, or a communication device described in the fifth aspect and the communication device described in the sixth aspect, or a communication device described in the seventh aspect and the communication device described in the eighth aspect, or a communication device described in the ninth aspect and the communication device described in the tenth aspect.

[0016] A tenth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium on which instructions are stored, wherein when the instructions are executed, the method for starting the timer described in the first embodiment is implemented.

[0017] An embodiment of the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium on which instructions are stored, wherein when the instructions are executed, the method for starting the timer described in the second embodiment is implemented.

[0018] An embodiment of a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer program product in which, when executed on a computer, the computer performs the frequency domain resource setting and allocation method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0019] A thirteenth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer program product which, when executed on a computer, the computer performs the method of starting a timer as described in the second embodiment.

[0020] In a fourteenth aspect, the Disclosure provides a chip system comprising at least one processor and interface, which supports a first AMF in realizing functions according to the first aspect, such as determining or processing at least one of the data and information relating to the above method. In a possible design, the chip system further includes memory for storing computer programs and data necessary for a terminal device. The chip system may consist of chips or may include chips and other individual devices.

[0021] In the 15th aspect, the present disclosure provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor and an interface, and supports a terminal device to realize functions according to the first aspect, such as determining or processing at least one of the data and information according to the above method. In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing computer programs and data required by the terminal device. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other individual devices.

[0022] In the 16th aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the method described in the first aspect above.

[0023] In the 17th aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the method described in the second aspect above.

[0024] Further aspects and advantages of the present disclosure are partly shown in the following description, partly will become clear from the following description, or will be acquired through the practice of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] To more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments or background art of the present disclosure, the drawings required to be used in the embodiments or background art of the present disclosure are described below. [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting a timer provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] It is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]This is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of the chip provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] To facilitate understanding, we will first explain the terminology used in this application. 1. Physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) PDSCH is primarily used to transmit downlink unicast data, but it can also be used to transmit paging messages and system messages. 2. Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) It corresponds to the uplink physical channel of the PDSCH and is used to transmit uplink service data, and can also be used to carry uplink control information (UCI).

[0027] 3. Physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) The PDCCH channel transmits Downlink Control Information (DCI) related to PUSCH / PDSCH, and DCI information includes several related contents such as resource block (RB) allocation information and HARQ identifiers. A terminal device can only correctly process PDSCH or PUSCH data if it correctly decodes the DCI information. 4. Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) HARQ is a new communication technology based on FEC (Forward Error Correction) and ARQ (Automatic Retransmission) developed to better reduce interference and fading and improve system throughput (effectiveness) and data transmission reliability.

[0028] 5. Disabling HARQ feedback HARQ feedback disabling means that after the receiver receives an HARQ, it does not need to send a HARQ acknowledgment (ACK) message or a HARQ negative acknowledgement (NACK) message back to the sender. 6. Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) NB-IoT is an emerging IoT technology that supports cellular data connectivity for low-power devices over wide-area networks, and is also known as a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN).

[0029] 7. Enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) eMTC, also known as LTE-machine to machine (LTE-M), is an Internet of Things technology based on the evolution of LTE. 8. Discontinuous reception (DRX) The basic mechanism of DRX is to set a DRX cycle for a terminal device that is connected via radio resource control (RRC). A DRX cycle consists of an "on-duration" period and an "opportunity for DRX" period. During the "on-duration" period, the terminal device monitors and receives PDCCH. During the "opportunity for DRX" period, the terminal device does not receive PDCCH to reduce power consumption.

[0030] 9. Discontinuous reception inactivity timer (drx-inactivity timer) If new uplink or downlink data needs to be transmitted during the On-Duration period, the drx-Inactivity Timer is started and used to indicate how long the terminal device needs to continue monitoring the PDCCH. This timer is started (or restarted) each time new data needs to be scheduled. The role of the drx-InactivityTimer is to reduce data processing delays.

[0031] Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system may include, but is not limited to, one network device and one terminal device. The number and form of devices shown in Figure 1 are merely examples and do not limit the embodiments of the present application. In actual applications, two or more network devices and two or more terminal devices may be included. The communication system shown in Figure 1 is an example in which one network device 11 and one Internet of Things terminal device 12 are included.

[0032] Furthermore, the technical inventions of the embodiments described in this application are applicable to a variety of communication systems, including long-term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, 5G new radio (NR) systems, or other future new mobile communication systems.

[0033] Selectively, the network device 11 in the communication system is a network-side entity used to transmit or receive signals. For example, the network device 11 may be an evolved NodeB (eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in an NR system, a base station in other future mobile communication systems, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the specific technology and specific device form used by the network device. The network device provided by embodiments of this disclosure may consist of a Central Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU), where the CU may also be called a Control Unit, and the CU-DU configuration can be used to separate the protocol layer of a network device, for example, a base station, with some protocol layer functions centrally controlled by the CU and the remaining or all of the protocol layer functions distributed to the DU, with the DU being centrally controlled by the CU.

[0034] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the Internet of Things terminal device 12 is a user-side entity for receiving or transmitting signals. The Internet of Things terminal device may also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The Internet of Things terminal device may be a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet (Pad), a computer with wireless transmission and reception capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technologies or specific device forms used by the terminal devices.

[0035] The communication systems described in the embodiments of this disclosure are intended to provide a clearer illustration of the technical concepts of the embodiments of this disclosure and should not be considered limiting to the technical concepts provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will see, with the evolution of system architectures and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical concepts provided by the embodiments of this disclosure are applicable to similar technical problems.

[0036] In this communication system, the Internet of Things terminal device 12 can implement the method shown in any embodiment of Figures 2 to 4 of this disclosure, and the network device 11 can implement the method shown in any embodiment of Figures 5 to 7 of this disclosure.

[0037] The communication systems described in the embodiments of this disclosure are intended to provide a clearer illustration of the technical concepts of the embodiments of this disclosure and should not be considered limiting to the technical concepts provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will see, with the evolution of system architectures and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical concepts provided by the embodiments of this disclosure are applicable to similar technical problems.

[0038] In the embodiments of this disclosure, various pieces of information may be described using terms such as first, second, third, etc., but it should be understood that this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish information of the same kind from one another. For example, if the embodiments of this disclosure do not deviate from the scope of the embodiments, first information may be called second information. Similarly, second information may be called first information. Depending on the context, for example, the word “in response to” as used herein may be interpreted as “when” or “when” or “if.” For the sake of brevity and ease of understanding, the terms “greater than” or “less than,” “higher than” or “lower than” are used herein when indicating size relationships. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the term “greater than” also means “greater than or equal to,” the term “less than or equal to,” the term “less than or equal to,” the term “higher than” also means “greater than or equal to,” and the term “lower than” also means “less than or equal to.”

[0039] This disclosure primarily addresses the problem where the mismatch between the start timing of the drx-inactivity timer and the monitoring timing of the PDCCH in NB-IOT agreed upon in the relevant protocols causes the drx-inactivity timer to start earlier, indirectly reducing the time that Internet of Things (IoT) terminal devices have to monitor the narrowband PDCCH. By providing a technical proposal to determine the start time of the drx-inactivity timer based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and a first time length, it is ensured that the start timing of the drx-inactivity timer satisfies the requirement that Internet of Things (IoT) terminal devices can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the Internet of Things communication system.

[0040] In this disclosure, "repetition" as in "multiple repetitions" or "last repetition" refers to "repetitive transmission." For example, "a subframe occupied by the last repetition of multiple repetitions of a PDSCH transmission" may also be described as "a subframe occupied by the last repetitive transmission of multiple repetitive transmissions of a PDSCH transmission."

[0041] The following describes in detail how to start the timer provided by the embodiments of this disclosure, with reference to each flowchart. Referring to Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting a timer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method provided by this embodiment can be performed by an Internet of Things terminal device. As shown in Figure 2, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 201 and 202.

[0042] In step 201, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined based on the transmission time information of PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and the first time length.

[0043] The start time of the DRX non-activity timer may be selectively determined based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH and a first time length, or based on the transmission time information of the PUSCH and a first time length, or based on the transmission time information of the PDCCH and a first time length.

[0044] In step 202, the DRX inactivity timer is started at the start time. Transmission time information is used to indicate the location of a time region of a subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of a PDSCH transmission, or the location of a time region of a subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of a PUSCH transmission, or the location of a time region occupied by a PDCCH transmission. For example, the transmission time information is the start or end time of a subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of a PDSCH / PUSCH transmission, or the start or end time of a time region resource occupied by a PDCCH transmission, and is not limited to this disclosure. Furthermore, the first time length may be determined by an Internet of Things terminal device based on protocol agreement, or it may be instructed by a network device to an Internet of Things terminal device, and is not limited to this disclosure.

[0045] Selectively, if one downlink (DL) HARQ process is configured on an Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of a PDSCH transmission was received. Alternatively, if one DL HARQ process is configured on an Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last repeat transmission of multiple repeat transmissions of a PDSCH transmission was received.

[0046] In other words, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is equal to the subframe occupied by the last of several repetitions (transmissions) of a PDSCH transmission + T, where T is a first time length and can be any integer or decimal greater than or equal to 0, for example, 0ms, 1ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5ms, 7.6ms, 10ms, 12ms, 13ms, etc. Selectively, if an Internet of Things terminal device has one uplink (UL) HARQ process configured and UL HARQ is in first mode, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time after a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last of several repetitions of a PUSCH transmission. Alternatively, if an Internet of Things terminal device has one UL HARQ process configured and UL HARQ is in the first mode, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last iteration of multiple iterations of a PUSCH transmission.

[0047] The first mode may be mode B. In mode B, the network device does not schedule retransmission based on the decoding result of the PUSCH data. That is, the network device can schedule retransmission without having to wait for the PUSCH to be received. Accordingly, in this disclosure, the DRX non-activity timer can be started after a first time length has elapsed since the PUSCH transmission ended, and the PDCCH can be monitored.

[0048] In other words, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is the subframe occupied by the last of multiple repetitions (transmissions) of the PUSCH transmission + T. T is the first time length, which can be any integer or decimal greater than or equal to 0, for example, 0ms, 1ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5ms, 7.6ms, 10ms, 12ms, 13ms, etc.

[0049] Selectively, if a network device has set a scheduling offset value for a terminal device, the first time length may be determined based on the scheduling offset value. The scheduling offset value is a frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned. Selectively, the scheduling offset value may be a Kmac parameter in the RRC configuration parameters. For example, first time length = scheduling offset value + a, where a may be any integer or decimal greater than or equal to 0, for example, a may be 0, 1, 1.8, 2, 2.4, 3, etc., but is not limited to these disclosures. Alternatively, if multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on an Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined to be the time after a first time length has elapsed since a new DL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received. Alternatively, if multiple UL HARQ processes are configured on an Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined to be the time after a first time length has elapsed since a new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received. In other words, if multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on an NB-IOT terminal device or eMTC terminal device, the DRX inactivity timer starts after a delay of 1 time length following the reception of a new DL / new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH, and then monitors the new PDCCH.

[0050] In this disclosure, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device determines the start time of a DRX inactivity timer based on the transmission time information of a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and a first time length, and then starts the DRX inactivity timer at the start time of the DRX inactivity timer. By ensuring that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer coincides with the monitoring start time of the PDCCH as much as possible, it is ensured that the IoT terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0051] Referring to Figure 3, Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method provided by this embodiment can be performed by an Internet of Things terminal device. As shown in Figure 3, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 301 to 303.

[0052] In step 301, the first time length is determined based on the first parameter value. The first parameter value is a numerical value for determining the start time of the DRX inactivity timer in an auxiliary Internet of Things terminal device, and may be any numerical value that ensures the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH after delaying the start time of the DRX inactivity timer by a first time length determined thereunder. The first parameter may be a specific constant value such as 12ms, or any value within a specific range of values, for example, the first parameter value may be any value within {0, 1, 2, 2.8, 3, 3.6, 4..., 13}, but is not limited thereto.

[0053] Selectively, the first time length may be the same as the first parameter value. Alternatively, the first time length may have a certain relationship with the first parameter value, for example, the first time length may be 1.5 times, 2 times, or the first parameter value, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] Selectively, an Internet of Things terminal device may determine the first parameter value based on protocol agreement, or it may determine the first parameter value based on instructions from a network device.

[0055] For example, an Internet of Things terminal device may receive, but is not limited to, a first parameter value transmitted from a network device via a broadcast message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0056] In step 302, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and the first time length.

[0057] In step 303, the DRX non-activity timer is started at the start time. The specific implementations of steps 302 to 303 described above can be found in the detailed description of any one of the embodiments of this disclosure, and will not be described again here.

[0058] In this disclosure, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device first determines a first time length based on a first parameter value, and then determines that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is located at a time when the first time length has elapsed since the last repetition of a subframe occupied by multiple repetitions of a PDSCH / PUSCH transmission, or at a time when the first time length has elapsed since a new transmission indicated by the PDCCH was received. By thus ensuring that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer coincides as much as possible with the start time of monitoring the PDCCH, it is ensured that the IoT terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0059] Referring to Figure 4, Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method provided by this embodiment can be performed by an Internet of Things terminal device. As shown in Figure 4, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 401 to 404.

[0060] In step 401, the scheduling offset value sent from the network device is received. The scheduling offset value is the frame timing value used by network devices when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned. Selectively, the scheduling offset value is the Kmac parameter within the RRC configuration parameters.

[0061] Selectively, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device may receive scheduling offset values ​​transmitted from a network device via radio resource control (RRC) messages, but this disclosure is not limited to such services.

[0062] In step 402, the first time length is determined based on the scheduling offset value and the second parameter value. The second parameter value is a numerical value for determining the start time of the DRX non-activity timer in an auxiliary Internet of Things terminal device, together with the scheduling offset value, and may be any numerical value that ensures the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH after delaying the start time of the DRX non-activity timer by a first time length determined based on it and the scheduling offset value. The second parameter may be a specific constant value such as 3, or any value within a specific range of values, for example, the second parameter value may be any value within {0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.8, 3, 4…}, but is not limited thereto.

[0063] Selectively, the first time length = scheduling offset value + second parameter value. In some possible implementations, if the value of the scheduling offset value + second parameter value is not an integer, the first time length may be the value obtained by rounding up or down the "scheduling offset value + second parameter value". To avoid, as far as possible, the start timing of the DRX non-activity timer being earlier than the timing when an Internet of Things terminal device starts monitoring the PDCCH, the disclosure may determine the first time length as the value obtained by rounding up the "scheduling offset value + second parameter value". For example, if the scheduling offset value + second parameter value = 3.5, the first time length may be determined to be 4.

[0064] In step 403, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined based on the transmission time information of PUSCH and the first time length. In step 404, the DRX inactivity timer is started at the start time. The specific implementations of steps 403 to 404 described above can be found in the detailed description of one of the embodiments in this disclosure, and therefore will not be described again here.

[0065] Furthermore, since the scheduling offset value is a frame timing value determined by the network device after receiving uplink data, the Internet of Things terminal device can determine the start timing of the DRX non-activity timer after PUSCH transmission based on a first time length determined based on the scheduling offset value.

[0066] In other words, when an Internet of Things terminal device receives a scheduling offset value, it monitors the PDCCH by starting the DRX inactivity timer after a delay of 1 time length following the transmission of the frame that is in the last iteration of multiple iterations of the PUSCH transmission.

[0067] In this disclosure, when an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device receives a scheduling offset value, it first determines a first time length based on a second parameter value and the scheduling offset value, and then determines that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is located at a time when the first time length has elapsed from the subframe occupied by the last of several repetitions of the PUSCH transmission. This ensures that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer coincides as much as possible with the start time of PDCCH monitoring, thereby ensuring that IoT terminal devices can reliably monitor PDCCH and improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0068] Referring to Figure 5, Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is performed by a network device. As shown in Figure 5, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 501. In step 501, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on the Internet of Things terminal device is determined based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and the first time length.

[0069] The start time of the DRX non-activity timer may be selectively determined based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH and a first time length, or based on the transmission time information of the PUSCH and a first time length, or based on the transmission time information of the PDCCH and a first time length.

[0070] Transmission time information can be used to indicate the location of a time region of a subframe occupied by the last of multiple iterations of a PDSCH transmission, or to indicate the location of a time region of a subframe occupied by the last of multiple iterations of a PUSCH transmission, or to indicate the location of a time region occupied by a PDCCH transmission. For example, the transmission time information may be, but is not limited to, the start or end time of a subframe occupied by the last of multiple iterations of a PDSCH / PUSCH transmission, or the start or end time of a time region resource occupied by a PDCCH transmission.

[0071] Furthermore, the first time length may be a time length determined by the network device based on protocol agreement, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0072] Selectively, if one downlink (DL) HARQ process is configured on an Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of a PDSCH transmission was received.

[0073] Alternatively, if one DL HARQ process is configured on an Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last repeat transmission of multiple repeat transmissions of a PDSCH transmission was received.

[0074] In other words, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is the subframe occupied by the last of multiple repetitions (transmissions) of the PDSCH transmission + T. T is the first time length, which can be any integer or decimal greater than or equal to 0, for example, 0ms, 1ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5ms, 7.6ms, 10ms, 12ms, 13ms, etc.

[0075] Selectively, if an Internet of Things terminal device has one uplink (UL) HARQ process configured and UL HARQ is in first mode, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of a push transmission.

[0076] Alternatively, if an Internet of Things terminal device has one UL HARQ process configured and UL HARQ is in the first mode, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time when a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last iteration of multiple iterations of a PUSCH transmission.

[0077] The first mode may be mode B. In mode B, the network device does not schedule a retransmission based on the decoding result of the PUSCH data. That is, the network device can schedule a retransmission without waiting for the PUSCH to be received. Accordingly, the disclosure allows the network device to decide to start a DRX inactivity timer on an Internet of Things terminal device after a first time length has elapsed since the PUSCH transmission was completed, and the network device can send a PDCCH to the Internet of Things terminal device at or after the start time of the DRX inactivity timer, ensuring that the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH.

[0078] In other words, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is the subframe occupied by the last of multiple repetitions (transmissions) of the PUSCH transmission + T. T is the first time length, which can be any integer or decimal greater than or equal to 0, for example, 0ms, 1ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5ms, 7.6ms, 10ms, 12ms, 13ms, etc.

[0079] Selectively, if a network device has set a scheduling offset value for a terminal device, the first time length may also be determined based on the scheduling offset value. The scheduling offset value is a frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned. Selectively, the scheduling offset value may also be a Kmac parameter in the RRC configuration parameters.

[0080] For example, the first time length = scheduling offset value + a, where a may be any integer or decimal greater than or equal to 0, for example, the value of a may be 0, 1, 1.8, 2, 2.4, 3, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0081] Alternatively, if multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on an Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time after a first time interval has elapsed since a new DL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received. Alternatively, if multiple UL HARQ processes are configured on an Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time after a first time interval has elapsed since a new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received.

[0082] In other words, if multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on an NB-IOT terminal device or eMTC terminal device, the DRX inactivity timer can be started with a delay of 1 time length after a new DL / new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH is received, and the network device can send the PDCCH to the Internet of Things terminal device at or after the start time of the DRX inactivity timer, ensuring that the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH.

[0083] Furthermore, this disclosure allows a network device to determine the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device and then transmit a PDCCH based on that time. For example, the PDCCH can be transmitted either at the start time of the DRX inactivity timer or after the start time of the DRX inactivity timer. This ensures reliable monitoring of PDCCH when an IoT terminal device performs a PDCCH based on the DRX inactivity timer.

[0084] In this disclosure, a network device transmits a PDCCH after determining the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device based on the transmission time information and a first time length of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH. This ensures that IoT terminal devices that monitor the PDCCH based on the start of the DRX inactivity timer can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0085] Referring to Figure 6, Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method for starting another timer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. This method is performed by a network device. As shown in Figure 6, this method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 601 to 603.

[0086] In step 601, the first time length is determined based on the first parameter value. The first parameter value is a numerical value for determining the start time of the DRX inactivity timer in an auxiliary Internet of Things terminal device, and may be any numerical value that ensures the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH after delaying the start time of the DRX inactivity timer in the Internet of Things terminal device by a first time length determined therebased. The first parameter may be a specific constant value such as 12ms, or any value within a specific range of values, for example, the first parameter value may be any value within {0, 1, 2, 2.8, 3, 3.6, 4..., 13}, but is not limited thereto.

[0087] Selectively, the first time length may be the same as the first parameter value, or the first time length may have a certain relationship with the first parameter value, for example, the first time length may be 1.5 times, 2 times, or the first parameter value, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0088] Selectively, network devices and Internet of Things terminal devices can each determine a first parameter value based on protocol agreement. Alternatively, a network device can transmit the determined first parameter value to an Internet of Things terminal device.

[0089] For example, a network device may transmit a first parameter value, etc., to an Internet of Things terminal device via a broadcast message or a radio resource control (RRC) message, but this disclosure is not limited to such transmissions.

[0090] In step 602, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer in the Internet of Things terminal device is determined based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and the first time length. In step 603, a PDCCH is sent to the Internet of Things terminal device based on the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on the Internet of Things terminal device.

[0091] Selectively, a network device may begin transmitting a PDCCH to an Internet of Things (Internet of Things) terminal device at the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on the Internet of Things terminal device. Alternatively, the network device may begin transmitting a PDCCH to an Internet of Things (Internet of Things) terminal device at a time after the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on the Internet of Things terminal device, for example, 1 ms, 2 ms, etc., after the start time of the DRX inactivity timer, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0092] The specific implementation processes of steps 602 and 603 described above will not be described again here, as they can be found in the detailed description of any one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0093] In this disclosure, the network device first determines a first time length based on a first parameter value, then determines the start time of the DRX inactivity timer in the Internet of Things terminal device based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and the first time length, and then transmits the PDCCH. This ensures that the Internet of Things terminal device that monitors the PDCCH based on the start of the DRX inactivity timer can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the Internet of Things communication system.

[0094] Referring to Figure 7, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction of a method for starting a timer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the method provided by this embodiment can be performed by a network device. As shown in Figure 7, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 701 to 703.

[0095] In step 701, a first time length is determined based on the scheduling offset value and the second parameter value, where the scheduling offset value is the frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned.

[0096] Selectively, the scheduling offset value may also be the Kmac parameter within the RRC configuration parameters.

[0097] The second parameter value is a numerical value for determining the start time of the DRX non-activity timer in an auxiliary Internet of Things terminal device, together with the scheduling offset value, and may be any numerical value that ensures the Internet of Things terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH after delaying the start time of the DRX non-activity timer by a first time length determined based on it and the scheduling offset value. The second parameter may be a specific constant value such as 3, or any value within a specific range of values, for example, the second parameter value may be any value within {0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.8, 3, 4…}, but is not limited thereto.

[0098] Selectively, the first time length = scheduling offset value + second parameter value.

[0099] In some possible implementations, if the value of the scheduling offset value + second parameter value is not an integer, the first time length may be a value obtained by rounding up or down the "scheduling offset value + second parameter value". To avoid, as far as possible, the start timing of the DRX non-activity timer being earlier than the timing when the network device transmits the PDCCH, the disclosure may determine the first time length as the value of the "scheduling offset value + second parameter value" rounded up. For example, if the scheduling offset value + second parameter value = 3.5, the first time length may be determined to be 4.

[0100] Selectively, network devices and Internet of Things terminal devices may each determine the second parameter value based on protocol agreement. Alternatively, a network device may transmit the second parameter value to an Internet of Things terminal device, but this disclosure is not limited to this.

[0101] Selectively, a network device can send a scheduling offset value to an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device. This allows the IoT terminal device to determine a first time length based on the scheduling offset value and a second parameter value.

[0102] In some possible embodiments, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device may receive scheduling offset values ​​transmitted from a network device via radio resource control (RRC) messages, but this disclosure is not limited to these.

[0103] In step 702, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on the Internet of Things terminal device is determined based on the transmission time information of PUSCH and the first time length. In step 703, a PDCCH is sent to the Internet of Things terminal device based on the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on the Internet of Things terminal device.

[0104] The specific implementations of steps 702 to 703 described above can be found in the detailed description of one of the embodiments in this disclosure, and therefore will not be described again here.

[0105] Furthermore, since the scheduling offset value is a frame timing value determined after the network device receives uplink data, the network device can determine the start timing of the DRX inactivity timer in the Internet of Things terminal device after a push transmission based on a first time length determined based on the scheduling offset value.

[0106] In other words, if a network device has already sent a scheduling offset value to an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device, the IoT terminal device can decide to monitor the PDCCH by starting the DRX inactivity timer after a first time length delay following the transmission of the frame in which the last of several iterations of the PUSCH transmission is located. Therefore, the network device can start transmitting the PDCCH to the IoT terminal device at the start time of the DRX inactivity timer, or at some time after the start time.

[0107] In this disclosure, the network device determines a first time length based on a scheduling offset value and a second parameter value, then determines the start time of the DRX inactivity timer in the Internet of Things terminal device based on the PUSCH transmission time information and the first time length, and then transmits the PDCCH. This ensures that Internet of Things terminal devices that monitor the PDCCH based on the start of the DRX inactivity timer can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the Internet of Things communication system.

[0108] Referring to Figure 8, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 may include a transmit / receive module 801 and a processing module 802. The transmit / receive module 801 may include a transmit module and / or a receive module. The transmit module may be configured to implement a transmit function, the receive module may be configured to implement a receive function, and the transmit / receive module 801 may implement a transmit function and / or a receive function.

[0109] The communication device 800 may be an Internet of Things terminal device, or a device within an Internet of Things terminal device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with an Internet of Things terminal device.

[0110] The communication device 800 is located on the Internet of Things terminal device side. The processing module 802 is configured to determine the start time of the discontinuous transmission (DRX) non-activity timer based on the transmission time information and a first time length of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The processing module 802 is further configured to start the DRX non-activity timer at the start time.

[0111] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, If one Downlink (DL) Hybrid Auto-Retransmit Request (HARQ) process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last of the multiple repetitions of the PDSCH transmission was received, or If one uplink (UL) HARQ process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and the UL HARQ is in a first mode, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is configured to determine the time after a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of the PUSCH transmission.

[0112] In other words, the processing module 802 further, If one Downlink (DL) Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last repeat transmission of the multiple repeat transmissions of the PDSCH transmission was received, or If one uplink (UL) HARQ process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and the UL HARQ is in a first mode, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is configured to determine the time after a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last repeat transmission of a plurality of repeat transmissions of the PUSCH transmission.

[0113] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, If multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on the Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the new DL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received, or If multiple UL HARQ processes are configured on the Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received.

[0114] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, The configuration is configured to determine the first time length based on a first parameter value, or The system is configured to determine the first time length based on the scheduling offset value and the second parameter value. The aforementioned scheduling offset value is a frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned.

[0115] Selectively, the transmitting / receiving module 801 is configured to receive the scheduling offset value transmitted from the network device.

[0116] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, The system is configured to determine the first parameter value or the second parameter value based on protocol agreement, or The system is configured to determine the first parameter value or the second parameter value based on instructions from the network device.

[0117] In this disclosure, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device determines the start time of the DRX inactivity timer based on the transmission time information of the PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and the time of a first time length, and starts the DRX inactivity timer at the start time. By ensuring that the start time of the DRX inactivity timer coincides with the monitoring start time of the PDCCH as much as possible, it is ensured that the IoT terminal device can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0118] The communication device 800 is located on the network device side. The processing module 802 is configured to determine the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0119] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, If one Downlink (DL) Hybrid Auto-Retransmit Request (HARQ) process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last of multiple repetitions of the PDSCH transmission was received, or If one uplink (UL) HARQ process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and the UL HARQ is in a first mode, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is configured to determine the time after a first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device transmitted a subframe occupied by the last of several iterations of the PUSCH transmission.

[0120] In other words, the processing module 802 further, If one Downlink (DL) Hybrid Auto-Retransmit Request (HARQ) process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device received the subframe occupied by the last repeat transmission of the multiple repeat transmissions of the PDSCH transmission, or If one uplink (UL) HARQ process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and the UL HARQ is in a first mode, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is configured to determine the time after a first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device transmitted a subframe occupied by the last iteration of a plurality of iterations of the PUSCH transmission.

[0121] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, If multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on the Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is configured to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device received a new DL transmission instructed by the PDCCH, or If multiple UL HARQ processes are configured on the Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined to be the time after the first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device received a new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH.

[0122] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, The configuration is configured to determine the first time length based on a first parameter value, or The system is configured to determine the first time length based on a scheduling offset value and a second parameter value, wherein the scheduling offset value is a frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned.

[0123] Selectively, the transmit / receive module 801 is configured to transmit the scheduling offset value to the Internet of Things terminal device.

[0124] Selectively, the processing module 802 further, Based on protocol agreement, the system is configured to determine the first parameter value or the second parameter value, and / or

[0125] The transmitting / receiving module 801 is further configured to transmit the first parameter value or the second parameter value to the Internet of Things terminal device.

[0126] In this disclosure, a network device determines the start time of the DRX inactivity timer on an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device based on the transmission time information of a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PDCCH and a first time length, and then transmits the PDCCH. This ensures that IoT terminal devices that monitor the PDCCH based on the start of the DRX inactivity timer can reliably monitor the PDCCH, thereby improving the reliability of the IoT communication system.

[0127] Referring to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication device 900 may be an Internet of Things terminal device, or a chip, chip system, or processor, etc., that supports the Internet of Things terminal device in implementing the above method. The communication device 900 may be a network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor, etc., that supports the network device in implementing the above method. The device can implement the method described in the embodiment of the above method, and further details can be found in the description in the embodiment of the above method.

[0128] The communication device 900 may include one or more processors 901. The processors 901 may be general-purpose processors or dedicated processors, for example. They may be baseband processors or central processing units. A baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and a central processing unit can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute computer programs, and process data from computer programs.

[0129] Selectively, the communication device 900 may further include one or more memories 902 in which a computer program 904 is stored, and the processor 901 executes the computer program 904 to cause the communication device 900 to perform the method described in the embodiment of the above method. Selectively, data may be stored in the memory 902. The communication device 900 and the memory 902 may be provided separately or integrated.

[0130] Selectively, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver 905 and an antenna 906. The transceiver 905 may also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, and is configured to perform a transceiver function. The transceiver 1205 may include a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver may also be called a receiver or receiving circuit, and is configured to perform a receiving function. The transmitter may also be called a transmitter or transmitting circuit, and is configured to perform a transmitting function.

[0131] Selectively, the communication device 900 may include one or more interface circuits 907. The interface circuits 907 are configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor 901. The processor 901 causes the communication device 900 to perform the method described in the embodiment of the above method by executing the code instructions.

[0132] The transceiver 905 in the communication device 900 is configured to perform the transmission and reception steps shown in each of the above figures, and the processor 901 is configured to perform the processing steps shown in each of the above figures.

[0133] In one implementation, the processor 901 may include a transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transmit / receive circuit, or an interface, or an interface circuit. The transmit / receive circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be provided separately or integrated. The aforementioned transmit / receive circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing code / data, or the above-mentioned transmit / receive circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for transmitting or forwarding signals.

[0134] In one implementation, the processor 901 can store the computer program 903, and when the computer program 903 is executed on the processor 901, the communication device 900 can be made to execute the method described in the embodiment of the above method. The computer program 903 can be fixed within the processor 901, in which case the processor 901 can be implemented by hardware.

[0135] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 may include a circuit that can implement a transmission function, a reception function, or a communication function in the embodiments of the method described above. The processors and transceivers described herein can be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The processors and transceivers can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies such as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), n-metal oxide semiconductors (NMOS), positive-channel metal oxide semiconductors (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), and gallium arsenide (GaAs).

[0136] The communication devices described in the above embodiments may be terminal devices or intelligent relays, but the scope of communication devices described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the configuration of the communication devices is not limited to Figure 9. The communication devices may be independent devices or part of a larger device. For example, the communication devices may be the following: (1) An independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or a chip system or subsystem. (2) An assembly having one or more ICs, wherein the IC assembly may optionally include a storage component for storing data or computer programs. (3) ASICs such as modems. (4) A module that can be incorporated into another device. (5) Receivers, terminal devices, intelligent terminal devices, mobile phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, in-vehicle devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc. (6) Others, etc.

[0137] If the communication device is a chip or a chip system, you can refer to the schematic configuration diagram of the chip shown in Figure 10. The chip shown in Figure 10 includes a processor 1001 and an interface 1002. The number of processors 1001 may be one or more, and the number of interfaces 1002 may be multiple.

[0138] Cases in which the chip is used to realize the functions of a terminal device in embodiments of this disclosure will be described. Selectively, the chip further includes memory 1003 for storing necessary computer programs and data.

[0139] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps enumerated in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the overall system design requirements. Those skilled in the art can implement such functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementations should not be understood to exceed the scope of protection of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0140] The disclosure further provides a readable medium on which instructions are stored, and when such instructions are executed by a computer, the functionality of any one of the embodiments of the above method is realized.

[0141] This disclosure further provides a computer program product in which, when the computer program product is executed by a computer, the functionality of any one of the embodiments of the above method is realized.

[0142] In the embodiments described above, all or part of the implementation can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the implementation can be in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer programs are loaded onto a computer and executed, all or part of the steps or functions in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer programs may be stored on a computer-readable medium or transmitted from one computer-readable medium to another. For example, the computer programs may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via a wired connection (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless connection (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device including a server or data center integrated by one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0143] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various numerical numbers such as "First," "Second," etc., in this disclosure are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor are they used to indicate chronological order.

[0144] In this disclosure, at least one may be described as one or more, and more may be two, three, four or more, but are not limited to this disclosure. In embodiments of this disclosure, a technical feature is distinguished by “First,” “Second,” “Third,” “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D,” and there is no chronological or metrical order between the technical features described by “First,” “Second,” “Third,” “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.”

[0145] The correspondences shown in each table of this disclosure may be scopes or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and may be set to other values, and are not limited in this disclosure. When setting the correspondence between information and each parameter, it is not necessary to set all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables of this disclosure may not be set. Also, appropriate transformations and adjustments such as splitting and joining can be performed based on the above tables, for example. The names of the parameters shown in the titles of the above tables may be other names that the communication device can understand, and the values ​​or expressions of those parameters may also be other values ​​or expressions that the communication device can understand. Other data structures such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linked lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables may also be used when implementing the above tables.

[0146] In this disclosure, pre-definitions may be understood as definition, pre-definition, memory, pre-storage, pre-negotiation, pre-coverage, solidification, or pre-burn.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will be aware that the units and algorithmic steps of each example described herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the proposed technology. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functions using different methods for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0148] For the convenience and simplicity of explanation, and so that those skilled in the art can clearly understand, the specific operating processes of the above-mentioned systems, apparatus, and units will not be described again here, as they can be seen by referring to the corresponding processes in the embodiments of the methods described above.

[0149] The foregoing are merely specific embodiments of the Disclosure, and the scope of protection of the Disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed herein, and these should be included within the scope of protection of the Disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the Disclosure should be governed by the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for starting a timer executed by an Internet of Things terminal device, A step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), The step of starting the DRX inactivity timer at the aforementioned start time, A method for starting a timer characterized by the following:

2. The step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is: If one Downlink (DL) Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the step of determining the start time of the DRX inactivity timer as the time after the first time length has elapsed since the subframe occupied by the last of the multiple repetitions of the PDSCH transmission was received, or If one uplink (UL) HARQ process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and the UL HARQ is in a first mode, the starting time of the DRX non-activity timer includes the step of determining the time after a first time length has elapsed since the transmission of the subframe occupied by the last of a plurality of iterations of the PUSCH transmission. A method for starting the timer described in feature 1.

3. The step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is: If multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on the aforementioned Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is determined as the time after the first time length has elapsed since the new DL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received, or If multiple UL HARQ processes are configured on the Internet of Things terminal device, the step of determining the start time of the DRX non-activity timer is the time after the first time length has elapsed since the new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH was received. A method for starting the timer described in feature 1.

4. A step of determining the first time length based on the first parameter value, or A step of determining the first time length based on a scheduling offset value and a second parameter value, further comprising the step of the scheduling offset value being a frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned, A method for starting a timer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. The step further includes receiving the scheduling offset value transmitted from the network device, A method for starting the timer according to feature 4.

6. A step of determining the first parameter value or the second parameter value based on protocol agreement, or The further step includes determining the first parameter value or the second parameter value based on instructions from the network device, A method for starting the timer according to feature 4.

7. A method for starting a timer executed by a network device, The process includes determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), A method for starting a timer characterized by the following:

8. The step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on the transmission time information and a first time length of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is: If one Downlink (DL) Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and HARQ feedback is disabled, the step of determining the start time of the DRX inactivity timer as the time at which the first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device received the subframe occupied by the last of the multiple repetitions of the PDSCH transmission, or If one uplink (UL) HARQ process is configured on the Internet of Things terminal device and the UL HARQ is in a first mode, the start time of the DRX non-activity timer includes determining the time after a first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device transmitted a subframe occupied by the last of a plurality of iterations of the PUSCH transmission, A method for starting the timer according to feature 7.

9. The step of determining the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is: If multiple DL HARQ processes are configured on the aforementioned Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer is determined as the time after the first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device received a new DL transmission instructed by the PDCCH, or If multiple UL HARQ processes are configured on the Internet of Things terminal device, the start time of the DRX inactivity timer includes determining the time after the first time length has elapsed since the Internet of Things terminal device received a new UL transmission instructed by the PDCCH, A method for starting the timer according to feature 7.

10. A step of determining the first time length based on the first parameter value, or A step of determining the first time length based on a scheduling offset value and a second parameter value, further comprising the step of the scheduling offset value being a frame timing value used by the network device when the downlink and uplink links are not aligned, A method for starting a timer according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by the features described above.

11. The further step includes transmitting the scheduling offset value to the Internet of Things terminal device. A method for starting the timer according to feature 10.

12. A step of determining the first parameter value or the second parameter value based on protocol agreement, and / or The further step includes transmitting the first parameter value or the second parameter value to the Internet of Things terminal device, A method for starting the timer according to feature 10.

13. A communication device, Includes a processing module, The processing module is configured to determine the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The processing module is further configured to start the DRX non-activity timer at the start time. A communication device characterized by the following features.

14. A communication device, Includes a processing module, The processing module is configured to determine the start time of a discontinuous transmission (DRX) inactivity timer in an Internet of Things terminal device based on transmission time information and a first time length of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). A communication device characterized by the following features.

15. A communication device, The device includes a processor and memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor, by executing the computer program stored in the memory, causes the communication device to perform the method of starting a timer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the method of starting a timer according to any one of claims 7 to 12. A communication device characterized by the following features.

16. A communication device, Includes a processor and interface circuitry, The interface circuit is configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor. The processor is configured to execute the method for starting a timer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the method for starting a timer according to any one of claims 7 to 12, by executing the code instruction. A communication device characterized by the following features.

17. It is a communication system, Including Internet of Things terminal devices and network devices, The Internet of Things terminal device is configured to perform the method for starting a timer as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the network device is configured to perform the method for starting a timer as described in any one of claims 7 to 12. A communication system characterized by the following features.

18. A computer-readable storage medium in which instructions are stored, When the aforementioned instruction is executed, the method for starting a timer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is realized, or the method for starting a timer according to any one of claims 7 to 12 is realized. A computer-readable storage medium characterized by the following features.

Images