Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a communication method and apparatus. In the communication method, before a first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, the first terminal device can acquire a first resource located ahead of a second resource in time domain, the second resource comprising a paging occasion. In this way, when the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device that is blocked (such as satisfying a first condition) can receive on the first resource a first type of sequence, such as a first sequence, from a network device, and can thereby output a first prompt signal on the basis of the first sequence. That is to say, the sequence has low channel requirements, and therefore, when the first terminal device is blocked, it can still be guaranteed that the first terminal device can acquire the first type of sequence, thereby guaranteeing that the first terminal device can output the first prompt signal before the paging occasion arrives. Thus, the reliability of paging the first terminal device is improved.

Description

Communication method and 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 202311172390.6, and priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “A Communication Method and Device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] In communications technology, repeated transmission is often used to improve data transmission reliability. However, in complex environments, obstructions may exist between the terminal device and the base station. Therefore, even with repeated transmission, data transmission reliability may not be guaranteed. Therefore, improving data transmission reliability in the presence of obstructions has become a pressing issue.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus that can improve the reliability of data transmission.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a first terminal device. The first terminal device herein can refer to the first terminal device itself, or to a processor, module, chip, or chip system within the first terminal device that implements the method. Taking the first terminal device performing the communication method as an example, in this communication method, the first terminal device can receive first information from a network device. The first information is used to determine a first resource. The first resource is located before a second resource in the time domain. The second resource includes one or more paging occasions, and the multiple paging occasions are consecutive. The first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state. If a first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a first sequence from the network device on the first resource. The first sequence is a sequence of a first type. The first condition includes at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device within a first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold. In this way, the first terminal device can output a first prompt signal based on the first sequence.

[0007] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, before the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device can obtain the first resource that is located before the second resource in the time domain, wherein the second resource includes one or more paging opportunities, and multiple paging opportunities are continuous. In this way, when the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device that is blocked (such as satisfying the first condition) can receive the first type of sequence from the network device on the first resource, such as the first sequence, so that the first prompt signal can be output based on the first sequence. In other words, the sequence has low channel requirements, so when the first terminal device is blocked, it can still be guaranteed that the first terminal device can obtain the first type of sequence, so that the first terminal device can be guaranteed to output the first prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives. In this way, not only the reliable transmission of the first type of sequence is guaranteed, but also the user can be notified of the upcoming paging through the first prompt signal when the first terminal device is blocked, which is conducive to improving the reliability of paging the first terminal device.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the first terminal device receives first information from the network device, including: the first terminal device receives a radio resource control (RRC) configuration message from the network device, the RRC configuration message includes the first information; or, the first terminal device receives a release connection message from the network device, the release connection message includes the first information.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the first resource is used for one or more terminal devices to receive a first type of sequence, and the one or more terminal devices include the first terminal device.

[0010] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, when multiple terminal devices (including the first terminal device) use the same resource to receive the first type of sequence, resources can be saved. When multiple terminal devices use different resources to receive the first type of sequence, it is equivalent to each terminal device being configured with a resource dedicated to receiving the first type of sequence. This can ensure that the sequence can be obtained in the presence of obstructions, thereby ensuring that these terminal devices can output the first prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives, which is conducive to improving the reliability of the paging terminal device.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the first information is used to determine the first resource, including: the first information includes a resource index of the first resource; the method also includes: the first terminal device obtains the identification information of the cell managed by the network device and the location of one or more paging occasions; the first terminal device generates a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions and the resource index of the first resource; the first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal based on the first sequence, including: when the first sequence is the same as the second sequence, the first terminal device outputs the first prompt signal.

[0012] As can be seen, in the above embodiment, if the first sequence obtained by the first terminal device from the network device is identical to the second sequence generated by the first terminal device, the first terminal device can output the first prompt signal, thereby reducing the possibility of the first terminal device outputting the first prompt signal after incorrectly receiving the sequence. Therefore, this reduces the probability of false alarms.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the first terminal device generates a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell managed by the network device, the location of one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the first resource, including: the first terminal device receives second information from the network device, the second information is used to indicate the sequence index of the first sequence; the first terminal device generates the second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, the resource index of the first resource, and the sequence index of the first sequence.

[0014] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, when generating the second sequence, the first terminal device also combines the sequence index of the first sequence. In this way, the uniqueness of the second sequence can be guaranteed, and the problem of other terminal devices also determining that the first sequence is the same as the sequence they generate can be reduced.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, when the first sequence is identical to the second sequence, the first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal, including: when the number of second sequences is multiple, and when the first sequence is identical to any one of the multiple second sequences, the first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal.

[0016] As can be seen, in the above embodiment, the first terminal device can output the first prompt signal when the first sequence is the same as any one of the multiple second sequences. This increases the probability that the first terminal device can output the first prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives, allowing the user to be better informed of the impending paging even when the first terminal device is obscured, thereby improving the reliability of paging the first terminal device.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the method also includes: when a change in the location of the first terminal device is detected, the first terminal device receives a paging message from the network device on the second resource, where the paging message includes an identifier of the first terminal device.

[0018] As can be seen, in the above embodiment, when a change in the location of the first terminal device is detected, the first terminal device can receive a paging message from the network device on the second resource. In other words, when the first terminal device is adjusted from being obscured to being unobstructed, the first terminal device can successfully receive the paging message, thereby ensuring the reliability of paging the first terminal device.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the method also includes: the first terminal device receives third information from the network device, the third information is used to determine a third resource, the third resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, and the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices to receive a second type of sequence, and the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device; the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and when the first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a third sequence from the network device on the third resource, and the third sequence is a second type of sequence; the first terminal device outputs a second prompt signal based on the third sequence.

[0020] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, before the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device can obtain a third resource that is located before the second resource in the time domain, and the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices (including the first terminal device) to receive the second type of sequence. That is to say, the network device configures the same resource for different terminal devices to receive the second type of sequence, which not only saves resources, but also better avoids the first type of sequence and reduces interference. Furthermore, when the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device that is blocked (such as meeting the first condition) can receive the second type of sequence from the network device on the third resource, such as the third sequence, so that the second prompt signal can be output based on the third sequence. In other words, the sequence has low channel requirements, so when the first terminal device is blocked, it can still be guaranteed that the first terminal device can obtain the second type of sequence, so that the first terminal device can output the second prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives. In this way, not only the reliable transmission of the second type of sequence is guaranteed, but also the user can be notified of emergency information through the second prompt signal when the first terminal device is blocked.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, optionally, the third information is used to determine the third resource, including: the third information includes a resource index of the third resource; the method also includes: the first terminal device generates a fourth sequence based on the identification information of the cell managed by the network device, the location of one or more paging occasions and the resource index of the third resource; the first terminal device outputs a second prompt signal based on the third sequence, including: when the third sequence is the same as the fourth sequence, the first terminal device outputs the second prompt signal.

[0022] As can be seen, in the above embodiment, if the third sequence obtained by the first terminal device from the network device is the same as the fourth sequence generated by the first terminal device, the first terminal device can output the second prompt signal, thereby reducing the possibility of the first terminal device outputting the prompt signal after incorrectly receiving the sequence. Therefore, this reduces the probability of false alarms.

[0023] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a network device. The network device here can refer to the network device itself or a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the network device. Take the network device executing the communication method as an example. In the communication method, the network device sends first information to a first terminal device. The first information is used to determine a first resource. The first resource is located before the second resource in the time domain. The second resource includes one or more paging opportunities, and the multiple paging opportunities are continuous; the network device sends a first sequence to the first terminal device on the first resource. The first sequence is a sequence of a first type; wherein the first sequence is a sequence received by the first terminal device after entering an idle state or an inactive state and satisfying a first condition. The first condition includes at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device within a first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; the first sequence is used for the first terminal device to output a first prompt signal.

[0024] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, the network device can send the first information to the first terminal device, so that before the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device can obtain the first resource that is located before the second resource in the time domain, wherein the second resource includes one or more paging opportunities, and multiple paging opportunities are continuous. In this way, when the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device that is blocked (such as satisfying the first condition) can receive the first type of sequence from the network device on the first resource, such as the first sequence, so that the first prompt signal can be output based on the first sequence. In other words, the sequence has low channel requirements, so when the first terminal device is blocked, it can still be guaranteed that the first terminal device can obtain the first type of sequence, so that the first terminal device can output the first prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives. In this way, not only the reliable transmission of the first type of sequence is guaranteed, but also the user is notified of the upcoming paging through the first prompt signal when the first terminal device is blocked, which is conducive to improving the reliability of paging the first terminal device.

[0025] In combination with the second aspect, optionally, the network device sends the first information to the first terminal device, including: the network device sends an RRC configuration message to the first terminal device, the RRC configuration message includes the first information; or, the network device sends a release connection message to the first terminal device, the release connection message includes the first information.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, optionally, the first resource is used for one or more terminal devices to receive a first type of sequence, and the one or more terminal devices include the first terminal device.

[0027] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, when multiple terminal devices (including the first terminal device) use the same resource to receive the first type of sequence, resources can be saved. When multiple terminal devices use different resources to receive the first type of sequence, it is equivalent to each terminal device being configured with a resource dedicated to receiving the first type of sequence. This can ensure that the sequence can be obtained in the presence of obstructions, thereby ensuring that these terminal devices can output the first prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives, which is conducive to improving the reliability of the paging terminal device.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, optionally, the network device sends a first sequence to the first terminal device on the first resource, including: there are multiple first sequences, and the network device sends any one of the multiple first sequences to the first terminal device on the first resource.

[0029] It can be seen that in the above implementation, the network device can send any one of multiple first sequences to the first terminal device, which is more flexible.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, optionally, the method also includes: the network device sends third information to the first terminal device, the third information is used to determine a third resource, the third resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, and the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices to receive a second type of sequence, and the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device; the network device sends a third sequence to the first terminal device on the third resource, and the third sequence is a second type of sequence; wherein the third sequence is a sequence received by the first terminal device after entering an idle state or an inactive state and satisfying the first condition; the third sequence is used for the first terminal device to output a second prompt signal.

[0031] It can be seen that in the above embodiment, the network device can send a third information to the first terminal device, so that before the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device can obtain the third resource that is located before the second resource in the time domain, and the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices (including the first terminal device) to receive the second type of sequence. In other words, the network device configures the same resource for different terminal devices to receive the second type of sequence, which not only saves resources, but also better avoids the first type of sequence and reduces interference. Furthermore, when the first terminal device enters the idle state or the inactive state, the first terminal device that is blocked (such as meeting the first condition) can receive the second type of sequence from the network device on the third resource, such as the third sequence, so that the second prompt signal can be output based on the third sequence. In other words, the sequence has low channel requirements, so when the first terminal device is blocked, it can still ensure that the first terminal device can obtain the second type of sequence, so that the first terminal device can output the second prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives. In this way, not only the reliable transmission of the second type of sequence is guaranteed, but also the user is notified of emergency information through the second prompt signal when the first terminal device is blocked.

[0032] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit or module for implementing the method described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device can be a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) or a network device, or a module (such as a processor, chip, or chip system) of a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) or a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) or a network device.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, the communication device including at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is used to execute any one of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects. The communication device can be a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) or a network device, or a module (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) of a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) or a network device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) or a network device. At least one processor can execute a computer program or instruction in a memory so that the above method is executed. The memory can be included in the communication device or can be located outside the communication device. In addition, the communication device can further include an interface.

[0034] In a fifth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a terminal device and a network device; the terminal device is used to execute the method as described in any one of the first aspects; the network device is used to execute the method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0035] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed, the computer executes any one of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed by a computer, the computer executes any one of the methods described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0037] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising at least one processor and an interface, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute instructions stored in a memory, and when the instructions are executed, the chip executes any of the methods described in any of the first to second aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments.

[0039] FIG1 is a basic architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a RAN architecture based on NTN equipment applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a paging opportunity;

[0042] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a resource provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG6 is another schematic diagram of resources provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be one or more. In addition, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between network elements and identical or similar items with substantially the same functions. Those skilled in the art will understand that terms such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and terms such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences.

[0048] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments of the present application mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0049] The following specific implementation methods further describe in detail the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application. It should be understood that the following are only specific implementation methods of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made on the basis of the technical solutions of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

[0050] In the various embodiments of the present 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 according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0051] It should be understood that the technical solution of the present application can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) or scenarios where NTN is integrated with terrestrial networks (TN). The technical solution of the present application can adopt access technologies evolved after 5G, such as long-term evolution (LTE) access technology, fifth-generation mobile communication (5G) access technology, and sixth-generation mobile communication (6G) access technology.

[0052] The following describes the infrastructure of the communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication system provided by the present application may include one or more network devices and one or more terminal devices.

[0053] The following is an exemplary explanation using the system architecture shown in FIG1 . In FIG1 , the communication system includes a network device 10 and a terminal device 20 communicating with the network device 10 .

[0054] It should be noted that the number of network devices and terminal devices in Figure 1 is only for illustration and should not be considered as a specific limitation of the present application. The terminal devices and network devices involved in the system architecture are described in detail below.

[0055] 1. Terminal Equipment

[0056] A terminal device is an entity on the user side that is used to receive signals, or send signals, or both receive and send signals. The terminal device is used to provide one or more of voice services and data connectivity services to the user. The terminal device may be a device that includes wireless transceiver functions and can cooperate with network equipment to provide communication services to the user. Specifically, the terminal device may refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, user device or road side unit (RSU). The terminal device may also be a drone, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a station (ST) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a cordless phone, a wireless data card, a tablet computer, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a laptop computer, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device (also referred to as a wearable smart device), a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a transportation security system, or a similar device. The terminal device may also be a terminal in a 5G system or a terminal in a next-generation communication system, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0057] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the terminal device. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device to implement the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete components.

[0058] 2. Network Equipment

[0059] A network device is an entity on the network side that is used to send signals, receive signals, or both send and receive signals. A network device can be a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices.

[0060] In one possible scenario, a network device may be a device with base station functionality, such as an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a non-terrestrial network device, i.e., a device that can be deployed on a high-altitude platform or satellite. A network device may be a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station, or various forms of control nodes, such as a network controller or wireless controller. Specifically, network devices can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells) in heterogeneous network (HetNet) scenarios, relay stations, access points (APs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs, or home node Bs, HNBs), baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs) in distributed base station scenarios, transmission points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, and the like. They can also be base station antenna panels. A control node can connect to multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminals covered by multiple base stations. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functionality may vary. For example, it can be a gNB in ​​5G, or a network-side device in a network after 5G, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile (communication) network (public land mobile network, PLMN) network, or a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and vehicle network communication, etc. This application does not limit the specific name of the network device.The network equipment may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a baseband pool (BBU pool) and RRU under a cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc.

[0061] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist the terminal device in achieving wireless access, and different network devices respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the network device may include a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU may be set separately, or may be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). It is understandable that the network device may be a CU node, a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU may be divided into a network device in the access network RAN, or the CU may be divided into a network device in the core network CN, without limitation here.

[0062] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0063] In the case where the network device is a satellite, the satellite may have different functions in different scenarios, specifically:

[0064] 1. In a transparent satellite architecture shown in 2-1 of Figure 2, the radio access network (RAN) may include a remote radio unit (RRU) and a base station (such as the gNB in ​​Figure 2). The RRU may include a satellite and an NTN gateway. The satellite is used for radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification to ensure that the waveform signal repeated by the payload remains unchanged. That is, the satellite mainly serves as a layer 1 (L1) relay device, used to regenerate the physical layer signal (i.e., radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification processing), and does not have other higher protocol layers. The NTN gateway supports all functions for forwarding new radio Uu (NR-Uu) port signals. The NR-Uu interface is the interface between the terminal device and the base station in the protocol.

[0065] In the regenerative satellite without inter-satellite link architecture shown in Figure 2, 2-2, the RAN includes the satellite and the NTN gateway. The satellite acts as a base station and has base station processing functions. The NTN gateway is a transport network layer node and supports the corresponding transport protocols. The satellite and NTN gateway are connected via the satellite radio interface (SRI). The NG interface, carried over the SRI, is responsible for higher-layer information transmission.

[0066] 3. In the regenerative satellite with inter-satellite link architecture shown in 2-3 of Figure 2, which is similar to 2-2 of Figure 2, the difference is that SRI is present and multiple satellites can be connected via Xn interfaces. The Xn interface is carried on top of SRI (Xn over SRI).

[0067] 4. In the regenerative satellite architecture with distributed unit (DU) processing capabilities of a base station, as shown in Figure 2, 2-4, the satellite acts as the DU in the base station, performing base station functions together with the central unit (CU). An NTN gateway exists between the satellite DU and the ground-based CU. The NTN gateway is a transport network layer node that supports the corresponding transport protocols. The satellite and NTN gateway are connected via the F1 interface, which is carried over the SRI (SRI).

[0068] 5. In a satellite architecture with integrated access and backhaul (IAB) functionality, the satellite acts as a base station with IAB functionality.

[0069] Among them, when the satellite is used as a layer 1 relay device (i.e., in a transparent satellite architecture shown in 2-1 of Figure 2), the communication system may also include a base station. The base station may be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, and a future wireless access system defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), or a WiFi system, or an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC), a long range Internet of Things (LoRa) system, or a vehicle network system. The base station may also include two or more of the above-mentioned different wireless access systems. The base station may also be an open radio access network (RAN) (open RAN, O-RAN).

[0070] In the present application, the satellite may be, for example, a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a high altitude platform station (HAPS), an evolved NodeB (eNB) and a 5G base station (gNB), etc.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the form of the network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0072] In order to facilitate understanding of the contents of this solution, some of the terms involved in the embodiments of this application are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. This part is only for ease of understanding and cannot be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0073] 1. Paging

[0074] Paging is a crucial technology in wireless communication systems. Network devices use paging to locate terminal devices and initiate services to them. When a terminal device is idle or inactive, the network device knows the tracking area (TA) in which the terminal device is located. Therefore, when the network device searches for a terminal device, it first checks the TA to which the terminal device belongs and then sends a paging message to all cells within that TA. The paging process can be understood as the process of establishing or restoring an RRC connection between a terminal device and a network device.

[0075] The paging may include downlink data paging, system information change paging, or natural disaster public safety paging. The natural disaster public safety paging may include at least one of the following: an earthquake and tsunami warning system (ETWS), a commercial mobile alert system (CMAS), and the like.

[0076] The idle state can also be called the RRC idle state. When the terminal device is in the idle state, the terminal device does not retain the RRC context. The RRC context is a parameter for establishing communication between the terminal device and the network device. The RRC context may include security context, capability information of the terminal device, etc. At the same time, the terminal device has not established a connection with the core network device, that is, the core network device is in CN-IDLE (core network idle state). The terminal device has no data to be transmitted and will enter a sleep state, turning off the transceiver unit to reduce power consumption. The terminal device in the idle state only wakes up periodically to receive paging messages.

[0077] The inactive state can also be called the RRC inactive state, the deactivated state or the RRC deactivated state. When the terminal device is in the inactive state, the RRC context is retained between the terminal device and the network device. At the same time, the terminal device also establishes a connection with the core network device, that is, the core network device is in the CN_CONNECTED (core network connected state). At this time, the process of switching to the connected state for data reception is relatively fast, and no additional core network signaling overhead is generated. In addition, the terminal device in the inactive state will also enter the sleep state. Therefore, the inactive state can meet the needs of reducing connection latency, reducing signaling overhead and power consumption.

[0078] 2. Paging Occasion (PO)

[0079] The location where the downlink control information (DCI) and / or paging message is located is called a paging opportunity. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a paging opportunity. As shown in Figure 3, the paging opportunity within the paging cycle may include the time domain location where the paging DCI is located and the time domain location where the paging message is located. The terminal device can calculate the paging opportunity based on relevant parameters (such as identification number information and paging parameters provided by system messages) so as to receive the paging DCI and paging message at the corresponding paging opportunity.

[0080] Among them, the paging DCI is used to schedule the paging message, that is, the paging DCI indicates the time-frequency resources of the paging message. After the terminal device receives the paging DCI, it can receive the paging message based on the time-frequency resources indicated by the paging DCI. The paging message is carried in the paging physical downlink shared channel (paging PDSCH) and is used to page the terminal device. The paging message includes the identifier of the terminal device being paged. In other words, if the identifier of a terminal device is carried in the paging message, it means that the terminal device is paged by the network device. The identifier of the terminal device may include one or more of the following: system architecture evolution, SAE, temporary mobile station identifier, S-TMSI, globally unique temporary identity (globally unique temporary identity, GUTI), user permanent identifier (SUPI), or access network temporary identifier (RNTI), etc., which are not limited here.

[0081] Optionally, the number of paging occasions used by the terminal device to receive paging messages may be one or more. The multiple paging occasions may be consecutive. In other words, the paging cycles of the multiple paging occasions are consecutive. The multiple consecutive paging occasions may be referred to as a paging occasion group.

[0082] Optionally, within the paging cycle, the number of paging occasions used by the terminal device to receive paging messages is one.

[0083] 3. Sequence

[0084] The sequence mentioned in this application may refer to a pseudo-random sequence, such as a Zadoff-chu (ZC) sequence, a Gold sequence, a Hadamard sequence, and the like.

[0085] Optionally, the number of pseudo-random sequences may be one or more. In other words, the sequence mentioned in this application may include one or more pseudo-random sequences. For example, a sequence may be composed of a ZC sequence and a Gold sequence, or a sequence may be composed of a ZC sequence and a Hadamard sequence, etc.

[0086] Optionally, the sequences mentioned in this application can be divided into a first type of sequence and a second type of sequence.

[0087] The first type of sequence is used to output a first prompt signal. The first prompt signal can be implemented in at least one of the following ways, specifically:

[0088] 1. The first prompt signal is used to notify the user to adjust the location of the terminal device.

[0089] 2. The first prompt signal is used to notify the user that a paging message is coming.

[0090] The second type of sequence is used to output a second prompt signal. The second prompt signal is used to notify the user of emergency information, such as paging for natural disasters and public safety.

[0091] Optionally, a certain prompt information mentioned in this application (such as the first prompt signal, the second prompt signal, etc.) can be at least one of sound, vibration, and text.

[0092] Optionally, the sequence mentioned in this application may be uniquely identified by a sequence index. The sequence index may also have other names, such as sequence identifier, sequence number, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0093] IV. Resources

[0094] The resources mentioned in this application may refer to time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources. Optionally, time domain resources and frequency domain resources may also be referred to as time-frequency resources.

[0095] Time domain resources may include, for example, at least one of the following: frame, subframe, time slot, symbol, etc. In NR, the duration of a frame is 10 milliseconds (ms), and each frame is divided into 10 subframes, each subframe is 1ms long. Each subframe is divided into several time slots: when the cyclic prefix (CP) is a normal cyclic prefix (NCP), each time slot consists of 14 symbols; when the cyclic prefix is ​​an extended cyclic prefix (ECP), each time slot consists of 12 symbols. Of course, with the evolution of communication technology, the composition of frames, subframes, time slots, and symbols may be different, and may also be called other names, which is not limited in this application. It should be pointed out that the symbols involved in this application may be orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

[0096] Frequency domain resources may include, for example, at least one of the following: subcarrier, resource block (RB), resource block group (RBG), sub-channel, bandwidth part (BWP), carrier. A resource block is a plurality of continuous subcarriers in the frequency domain. For example, a resource block may include 12 subcarriers. Multiple resource blocks may constitute a resource block group. A carrier is a continuous frequency range that complies with system regulations. This frequency range may be determined by the center frequency of the carrier (denoted as the carrier frequency) and the bandwidth of the carrier. A carrier may include a partial bandwidth. A partial bandwidth may include one or more subchannels, and a subchannel may include multiple resource blocks. A subchannel may also be called a subband.

[0097] Optionally, the resources used to receive a sequence (such as a first type of sequence, a second type of sequence, etc.) may also include code domain resources. The code domain resources are used to indicate parameters of the sequence.

[0098] Exemplarily, the sequence is a ZC sequence or a Hadamard sequence, and the parameters of the sequence include at least one of the following: a root index, a mask, a scrambling code, a cyclic shift (CS), an orthogonal cover code (OCC), and the like.

[0099] As another example, the sequence is a Gold sequence, and the parameters of the sequence include at least one of the following: the length of the sequence, the initial value of the sequence, etc.

[0100] It should be pointed out that the above are just some examples, and the above examples can be combined and are not listed here one by one.

[0101] Optionally, the resource used to receive the first type of sequence may be referred to as a paging notification resource (PNR), and the resource used to receive the second type of sequence may be referred to as a public PNR, and this application does not limit the names thereof.

[0102] Optionally, the resource mentioned in this application can use a resource index to uniquely identify the resource. The resource index of the resource can also have other names, such as resource identification, resource number, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0103] 5. Signal Quality

[0104] The signal quality involved in this application is the result of measuring the signal quality or signal energy based on the reference signal, such as one or more of the following: reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0105] Among them, the reference signal may include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), etc.

[0106] Generally, a terminal device can measure a reference signal from a network device to obtain signal quality. Measurement can also be described as evaluation, detection, or estimation. Optionally, the signal quality measured by the terminal device at different times can be the same or different.

[0107] Currently, repeated transmission technology or DMRS bundling is generally used to improve paging reliability. However, in some complex environments, there may be obstructions between the terminal device and the base station. Therefore, even if repeated transmission technology or DMRS bundling is used, the reliability of paging may not be guaranteed. Therefore, how to improve the reliability of paging terminal devices in the presence of obstructions has become an urgent problem to be solved at the current stage. Based on this, the present application provides a communication method to solve this problem.

[0108] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. Specifically, the first terminal device mentioned below may be the terminal device involved in Figure 1, and the network device mentioned below may be the network device involved in Figure 1. It should be pointed out that the message names between the network elements or the names of the parameters in the message in the following embodiments are only an example, and other names may be used in the specific implementation, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. The processing performed by the single execution subject (first terminal device or network device) shown in the embodiments of the present application may also be divided into multiple execution subjects, and these execution subjects may be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device may be divided into at least one of the CU, DU and RU.

[0109] As shown in FIG4 , a communication method is provided in an embodiment of the present application, which includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0110] 401. A network device sends first information to a first terminal device. The first information is used to determine a first resource. The first resource is located before a second resource in the time domain. The second resource includes one or more paging opportunities, and the multiple paging opportunities are continuous.

[0111] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first information from the network device.

[0112] The network device may send the first information to the first terminal device in any of the following ways, specifically:

[0113] 1. The network device sends an RRC configuration message to the first terminal device, where the RRC configuration message includes first information. The RRC configuration message may be an RRC reconfiguration message, a downlink information transfer (DL information transfer), or an RRC setup complete message.

[0114] 2. The network device sends a release connection message to the first terminal device, where the release connection message includes the first information. In this case, the first terminal device enters an idle state. The release connection message may be an RRC release message.

[0115] Optionally, the first information is used to determine the first resource, including: the first information includes a resource index of the first resource.

[0116] Optionally, the resource index of the first resource corresponds to the first resource in a one-to-one correspondence. This one-to-one correspondence (i.e., the one-to-one correspondence between the resource index of the first resource and the first resource) can be predefined or preconfigured, or this one-to-one correspondence can be indicated by a network device to one or more terminal devices, where the one or more terminal devices include the first terminal device. In this way, when the terminal device learns the resource index of the first resource, it can determine the resource for receiving the first type of sequence in combination with this one-to-one correspondence.

[0117] In the case where the one-to-one correspondence is indicated by the network device to the terminal device (such as the first terminal device), the one-to-one correspondence can be sent simultaneously with the resource index of the first resource or sent to the terminal device in two batches. For example, the one-to-one correspondence and the first information are located in the same RRC configuration message or release connection message. In another example, the one-to-one correspondence and the first information are located in different RRC configuration messages.

[0118] Optionally, the multiple terminal devices (including the first terminal device) may be, for example, all terminal devices or some terminal devices in a cell managed by the network device.

[0119] For example, in 5-1 of Figure 5, the terminal devices in the cell managed by the network device include terminal device 1 to terminal device 5. The multiple terminal devices include terminal device 1 and terminal device 2, that is, the multiple terminal devices are some terminal devices in the cell managed by the network device. Among them, the resources used by terminal device 1 and terminal device 2 to receive the first type of sequence are both PNR 1. The resources used by terminal device 3 and terminal device 5 to receive the first type of sequence are PNR2 and PNR4, respectively. It can be seen that the resources used by terminal device 1 and terminal device 2 to receive the first type of sequence are the same. In addition, PNR1 to PNR4 are all located before the second resource in the time domain.

[0120] As another example, in 5-2 of Figure 5 , the terminal devices within the cell managed by the network device include terminal devices 1 to 4. The multiple terminal devices include terminal devices 1 to 4, i.e., the multiple terminal devices are all terminal devices within the cell managed by the network device. The resources used by terminal devices 1 to 4 for receiving the first type of sequence are PNR1 to PNR4, respectively. It can be seen that the resources used by terminal devices 1 to 4 for receiving the first type of sequence are different. Furthermore, PNR1 to PNR4 are all located before the second resource in the time domain.

[0121] Optionally, the number of cells managed by the network device may be one or more. The cells managed by the network device may also be understood as: cells covered by the network device, cells under the jurisdiction of the network device, or cells belonging to the network device.

[0122] Optionally, when the network device configures different resources for different terminal devices among the multiple terminal devices to receive the first type of sequence, the resources configured by the network device for the multiple terminal devices may belong to a resource group. In other words, different resources in the resource group are used by different terminal devices to receive the first type of sequence. The resources in the resource group are all located before the second resource in the time domain.

[0123] Optionally, the number of resource groups can be one or more, which is not limited here.

[0124] For example, the number of resources included in different resource groups can be exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different. For example, assume there are three resource groups, namely resource groups 1 to 3. Resource groups 1 to 3 each include two resources, meaning the number of resources included in the different resource groups is exactly the same. Alternatively, resource groups 1 and 2 include two resources, and resource group 3 includes four resources, meaning some of the resource groups include the same number of resources. Alternatively, resource groups 1 to 3 include two resources, four resources, and five resources, respectively, meaning the number of resources included in the different resource groups is completely different.

[0125] As another example, different resource groups are used by different terminal device groups to receive the first type of sequence. For example, assume there are three resource groups, namely resource group 1 to resource group 3. Resource groups 1 to resource groups 3 are used by terminal device groups 1 to 3 to receive the first type of sequence, respectively. The two resources in resource group 1 are used by the two terminal devices in terminal device group 1 to receive the first type of sequence, the two resources in resource group 1 are used by the two terminal devices in terminal device group 1 to receive the first type of sequence, the three resources in resource group 2 are used by the three terminal devices in terminal device group 2 to receive the first type of sequence, and the three resources in resource group 3 are used by the three terminal devices in terminal device group 3 to receive the first type of sequence.

[0126] Optionally, the second resource includes one or more paging occasions, which can be understood as: the time domain resource of the second resource includes one or more paging occasions.

[0127] 402. The network device sends a first sequence to a first terminal device on a first resource, where the first sequence is a first type of sequence.

[0128] Accordingly, the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and, if a first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a first sequence from the network device on a first resource. The first condition includes at least one of the following: a signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device during a first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0129] Generally, the network device may or may not page the first terminal device. Therefore, before the network device pages the first terminal device, the network device may send the first sequence on the first resource. If the network device does not page the first terminal device, the network device may schedule the first resource to send downlink data.

[0130] Optionally, the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to the first threshold, which can be understood as one of the following, specifically:

[0131] 1. After the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, the signal quality measured by the first terminal device at a certain moment is less than or equal to a first threshold. The first terminal device begins measuring the signal quality earlier than the first terminal device detects the first sequence. Optionally, the first threshold may be a predefined or preconfigured value greater than or equal to 0, or the first threshold may be indicated to the first terminal device by a network device.

[0132] 2. When the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0133] The first time period may be a predefined or preconfigured value greater than or equal to 0, or the first time period may be indicated by the network device to the first terminal device, etc.

[0134] Optionally, the start time of the first time period may be the time when the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state. Alternatively, the start time of the first time period may be any time after the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state. In this case, the time when the first terminal device starts measuring the signal quality is earlier than the time when the first terminal device detects the first sequence.

[0135] Optionally, when the network device sends the first information to the first terminal device via the RRC configuration message, the first terminal device is in a connected state. It should be understood that in some examples, the first terminal device may enter an idle state or an inactive state from the connected state due to certain reasons.

[0136] Exemplarily, when no data is being transmitted between the first terminal device and the network device, the first terminal device may receive a release connection message from the network device, thereby disconnecting the first terminal device from the network device. In other words, the first terminal device enters the idle state from the connected state. Optionally, the release connection message may be sent by the network device based on a request message from the first terminal device, requesting entry into the idle state.

[0137] In another example, the network device is a satellite, which is in a high-speed moving state, so the satellite provides a limited service time. This may also cause the connection between the first terminal device and the network device to be disconnected, causing the first terminal device to enter an idle state from a connected state.

[0138] As another example, when the amount of data transmitted between the first terminal device and the network device is small, the first terminal device may enter the inactive state from the connected state.

[0139] 403. The first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal based on the first sequence.

[0140] Optionally, the first information is used to determine the first resource, including: the first information includes a resource index of the first resource; the method may further include: the first terminal device obtaining identification information of a cell managed by the network device and the locations of one or more paging occasions; the first terminal device generating a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the locations of the one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the first resource; step 403 may include: if the first sequence and the second sequence are the same, the first terminal device outputting a first prompt signal. This can reduce the possibility of the first terminal device outputting the first prompt signal after erroneously receiving the sequence, thereby reducing the probability of false alarms.

[0141] The first terminal device can obtain the identification information of the cell through the detected SSB, and the specific process is not described here. Optionally, the identification information of the cell can be a physical cell identifier (PCI) or a tracking area (TA) identifier. The tracking area identifier can be a tracking area identity (TAI) or a tracking area code (TAC).

[0142] The first terminal device generates a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the first resource. For example, the second sequence may include a ZC sequence and a Gold sequence. The root index of the ZC sequence is generated based on the identification information of the cell, and the initial value of the Gold sequence is generated based on the location of one or more paging occasions and the resource index of the first resource.

[0143] Optionally, the first terminal device generates a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the first resource, including: the first terminal device receives second information from the network device, the second information is used to indicate the sequence index of the first sequence; the first terminal device generates the second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, the resource index of the first resource, and the sequence index of the first sequence.

[0144] Exemplarily, the second sequence is a Gold sequence. An initial value of the second sequence is generated based on identification information of the cell, positions of one or more paging occasions, a resource index of the first resource, and a sequence index of the first sequence.

[0145] In another exemplary embodiment, the second sequence is a Gold sequence. An initial value of the second sequence is generated based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the first resource. The second sequence is obtained by phase shifting the initial value of the second sequence according to the sequence index of the first sequence.

[0146] The manner in which the first terminal device receives the second information can refer to the manner in which the first terminal device receives the first information in step 401, and is not described in detail here. Optionally, the first information and the second information may be located in the same message or in different messages. For example, the first information and the second information are located in the same RRC configuration message or in different RRC configuration messages. For another example, the first information and the second information are located in the same release connection message.

[0147] Optionally, the number of first sequences may be one or more. The sequence indexes of the multiple first sequences are different. In this way, the first terminal device can generate multiple second sequences based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, the resource index of the first resource, and the sequence index of the multiple first sequences. In one possible implementation, when the first sequence is identical to the second sequence, the first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal, which can be understood as: when the first sequence is identical to any one of the multiple second sequences, the first terminal device outputs the first prompt signal.

[0148] As can be seen from the above, a network device can allocate multiple first-type sequences to a terminal device. In this case, the network device can send any one of the multiple first-type sequences to the terminal device. For example, the network device can send any one of the multiple first sequences to the first terminal device on a first resource. Optionally, the number of first-type sequences allocated to different terminal devices can be the same or different, and this is not limited here.

[0149] Optionally, after step 403 , step 404 may be further included.

[0150] 404. The network device sends a paging message to the first terminal device on the second resource, wherein the paging message includes an identifier of the first terminal device.

[0151] Correspondingly, when a change in the location of the first terminal device is detected, the first terminal device receives a paging message from the network device on the second resource.

[0152] It should be noted that whether the network device sends a paging message has nothing to do with whether the first terminal device detects the first sequence. That is to say, regardless of whether the first terminal device detects the first sequence on the first resource, the network device can send a paging message to the first terminal device on the second resource. It can be understood that, when the first terminal device does not detect the first sequence on the first resource, if the position of the first terminal device changes, so that the first terminal device meets the second condition, the first terminal device can still receive the paging message on the second resource. The second condition includes at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is greater than or equal to the second threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device in the second time period is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

[0153] Optionally, the second threshold value may be a predefined or preconfigured value greater than or equal to 0, or the second threshold value may be indicated by the network device to the first terminal device, etc. Similarly, the second time period may be a predefined or preconfigured value greater than or equal to 0, or the second time period may be indicated by the network device to the first terminal device, etc.

[0154] Optionally, the first threshold value may be the same as or different from the second threshold value, and the first time period may be the same as or different from the second time period. When the first threshold value is the same as the second threshold value, and the first time period is the same as the second time period, "equal" (e.g., the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is equal to the first threshold value, and the signal quality is equal to the first threshold value during the first time period) can be used as an implementation method for satisfying the first condition, and can also be used as an implementation method for satisfying the second condition.

[0155] As can be seen, in the above embodiment, the sequence has low channel requirements. Therefore, even if the first terminal device is blocked, it can still be guaranteed that the first terminal device can obtain the first type of sequence, thereby ensuring that the first terminal device can output the first prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives. This not only ensures the reliable transmission of the first type of sequence, but also allows the user to be notified of the impending paging through the first prompt signal even when the first terminal device is blocked, which is conducive to improving the reliability of paging the first terminal device.

[0156] Optionally, the method further includes: the first terminal device receives third information from the network device, the third information is used to determine a third resource, the third resource being located before the second resource in the time domain, the third resource being used for multiple terminal devices to receive a second type of sequence, the multiple terminal devices including the first terminal device; the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and if the first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a third sequence from the network device on the third resource, the third sequence being a second type of sequence; and the first terminal device outputs a second prompt signal based on the third sequence. It can be seen that in the above embodiment, the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices (including the first terminal device) to receive the second type of sequence. In other words, the network device configures the same resource for different terminal devices to receive the second type of sequence, which not only saves resources but also better avoids the first type of sequence and reduces interference. Furthermore, the sequence has low channel requirements, so even if the first terminal device is obscured, the first terminal device can still obtain the second type of sequence, thereby ensuring that the first terminal device can output the second prompt signal before the paging opportunity arrives. In this way, not only is the reliable transmission of the second type of sequence guaranteed, but the user can also be notified of emergency information through the second prompt signal even if the first terminal device is obscured.

[0157] The manner in which the first terminal device receives the third information may refer to the manner in which the first terminal device receives the first information in step 401, and will not be described in detail here. In this case, the first information may be in the same message or different messages as at least one of the second information and the third information.

[0158] Optionally, the third information may be carried in a system information block (SIB). In this case, the third information and the second information and the third information are located in different messages.

[0159] Optionally, the first resource and the third resource are different. In one possible implementation, the third resource may be located before the first resource in the time domain, as shown in 6-1 of Figure 6. In another possible implementation, the third resource may be located after the first resource in the time domain, as shown in 6-2 of Figure 6.

[0160] Optionally, the third information is used to determine the third resource, including: the third information includes a resource index of the third resource. The method may further include: the first terminal device generating a fourth sequence based on identification information of a cell managed by the network device, the location of one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the third resource; and the first terminal device outputting a second prompt signal based on the third sequence, including: when the third sequence and the fourth sequence are the same, the first terminal device outputting the second prompt signal. This can reduce the possibility of the first terminal device outputting a prompt signal after erroneously receiving a sequence, thereby reducing the probability of false alarms.

[0161] The process of the first terminal device generating the fourth sequence may refer to the process of the first terminal device generating the first sequence, which will not be described in detail here.

[0162] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the present application from the perspective of the interaction between various devices. It is understandable that, in order to realize the above functions, the above-mentioned implementation devices include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware 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 to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0163] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.) or the network device can be divided into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0164] Refer to Figure 7, which is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 can be applied to the method shown in the embodiment of Figure 4 above. As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 700 includes: a processing module 701 and a transceiver module 702. The processing module 701 can be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 702 can be a transceiver or a communication interface. The communication device can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.) or network device involved in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the functions of the network element involved in any of the above method embodiments. The network element or network function can be a network element in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualization function instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform). Optionally, the communication device 700 can also include a storage module 703 for storing the program code and data of the communication device 700.

[0165] In one embodiment, when the communication device serves as a terminal device (such as a first terminal device, etc.) or is a chip used in a terminal device (such as a first terminal device, etc.), and performs the steps performed by the terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.) in the above method embodiment. The transceiver module 702 is used to specifically perform the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.) in the embodiment of Figure 4. The processing module 701 can be used to support the communication device 700 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiment.

[0166] Exemplarily, the transceiver module 702 is used to receive first information from a network device, the first information is used to determine a first resource, the first resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, the second resource includes one or more paging opportunities, and the multiple paging opportunities are continuous; the communication device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and when a first condition is met, the transceiver module 702 is used to receive a first sequence from the network device on the first resource, and the first sequence is a sequence of the first type; the first condition includes at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to the first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device within the first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; the processing module 701 is used to output a first prompt signal based on the first sequence.

[0167] Optionally, when receiving the first information from the network device, the transceiver module 702 is used to: receive an RRC configuration message from the network device, the RRC configuration message includes the first information; or receive a release connection message from the network device, the release connection message includes the first information.

[0168] Optionally, the first information is used to determine the first resource, including: the first information includes a resource index of the first resource; the transceiver module 702 is used to obtain the identification information of the cell managed by the network device and the location of one or more paging occasions; the first terminal device generates a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions and the resource index of the first resource; when outputting the first prompt signal based on the first sequence, the processing module 701 is used to output the first prompt signal by the first terminal device when the first sequence is the same as the second sequence.

[0169] Optionally, when generating a second sequence based on the identification information of a cell managed by the network device, the location of one or more paging occasions, and the resource index of the first resource, the transceiver module 702 is used to receive second information from the network device, where the second information is used to indicate the sequence index of the first sequence; the processing module 701 is used to generate a second sequence based on the identification information of the cell, the location of one or more paging occasions, the resource index of the first resource, and the sequence index of the first sequence.

[0170] Optionally, when the first sequence is identical to the second sequence, when the first prompt signal is output, there are multiple second sequences, and when the first sequence is identical to any one of the multiple second sequences, the processing module 701 is configured to output the first prompt signal.

[0171] Optionally, when a change in the location of the first terminal device is detected, the transceiver module 702 is further configured to receive a paging message from the network device on the second resource.

[0172] Optionally, the transceiver module 702 is further used to receive third information from the network device, the third information is used to determine a third resource, the third resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, and the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices to receive a second type of sequence, and the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device; the communication device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and when the first condition is met, the transceiver module 702 is further used to receive a third sequence from the network device on the third resource, and the third sequence is a second type of sequence; the processing module 701 is further used to output a second prompt signal based on the third sequence.

[0173] Optionally, the third information is used to determine the third resource, including: the third information includes the resource index of the third resource; the processing module 701 is also used for the first terminal device to generate a fourth sequence based on the identification information of the cell managed by the network device, the location of one or more paging occasions and the resource index of the third resource; when outputting the second prompt signal based on the third sequence, when the third sequence is the same as the fourth sequence, the processing module 701 is used to output the second prompt signal.

[0174] In another example, when the communication device functions as a network device or a chip used in a network device, and performs the steps performed by the network device in the above-described method embodiments, the transceiver module 702 is configured to specifically perform the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the network device in the embodiment of FIG. 4 . The processing module 701 is configured to support the network device in performing the processing actions in the above-described method embodiments.

[0175] Exemplarily, the transceiver module 702 is used to: send first information to the first terminal device, the first information is used to determine the first resource, the first resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, the second resource includes one or more paging opportunities, and the multiple paging opportunities are continuous; on the first resource, send a first sequence to the first terminal device, the first sequence is a first type of sequence; wherein the first sequence is a sequence received after the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state and satisfies a first condition, the first condition including at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device within a first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; the first sequence is used for the first terminal device to output a first prompt signal.

[0176] Optionally, when sending the first information to the first terminal device, the transceiver module 702 is used to: send an RRC configuration message to the first terminal device, the RRC configuration message includes the first information; or send a release connection message to the first terminal device, the release connection message includes the first information.

[0177] Optionally, when sending the first sequence to the first terminal device on the first resource, there are multiple first sequences, and the transceiver module 702 is used to send any one of the multiple first sequences to the first terminal device on the first resource.

[0178] Optionally, the transceiver module 702 is also used to: send third information to the first terminal device, the third information is used to determine a third resource, the third resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, and the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices to receive the second type of sequence, and the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device; on the third resource, send a third sequence to the first terminal device, the third sequence is a second type of sequence; wherein the third sequence is a sequence received after the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state and meets the first condition; the third sequence is used for the first terminal device to output a second prompt signal.

[0179] In one possible embodiment, when the terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.) or the network device is a chip, the transceiver module 702 can be a communication interface, a pin or a circuit, etc. The communication interface can be used to input data to be processed to the processor and can output the processing results of the processor to the outside. In a specific implementation, the communication interface can be a general purpose input and output (GPIO) interface, which can be connected to multiple peripheral devices (such as a display (LCD), a camera (camera), a radio frequency (RF) module, an antenna, etc.). The communication interface is connected to the processor via a bus.

[0180] The processing module 701 may be a processor that can execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage module to cause the chip to perform the method described in the embodiment shown in FIG4 . Furthermore, the processor may include a controller, an arithmetic unit, and registers. For example, the controller is primarily responsible for decoding instructions and issuing control signals for operations corresponding to the instructions. The arithmetic unit is primarily responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and may also perform address operations and conversions. The registers are primarily responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In a specific implementation, the processor's hardware architecture may be an ASIC architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS) architecture, an advanced RISC machine (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, among others. The processor may be single-core or multi-core. The storage module may be a memory module within the chip, such as a register or cache. The storage module may also be a memory module located external to the chip, such as a ROM or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, or RAM.

[0181] It should be noted that the functions corresponding to the processor and the interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software, and there is no limitation here.

[0182] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the communication device 810 includes necessary means such as modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to implement this solution. The communication device 810 can be the above-mentioned terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.) or network device, or it can be a component (such as a chip) in these devices to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The communication device 810 includes one or more processors 811. The processor 811 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.), network device, or chip, etc.), execute software programs, and process data of software programs.

[0183] Optionally, in one design, the processor 811 may include a program 813 (sometimes also referred to as code or instruction), which may be executed on the processor 811 so that the communication device 810 performs the method described in the above embodiment. In another possible design, the communication device 810 includes a circuit (not shown in FIG8 ), which is used to implement the functions of the terminal device (such as the first terminal device, etc.), network device, etc. in the above embodiment. Optionally, the communication device 810 may include one or more memories 812 on which a program 814 (sometimes also referred to as code or instruction) is stored, which may be executed on the processor 811 so that the communication device 810 performs the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0184] Optionally, data may be stored in the processor 811 and / or the memory 812. The processor and the memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0185] Optionally, the communication device 810 may further include a transceiver 815 and / or an antenna 816. The processor 811, sometimes also referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a terminal device (such as the first terminal device) or a network device). The transceiver 815, sometimes also referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, is configured to implement the transceiver functions of the communication device via the antenna 816.

[0186] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, which includes at least one processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; and at least one processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, so that any method described in any one of the embodiments of Figure 4 is executed.

[0187] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed, the computer executes any of the methods described in the embodiment of FIG. 4 .

[0188] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to execute any of the methods described in any one of the embodiments of FIG4 .

[0189] An embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which includes at least one processor and an interface. The processor is used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory. When the instructions are executed, the chip executes any method as described in any one of the embodiments of Figure 4.

[0190] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objectives of the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the network element units in the various embodiments 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. The above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software network element units.

[0191] If the above-mentioned integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software network element unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part that essentially contributes to the technical solution of the present application, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, terminal device, cloud server, or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned methods in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk. The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The first terminal device receives first information from the network device, where the first information is used to determine a first resource, where the first resource is located before a second resource in the time domain, where the second resource includes one or more paging occasions, and the multiple paging occasions are continuous; The first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and when a first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a first sequence from the network device on the first resource, where the first sequence is a sequence of a first type; the first condition includes at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device in a first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; The first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal based on the first sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first terminal device receives first information from a network device, including: The first terminal device receives a radio resource control (RRC) configuration message from the network device, where the RRC configuration message includes the first information; or, The first terminal device receives a release connection message from the network device, where the release connection message includes the first information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first resource is used for one or more terminal devices to receive the first type of sequence, and the one or more terminal devices include the first terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first information is used to determine the first resource, including: The first information includes a resource index of the first resource; The method further comprises: The first terminal device acquires identification information of a cell managed by the network device and locations of the one or more paging occasions; The first terminal device generates the second sequence based on identification information of a cell managed by the network device, locations of the one or more paging occasions, and a resource index of the first resource; The first terminal device outputs a first prompt signal based on the first sequence, including: When the first sequence is identical to the second sequence, the first terminal device outputs the first prompt signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first terminal device generates the second sequence based on identification information of a cell managed by the network device, positions of the one or more paging occasions, and a resource index of the first resource, including: The first terminal device receives second information from the network device, where the second information is used to indicate a sequence index of the first sequence; The first terminal device generates the second sequence based on identification information of a cell managed by the network device, locations of the one or more paging occasions, a resource index of the first resource, and a sequence index of the first sequence.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: When the first sequence is the same as the second sequence, the first terminal device outputs the first prompt signal, including: There are multiple second sequences, and when the first sequence is the same as any one of the multiple second sequences, the first terminal device outputs the first prompt signal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When detecting that the location of the first terminal device is changed, the first terminal device receives a paging message from the network device on the second resource, where the paging message includes an identifier of the first terminal device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first terminal device receives third information from the network device, where the third information is used to determine a third resource, where the third resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, and where the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices to receive a second type of sequence, where the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device; The first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state, and when the first condition is met, the first terminal device receives a third sequence from the network device on the third resource, where the third sequence is a sequence of the second type; The first terminal device outputs a second prompt signal based on the third sequence.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The third information is used to determine the third resource, including: The third information includes a resource index of the third resource; The method further comprises: The first terminal device determines the location of the one or more paging occasions based on the identification information of the cell managed by the network device, and the The resource index of the third resource generates a fourth sequence; The first terminal device outputs a second prompt signal based on the third sequence, including: When the third sequence is identical to the fourth sequence, the first terminal device outputs the second prompt signal.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The network device sends first information to the first terminal device, where the first information is used to determine a first resource, where the first resource is located before a second resource in the time domain, where the second resource includes one or more paging occasions, and the multiple paging occasions are continuous; The network device sends a first sequence to the first terminal device on the first resource, where the first sequence is a sequence of a first type; The first sequence is a sequence received after the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state and satisfies a first condition, wherein the first condition includes at least one of the following: the signal quality measured by the first terminal device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the signal quality measured by the first terminal device in a first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; The first sequence is used for the first terminal device to output a first prompt signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The network device sends first information to the first terminal device, including: The network device sends a radio resource control RRC configuration message to the first terminal device, where the RRC configuration message includes the first information; or, The network device sends a connection release message to the first terminal device, where the connection release message includes the first information.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The first resource is used for one or more terminal devices to receive the first type of sequence, and the one or more terminal devices include the first terminal device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The network device sends second information to the first terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate a sequence index of the first sequence.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that: The network device sends a first sequence to the first terminal device on the first resource, including: There are multiple first sequences, and the network device sends any one of the multiple first sequences to the first terminal device on the first resource.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The network device sends third information to the first terminal device, where the third information is used to determine a third resource, where the third resource is located before the second resource in the time domain, and where the third resource is used for multiple terminal devices to receive a second type of sequence, where the multiple terminal devices include the first terminal device; The network device sends a third sequence to the first terminal device on the third resource, where the third sequence is a sequence of the second type; The third sequence is a sequence received after the first terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state and satisfies the first condition; The third sequence is used for the first terminal device to output a second prompt signal.

16. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit or a module for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes terminal equipment and network equipment; The terminal device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The network device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 15.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises: a computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed by a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

21. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes at least one processor and an interface, wherein the processor is used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory, and when the instructions are executed, the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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