Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and discloses a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a target primary base station receiving measurement information of at least one cell from a source primary base station; and after a terminal device is handed over from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, sending secondary base station addition request information to a target secondary base station, wherein the target secondary base station is selected, on the basis of the measurement information of the at least one cell, from a base station to which the at least one cell belongs. By using the method, the target primary base station sends the secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station after the terminal device is handed over from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, and the target secondary base station is selected on the basis of the measurement information of the at least one cell sent by the source primary base station, so that the success rate of adding a secondary base station can be improved while the interruption time of a service on the secondary base station is shortened.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 27, 2023, with application number 202311269916.2 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0004] Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology standard introduces two networking solutions: non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA). Non-standalone (NSA) networking is a transitional solution, primarily aimed at increasing bandwidth in hotspots. In a non-standalone network, 5G base stations lack independent signaling planes and rely on fourth-generation (4G) base stations and the 4G core network. SA networking, on the other hand, enables all new 5G features, maximizing 5G capabilities and is recognized by the industry as the target 5G solution.

[0005] In the early stages of 5G network construction, due to practical issues such as technical capabilities and equipment costs, a non-standalone networking solution was temporarily used to build 5G networks. In a non-standalone networking solution, a terminal device can simultaneously connect to two base stations: one is a 4G base station, which can serve as the terminal device's primary base station, and the other is a 5G base station, which can serve as the terminal device's secondary base station.

[0006] However, when a terminal device is connected to two base stations at the same time, how to implement the switching of the terminal device still requires further research.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for reducing the interruption duration of services on a secondary base station while improving the success rate of adding a target secondary base station.

[0009] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a target primary base station of a terminal device, or a processor, chip, or chip system (such as a system-on-a-chip (SoC)), or functional module in the target primary base station. Taking the application of this method to the target primary base station as an example, the target primary base station receives measurement information of at least one cell from a source primary base station; after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target primary base station sends a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station, where the secondary base station addition request message is used to add a secondary base station corresponding to the target primary base station, and the target secondary base station is selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs based on the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0010] Using the above method, the source main base station first sends the measurement information of at least one cell to the target main base station. After the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, the target main base station then adds the target secondary base station. The target secondary base station is selected based on the measurement information of at least one cell, thereby reducing the interruption time of the service on the secondary base station while improving the success rate of adding the secondary base station.

[0011] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving a secondary base station addition request confirmation message from the target secondary base station, the secondary base station addition request confirmation message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; sending first information to the terminal device, the first information includes the first configuration information, and the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station.

[0012] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending second configuration information to the source main base station, the second configuration information including parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target main base station.

[0013] In one possible design, receiving measurement information of at least one cell from a source main base station includes: receiving switching request information from the source main base station, the switching request information is used to request switching the terminal device to the target main base station, and the switching request information includes the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0014] In one possible design, after the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, sending a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station, including: after the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, if it is determined that a preset condition is met, sending a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station; wherein, meeting the preset condition includes at least one of the following: a historical success rate of the target main base station adding the target secondary base station is greater than or equal to a first threshold; a historical success rate of switching from the source main base station to the target main base station is greater than or equal to a second threshold; a product of the historical success rate of the target main base station adding the target secondary base station and the historical success rate of switching from the source main base station to the target main base station is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0015] In this way, the target primary base station can independently determine which specific method to adopt to add the target secondary base station, which is more flexible.

[0016] In one possible design, the method further includes: if it is determined that the terminal device has not switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, deleting the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0017] In one possible design, determining that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station includes: receiving switching cancellation information from the source main base station, and determining, based on the switching cancellation information, that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station; or, if no switching completion information is received from the terminal device within a preset time period, determining that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station, and the start time of the preset time period is the reception time of the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0018] In one possible design, the source primary base station and the target primary base station correspond to a first communication standard, and the target secondary base station corresponds to a second communication standard.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a terminal device or a processor, chip, chip system (such as an SoC), or functional module in the terminal device. Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the terminal device sends measurement information of at least one cell to a source primary base station; after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the terminal device receives first information from the target primary base station, where the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to establish a connection with a target secondary base station, where the target secondary base station is selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs based on the measurement information of the at least one cell; and based on the first information, the terminal device establishes a connection with the target secondary base station.

[0020] In one possible design, second information is received from the source primary base station, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to switch to the target primary base station; after switching to the target primary base station according to the second information

[0021] In one possible design, the source primary base station and the target primary base station correspond to a first communication standard, and the target secondary base station corresponds to a second communication standard.

[0022] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication method, the method including: a terminal device sending measurement information of at least one cell to a source primary base station; after the source primary base station receives the measurement information of the at least one cell, sending the measurement information of the at least one cell to a target primary base station; after determining that the terminal device is switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target primary base station sending a secondary base station addition request information to a target secondary base station, the secondary base station addition request information being used to add a secondary base station corresponding to the target primary base station, the target secondary base station being selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs based on the measurement information of the at least one cell;

[0023] In one possible design, the method also includes: the target secondary base station sends a secondary base station addition request confirmation message to the target main base station, the secondary base station addition request confirmation message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; the target main base station receives the first configuration information, and sends a first message to the terminal device, the first information includes the first configuration information, and the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; the terminal device establishes a connection with the target secondary base station based on the first information.

[0024] In one possible design, the method also includes: the target main base station sends second configuration information to the source main base station, the second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target main base station; the source main base station receives the second configuration information and sends second information to the terminal device, the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to switch to the target main base station, the second information includes the second configuration information; the terminal device receives the second information and switches to the target main base station according to the second information.

[0025] In one possible design, after the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, if the target main base station determines that the preset conditions are met, it sends a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station; wherein, meeting the preset conditions includes at least one of the following: the historical success rate of the target main base station adding the target secondary base station is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the historical success rate of switching from the source main base station to the target main base station is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the product of the historical success rate of the target main base station adding the target secondary base station and the historical success rate of switching from the source main base station to the target main base station is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0026] In one possible design, the method further includes: if the target primary base station determines that the terminal device has not switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, deleting the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0027] In one possible design, the method further includes: the target main base station receives a switching cancellation message from the source main base station, and determines, based on the switching cancellation message, that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station; or, if no switching completion message is received from the terminal device within a preset time period, then it is determined that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station, and the starting time of the preset time period is the reception time of the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, comprising a source primary base station and a target primary base station, wherein the source primary base station is configured to send measurement information of at least one cell to the target primary base station, and the target primary base station is configured to perform the method described in any possible design of the first aspect. Optionally, the communication system further comprises a terminal device, wherein the terminal device is configured to perform the method described in any possible design of the second aspect. Optionally, the communication system further comprises a target secondary base station.

[0029] For example, the source main base station is used to send measurement information of at least one cell to the target main base station; the target main base station is used to receive the measurement information of the at least one cell, and after the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, sends a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station, and the target secondary base station is selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs based on the measurement information of the at least one cell; the target secondary base station is used to receive the secondary base station addition request information from the target main base station.

[0030] In one possible design, the target secondary base station is also used to send a secondary base station addition request confirmation message to the target main base station, and the secondary base station addition request confirmation message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; the target main base station is also used to receive the first configuration information, and send a first information to the terminal device, and the first information includes the first configuration information, and the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; the terminal device is used to establish a connection with the target secondary base station according to the first information.

[0031] In one possible design, the target main base station is also used to send second configuration information to the source main base station, where the second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target main base station; the source main base station is also used to receive the second configuration information and send second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to switch to the target main base station, where the second information includes the second configuration information; the terminal device is used to receive the second information and switch to the target main base station according to the second information.

[0032] In one possible design, the target main base station is specifically used to: if it is determined that the preset conditions are met, then after the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, send a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station; wherein, satisfying the preset conditions includes at least one of the following: the historical success rate of the target main base station adding the target secondary base station is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the historical success rate of switching from the source main base station to the target main base station is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the product of the historical success rate of the target main base station adding the target secondary base station and the historical success rate of switching from the source main base station to the target main base station is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0033] In one possible design, the target primary base station is further used to delete the measurement information of the at least one cell if it is determined that the terminal device has not switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station.

[0034] In one possible design, the target main base station is specifically used to receive switching cancellation information from the source main base station, and determine, based on the switching cancellation information, that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station; or, if no switching completion information is received from the terminal device within a preset time period, then determine that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station, and the start time of the preset time period is the reception time of the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0035] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the functions involved in the first or second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the first or second aspect above. The function or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or the corresponding software can be implemented by hardware.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit. The communication unit can be used to send and receive signals to enable communication between the communication device and other devices, for example, the communication unit is used to send system information to a terminal. The processing unit can be used to perform certain internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the communication unit can correspond to the operations described in the first or second aspect above.

[0037] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor, which can be coupled to a memory. The memory can store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions of the first or second aspect. The processor can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method of any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0038] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, and the memory may store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the first or second aspect. The processor may execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method of any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0039] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices through the interface circuit and execute the method in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect above.

[0040] It can be understood that in the fifth aspect above, the processor can be implemented by hardware or by software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, which is implemented by reading the software code stored in the memory. In addition, the above processors can be one or more, and the memories can be one or more. The memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory and the processor can be set separately. In the specific implementation process, the memory can be integrated with the processor on the same chip, or can be set on different chips respectively. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of memory and the setting method of the memory and the processor.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program (or computer-readable instructions) is stored. When a computer reads and executes part or all of the computer-readable instructions, the method in any possible design of the first or second aspect above is executed.

[0042] Exemplarily, a computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, a computer-readable medium can include a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a random-access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when read and executed by a computer, enables the method in any possible design of the first aspect or the second aspect to be executed.

[0044] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip (or chip system), which includes a processor, the processor is coupled to a memory, and the memory stores a computer program; the processor is used to call part or all of the computer program in the memory, so that the method in any possible design of the first aspect or the second aspect above is executed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a dual connection provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an implementation flow of adding a secondary base station according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart corresponding to a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart corresponding to a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG6 is a possible exemplary block diagram of a device involved in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] 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. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 4G communication systems (such as long term evolution (LTE) systems), 5G mobile communication systems (such as new radio (NR) systems), transition systems between 4G communication systems and 5G communication systems, or future evolved communication systems.

[0053] In particular, the embodiments of the present application are applicable to dual connectivity (DC), such as dual connectivity scenarios of non-independent networking. Dual connectivity is also called inter-base station carrier aggregation technology or multi-stream aggregation technology. Dual connectivity means that the terminal device receives data from two base stations at the same time, that is, the two base stations provide communication services to the user equipment at the same time. One of the two base stations is a master base station (master base station) or a master node (MN), and the other base station is called a secondary base station (secondary base station) or a secondary node (SN). The cell group provided by the master base station can be called a master cell group (MCG), and the cell group provided by the secondary base station can be called a secondary cell group (SCG).

[0054] This application will present various aspects, embodiments or features around a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In addition, combinations of these schemes may also be used. In addition, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as an "example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the word "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete way. In the embodiments of this application, "of", "corresponding, relevant" and "corresponding" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction is not emphasized, the meanings to be expressed are consistent.

[0055] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail using the network architecture shown in Figure 1 as an example. As shown in Figure 1, the terminal device 103 can access the operator network to obtain services of the external network (such as the Internet) through the operator network, or communicate with other devices through the operator network, such as other terminal devices.

[0056] Among them, the operator network includes an access network (such as a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN). The access network is used to access the terminal device 103 to the operator network, and the core network is used to manage the terminal device and provide a gateway for communication with the external network. The access network may include one or more access network devices, such as access network device 1011 and access network device 1012, and the core network may include one or more core network devices, such as core network device 102. The terminal device 103 can be connected to two access network devices at the same time in a dual connection manner, such as access network device 1011 and access network device 1012.

[0057] (1) Access network equipment

[0058] Access network equipment can also be called a base station. At present, some examples of access network equipment are: evolved NodeB (eNB) (i.e., 4G base station), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), next generation NodeB (gNB) (i.e., 5G base station), base stations in future mobile communication systems, etc. The access network equipment can be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN) or cloud radio access network (cloud radio access network, CRAN) scenario. Optionally, the access network equipment can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. All or part of the functions of the access network equipment in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The access network equipment in this application can also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network equipment.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the access network device may be performed by a module (e.g., a chip) in the access network device, or by a control subsystem that includes the functions of the access network device. The control subsystem that includes the functions of the access network device may be a control center in application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart cities.

[0060] (2) Terminal equipment

[0061] A terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, user device, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal unit, terminal station, terminal device, wireless communication device, user agent or user device.

[0062] For example, the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a drone, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, a wireless terminal device in a smart home (such as a game console, a smart TV, a smart speaker, a smart refrigerator, and fitness equipment, etc.), and a vehicle-mounted terminal device.

[0063] The functions of the terminal device may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or a modem) in the terminal device, or may be performed by a device including the terminal functions.

[0064] Furthermore, access network equipment and terminal devices can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of access network equipment and terminal devices.

[0065] (3) Core network equipment

[0066] The core network may include multiple core network devices or core network elements, and access network devices can connect to the core network elements via wireless or wired connections. Core network elements and radio access network devices can be independent and distinct physical devices, or the functions of core network elements and the logical functions of radio access network devices can be integrated into the same physical device. Alternatively, a single physical device can integrate some core network element functions and some radio access network device functions.

[0067] Taking the 4G communication system as an example, the core network of the 4G communication system can be called the evolved packet core (EPC). The EPC can include core network devices such as the mobility management entity (MME) and the serving gateway (S-GW).

[0068] It is understood that the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. It is known to those skilled in the art that with the evolution of communication network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems. In addition, Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the access network of the network architecture may also include other access network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices.

[0069] Based on the network architecture shown in Figure 1, the following explains the relevant terms involved in the embodiments of the present application. It should be noted that these explanations are intended to make the embodiments of the present application easier to understand and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0070] (1) Dual connection for non-independent networking

[0071] In the network architecture shown in Figure 1 above, when a non-independent networking solution is adopted, a 5G communication system and a 4G communication system can be deployed at the same time. The terminal device 103 can communicate with the network using LTE-NR dual connection technology, that is, the terminal device 103 supports simultaneous access to a 4G base station and a 5G base station, for example, the access network device 1011 is a 4G base station, and the access network device 1012 is a 5G base station. Since the 4G communication system is also called evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA), this access method is called evolved universal terrestrial radio access and new air interface dual connectivity (E-UTRA NR dual connectivity, EN-DC). In the EN-DC mode, the 4G base station is the master base station, which can be called the master evolved NodeB (MeNB), and the 5G base station is the secondary base station, which can be called the secondary next generation NodeB (SgNB).

[0072] It is understandable that with the evolution of communication systems, the future may also support new air interface and evolved universal terrestrial radio access dual connectivity (NR E-UTRA dual connectivity, NE-DC), that is, the 4G base station is the secondary base station and the 5G base station is the primary base station.

[0073] Taking EN-DC as an example, as shown in Figure 2, on the control plane, a 4G base station can receive control signaling from a core network device (such as an MME) and control the terminal device or 5G base station based on the control signaling. The control signaling can be a variety of possible signalings, which are not specifically limited.

[0074] In the downlink direction of the user plane, as shown in Figure 2, the 4G base station can receive data from the core network device (such as the service gateway) and send the data to the terminal device, or send the data to the 5G base station, and the 5G base station sends the data to the terminal device. In the uplink direction of the user plane, the terminal device can send data to the 4G base station, and the 4G base station can send the data to the core network device, or the terminal device can send data to the 5G base station, and the 5G base station sends the data to the 4G base station, and then the 4G base station sends the data to the core network device.

[0075] (2) Adding a secondary base station

[0076] After the terminal device accesses the 4G base station, the 4G base station can add a secondary base station (i.e., a 5G base station) for the terminal device, so that the terminal device can be connected to the 4G base station and the 5G base station through dual connection.

[0077] FIG3 shows a possible implementation process of adding a secondary base station. As shown in FIG3 , the process may include:

[0078] S301, the terminal device establishes a connection with the 4G base station.

[0079] Here, the terminal device can access the 4G base station through the initial access process, the switching process, the radio resource control (RRC) re-establishment process, or the cell reselection process, that is, establish an RRC connection with the 4G base station.

[0080] S302, the 4G base station sends measurement configuration information (such as measurement configuration information of the B1 event) to the terminal device. The measurement configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to measure the adjacent NR cell.

[0081] S303: The terminal device measures the adjacent 5G cells according to the measurement configuration information of the B1 event, and reports the measurement information of at least one 5G cell.

[0082] Exemplarily, after the terminal device obtains the measurement information of at least one 5G cell through measurement, if the measurement information of at least one 5G cell meets the reporting conditions of the B1 event, the measurement information of at least one 5G cell can be reported.

[0083] S304, the 4G base station receives measurement information of at least one 5G cell, and selects a 5G base station as a secondary base station from the 5G base stations to which the at least one 5G cell belongs according to the measurement information of the at least one 5G cell.

[0084] S305, the 4G base station sends a secondary base station addition request (such as SgNB addition request) to the selected 5G base station.

[0085] Among them, the secondary base station addition request information is used to request to add a 5G base station as a secondary base station of the terminal device.

[0086] S306, the 5G base station sends a secondary base station addition request confirmation (such as SgNB Addition Request ACK) information to the 4G base station.

[0087] The secondary base station addition request confirmation information may also be referred to as a secondary base station addition response (e.g., SgNB addition response) information. The secondary base station addition request confirmation information includes parameters used by the terminal device to connect to the 5G base station, such as the synchronization signal block (SSB) frequency and beam information of the 5G base station.

[0088] S307, the 4G base station receives the secondary base station addition request confirmation information and sends RRC connection reconfiguration information to the terminal device.

[0089] Among them, the RRC connection reconfiguration information is used to instruct the terminal device to establish a connection with the 5G base station (the connection can be a 5G user plane connection), and the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the 5G base station.

[0090] S308, the terminal device sends RRC connection reconfiguration completion information to the 4G base station.

[0091] Exemplarily, the terminal device can establish a connection with the 5G base station according to the RRC connection reconfiguration information, that is, add the 5G base station as a secondary base station, thereby establishing a dual connection.

[0092] S309. After receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration completion information, the 4G base station sends the secondary base station reconfiguration completion (such as SgNB reconfiguration complete) information to the 5G base station; accordingly, the 5G base station receives the secondary base station reconfiguration completion information, and then completes the addition of the secondary base station.

[0093] (3) Switch

[0094] Handover is a process initiated by the network when a terminal device is in the RRC connected state, involving signaling interaction between the terminal device and the base station. For example, if the base station senses that the signal strength of the terminal device in its own cell is gradually weakening, it can hand over the terminal device to the cell of a base station with better signal strength (for example, a neighboring base station).

[0095] In a dual-connectivity scenario, when the primary base station providing services to a terminal device switches, the secondary base station can switch or remain unchanged. In this embodiment of the present application, the primary base station providing services to the terminal device before the switch is called the source primary base station; after the switch, the primary base station providing services to the terminal device is called the target primary base station. Similarly, before the switch, the secondary base station providing services to the terminal device is called the source secondary base station; after the switch, the secondary base station providing services to the terminal device is called the target secondary base station.

[0096] Taking the dual-connection scenario of non-independent networking as an example, when the terminal device needs to switch from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the first implementation method is that before the terminal device switches to the target primary base station, the target primary base station performs the addition of the target secondary base station, so that after the terminal device switches to the target primary base station, the service on the secondary base station (such as 5G service) can be quickly restored, which helps to reduce the interruption time of 5G service. However, in this method, whether the target secondary base station is successfully added depends on whether the primary base station is successfully switched. If the terminal device successfully switches to the target primary base station, the target primary base station can successfully add the target secondary base station; if the terminal device fails to successfully switch to the target primary base station, the target secondary base station will also fail to be added, resulting in a higher failure rate for adding the target secondary base station (but the failure to add the target secondary base station is caused by the failure of the primary base station switch, not by the target secondary base station itself).

[0097] The second implementation method is that after the terminal device switches to the target primary base station, the source primary base station executes the addition of the target secondary base station. Since this method adds the secondary base station after the normal switching of the primary base station is completed, it is easy to ensure the success rate of the secondary base station addition. However, in this method, since the terminal device first releases the secondary base station when the primary base station is switched, the terminal device switches to the target primary base station and then uses the method shown in Figure 3 above to add the secondary base station (that is, sending measurement configuration information to the terminal device, receiving measurement information of at least one 5G cell reported by the terminal device, and then selecting the secondary base station, and sending secondary base station addition request information to the secondary base station), which will cause the service on the secondary base station (such as 5G service) to be interrupted for a long time.

[0098] Based on this, the present embodiment will study the switching of terminal devices in a dual connectivity scenario. For example, the present embodiment provides a communication method for reducing the service interruption duration on the secondary base station while improving the success rate of adding a target secondary base station.

[0099] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with Example 1 and Example 2.

[0100] Example 1

[0101] FIG4 is a flow chart of the communication method according to the first embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG4 , including:

[0102] S401: The source master base station sends measurement information of at least one cell to the target master base station; correspondingly, the target master base station receives and stores the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0103] Exemplarily, the measurement information of at least one cell may be reported by the terminal device to the source main base station. For example, after the terminal device establishes a dual connection with the source main base station and the source secondary base station, the source secondary base station may send measurement configuration information (such as measurement configuration information of the A3 event and measurement configuration information of the A4 event) to the source main base station, and then the source main base station sends the measurement configuration information to the terminal device; accordingly, the terminal device may measure the source secondary cell (i.e., the serving cell) of the terminal device and the neighboring cells of the source secondary cell according to the measurement configuration information, and report the measurement information of at least one cell to the source main base station, at least one cell including the source secondary cell of the terminal device and / or the neighboring cells of the source secondary cell, and at least one cell is a candidate cell for the target secondary cell. Taking cell 1 in at least one cell as an example, the measurement information of cell 1 may include at least one of reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0104] In an embodiment of the present application, the source main base station and the target main base station correspond to the first communication standard, and the target secondary base station (and the source secondary base station) correspond to the second communication standard. Taking the dual-connection scenario of non-independent networking as an example, the first communication standard is the communication standard adopted by the 4G communication system, and the second communication standard is the communication standard adopted by the 5G communication system, that is, the source main base station and the target main base station are 4G base stations, and the target secondary base station (and the source secondary base station) are 5G base stations. In this case, the cells in the main cell group are all 4G cells, and the cells in the secondary cell group are all 5G cells. For example, at least one of the above cells is a 5G cell.

[0105] Exemplarily, the source main base station may send measurement information of at least one cell to the target main base station after determining that the terminal needs to switch to the target main base station. As a possible implementation, the source main base station sends a handover request message to the target main base station, and the handover request message includes the measurement information of at least one cell; for example, the handover request message includes the NR Neighbor Information IE field, which carries the measurement information of at least one cell. As another possible implementation, the source main base station sends information a (information a is information other than the handover request information) to the target main base station, and information a includes the measurement information of at least one cell; for example, the source main base station may first send a handover request message to the target main base station, and then send information a to the target main base station. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the order in which the source main base station sends the handover request message and information a.

[0106] In addition, after receiving the switching request information, the target main base station can send a switching request confirmation information to the source main base station. The switching request confirmation information includes the second configuration information. The second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target main base station, such as the SSB frequency point and beam information of the target main base station.

[0107] Accordingly, after receiving the handover request confirmation information, the source primary base station may send a second message to the terminal device, the second message being used to instruct the terminal device to handover to the target primary base station, the second message including second configuration information. For example, the second message may be RRC connection reconfiguration information.

[0108] Accordingly, after receiving the second information, the terminal device can release the connection between the terminal device and the source primary base station, and release the connection between the terminal device and the source secondary base station, and switch to the target primary base station according to the second configuration information. For example, the terminal device can initiate a random access process to the target primary base station based on the second configuration information to synchronize with the target primary base station through the random access process; after synchronization is completed, the terminal device can send a handover completion message to the target primary base station. The handover completion message can be an RRC connection reconfiguration completion message. For example, if the second configuration information includes beam information, the terminal device can select the corresponding beam based on the beam information and establish a connection with the target primary base station.

[0109] S402: After the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target primary base station sends a secondary base station adding request message to the target secondary base station. The secondary base station adding request message is used to add a secondary base station corresponding to the target primary base station.

[0110] Here, there are multiple implementations for the target main base station to determine that the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station. For example, after the target main base station receives the switching completion information from the terminal device, it can determine that the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station.

[0111] Exemplarily, the target primary base station may select a target secondary base station from base stations to which the at least one cell belongs based on measurement information of the at least one cell received from the source primary base station. Optionally, the target primary base station may further select a target secondary base station from base stations to which the at least one cell belongs in combination with other information (such as the load of the base station to which the at least one cell belongs).

[0112] For example, at least one cell includes cells 1 to 5, where cells 1 and 2 belong to base station 1, cells 3 and 4 belong to base station 2, and cell 5 belongs to base station 3. For example, if the measurement information of cell 1 is superior to that of the other four cells (for example, cell 1 has the highest RSRP), the target primary base station may select cell 1 as the target secondary cell and base station 1 as the target secondary base station. For another example, the target primary base station may first select cells from cells 1 to 5 whose measurement information is greater than or equal to threshold 1, and then select base stations from the base stations belonging to the selected cells whose load is less than or equal to threshold 2 as target secondary base stations. Threshold 1 and threshold 2 may be preconfigured values.

[0113] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific timing for the target primary base station to select the target secondary base station. For example, the target primary base station may select the target secondary base station after receiving measurement information from at least one cell, and may send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station. In this way, after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target primary base station may immediately send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station, facilitating the rapid addition of the secondary base station and reducing the interruption duration of services on the secondary base station.

[0114] For another example, after receiving measurement information of at least one cell, the target primary base station may not select a target secondary base station first. After determining that the terminal device has switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target secondary base station may be selected based on the stored measurement information of at least one cell, and a secondary base station addition request message may be sent to the target secondary base station. In this way, considering that if the terminal device fails to switch to the target primary base station, the target primary base station does not need to perform the operation of adding a secondary base station. Therefore, the target primary base station may perform the operation of selecting a target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station.

[0115] Optionally, the above method further includes:

[0116] S403: The target secondary base station sends a secondary base station adding request confirmation message to the target primary base station; correspondingly, the target primary base station receives the secondary base station adding request confirmation message.

[0117] Here, the secondary base station addition request confirmation information includes the first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station, such as the SSB frequency point and beam information of the target secondary base station.

[0118] S404: The target primary base station sends first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station.

[0119] Here, the first information may include first configuration information, and the first information may be RRC connection reconfiguration information.

[0120] S405: The terminal device establishes a connection with the target secondary base station according to the first information.

[0121] Therefore, the terminal device is connected to the target primary base station and the target secondary base station in a dual connection manner. The connection established between the terminal device and the target secondary base station can be a user plane connection, such as a 5G user plane connection.

[0122] It can be understood that the target secondary base station selected by the target primary base station may be the same base station as the source secondary base station, or may be a different base station, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0123] Using the above method, the source primary base station first sends measurement information of at least one cell to the target primary base station. After the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target primary base station then adds the target secondary base station. The target secondary base station is selected based on the measurement information of the at least one cell, thereby reducing the interruption time of services on the secondary base station while improving the success rate of adding the target secondary base station. Specifically, compared to the first implementation, since in the above embodiment, the target primary base station adds the target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the success or failure of the primary base station switching does not affect the success rate of adding the secondary base station, thereby avoiding the problem of a high failure rate of adding the secondary base station due to the terminal device not successfully switching to the target primary base station. Compared to the second implementation, since in the above embodiment, the source primary base station first sends measurement information of at least one cell to the target primary base station, after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target primary base station does not need to send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, and the terminal device does not need to perform measurements and report the measurement information of at least one cell based on the measurement configuration information, thereby facilitating reducing the interruption time of services on the secondary base station.

[0124] In addition, it should be noted that:

[0125] (1) The above process is described based on an example in which a terminal device successfully switches from a source primary base station to a target primary base station. In other examples, if the target primary base station determines that the terminal device has not switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station (i.e., the handover has failed), the measurement information of at least one cell may be deleted.

[0126] There are multiple ways for the target primary base station to determine that the terminal device has not been switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station.

[0127] One possible way is that the target main base station receives the handover cancellation information from the source main base station, and determines that the terminal device has not been switched from the source main base station to the target main base station based on the handover cancellation information. For example, when the terminal device has not been switched from the source main base station to the target main base station, if the terminal device restores the RRC connection with the source main base station through the RRC re-establishment process, then when the source main base station receives the RRC re-establishment request of the terminal device, it can send a handover cancellation information to the target main base station. For another example, when the terminal device has not been switched from the source main base station to the target main base station, if the terminal device has accessed other base stations (i.e., base stations other than the source main base station and the target main base station), the core network device can send UE context release information to the source main base station. After the source main base station receives the UE context release information from the core network device, it can send a handover cancellation information to the target main base station.

[0128] Another possible way is that if the target main base station does not receive the switching completion information from the terminal device within the preset time period 1, it is determined that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station; wherein the starting time of the preset time period 1 can be the reception time of the measurement information of at least one cell or the reception time of the switching request information. For example, when the target main base station receives the measurement information (or switching request information) of at least one cell, it can start a timer. If the switching completion information is not received from the terminal device before the timer expires, it is determined that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station; the duration of the timer is the duration of the preset time period 1, which can be pre-configured.

[0129] In addition, in other examples, when the terminal device does not switch from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, if the target primary base station does not receive the handover cancellation information from the source primary base station within the preset time period 2, the measurement information of at least one cell may also be deleted. The start time of the preset time period 2 may be the time when the measurement information of the at least one cell is received or the time when the handover request information is received. The duration of the preset time period 2 may be pre-configured.

[0130] (2) In an embodiment of the present application, the target main base station may be pre-configured with "if the measurement information of at least one cell is received from the source main base station, the above S402 is executed". For example, a switch may be provided in the target main base station, and the state of the switch may be pre-configured by relevant personnel; when the state of the switch is "on", if the target main base station receives the measurement information of at least one cell from the source main base station, the above S402 is executed; when the state of the switch is "off", if the target main base station receives the measurement information of at least one cell from the source main base station, the target main base station may send a request information for adding a secondary base station to the target secondary base station before the terminal device switches to the target main base station (i.e., the first implementation method mentioned above). Exemplarily, the state of the switch may be manually set by relevant personnel. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific form of the switch and the specific method of pre-configuring the state.

[0131] Alternatively, if the target primary base station receives measurement information of at least one cell from the source primary base station, it can independently determine whether to send the secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, or before the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station. The judgment can be based on various criteria, such as the historical success rate of the target primary base station adding the target secondary base station and / or the historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station.

[0132] The historical success rate of adding the target secondary base station to the target primary base station may be obtained by statistics from the target primary base station; for example, within a preset time period 3 (e.g., 24 hours), the target primary base station initiates 100 secondary base station addition requests to the target secondary base station (regardless of the terminal devices being added), and if 90 of these additions are successful, the historical success rate of adding the target secondary base station to the target primary base station is 90%. The historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station may be obtained by statistics from the source primary base station; for example, within a preset time period 3 (e.g., 24 hours), the source primary base station initiates 80 handover requests to the target primary base station (regardless of the terminal devices being added), and if 60 of these handovers are successful, the historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is 75%. Exemplarily, the source primary base station may send the historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station to the target primary base station. For example, the source primary base station may send the measurement information of at least one cell and the historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station to the target primary base station via the same message (e.g., handover request message); or may send them via different messages, without limitation.

[0133] For example, if the target primary base station determines that the preset conditions are met, then after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, the target secondary base station sends a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station; meeting the preset conditions includes at least one of the following:

[0134] ① The historical success rate of adding the target secondary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to the threshold of 3;

[0135] ② The historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to the threshold of 4;

[0136] ③ The product of the historical success rate of adding the target secondary base station to the target primary base station and the historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a threshold of 5.

[0137] Exemplarily, the above threshold 3, threshold 4, or threshold 5 may be pre-configured.

[0138] For example, after receiving measurement information from at least one cell, the target primary base station can select a target secondary base station from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs. Furthermore, the target primary base station can determine whether the historical success rate of the target primary base station in adding the target secondary base station is greater than or equal to a threshold of 3. If the historical success rate of the target primary base station in adding the target secondary base station is greater than or equal to the threshold of 3, the target primary base station can send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station before the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station (i.e., the first implementation method described above). If the historical success rate of the target primary base station in adding the target secondary base station is less than the threshold of 3, the target primary base station can send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station (i.e., S402).

[0139] For another example, after receiving measurement information from at least one cell, the target primary base station can select a target secondary base station from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs. Furthermore, the target primary base station can determine whether the product of the target primary base station's historical success rate for adding the target secondary base station and the historical success rate for switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a threshold of 4. If the product is greater than or equal to the threshold of 4, the target primary base station can send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station before the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station (i.e., the first implementation method described above). If the product is less than the threshold of 4, the target primary base station can send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station (i.e., S402).

[0140] Using the above method, the target primary base station independently determines which method to use to add the target secondary base station, providing greater flexibility. Taking the "historical success rate of adding target secondary base stations to the target primary base station" as an example, when the historical success rate of adding target secondary base stations to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a threshold of 3, it indicates that the target primary base station has a high success rate for adding target secondary base stations. In this case, the target primary base station can send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station before the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, thereby ensuring the success rate of adding secondary base stations while reducing the interruption duration of services on the secondary base station. When the historical success rate of adding target secondary base stations to the target primary base station is less than a threshold of 3, it indicates that the target primary base station has a low success rate for adding target secondary base stations. In this case, the target primary base station can send a secondary base station addition request message to the target secondary base station after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, thereby ensuring the success rate of adding secondary base stations.

[0141] Example 2

[0142] In the second embodiment, a possible detailed process will be described based on the description of the first embodiment.

[0143] FIG5 is a flow chart of the communication method according to the second embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG5 , the flow includes:

[0144] S501 : A source master base station sends a handover request message to a target master base station, where the handover request message includes measurement information of at least one cell; accordingly, the target master base station receives the handover request message.

[0145] Here, the measurement information of at least one cell may be reported by the terminal device to the source primary base station.

[0146] S502: The target primary base station sends a handover request confirmation message to the source primary base station. The handover request confirmation message includes second configuration information. The second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to hand over to the target primary base station.

[0147] S503: The source primary base station sends secondary base station release request information to the source secondary base station; correspondingly, the source secondary base station receives the secondary base station release request information.

[0148] Exemplarily, the secondary base station release request information is used to request the source secondary base station to stop sending data to the terminal device.

[0149] S504 , the source secondary base station sends secondary base station release request confirmation information to the source primary base station; correspondingly, the source primary base station receives the secondary base station release request confirmation information.

[0150] S505, the source master base station sends second information (ie, RRC connection reconfiguration information) to the terminal device, where the RRC connection reconfiguration information is used to instruct the terminal device to switch to the target master base station.

[0151] Here, the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes the second configuration information. After receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration information, the terminal device may release the connection between the terminal device and the source primary base station, and release the connection between the terminal device and the source secondary base station.

[0152] S506: The terminal device initiates a random access process to the target primary base station.

[0153] Here, the terminal device may initiate a random access process to the target primary base station according to the second configuration information, so as to be synchronized with the target primary base station through the random access process.

[0154] S507, the terminal device sends a handover completion message (ie, RRC connection reconfiguration completion message) to the target primary base station; accordingly, after receiving the handover completion message, the target primary base station can determine that the terminal device has successfully handed over to the target primary base station.

[0155] S508, the target primary base station sends UE context release (UE context release) information to the source primary base station, which is used to instruct the source primary base station to release the context of the terminal device.

[0156] S509: The source primary base station sends UE context release information to the source secondary base station, to instruct the source secondary base station to release the context of the terminal device.

[0157] S510: The target primary base station sends secondary base station adding request information to the target secondary base station.

[0158] S511: The target secondary base station sends a secondary base station addition request confirmation message to the target primary base station. The secondary base station addition request confirmation message includes first configuration information. The first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station.

[0159] S512, the target primary base station sends first information (ie, RRC connection reconfiguration information) to the terminal device, where the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes first configuration information, and the RRC connection reconfiguration information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station.

[0160] S513, the terminal device sends RRC connection reconfiguration completion information to the target master base station.

[0161] Optionally, the terminal device may initiate a random access process to the target secondary base station. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific timing when the terminal device initiates the random access process to the target secondary base station.

[0162] S514 , the target primary base station sends secondary base station reconfiguration completion information to the target secondary base station. Accordingly, after receiving the secondary base station reconfiguration completion information, the target secondary base station may determine that the secondary base station is added successfully.

[0163] With respect to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 and embodiment 2, it can be understood that:

[0164] (1) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and may be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments may be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. In addition, within the same embodiment, different implementations or different examples may also reference or refer to each other.

[0165] (2) The various numerical numbers involved in this application are only for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The step numbers in the above flowcharts are only examples of the execution process and do not constitute a restriction on the order of execution of the steps. That is, the size of the step numbers does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each step should be determined by its function and internal logic. In addition, not all the steps shown in the flowcharts are required to be executed. Some steps can be added or deleted based on actual needs.

[0166] (3) The information in the embodiments of the present application may also be replaced by messages, for example, the RRC connection reconfiguration information may be replaced by an RRC connection reconfiguration message, the RRC connection reconfiguration complete information may be replaced by an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message, the secondary base station addition request information may be replaced by a secondary base station addition request message, and the secondary base station addition request confirmation information may be replaced by a secondary base station addition request confirmation message, which are not listed one by one.

[0167] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device and the base station. It is understandable that in order to implement the above functions, the terminal device and the base station may include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should easily appreciate that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the embodiments of 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 a hardware or computer software driven hardware manner 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.

[0168] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device and the base station can be divided into functional units according to the above method examples. For example, each functional unit can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one unit. The above integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0169] In the case of adopting an integrated unit, Figure 6 shows a possible exemplary block diagram of the device involved in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the device 600 may include: a processing unit 602 and a communication unit 603. The processing unit 602 is used to control and manage the actions of the device 600. The communication unit 603 is used to support the communication between the device 600 and other devices. Optionally, the communication unit 603 is also called a transceiver unit and may include a receiving unit and / or a sending unit, which are used to perform receiving and sending operations respectively. The device 600 may also include a storage unit 601 for storing program code and / or data of the device 600.

[0170] (1) The apparatus 600 may be the target primary base station in the above-described embodiment. The processing unit 602 may support the apparatus 600 in executing the actions of the target primary base station in the above-described method examples. Alternatively, the processing unit 602 primarily executes the internal actions of the target primary base station in the method examples, and the communication unit 603 may support communication between the apparatus 600 and other devices.

[0171] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 603 is used to: receive measurement information of at least one cell from a source primary base station; after the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, send a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station, and the target secondary base station is selected from the base station to which the at least one cell belongs based on the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0172] In one possible design, the communication unit 603 is also used to: receive a secondary base station addition request confirmation message from the target secondary base station, the secondary base station addition request confirmation message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; send first information to the terminal device, the first information includes the first configuration information, and the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station.

[0173] In one possible design, the communication unit 603 is further used to: send second configuration information to the source main base station, where the second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target main base station.

[0174] In one possible design, the communication unit 603 is specifically used to: receive switching request information from the source primary base station, where the switching request information includes measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0175] In one possible design, the processing unit 602 is used to: when a preset condition is met, send a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station through the communication unit 603; wherein, satisfying the preset condition includes at least one of the following: a historical success rate of the target primary base station adding the target secondary base station is greater than or equal to a first threshold; a historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a second threshold; and a product of the historical success rate of the target primary base station adding the target secondary base station and the historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0176] In one possible design, the processing unit 602 is used to: if it is determined that the terminal device has not switched from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, delete the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0177] In one possible design, the processing unit 602 is used to: after the communication unit 603 receives the switching cancellation information from the source main base station, determine, based on the switching cancellation information, that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station; or, if no switching completion information is received from the terminal device within a preset time period, determine that the terminal device has not switched from the source main base station to the target main base station, and the start time of the preset time period is the reception time of the measurement information of the at least one cell.

[0178] (2) The apparatus 600 may be a terminal device in the aforementioned embodiment. The processing unit 602 may support the apparatus 600 in executing the actions of the terminal device in the aforementioned method examples. Alternatively, the processing unit 602 may primarily execute the internal actions of the terminal device in the method examples, and the communication unit 603 may support communication between the apparatus 600 and other devices.

[0179] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 603 is used to: send measurement information of at least one cell to a source main base station; receive second information from the source main base station, the second information being used to instruct the terminal device to switch to a target main base station; after switching to the target main base station according to the second information, receive first information from the target main base station, the first information being used to instruct the terminal device to establish a connection with a target secondary base station, the target secondary base station being selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs based on the measurement information of the at least one cell; the processing unit 602 is used to: establish a connection with the target secondary base station based on the first information.

[0180] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into one physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Moreover, the units in the device can all be implemented in the form of software calling through processing elements; or they can all be implemented in the form of hardware; or some units can be implemented in the form of software calling through processing elements, and some units can be implemented in the form of hardware. For example, each unit can be a separately established processing element, or it can be integrated into a certain chip of the device. In addition, it can also be stored in the memory in the form of a program, called by a certain processing element of the device and execute the function of the unit. In addition, all or part of these units can be integrated together, or they can be implemented independently. The processing element described here can also be a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each operation of the above method or each unit above can be implemented by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor element or in the form of software calling through the processing element.

[0181] In one example, the unit in any of the above devices can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more digital singnal processors (DSPs), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. For another example, when the unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), or other processor that can call a program. For another example, these units can be integrated together and implemented in the form of a SoC.

[0182] The above-mentioned receiving unit is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the receiving unit is the interface circuit of the chip used to receive signals from other chips or devices. The above-mentioned sending unit is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to send signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the sending unit is the interface circuit of the chip used to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0183] Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application further provide a communication device. Referring to FIG. 7 , a communication device 700 may include a processor 702. Optionally, the communication device 700 may also include a memory 703. Optionally, the communication device 700 may also include a transceiver 701. The memory 703 may be disposed within the communication device 700 or external to the communication device 700. The processor 702 may control the transceiver 701 to receive and transmit information, etc.

[0184] Specifically, the processor 702 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor 702 may further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0185] The transceiver 701, the processor 702, and the memory 703 are interconnected. Optionally, the transceiver 701, the processor 702, and the memory 703 are interconnected via a bus 704; the bus 704 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For ease of illustration, FIG7 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0186] In an optional embodiment, the memory 703 is used to store programs, etc. Specifically, the programs may include program code, which includes computer operating instructions. The memory 703 may include RAM, or may also include non-volatile memory (non-volatile memory), such as one or more disk storage devices. The processor 702 executes the application program stored in the memory 703 to implement the above functions, thereby realizing the functions of the communication device 700.

[0187] Exemplarily, the communication device 700 may be the transmitting end (such as a terminal device) in the above embodiment; or may be the receiving end (such as a network device) in the above embodiment.

[0188] In one embodiment, when the communication device 700 implements the functions of the transmitting end in the above method embodiment, the transceiver 701 can implement the transceiver operations performed by the transmitting end in the above method embodiment; and the processor 702 can implement other operations performed by the transmitting end in the above method embodiment in addition to the transceiver operations. For specific details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0189] In another embodiment, when the communication device 700 implements the functions of the receiving end in the above-mentioned method embodiment, the transceiver 701 may implement the transceiver operations performed by the receiving end in the above-mentioned method embodiment; and the processor 702 may implement other operations performed by the receiving end in the above-mentioned method embodiment in addition to the transceiver operations. For specific details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above-mentioned embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0190] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes at least one of a terminal device, a source primary base station, a source secondary base station, a target primary base station, and a target secondary base station.

[0191] The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" refers to one or more, and "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "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 and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0192] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0193] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0194] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0195] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0196] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving measurement information of at least one cell from a source primary base station; After the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, a secondary base station addition request message is sent to the target secondary base station, where the secondary base station addition request message is used to add a secondary base station corresponding to the target main base station, and the target secondary base station is selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs according to the measurement information of the at least one cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving a secondary base station adding request confirmation message from the target secondary base station, where the secondary base station adding request confirmation message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; Sending first information to the terminal device, where the first information includes the first configuration information, and the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to establish a connection with the target secondary base station.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Sending second configuration information to the source main base station, where the second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target main base station.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that Receiving measurement information of at least one cell from a source primary base station, including: Receive handover request information from the source primary base station, where the handover request information is used to request handover of the terminal device to the target primary base station, and the handover request information includes measurement information of the at least one cell.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that After the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, sending secondary base station adding request information to the target secondary base station includes: After the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, if a preset condition is met, sending a secondary base station adding request information to the target secondary base station; Among them, satisfying the preset conditions includes at least one of the following: A historical success rate of adding the target secondary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a first threshold; A historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a second threshold; A product of a historical success rate of the target primary base station adding the target secondary base station and a historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The source primary base station and the target primary base station correspond to a first communication standard, and the target secondary base station corresponds to a second communication standard.

7. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending measurement information of at least one cell to the source primary base station; After the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, receiving first information from the target primary base station, where the first information is used to instruct the terminal device to establish a connection with a target secondary base station, where the target secondary base station is selected from base stations to which the at least one cell belongs according to measurement information of the at least one cell; Establishing a connection with the target secondary base station according to the first information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The source primary base station and the target primary base station correspond to a first communication standard, and the target secondary base station corresponds to a second communication standard.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal device sends measurement information of at least one cell to the source primary base station; After receiving the measurement information of the at least one cell, the source primary base station sends the measurement information of the at least one cell to the target primary base station; After the terminal device switches from the source main base station to the target main base station, the target main base station sends a secondary base station addition request information to the target secondary base station, where the secondary base station addition request information is used to add a secondary base station corresponding to the target main base station, and the target secondary base station is selected from the base stations to which the at least one cell belongs according to the measurement information of the at least one cell.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: The target secondary base station sends a secondary base station adding request confirmation message to the target primary base station, where the secondary base station adding request confirmation message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; The target primary base station receives the first configuration information, and sends first information to the terminal device, wherein the first information includes The first configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to connect to the target secondary base station; The terminal device establishes a connection with the target secondary base station according to the first information.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The target primary base station sends second configuration information to the source primary base station, where the second configuration information includes parameters for the terminal device to switch to the target primary base station; The source primary base station receives the second configuration information, and sends second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to switch to the target primary base station, and the second information includes the second configuration information; The terminal device receives the second information, and switches to the target primary base station according to the second information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that After the terminal device switches from the source primary base station to the target primary base station, if the target primary base station determines that the preset condition is met, the target primary base station sends a secondary base station adding request information to the target secondary base station; Among them, satisfying the preset conditions includes at least one of the following: A historical success rate of adding the target secondary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a first threshold; A historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a second threshold; A product of a historical success rate of the target primary base station adding the target secondary base station and a historical success rate of switching from the source primary base station to the target primary base station is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

13. A communication system, characterized in that: The system includes a source master base station and a target master base station; The source primary base station is used to send measurement information of at least one cell to the target primary base station; The target primary base station is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

14. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that The system further comprises a terminal device, wherein the terminal device is configured to execute the method according to claim 7 or 8.

15. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising modules for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

16. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor coupled to a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory; the processor is used to call part or all of the computer program in the memory so that the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program, and when part or all of the computer program is executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

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