Paging method and paging apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a paging method and a paging apparatus. The paging method comprises: a network device indicates to a terminal device an identifier of the terminal device in one or more tracking areas (TAs); and when paging the terminal device, the network device carries, in a paging message, the identifier of the terminal device in the one or more TAs. According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, due to the limited number of users in one or more TAs, the number of bits used for identifying identifier information of different terminal devices in one or more TAs is greatly reduced, so that the number of bits in the paging message can be reduced, thereby reducing a demodulation threshold of the terminal device, and improving the paging success rate.

Description

Paging method and paging device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 12, 2023, with application number 202311177649.6 and application name “Paging Method and Paging Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a paging method and a paging device. Background Art

[0003] When an access network device needs to communicate with a terminal device, it can send a paging message to the terminal device, allowing the terminal device to access the network. When the network device and the terminal device are far apart, the power and link budget of the network device to send messages are limited. As a result, the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the signal received by the terminal device is low, resulting in the terminal device being unable to demodulate the signal, seriously affecting the terminal device's service experience.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a paging method and apparatus, which can improve the paging success rate.

[0006] In the first aspect, a paging method is provided, which can be executed by a first terminal device, or by a module (such as a chip or circuit) in the first terminal device, or by a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0007] The method includes: the first terminal device receives first information from the network device, the first information is used to indicate the first identifier of the first terminal device in a first area, the first area is one or more tracking areas TA; the first terminal device receives a first paging message from the network device, the first paging message includes the above-mentioned first identifier.

[0008] Specifically, the above-mentioned first terminal device receives the first paging message from the network device, including: the first terminal device receives the first DCI from the network device at the first paging opportunity, and the first DCI is used to schedule the transmission resources of the first physical downlink shared channel PDSCH carrying the first paging message; the first terminal device receives the first paging message from the network device at the transmission resources of the first PDSCH.

[0009] It should be understood that when the first terminal device moves out of the first area, an identifier needs to be reassigned to the first terminal device. When the first area is a single TA, identifiers within the first area can be assigned to more terminal devices; when the first area is multiple TAs, the first terminal device does not need to be reassigned an identifier when it moves within the multiple TAs.

[0010] Due to the limited number of users within the first area, the above method significantly reduces the number of bits used to identify different terminal devices within the first area. This can reduce the number of bits in the paging message, thereby reducing resource overhead. For the first terminal device, the fewer information bits in the paging message can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the above method also includes: when the first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a second paging message from the network device.

[0012] The above-mentioned first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the first terminal device is located is lower than the first threshold, and / or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH used for paging within the first time period; or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device monitors the PDCCH used for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the PDSCH carrying the above-mentioned first paging message.

[0013] The above-mentioned first terminal device receives the second paging message from the network device, including: the first terminal device receives the second DCI from the network device at the second paging opportunity, and the second DCI is used to schedule the transmission resources of the second PDSCH carrying the second paging message; the first terminal device receives the second paging message from the network device at the transmission resources of the second PDSCH.

[0014] Through the above method, when the first terminal device cannot receive the first paging message in an area with poor signal, the first terminal device receives the second paging message when it determines that certain conditions are met. After receiving the second paging message, the first terminal device can move to an area with better signal to access the network.

[0015] Specifically, the first terminal device receives a first DCI for scheduling a first paging message at a first paging opportunity, and receives a second DCI for scheduling a second paging message at a second paging opportunity, and the first paging opportunity is different from the second paging opportunity.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the above method also includes: the first terminal device receives first configuration information and second configuration information, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0017] Specifically, the first configuration information and the second configuration information include parameter information such as paging cycle (DRX cycle), paging frame offset within the paging cycle, starting position of paging occasion, etc. The parameter value of the first configuration information is different from the parameter value of the second configuration information.

[0018] Optionally, the first configuration information and the second configuration information may be broadcast via a paging control channel (PCCH)-configuration information (Config) in a system information block (SIB).

[0019] Specifically, the second paging message may include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device or the International Mobile User Identity IMSI or the Temporary Mobile User Identity TMSI or the Radio Network Temporary Identity RNTI.

[0020] On the second aspect, a paging method is provided, which can be executed by a first terminal device, or by a module (such as a chip or circuit) in the first terminal device, or by a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0021] The method includes: when a first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a second paging message from the network device.

[0022] The above-mentioned first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the first terminal device is located is lower than the first threshold, and / or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH used for paging within the first time period; or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device monitors the PDCCH used for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the PDSCH carrying the first paging message.

[0023] Specifically, the above-mentioned first terminal device receives the second paging message from the network device, including: the first terminal device receives the second DCI from the network device at the second paging opportunity, and the second DCI is used to schedule the transmission resources of the second physical downlink shared channel PDSCH carrying the second paging message; the first terminal device receives the second paging message from the network device at the transmission resources of the second PDSCH.

[0024] Through the above method, when the first terminal device cannot receive the first paging message in an area with poor signal, the first terminal device receives the second paging message when it determines that certain conditions are met. After receiving the second paging message, the first terminal device is facilitated to move to an area with better signal to access the network.

[0025] Specifically, the first terminal device receives a first DCI for scheduling a first paging message at a first paging opportunity, and receives a second DCI for scheduling a second paging message at a second paging opportunity, and the first paging opportunity is different from the second paging opportunity.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the above method also includes: the first terminal device receives first configuration information and second configuration information, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0027] Specifically, the first configuration information and the second configuration information include parameter information such as paging cycle (DRX cycle), paging frame offset within the paging cycle, starting position of paging occasion, etc. The parameter value of the first configuration information is different from the parameter value of the second configuration information.

[0028] Optionally, the first configuration information and the second configuration information may be broadcast via PCCH-Config in the SIB.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the above-mentioned first paging message and the above-mentioned second paging message include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device in the first area or the IMSI of the first terminal device or the TMSI of the first terminal device or the RNTI of the first terminal device, and the first area is one or more tracking areas TA.

[0030] It should be understood that when the first terminal device moves out of the first area, an identifier needs to be reassigned to the first terminal device. When the first area is a single TA, identifiers within the first area can be assigned to more terminal devices; when the first area is multiple TAs, the first terminal device does not need to be reassigned an identifier when it moves within the multiple TAs.

[0031] Due to the limited number of users within the first area, the above method significantly reduces the number of bits used to identify different terminal devices within the first area. This can reduce the number of bits in the paging message, thereby reducing resource overhead. For the first terminal device, the fewer information bits in the paging message can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0032] On the third aspect, a paging method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a module in the network device (such as a chip or circuit), or by a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions. This application does not limit this.

[0033] The method includes: the network device sends first information to the first terminal device, the first information is used to indicate a first identifier of the first terminal located in a first area, the first area is one or more tracking areas TA; the network device sends a first paging message to the first terminal device, the first paging message includes the above-mentioned first identifier.

[0034] Specifically, the above-mentioned network device sends a first paging message to the first terminal device, including: the network device sends a first DCI to the first terminal device at the first paging opportunity, and the first DCI is used to schedule the transmission resources of the first physical downlink shared channel PDSCH carrying the first paging message; the network device sends the first paging message to the first terminal device at the transmission resources of the first PDSCH.

[0035] It should be understood that when the first terminal device moves out of the first area, it is necessary to reallocate an identifier for the first terminal device. When the first area is a single TA, the network device can allocate identifiers within the first area to more terminal devices. When the first area is multiple TAs, the network device does not need to reallocate an identifier for the first terminal device when the first terminal device moves within the multiple TAs.

[0036] Due to the limited number of users within the first area, the above method significantly reduces the number of bits used to identify different terminal devices within the first area. This can reduce the number of bits in the paging message, thereby reducing resource overhead. For the first terminal device, the fewer information bits in the paging message can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0037] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, when the network device fails to page the first terminal device N times, the method further includes: the network device sends a second paging message to the first terminal device.

[0038] The above-mentioned network device sends a second paging message to the first terminal device, including: the network device sends a second DCI to the first terminal device at the second paging opportunity, and the second DCI is used to schedule the transmission resources of the second PDSCH carrying the second paging message; the network device sends the second paging message to the first terminal device at the transmission resources of the second PDSCH.

[0039] According to the above method, when the network device fails to page the first terminal device in the area with poor signal through the first paging message, the network device pages the first terminal device through the second paging message. After receiving the second paging message, the first terminal device can move to an area with better signal to access the network.

[0040] Specifically, the network device sends a first DCI for scheduling a first paging message at a first paging occasion, and sends a second DCI for scheduling a second paging message at a second paging occasion, where the first paging occasion is different from the second paging occasion.

[0041] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the above method also includes: the network device sends first configuration information and second configuration information to the first terminal device, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0042] Specifically, the first configuration information and the second configuration information include parameter information such as paging cycle (DRX cycle), paging frame offset within the paging cycle, starting position of paging occasion, etc. The parameter value of the first configuration information is different from the parameter value of the second configuration information.

[0043] Optionally, the first configuration information and the second configuration information may be broadcast via a paging control channel (PCCH)-configuration information (Config) in a system information block (SIB).

[0044] Specifically, the second paging message may include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device or the International Mobile User Identity IMSI or the Temporary Mobile User Identity TMSI or the Radio Network Temporary Identity RNTI.

[0045] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the above method also includes: the network device sends a third paging message at a third paging opportunity, the third paging message includes a second identifier, the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged at the third paging opportunity, the terminal device to be paged is the above-mentioned first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the above-mentioned first terminal device and the above-mentioned second terminal device.

[0046] Specifically, if the network device pages the first terminal device at the third paging opportunity, the above-mentioned second identifier is used to identify the above-mentioned first terminal device at the third paging opportunity; if the network device pages the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity, the above-mentioned second identifier is used to identify the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity.

[0047] Specifically, the association of the third paging opportunity with the first terminal device and the second terminal device can be: if the network device needs to page the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device, the network device sends the third paging message to the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity.

[0048] Through the above method, the terminal device identifier is used to distinguish different terminal devices at the same paging opportunity. Since the number of terminal devices at the same paging opportunity is limited, the number of bits in the terminal device identifier information is greatly reduced, which can reduce the number of bits in the paging message and thus reduce resource overhead. For the first terminal device, fewer information bits in the paging message can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0049] In a fourth aspect, a paging method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a module in the network device (such as a chip or circuit), or by a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this.

[0050] The method includes: a network device paging at least one terminal device; when the network device fails to page the first terminal device N times, the network device sends a second paging message to the first terminal device.

[0051] Specifically, the above-mentioned network device sends a second paging message to the first terminal device, including: the network device sends a second DCI to the first terminal device at the second paging opportunity, and the second DCI is used to schedule the transmission resources of the second PDSCH carrying the second paging message; the network device sends the second paging message to the first terminal device at the transmission resources of the second PDSCH.

[0052] According to the above method, when the network device fails to page the first terminal device in the area with poor signal through the first paging message, the network device pages the first terminal device through the second paging message. After receiving the second paging message, the first terminal device can move to an area with better signal to access the network.

[0053] Specifically, the network device sends a first DCI for scheduling a first paging message at a first paging occasion, and sends a second DCI for scheduling a second paging message at a second paging occasion, where the first paging occasion is different from the second paging occasion.

[0054] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the above method also includes: the network device sends first configuration information and second configuration information to the first terminal device, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0055] Specifically, the first configuration information and the second configuration information include parameter information such as paging cycle (DRX cycle), paging frame offset within the paging cycle, starting position of paging occasion, etc. The parameter value of the first configuration information is different from the parameter value of the second configuration information.

[0056] Optionally, the first configuration information and the second configuration information may be broadcast via PCCH-Config in the SIB.

[0057] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned first paging message and the above-mentioned second paging message include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device in the first area or the IMSI of the first terminal device or the TMSI of the first terminal device or the RNTI of the first terminal device, and the first area is one or more tracking areas TA.

[0058] It should be understood that when the first terminal device moves out of the first area, an identifier needs to be reassigned to the first terminal device. When the first area is a single TA, identifiers within the first area can be assigned to more terminal devices; when the first area is multiple TAs, the first terminal device does not need to be reassigned an identifier when it moves within the multiple TAs.

[0059] Due to the limited number of users within the first area, the above method significantly reduces the number of bits used to identify different terminal devices within the first area. This can reduce the number of bits in the paging message, thereby reducing resource overhead. For the first terminal device, the fewer information bits in the paging message can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0060] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the above method also includes: the network device sends a third paging message at a third paging opportunity, the third paging message includes a second identifier, the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged at the third paging opportunity, the terminal device to be paged is the above-mentioned first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the above-mentioned first terminal device and the above-mentioned second terminal device.

[0061] Specifically, if the network device pages the first terminal device at the third paging opportunity, the above-mentioned second identifier is used to identify the above-mentioned first terminal device at the third paging opportunity; if the network device pages the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity, the above-mentioned second identifier is used to identify the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity.

[0062] Specifically, the association of the third paging opportunity with the first terminal device and the second terminal device can be: if the network device needs to page the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device, the network device sends the third paging message to the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity.

[0063] Through the above method, the terminal device identifier is used to distinguish different terminal devices at the same paging opportunity. Since the number of terminal devices at the same paging opportunity is limited, the number of bits in the terminal device identifier information is greatly reduced, which can reduce the number of bits in the paging message and thus reduce resource overhead. For the first terminal device, fewer information bits in the paging message can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0064] In the fifth aspect, a paging device is provided, which includes: a transceiver unit for receiving first information from a network device, the first information being used to indicate a first identifier of the device within a first area, the first area being one or more tracking areas TA; the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to receive a first paging message from the network device, the first paging message including the above-mentioned first identifier.

[0065] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second paging message from the network device when the first condition is met.

[0066] The above-mentioned first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the first terminal device is located is lower than the first threshold, and / or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH used for paging within the first time period; or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device monitors the PDCCH used for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the PDSCH carrying the above-mentioned first paging message.

[0067] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to receive first configuration information and second configuration information, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0068] Specifically, the second paging message may include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device or the International Mobile User Identity IMSI or the Temporary Mobile User Identity TMSI or the Radio Network Temporary Identity RNTI.

[0069] The explanation and beneficial effects of the paging device provided in the fifth aspect can refer to the paging method shown in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] In a sixth aspect, a paging device is provided, comprising: a transceiver unit, configured to receive a second paging message from a network device when a first condition is met.

[0071] The above-mentioned first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the above-mentioned device is located is lower than the first threshold, and / or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the above-mentioned device does not monitor the PDCCH used for paging within the first time period; or, the above-mentioned first condition is that the above-mentioned device monitors the PDCCH used for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the PDSCH carrying the first paging message.

[0072] In combination with the sixth aspect, in certain implementations of the sixth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to receive first configuration information and second configuration information, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0073] In combination with the sixth aspect, in certain implementations of the sixth aspect, the first paging message and the second paging message include at least one of the first identifier of the device in the first area, the IMSI of the device, the TMSI of the device, or the RNTI of the device, and the first area is one or more tracking areas TA.

[0074] The explanation and beneficial effects of the paging device provided in the sixth aspect may refer to the paging method shown in the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0075] In the seventh aspect, a paging device is provided, which includes: a transceiver unit for sending first information to a first terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate a first identifier of the first terminal located in a first area, where the first area is one or more tracking areas TA; the transceiver unit is also used to send a first paging message to the first terminal device, where the first paging message includes the above-mentioned first identifier.

[0076] In combination with the seventh aspect, in certain implementations of the seventh aspect, when the apparatus fails to page the first terminal device N times, the transceiver unit is further configured to send a second paging message to the first terminal device.

[0077] In combination with the seventh aspect, in certain implementations of the seventh aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to send first configuration information and second configuration information to the first terminal device, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0078] Specifically, the second paging message may include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device or the International Mobile User Identity IMSI or the Temporary Mobile User Identity TMSI or the Radio Network Temporary Identity RNTI.

[0079] In combination with the seventh aspect, in certain implementations of the seventh aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to send a third paging message at a third paging opportunity, and the third paging message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged at the third paging opportunity. The terminal device to be paged is the above-mentioned first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the above-mentioned first terminal device and the above-mentioned second terminal device.

[0080] The explanation and beneficial effects of the paging device provided in the seventh aspect can be referred to the paging method shown in the third aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0081] In an eighth aspect, a paging device is provided, which includes: a transceiver unit, configured to send a second paging message to the first terminal device when the device fails to page the first terminal device N times.

[0082] In combination with the eighth aspect, in certain implementations of the eighth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to send first configuration information and second configuration information to the first terminal device, the first configuration information is configuration information related to the above-mentioned first paging message, and the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message.

[0083] In combination with the eighth aspect, in certain implementations of the eighth aspect, the above-mentioned first paging message and the above-mentioned second paging message include at least one of the first identifier of the first terminal device in the first area or the IMSI of the first terminal device or the TMSI of the first terminal device or the RNTI of the first terminal device, and the first area is one or more tracking areas TA.

[0084] In combination with the eighth aspect, in certain implementations of the eighth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to send a third paging message at a third paging opportunity, and the third paging message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged at the third paging opportunity. The terminal device to be paged is the above-mentioned first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the above-mentioned first terminal device and the above-mentioned second terminal device.

[0085] The explanation and beneficial effects of the paging device provided in the eighth aspect can be referred to the paging method shown in the fourth aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0086] In the ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is used to, by executing a computer program or instruction or through a logic circuit, enable the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect and any possible embodiment of the first aspect; or enable the communication device to perform the method described in the second aspect and any possible embodiment of the second aspect; enable the communication device to perform the method described in the third aspect and any possible embodiment of the third aspect; or enable the communication device to perform the method described in the fourth aspect and any possible embodiment of the fourth aspect.

[0087] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing the computer program or instruction.

[0088] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, which is used to input and / or output signals.

[0089] In the tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a logic circuit and an input / output interface, the input / output interface being used to input and / or output signals, the logic circuit being used to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible embodiment of the first aspect; or, the logic circuit being used to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible embodiment of the second aspect; the logic circuit being used to execute the method described in the third aspect and any possible embodiment of the third aspect; or, the logic circuit being used to execute the method described in the fourth aspect and any possible embodiment of the fourth aspect.

[0090] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or the instruction is run on a computer, the method described in the first aspect and any possibility of the first aspect is executed; or, the method described in the second aspect and any possibility of the second aspect is executed; the method described in the third aspect and any possibility of the third aspect is executed; or, the method described in the fourth aspect and any possibility of the fourth aspect is executed.

[0091] In the twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in the first aspect and any possible embodiment of the first aspect to be executed; or, cause the method described in the second aspect and any possible embodiment of the second aspect to be executed; cause the method described in the third aspect and any possible embodiment of the third aspect to be executed; or, cause the method described in the fourth aspect and any possible embodiment of the fourth aspect to be executed.

[0092] In the thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the above-mentioned first terminal device and the above-mentioned network device, the first terminal device is used to execute the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect, second aspect and any possible method of the first aspect and second aspect, and the network device is used to execute the method described in the above-mentioned third aspect, fourth aspect and any possible method of the third aspect and fourth aspect.

[0093] For the description of the beneficial effects of the fifth to thirteenth aspects, reference can be made to the description of the first to fourth aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a paging frame and a paging opportunity applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0097] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a paging method 400 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0098] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a paging method 500 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0099] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a sequence indication applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0100] FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of a paging method 700 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0101] FIG8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 800 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0102] FIG9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 900 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0103] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0104] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained.

[0105] 1. In this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0106] 2. In this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their internal logical relationships.

[0107] 3. The various numerical numbers involved in this application are only used for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The size of the serial numbers involved in this application does not mean the order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic. For example, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" and other various terminology labels (if any) in the specification and claims and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Among them, the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments described here can be implemented in an order other than what is illustrated or described here.

[0108] At the same time, any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner to facilitate understanding.

[0109] 4. The terms "comprise" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product or apparatus.

[0110] 5. In this application, "pre-defined" may include pre-defined, such as protocol definition. "Pre-defined" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0111] 6. "Storage" or "saving" as used in this application may refer to storage in one or more memories. The one or more memories may be provided separately or integrated into an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories may also be partially provided separately and partially integrated into a decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory may be any form of storage medium and is not limited thereto.

[0112] 7. In this application, unless otherwise specified, “ / ” indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an “or” relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. “And / or” in this application is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0113] First, a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable is described.

[0114] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as sixth generation (6G) mobile communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0115] As an example, Figure 1 shows a schematic architecture diagram of a communication system. For example, the architecture may include terminal devices, access network (AN) devices, core network (CN), external networks, etc. The external network may be a data network (DN), and the access network devices refer to the radio access network (RAN) devices provided in this application.

[0116] Terminal device: can be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal device of this application can also be a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. At present, some examples of terminal devices are: mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks or future evolved public land mobile communication networks (PLMNs). The terminal equipment in the network (PLMN), etc., is not limited to this in the embodiments of the present application.

[0117] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0118] It should be noted that the terminal device and the access network device can communicate with each other using a certain air interface technology (such as but not limited to NR or LTE technology). The terminal devices can also communicate with each other using a certain air interface technology (such as but not limited to NR or LTE technology).

[0119] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device, or it can be a device that can support the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system or chip, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0120] Access network equipment: Also known as RAN nodes, RAN equipment, etc. RANs provide access to communications networks for authorized users in a specific area. Access network equipment can include wireless network equipment in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks, as well as access points in non-3GPP networks. For ease of description, the term "access network (AN) equipment" will be used below.

[0121] Access network equipment can adopt different wireless access technologies. There are two types of wireless access technologies at present: 3GPP access technology (for example, the wireless access technology adopted in the third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) or 5G systems) and non-3GPP access technology. 3GPP access technology refers to access technology that complies with 3GPP standards and specifications. For example, the access network equipment in the 5G system is called the next generation Node Base station (gNB) node or RAN equipment. Non-3GPP access technologies may include air interface technologies represented by access points (APs) in wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), code division multiple access (CDMA), etc. Access network equipment can allow terminal devices and the 3GPP core network to interconnect and communicate using non-3GPP technologies.

[0122] Access network equipment is responsible for radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, and other functions on the air interface side. It provides access services to terminal devices and forwards control signals and user data between terminal devices and the core network.

[0123] Access network equipment may include, but is not limited to: a macro base station, a micro base station (also known as a small station), a radio network controller (RNC), a node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., a home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an AP in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP) or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It can also be a gNB or transmission point (TRP or TP) in a 5G (e.g., NR) system, one or a group of (including multiple antenna panels) antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, such as a distributed unit (DU), or a base station in a next-generation communication 6G system. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the AN device.

[0124] Core Network: Responsible for user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, billing, and other services. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The access and mobility management function (AMF) network element is responsible for user access management and control, user security authentication, and mobility management. The user plane function (UPF) network element is responsible for managing user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and other functions. The session management function (SMF) network element is primarily responsible for control plane functions such as user session management.

[0125] When an access network device needs to communicate with a terminal device, it can send a paging message to the terminal device, allowing the terminal device to access the network. When the access network device and the terminal device are far apart, the power and link budget of the access network device to send messages are limited. As a result, the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the signal received by the terminal device is low, resulting in the terminal device being unable to demodulate the signal, seriously affecting the terminal device's service experience.

[0126] For example, a scenario where access network equipment and terminal devices are far apart can be the aforementioned NTN scenario, which includes satellite communications. A satellite communications system includes satellite base stations and terminal devices. Satellite base stations provide communication services to terminal devices. Satellite base stations can also communicate with ground base stations. Satellites can function as both base stations and terminal devices. Satellites can refer to non-ground base stations or devices, such as drones, hot air balloons, low-, medium-, or high-orbit satellites.

[0127] For example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Taking the 5G network as an example, the terminal equipment on the ground accesses the network through the 5G new air interface, and the 5G access network equipment is deployed on the satellite and connected to the core network on the ground through a wireless link. At the same time, there is a wireless link between the satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the 5G access network equipment and the 5G access network equipment. The various network elements in Figure 2 and the interfaces between the network elements are described as follows:

[0128] 5G New Air Interface: The wireless link between terminal devices and 5G access network equipment.

[0129] Terminal device: A mobile device that supports the 5G new air interface, typically a mobile phone, tablet, or other mobile device. It can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, and other services. For details, refer to the description of terminal devices above.

[0130] 5G access network equipment: mainly provides wireless access services, dispatches wireless resources to access terminals, and provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, such as base stations.

[0131] The 5G core network provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The AMF network element is responsible for user access management and control, user security authentication, and mobility management. The UPF network element manages user plane data transmission and traffic statistics. The SMF network element primarily handles control plane functions for terminal device session management.

[0132] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between 5G access network equipment and 5G core network.

[0133] Xn interface: The interface between 5G access network devices, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0134] NG interface: The interface between 5G access network equipment and 5G core network, mainly interacting with the core network's non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and user service data.

[0135] It should be noted that the technical solution of the present application can also be applied to other NTN scenarios where the access network equipment and the terminal equipment are far apart, and the present application is not limited to the satellite communication scenario shown in FIG. 2 .

[0136] The existing paging process is described below.

[0137] FIG3 is a schematic flow chart of an existing paging method 300. As shown in FIG3, the execution body of the paging method 300 includes a terminal device and an access network device. The paging method 300 includes:

[0138] In step S310, the access network device sends downlink control information (DCI) scrambled by a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the DCI scrambled by the P-RNTI from the access network device.

[0139] For terminal devices in idle state, they need to periodically wake up and monitor the P-RNTI-encrypted physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and parse the DCI carried by the PDCCH. In addition to indicating short messages to terminal devices, the P-RNTI-encrypted DCI can also be used to schedule transmission resources for the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) that carries paging messages.

[0140] Specifically, the terminal device can determine that the received P-RNTI-scrambled DCI is a paging indication, and can also determine the transmission resources of the PDSCH for receiving the paging message based on the P-RNTI-scrambled DCI.

[0141] In step S320, the access network device sends a paging message to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the paging message from the access network device.

[0142] The terminal device can determine the transmission resource of the PDSCH for receiving the paging message based on the DCI scrambled by the P-RNTI it has received, and receive the paging message from the access network device at the transmission resource of the PDSCH.

[0143] Furthermore, the terminal device can parse and obtain the content of the paging message. The paging message includes a paging record list (PagingRecordlist). If the identifier of the terminal device is included in the paging record list, it means that the access network device is paging the terminal device.

[0144] From the above, the terminal device and the access network device complete the paging process.

[0145] Specifically, paging is the process of finding or waking up a terminal device. Paging processes can be categorized into two types: those triggered by the core network (CN) and those triggered by access network devices. The following section focuses on the core network-triggered paging process.

[0146] The paging message triggered by the core network needs to be sent to the terminal device through the access network device. For example, the core network sends the paging message to the access network device through the NG interface, and the access network device then sends it to the terminal device.

[0147] In both LTE and NR systems, core network-triggered paging messages are sent to terminal devices via the PDSCH by the access network equipment. The PDSCH transmission resources are indicated to the terminal device by the access network equipment via the PDCCH scrambled with the P-RNTI. Therefore, before receiving a paging message, the terminal device must first monitor the PDCCH channel and determine whether a paging message has been sent within the paging cycle based on whether the PDCCH carries the P-RNTI DCI.

[0148] In order to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices in the radio resource control_idle (RRC_IDLE) / radio resource control_inactive (RRC_INACTIVE) state, the terminal device will adopt discontinuous reception (DRX) to receive paging messages. Among them, a DRX cycle includes at least one paging frame (PF). A PF corresponds to at least one paging occasion (PO). The terminal device only needs to wake up once in a DRX cycle to monitor a PO. In addition, the DRX cycle indicates the period in which the terminal device detects paging, the PF indicates the system frame in which the terminal device detects paging, and the PO indicates the specific PDCCH monitoring occasions (MO) for the terminal device to detect paging.

[0149] The terminal device can calculate and determine the position of PF and PO through relevant formulas. For example,

[0150] PF is a system frame that satisfies the following formula 1:

[0151] (SFN+PF_offset)mod T=(T div N)*(UE_ID mod N)Formula 1

[0152] PO is indicated by the index i_s as shown in Formula 2 below:

[0153] i_s=floor(UE_ID / N)modN s Formula 2

[0154] SFN stands for system frame number (SFN). T stands for paging cycle. If DRX is configured, the paging cycle is the DRX cycle. Generally, there is a cell-level T in the system information. c At the same time, there may also be UE-level T UE If there is no indication T UE , then T=T c ; If T is indicated UE , then T=min{T c , T UE}. N represents the total number of PFs in T. N s Indicates the number of POs corresponding to a PF. PF_offset indicates the offset of the PF. For example, if DRX is configured, the UE_ID indicates the remainder of the terminal device's 5G-S-temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) mod 4096; if DRX is not configured, the UE_ID indicates the remainder of the terminal device's 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024. Wherein, mod is a modulo operation, floor indicates a rounding function, and i_s indicates the index of the PO corresponding to the PF.

[0155] In the NR system, in RRC_IDLE, the 5G-S-TMSI of the terminal device is used as the identifier of the terminal device in the paging message, and the size of the 5G-S-TMSI is approximately 48 bits; in RRC_INACTIVE, the inactive radio network temporary identifier (I-RNTI) is used as the identifier of the terminal device in the paging message, and the size of the I-RNTI is approximately 40 bits.

[0156] It is understood that the access network device can broadcast configuration information related to paging through the paging control channel (PCCH)-configuration information (Config) in the system information block (SIB). For example, the configuration information related to paging may include: paging cycle (DRX cycle), PF offset within the paging cycle, the starting position of PO, etc. Based on the above configuration information and the identification information of the terminal device, the terminal device determines the corresponding PO within each paging cycle.

[0157] For the satellite communication scenario shown in FIG2 , when the power of the access network device to send the paging message is limited and the link budget is limited, the resource overhead of repeatedly enhancing the sending of the paging message is large.

[0158] In summary, the present application provides a paging method 400, which can reduce resource overhead when performing repeated enhanced transmission of a paging message.

[0159] The following will describe the paging method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application with reference to FIG. 4 .

[0160] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of a paging method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in FIG4 can be executed by a terminal device and a network device, or by modules and / or devices (e.g., chips or integrated circuits) with corresponding functions installed in the terminal device and the network device, and this application does not limit this. The network device mentioned below can be the access network device mentioned above. The following description takes the terminal device and the network device as examples. As shown in FIG4, the method 400 includes:

[0161] In step S410, the network device sends first information to the first terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate a first identifier of the terminal device in the first area. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first information from the network device.

[0162] It should be understood that the above-mentioned first identifier is unique within the above-mentioned first area.

[0163] Specifically, the first area may be one or more tracking areas (TAs). When the first area is one TA, identifiers may be allocated to more terminal devices in the one TA; when the first area is multiple TAs, the first terminal device does not need to be re-allocated an identifier when it moves within the multiple TAs.

[0164] Optionally, when the tracking area codes (TACs) of one or more TAs included in the first area all belong to the same access network device, the first identifier of the terminal device is allocated by the access network device; when the TACs of one or more TAs included in the first area do not belong to the same access network device, the first identifier of the terminal device is allocated by the core network device.

[0165] In step S412, the network device sends a first paging message to the first terminal device, where the first paging message includes the first identifier. Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the first paging message from the network device.

[0166] Specifically, the core network device finds the above-mentioned first area corresponding to the terminal device according to the 5G-S-TMSI of the first terminal device, and sends a first paging message to the terminal device through the access network device corresponding to the first area.

[0167] Specifically, the network device sending the first paging message to the first terminal device may be:

[0168] The network device sends a first P-RNTI-encrypted DCI to the first terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first PDCCH encrypted with the P-RNTI and parses the first DCI carried by the first PDCCH. The first P-RNTI-encrypted DCI indicates the transmission resources of the first PDSCH used to send / receive the first paging message. The network device sends the first paging message to the first terminal device at the transmission resources of the first PDSCH, and the first terminal device receives the first paging message from the network device at the transmission resources of the first PDSCH.

[0169] The first terminal device can determine the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for receiving the first PDCCH through the above formula 1 and the above formula 2, and the network device can determine the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for sending the first DCI through the above formula 1 and the above formula 2.

[0170] Among them, the first terminal device determines the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for receiving the first PDCCH according to the above-mentioned first identifier, and the network device determines the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for sending the first DCI according to the above-mentioned first identifier of the first terminal device, or the first terminal device determines the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for receiving the first PDCCH according to the 5G-S-TMSI, and the network device determines the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for sending the first DCI according to the 5G-S-TMSI of the first terminal device. This application does not limit this. That is to say, the identifier of the first terminal device used by the first terminal device to determine the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for receiving the first PDCCH needs to be consistent with the identifier of the first terminal device used by the network device to determine the position of the first paging frame and the first paging opportunity for sending the first DCI.

[0171] Optionally, before step S412, the method further includes step S414, in which the network device sends first configuration information to the first terminal device, where the first configuration information is configuration information related to the first paging message. Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the first configuration information from the network device.

[0172] Exemplarily, the first configuration information may include: a paging cycle (DRX cycle), an offset of the first paging frame within the paging cycle, a starting position of the first paging opportunity, etc. Based on the first configuration information and the identification information of the first terminal device, the first terminal device determines the corresponding first paging opportunity in each paging cycle.

[0173] Optionally, the first configuration information may be broadcast via PCCH-Config in the SIB.

[0174] Because the number of users in the first area is limited, the number of bits used to identify different terminal devices in the first area is reduced, which can reduce the number of bits in the paging message. Furthermore, in scenarios where the network device and the terminal device are far apart, repeated enhanced transmission of the paging message can also reduce resource overhead. For the terminal device, fewer information bits can lower the demodulation threshold of the terminal device and improve the paging success rate.

[0175] When some terminal devices move to an area with poor signal and cannot access the network, the present application provides a method 500 for paging these terminal devices, as shown in FIG5 . The method shown in FIG5 can be executed by the terminal device and the network device, or by modules and / or devices (e.g., chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the terminal device and the network device, and the present application does not limit this. The following description takes the terminal device and the network device as an example. As shown in FIG5 , the method 500 includes:

[0176] In step S510, the network device sends second configuration information to the first terminal device, where the second configuration information is configuration information related to the second paging message. Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the second configuration information from the network device.

[0177] Exemplarily, the second configuration information may include: a paging cycle (DRX cycle), an offset of the second paging frame within the paging cycle, a starting position of the second paging occasion, and the like.

[0178] Optionally, the second configuration information may be broadcast via PCCH-Config in the SIB.

[0179] Step S512: The first terminal device determines a position of receiving a second paging frame and a second paging opportunity of a second PDCCH according to the second configuration information.

[0180] The first terminal device can determine the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for receiving the second PDCCH through the above formula 1 and the above formula 2.

[0181] Among them, the first terminal device determines the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for receiving the second PDCCH according to the above-mentioned first identifier, and the network device determines the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for sending the second DCI according to the above-mentioned first identifier of the first terminal device, or the first terminal device determines the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for receiving the second PDCCH according to the 5G-S-TMSI, and the network device determines the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for sending the second DCI according to the 5G-S-TMSI of the first terminal device. This application does not limit this. In other words, the identifier of the first terminal device used by the first terminal device to determine the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for receiving the second PDCCH needs to be consistent with the identifier of the first terminal device used by the network device to determine the position of the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity for sending the second DCI.

[0182] Exemplarily, if the first terminal device determines the position of receiving the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity of the second PDCCH based on the 5G-S-TMSI, when DRX is configured, the UE_ID in the above formula 1 and the above formula 2 represents the remainder of the terminal device's 5G-S-TMSI mod 4096; when DRX is not configured, the UE_ID in the above formula 1 and the above formula 2 represents the remainder of the terminal device's 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024. If the first terminal device determines the position of receiving the second paging frame and the second paging opportunity of the second PDCCH based on the above-mentioned first identifier, the UE_ID in the above-mentioned formula 1 and the above-mentioned formula 2 represents the above-mentioned first identifier (paging_ID) of the terminal device; or, the UE_ID in the above-mentioned formula 1 and the above-mentioned formula 2 represents the remainder of the paging_IDmod M1 of the terminal device, where M1 is a default value or a value configured by the network device, and the value of M1 includes but is not limited to {1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024,2048,4096,8192,16384}.

[0183] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the parameter values ​​of the first configuration information and the second configuration information configured by the network device are different. In other words, the position of the first paging opportunity determined by the first terminal device is different from the position of the second paging opportunity.

[0184] Step S514: When the first condition is met, the first terminal device monitors the second PDCCH for scheduling the second paging message at the second paging occasion.

[0185] Specifically, the above-mentioned first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the first terminal device is located is lower than the first threshold, and / or the above-mentioned first condition is that the first terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH for paging within the first time period. The first threshold may be preset or specified by the protocol, which is not limited in this application. The first time period may be preset or specified by the protocol, which is not limited in this application. The signal quality can be evaluated by the value of the reference signal receiving power (RSRP), which is not limited in this application.

[0186] Alternatively, the first condition is that the terminal device detects the PDCCH for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the PDSCH carrying the paging message. Exemplarily, the PDCCH for paging may be the first PDCCH, the PDSCH carrying the paging message may be the first PDSCH, and the paging message carried may be the first paging message.

[0187] Step S516: When the network device fails to page the first terminal device N times, the network device sends a second DCI to the first terminal device at a second paging opportunity.

[0188] Wherein, N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0189] Specifically, the second DCI indicates transmission resources of a second PDSCH used for sending / receiving a second paging message.

[0190] In step S518, the network device sends a second paging message to the first terminal device at the transmission resource of the second PDSCH. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the second paging message from the network device at the transmission resource of the second PDSCH.

[0191] Specifically, the second paging message may include the first identifier of the first terminal device in the first area.

[0192] Optionally, the above-mentioned second paging message may include the 5G-S-TMSI or I-RNTI or IMSI of the first terminal device, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0193] Through the above-mentioned paging method 500, some terminal devices with low signal-to-noise ratio can move to an area with better signal to access the network after receiving the second paging message, which can solve the problem that terminal devices cannot receive paging messages in areas with poor signal.

[0194] To ensure that the terminal device can receive and successfully demodulate the second paging message, the network device may repeatedly transmit the second DCI used to schedule the second paging message and the second paging message to achieve downlink enhancement. For example, the number of repeated transmissions may be a default number of repetitions of 2 / 4 / 8 / 16, etc., or a custom repetition method may be used, which is not limited in this application.

[0195] Specifically, the above-mentioned repeated sending method may include the following two methods:

[0196] The first method: the network device repeatedly sends the second DCI multiple times to the first terminal device at the same second paging opportunity, and the network device correspondingly sends multiple second paging messages. The terminal device combines and demodulates the multiple received second paging messages.

[0197] The second method: The network device sends the second DCI to the first terminal device once during a second paging opportunity, and sends the second DCI to the first terminal device again during the next second paging opportunity. That is, the network device sends the second DCI to the terminal device multiple times during the second paging opportunities of different paging cycles. The multiple second DCIs schedule the sending of multiple second paging messages. The terminal device combines and demodulates the multiple received second paging messages.

[0198] By carrying the above-mentioned first identifier of the first terminal device in the above-mentioned second paging message (the first identifier is represented by paging_ID in the formula below), the content of the second paging message can be reduced, thereby lowering the demodulation threshold of the second paging message and improving the paging success rate of the second paging message.

[0199] In order to further reduce the content of the paging message, the present application provides a method for indicating the identity of the first terminal device using a sequence.

[0200] The method includes: the network device sends a third paging message at a third paging opportunity, the third paging message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged by the network device.

[0201] The terminal device to be paged by the network device is the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the first terminal device and the third terminal device.

[0202] Exemplarily, the network device groups at least one terminal device according to different paging occasions within a paging cycle, and one or more terminal devices #1 corresponding to the same paging occasion belong to one group, and then the one or more terminal devices #1 in a group are identified in sequence.

[0203] For example, the first terminal device obtains its own first identifier (paging_ID), 5G-S-TMSI, I-RNTI and other identifiers. The first identifier (paging_ID) is used as an example for explanation below. The number of paging occasions PO in a paging cycle T is M, and the PO corresponding to the first terminal device is PO#1.

[0204] The first terminal device may determine the PO in which the first terminal device receives the third paging message in a paging cycle according to the following formula 3:

[0205] i_s=paging_ID mod M Formula 3

[0206] It should be understood that the first terminal device can determine the PO position of the paging cycle at which the first terminal device receives the third paging message by using the above formula 3. The first terminal device can determine the PO#1 index of the first terminal device in the paging cycle by using the above formula 2.

[0207] The sequence of the first terminal device in PO#1 is determined according to the following formula 4:

[0208] When the first terminal device receives the sequence in the paging message, it can restore the sequence using the following formula 5:

[0209] sequence_ID*M+paging_ID mod M=paging_ID formula 5

[0210] As shown in Figure 6, assume that the number of POs in a paging cycle in Figure 6 is 2, which are located in the nth time slot (slot n) and the n+xth time slot (slot n+x) of the paging cycle respectively. The first PO corresponds to 5 terminal devices, and the first identifications (paging_ID) of the 5 terminal devices are 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 respectively; the second PO corresponds to another 5 terminal devices, and the first identifications (paging_ID) of the other 5 terminal devices are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 respectively. The value range of the first identifications of the 10 terminal devices in the paging cycle is 0 to 9. According to the above formula 4, the value range of the sequence (sequence_ID) of the 10 terminal devices in the paging cycle is 0 to 4. The sequences of the 5 terminal devices corresponding to the first PO are 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively, and the sequences of the other 5 terminal devices corresponding to the second PO are also 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. If the first identifier of the first terminal device is 2, then the third paging message received by the first terminal device on the first PO of the paging cycle includes sequence 1, indicating that the first terminal device is paged.

[0211] As another example, the number of POs in a paging cycle is 16, and the first identifier (paging_ID) of the first terminal device is 500. Then, according to the above formula 3, it can be known that the first terminal device is on the fifth PO of the paging cycle, and according to the above formula 4, the sequence (sequence_ID) corresponding to the first terminal device is 31. The third paging message received by the first terminal device on the fifth AO of the paging cycle includes sequence 31, indicating that the first terminal device is paged.

[0212] Optionally, the third paging message may be carried in a PDCCH detected by the first terminal device at a third paging occasion.

[0213] To ensure that the terminal device is successfully paged using the above sequence, the network device may repeatedly send the third paging message carrying the second identifier. For example, the number of repeated transmissions may be a default number of repetitions of 2 / 4 / 8 / 16, or a custom repetition method may be used, which is not limited in this application.

[0214] Specifically, when the terminal device to be paged by the network device at the third paging occasion is the first terminal device, the above-mentioned repeated sending manner may include the following two manners:

[0215] The first way: the network device repeatedly sends a third paging message to the first terminal device multiple times during the third paging occasion of a paging cycle. The first terminal device combines and demodulates the multiple received third paging messages.

[0216] The second method: The network device sends a third paging message to the first terminal device once during the third paging opportunity of a paging cycle, and sends a third paging message to the first terminal device once during the third paging opportunity of the next paging cycle. That is, the network device sends multiple third paging messages to the first terminal device during the third paging opportunities of different paging cycles. The first terminal device combines and demodulates the multiple received third paging messages.

[0217] Specifically, when the terminal devices to be paged by the network device at the third paging occasion are the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the above-mentioned repeated sending manner may further include the following two manners:

[0218] The third way: the network device repeatedly sends the third paging message to the first terminal device and the second terminal device multiple times during the third paging occasion of a paging cycle. The first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively combine and demodulate the received multiple third paging messages.

[0219] Fourth mode: The network device sends a third paging message to the first terminal device and the second terminal device once at the third paging opportunity of a paging cycle, and sends a third paging message to the first terminal device and the second terminal device once at the third paging opportunity of the next paging cycle. That is, the network device sends multiple third paging messages to the first terminal device and the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity of different paging cycles. The first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively combine and demodulate the multiple received third paging messages.

[0220] The "sending a third paging message to the first terminal device and the second terminal device at the third paging opportunity" in the above third and fourth methods can specifically be: sending by multiplying or adding the second identifier corresponding to the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0221] The paging messages sent by the network device to the terminal device can be divided into two categories: the first category is short message-type paging messages, such as system update indication messages, earthquake and tsunami warning system (ETWS) messages, etc. The second category is paging messages used to establish a connection.

[0222] In the case of extremely limited communication links, the terminal device cannot even maintain downlink synchronization, and the network device cannot notify the terminal device of the existence of a public safety problem through a paging message such as a short message. In order to alert the terminal device to public safety problems, this application adds a new alarm message for alerting the terminal device to public safety problems, as shown in Figure 7. The method shown in Figure 7 can be executed by the terminal device and the network device, or by a module and / or device (for example, a chip or integrated circuit, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the terminal device and the network device, and this application does not limit this. The following description takes the terminal device and the network device as an example. As shown in Figure 7, method 700 includes:

[0223] The method includes: step S710, when a public safety problem occurs, the network device broadcasts an alarm message to the terminal device, and the alarm message is used to indicate the occurrence of the public safety problem.

[0224] Exemplarily, the warning message carries one bit. If the warning message carries bit 1, it indicates that a public safety issue has occurred; if the warning message carries bit 0, it indicates that no public safety issue has occurred.

[0225] The above warning messages are used for disaster warning.

[0226] Step S712: The terminal device monitors the alarm message.

[0227] Exemplarily, the terminal device may monitor the above-mentioned alarm message while monitoring the synchronization signal block (SSB).

[0228] Alternatively, the terminal device may blindly detect the alarm message.

[0229] Through the above method 700, the terminal device can receive public safety alarm information in the scenario where the communication link is extremely limited, and ensure that the terminal device moves to a safe area to access the network and avoid danger in time.

[0230] Finally, the device embodiment of the embodiment of the present application is introduced.

[0231] To implement the various functions of the methods provided herein, both terminal devices and network devices may include hardware structures and / or software modules, with the aforementioned functions implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0232] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 800 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 800 includes a processor 810 and a communication interface 820, which may be interconnected via a bus 830. The communication device 800 may be a network device or a terminal device.

[0233] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a memory 840. The memory 840 includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), and is used for related instructions and data.

[0234] The processor 810 may be one or more central processing units (CPUs). In the case where the processor 810 is a CPU, the CPU may be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU.

[0235] When the communication device 800 is a terminal device, illustratively, the communication device 800 is used to perform the following operations: receiving first information from a network device, etc.

[0236] When the communication device 800 is a network device, illustratively, the communication device 800 is used to perform the following operations: sending first information to a terminal device, etc.

[0237] The above contents are merely exemplary descriptions. When the communication device 800 is a network device / terminal device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the network device / terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0238] The above description is merely exemplary. For details, please refer to the contents of the above method embodiments. The implementation of each operation in FIG8 may also correspond to the corresponding description of the method embodiments shown in FIG4 to FIG7.

[0239] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. Communication device 900 may be a network device or terminal device, or a chip or module within the network device or terminal device, configured to implement the methods described in the above embodiments. Communication device 900 includes a transceiver unit 910. The following provides an exemplary description of transceiver unit 910 and processing unit 920.

[0240] The transceiver unit 910 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit is used to perform a transmitting operation of the communication device, and the receiving unit is used to perform a receiving operation of the communication device. For ease of description, this embodiment of the application combines the transmitting unit and the receiving unit into a single transceiver unit. This is described here as a unified description and will not be repeated later.

[0241] When the communication apparatus 900 is a terminal device, illustratively, the transceiver unit 910 is configured to receive second information from a network device, and the processing unit 920 is configured to determine a first alarm timing, etc., based on the received second information.

[0242] When the communication device 900 is a network device, illustratively, the transceiver unit 910 is used to send the second information to the terminal device, and the processing unit 920 is used to determine the first alarm timing, etc. according to the second information.

[0243] The above contents are merely exemplary descriptions. When the communication device 900 is a network device / terminal device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the network device / terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0244] Optionally, the communication device 900 further includes a storage unit 930, which is used to store a program or code for executing the aforementioned method.

[0245] The device embodiments shown in Figures 8 and 9 are used to implement the contents described in Figures 4 to 7. The specific execution steps and methods of the devices shown in Figures 8 and 9 can refer to the contents described in the above method embodiments.

[0246] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 is used to implement the functions of a network device / terminal device. The communication device 1000 may be a chip in the network device / terminal device.

[0247] Communication device 1000 includes an input / output interface 1020 and a processor 1010. Input / output interface 1020 may be an input / output circuit. Processor 1010 may be a signal processor, a chip, or other integrated circuit capable of implementing the method of the present application. Input / output interface 1020 is used for inputting or outputting signals or data.

[0248] For example, when the communication apparatus 1000 is a terminal device, the input / output interface 1020 is configured to receive second information from a network device, and the processor 1010 is configured to determine a first alarm timing, etc., based on the received second information.

[0249] For example, the communication device 1000 is a network device, the input / output interface 1020 is used to send the second information to the terminal device, and the processor 1010 is used to determine the first alarm opportunity according to the second information.

[0250] In one possible implementation, the processor 1010 implements the functions of the network device or the terminal device by executing instructions stored in the memory.

[0251] Optionally, the communication device 1000 further includes a memory.

[0252] Optionally, the processor and memory are integrated together.

[0253] Optionally, the memory is outside the communication device 1000 .

[0254] In one possible implementation, the processor 1010 may be a logic circuit, which inputs / outputs messages or signals through the input / output interface 1020. The logic circuit may be a signal processor, a chip, or other integrated circuit that can implement the method of the embodiment of the present application.

[0255] The above description of the communication device 1000 is only an exemplary description. The communication device 1000 can be used to execute the method described in the above embodiment. For specific content, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0256] The present application also provides a chip, including a processor, for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory from the memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip executes the methods in the above examples.

[0257] The present application also provides a chip, comprising: an input interface, an output interface, and a processor, wherein the input interface, the output interface, and the processor are connected via an internal connection path, and the processor is configured to execute code in a memory. When the code is executed, the processor is configured to execute the methods in the above examples. Optionally, the chip also includes a memory, which is configured to store computer programs or code.

[0258] The present application also provides a processor for coupling with a memory, and for executing the methods and functions involving a network device or a terminal device in any of the above embodiments.

[0259] The present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the method of the aforementioned embodiment is implemented.

[0260] The present application also provides a computer program. When the computer program is executed in a computer, the method of the aforementioned embodiment is implemented.

[0261] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the method described in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0262] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0263] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0264] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0265] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0266] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0267] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of each method embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0268] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A paging method, characterized in that: For a first terminal device or a chip system in the first terminal device, the method includes: Receive first information from a network device, where the first information is used to indicate a first identifier of the first terminal device in a first area, where the first area is one or more tracking areas; A first paging message is received from the network device, where the first paging message includes the first identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a second paging message from the network device, The first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the first terminal device is located is lower than a first threshold, and / or the first condition is that the first terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel PDCCH for paging within a first time period, or, The first condition is that the first terminal device monitors the PDCCH used for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the physical downlink shared channel PDSCH carrying the first paging message.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The second paging message includes at least one of the first identification of the first terminal device or an International Mobile Subscriber Identity IMSI or a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity TMSI or a Radio Network Temporary Identity RNTI.

4. A paging method, characterized in that: The method applied to a first terminal device or a chip system in the first terminal device includes: When the first condition is met, receiving a second paging message from the network device, The first condition is that the signal quality of the current cell where the first terminal device is located is lower than a first threshold, and / or the first condition is that the first terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel PDCCH for paging within a first time period, Alternatively, the first condition is that the first terminal device monitors the PDCCH used for paging but cannot correctly demodulate the physical downlink shared channel PDSCH carrying the first paging message.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first paging message or the second paging message includes at least one of the first identification of the first terminal device in the first area, the international mobile user identity IMSI of the first terminal device, the temporary mobile user identification TMSI of the first terminal device, or the wireless network temporary identification RNTI of the first terminal device, and the first area is one or more tracking areas.

6. A paging method, characterized in that: Chip systems for network devices or in network devices, including: Sending first information to a first terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate a first identifier of the first terminal device in a first area, where the first area is one or more tracking areas; A first paging message is sent to the first terminal device, where the first paging message includes the first identifier.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that When the network device fails to page the first terminal device N times, the method further includes: sending a second paging message to the first terminal device, Wherein, N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second paging message includes at least one of the first identification of the first terminal device or an International Mobile Subscriber Identity IMSI or a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity TMSI or a Radio Network Temporary Identity RNTI.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: A third paging message is sent at a third paging opportunity, and the third paging message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged at the third paging opportunity, and the terminal device to be paged is the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

10. A paging method, characterized in that: For a network device or a chip system in the network device, the method comprises: paging at least one terminal device; When the paging of the first terminal device fails N times, sending a second paging message to the first terminal device, Wherein, N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The second paging message includes the first identification of the first terminal device in the first area or the international mobile user identity IMSI of the first terminal device or the temporary mobile user identification TMSI of the first terminal device or the wireless network temporary identification RNTI of the first terminal device, and the first area is one or more tracking areas.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A third paging message is sent at a third paging opportunity, and the third paging message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify the terminal device to be paged at the third paging opportunity, and the terminal device to be paged is the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the third paging opportunity is associated with the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a processor configured to, by executing a computer program or instructions, The communication device is enabled to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a processor configured to, by executing a computer program or instructions, The communication device is enabled to execute the method according to any one of claims 6 to 12.

15. The communication device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The communication device further comprises a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

16. The communication device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The communication device further comprises a communication interface, and the communication interface is used for inputting and / or outputting signals.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed on a computer, so that the method of any one of claims 1 to 5 is performed; or, The method according to any one of claims 6 to 12 is performed.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that Contains instructions that, when executed on a computer, so that the method of any one of claims 1 to 5 is performed; or, The method according to any one of claims 6 to 12 is performed.

Images