Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a communication apparatus, which relate to the technical field of communications, and are used for activating a plurality of secondary cells when the number of secondary cells that are required to be activated exceeds the maximum number of cells supported by a carrier aggregation capability of a terminal device. The method comprises: a terminal device activating a plurality of secondary cells after receiving instruction information for instructing activation of the plurality of secondary cells, one or more of the activated secondary cells being in a first active BWP, wherein the sum of the number of secondary cells instructed for activation and the number of secondary cells that have been activated by the terminal device exceeds the difference between the maximum number of cells supported by an aggregation capability of the terminal device and 1.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on September 28, 2023, with application number 202311291393.1 and application name “Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the development of communication technology, carrier aggregation (CA) can be used to address the limited bandwidth of a single carrier. This allows multiple component carriers (CCs) to be aggregated to provide data services to terminal devices. In CA, multiple cells can provide services to a terminal device. For example, this can include a primary cell and one or more secondary cells.

[0004] Typically, the number of cells (or carrier resources) configured for a terminal device is limited. Therefore, the terminal device can activate the configured cells based on service requirements and use the activated cells for data transmission. However, when the number of cells configured for a terminal device exceeds the carrier aggregation capability supported by the terminal device, for example, when the terminal device needs to send high-speed services, how the terminal device activates the cells becomes a technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device for activating multiple cells when the cells configured for a terminal device exceed the carrier aggregation capability supported by the terminal device.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: a terminal device receives indication information for indicating the activation of K secondary cells, and the sum of the number of the K cells and the number of cells already activated by the terminal device exceeds the difference between the number of the maximum cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability supported by the terminal device and 1. For example, if the terminal device has activated S secondary cells, then K+S is greater than N-1, where N represents the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability supported by the terminal device. The terminal device can activate the K secondary cells, and the BWP of one or more secondary cells in the K secondary cells after activation is in the first activation BWP (such as the first activated downlink BWP or the first activated uplink BWP). The number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to N-1. Both K and N are positive integers, and S is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present application, since the number of secondary cells indicated to be activated and the number of secondary cells activated by the terminal device plus the number of primary service cells of the terminal device (i.e., 1) exceeds the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, at this time, the terminal device can activate the K secondary cells, and the BWP of one or more secondary cells in the K secondary cells after activation is in the first activation BWP. The number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to the difference between the number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device and 1. In this way, when the terminal device activates the K secondary cells, it can also make the number of secondary cells in the activation BWP meet the number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, thereby ensuring normal data transmission of the terminal device.

[0009] In one possible implementation, when K is less than N and S is greater than 0, that is, the number of activated secondary cells does not exceed the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, and the terminal device has activated cells before receiving the indication information, the terminal device can switch the BWP of the S activated secondary cells to the special dormant BWP. Since the secondary cell where the special dormant BWP is located does not occupy the carrier aggregation capability supported by the terminal device or the terminal device does not receive and / or parse information (such as PDSCH) on the special dormant BWP, the terminal device may have additional capabilities to activate other secondary cells.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the K secondary cells are in the first activation BWP after activation, thereby ensuring that the terminal device has sufficient secondary cells for data transmission.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the handover delay of the K secondary cells is related to the HARQ delay, the BWP handover delay, the cell activation delay, and the CSI reporting delay.

[0012] In one example, the switching delay T of the K secondary cells is less than or equal to T1. T1 is related to HARQ delay, BWP switching delay, cell activation delay and CSI reporting delay. For example, T1=T HARQ +T BWP_switch +Tactivation_time_multiple_scells+T CSI_reporting Among them, T HARQ Indicates HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates cell activation delay, T CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay, T BWP_switch Indicates the BWP switching delay.

[0013] In one possible implementation, when K is greater than or equal to N, that is, indicating that the number of activated secondary cells exceeds the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, if S is greater than 0, that is, the terminal device has an activated secondary cell, the terminal device can switch the activated BWP to a special dormant BWP. In this way, it is ensured that the terminal device has sufficient capacity to activate other secondary cells. For example, the terminal device can activate L (L is less than K and L+N-1 is greater than or equal to K) secondary cells out of the K secondary cells, and the L secondary cells are in a special dormant BWP after activation. For the remaining X (X=KL) unactivated secondary cells out of the K secondary cells, the terminal device can continue to activate the remaining X secondary cells, and the X secondary cells are in the first activated BWP after activation.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the terminal device may activate the L secondary cells through P rounds. That is, in each round, the terminal device may select N-1 secondary cells for activation based on a preset order of the secondary cell numbers (e.g., from large to small or from small to large). The N-1 secondary cells activated in each round are in a special dormant state (BWP) after activation. Where P*(N-1)=L, and P is a positive integer.

[0015] In one possible implementation, when X is less than N-1, that is, when the number of secondary cells in the activated BWP does not exceed the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device and the excess value of 1, it indicates that the terminal device has additional carrier aggregation capabilities, and the terminal device can switch the BWPs of R secondary cells in the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP, where R = N-1-X. That is, the number of the R secondary cells and the number of cells in the activated BWP is consistent with the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0016] In one example, the R secondary cells may be secondary cells with larger cell numbers among the secondary cells in special dormant BWP. For example, if the BWP in special dormant is 10, the R secondary cells may be 5 secondary cells with larger cell numbers among the 10 secondary cells.

[0017] In a possible implementation, when K is greater than or equal to N, the activation delay of the K secondary cells is related to the HARQ delay, BWP delay, cell activation delay, and CSI reporting delay, as well as K and N.

[0018] In one scenario, the activation delay T of the K secondary cells is less than or equal to T2. T2 is related to HARQ delay, BWP delay, cell activation delay, CSI reporting delay, K, and N. For example, T2 = T HARQ +T BWP_switch*M1+Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2+T CSI_reporting Among them, T HARQ Indicates HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates cell activation delay, T CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay, T BWP_switch Indicates the BWP switching delay.

[0019] In another scenario, the activation delay T of the K secondary cells is less than or equal to T3. T3 is related to HARQ delay, BWP delay, cell activation delay, CSI reporting delay, K, and N. For example, T3 = T HARQ +T BWP_switch *(M1+1)+Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2+T CSI_reporting Among them, T HARQ Indicates HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates cell activation delay, T CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay, T BWP_switch Indicates the BWP switching delay.

[0020] In the above two scenarios, M1 and M2 are both related to K and N. For example, M2 = ceil(K / (N-1)). Here, ceil(x) represents the smallest integer greater than or equal to x. M1 is related to K, N and S. For example, when S is 0, that is, when the indication information is received, the terminal device does not have an activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(K / (N-1))-1. When S is greater than 0, that is, when the indication information is received, the terminal device has an activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(K / (N-1)).

[0021] In a possible implementation, the terminal device may send data to the network device through the one or more secondary cells, or receive data through the one or more secondary cells.

[0022] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: a network device sending, to a terminal device, indication information indicating activation of K secondary cells, activating the K secondary cells, wherein one or more of the activated secondary cells are in a first activation BWP. The number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to N-1. K+S is greater than N-1. S represents the number of secondary cells activated by the terminal device, and N represents the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0023] In one possible implementation, when S is greater than 0, the network device switches the BWPs of the S secondary cells from active BWPs to special dormant BWPs. The secondary cells where the special dormant BWPs are located do not occupy the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the network device sends data to the terminal device through the one or more secondary cells, or receives data from the terminal device through the one or more secondary cells.

[0025] Alternatively, a possible implementation method is that the network device may further configure the activation delay T of the K secondary cells for the terminal device.

[0026] In one example, T is related to HARQ delay, BWP delay, cell activation delay, and CSI reporting delay.

[0027] For example, T is less than or equal to T1. T1=T HARQ +T BWP_switch +Tactivation_time_multiple_scells+T CSI_reporting Among them, T HARQ Indicates HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates cell activation delay, T CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay, T BWP_switch Indicates the BWP switching delay.

[0028] In another example, T is related to HARQ delay, BWP delay, cell activation delay, CSI reporting delay, K and N.

[0029] For example, T is less than or equal to T2. T2=T2=T HARQ +T BWP_switch *M1+Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2+T CSI_reporting Among them, T HARQ Indicates HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates cell activation delay, T CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay, T BWP_switch Indicates the BWP switching delay.

[0030] For another example, T is less than or equal to T3. T3=T HARQ +T BWP_switch *(M1+1)+Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2+T CSI_reporting Among them, THARQ Indicates HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates cell activation delay, T CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay, T BWP_switch Indicates the BWP switching delay.

[0031] Among them, in the above two examples, M1 and M2 are both related to K and N. For example, M2 = ceil(K / (N-1)). Among them, ceil(x) represents the smallest integer greater than or equal to x. M1 is related to K, N and S. For example, when S is 0, that is, when the indication information is received, the terminal device does not have an activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(K / (N-1))-1. When S is greater than 0, that is, when the indication information is received, the terminal device has an activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(K / (N-1)).

[0032] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be a terminal device described in the first aspect or any of its implementations, or a device having the functions of the terminal device described above, or a device included in the terminal device, such as a chip. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the methods described above. The modules, units, or means may be implemented in hardware, software, or by executing corresponding software implementations in hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0033] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The transceiver module, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is configured to implement the transmitting and / or receiving functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0034] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementation methods.

[0035] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be the network device described in the second aspect or any of its implementations, or a device having the functions of the network device described above, or a device included in the network device described above, such as a chip. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the methods described above. The modules, units, or means may be implemented in hardware, software, or by executing corresponding software implementations in hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0036] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The transceiver module, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is configured to implement the transmitting and / or receiving functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0037] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementation methods.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory through a logic circuit and / or communication, so that the communication device executes the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes the memory. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor, or the memory may be independent of the processor.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the memory is independent of the communication device.

[0041] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, which is used to communicate with a module outside the communication device.

[0042] The communication device may be the terminal device in the above-mentioned first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, or a device included in the above-mentioned terminal device, such as a chip.

[0043] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory through a logic circuit and / or communication, so that the communication device executes the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes the memory. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor, or the memory may be independent of the processor.

[0045] In a possible implementation, the memory is independent of the communication device.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, which is used to communicate with a module outside the communication device.

[0047] The communication device may be the network device in the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip.

[0048] In the seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any of the above aspects or any of its implementation methods.

[0049] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method described in any one of the above aspects or any one of its implementations.

[0050] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects or any of its implementation methods.

[0051] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0052] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0053] It can be understood that when the communication device provided in any one of the fifth to ninth aspects is a chip, the above-mentioned sending action / function can be understood as output, and the above-mentioned receiving action / function can be understood as input.

[0054] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the fifth to ninth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by different design methods in the above-mentioned first or second aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0055] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal device and a network device. The terminal device can execute the method described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, and the network device can execute the method described in the second aspect or any implementation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of carrier resources owned by a communication operator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of CA capability ratio of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a cell handover based on L1 / L2 triggered mobility (layer1 / layer2 triggered mobility, L1 / L2 LTM) provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of uplink carrier switching based on UL transmission (Tx) switching according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG8 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a secondary cell activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of another secondary cell activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is first given. The brief introduction is as follows:

[0069] Carrier aggregation (CA): CA is the process of aggregating two or more carriers (CCs) to provide services to user equipment (UE) to support more transmission bandwidth. This can solve the problem of limited bandwidth of a single carrier.

[0070] In carrier aggregation, a single UE can have multiple serving cells. For example, as shown in Figure 1, a UE can have one primary cell (PCell) and one or more secondary cells (SCells) (Figure 1 shows only two SCells).

[0071] The PCell can be the cell where the UE establishes an initial connection, the cell where the radio resource control (RRC) connection is reestablished, or the primary cell designated during a handover. The PCell can be used for RRC communication between UEs. The carrier component corresponding to the PCell can be called a primary component carrier (PCC). The downlink carrier of the PCell can be called a downlink (DL) PCC, and the uplink carrier can be called an uplink (UL) PCC.

[0072] Typically, a serving cell may include one downlink carrier, one downlink carrier and one uplink carrier, or one downlink carrier and two uplink carriers. Therefore, a serving cell may correspond one-to-one with one downlink carrier. In the embodiments of the present application, the concepts of carrier (which may refer to a downlink carrier) and cell are interchangeable.

[0073] Currently, telecom operators generally have 4-5 carrier resources. In the future, telecom operators may have more frequency points. As shown in Figure 2, telecom operator A has 5 CCs, namely 2.6G*2CC + 4.9G*2CC + 700M*1CC. Telecom operator B has 5 CCs, namely 3.5G*2CC + 2.1G*1CC + 900M*2CC. Telecom operator C has 6 CCs, namely 3.5G*2CC + 2.1G*2CC + 700M*2CC. In the future, with the introduction of 1.8G*1CC + F-band*1CC + A-band*1CC, as well as several U6G CCs, telecom operators are expected to have more carrier resources. In Figure 2, one square represents one CC, a filled square represents a CC that the telecom operator has deployed, and an empty square represents a CC that is planned to be deployed.

[0074] However, commercial terminal devices are subject to cost constraints, and the maximum number of physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) that the baseband processing unit can process is limited, resulting in a limit on the number of carriers that the terminal device can support simultaneously. Specifically, each PDSCH requires an independent baseband processing unit, such as fast Fourier transform (FFT), POST-FFT data buffering, etc. The more PDSCHs that can be processed at the same time, the greater the baseband implementation cost. Most current commercial terminals only have 2CC CA capabilities, or even do not support CA. As shown in Figure 3, currently, the number of terminal devices on the market with 2CC CA capabilities accounts for 5%, the number of terminal devices with 3CC CA capabilities accounts for 40%, and the number of terminal devices that do not support CA accounts for 55%.

[0075] In some scenarios, for CA-capable terminal devices, CC activation is required for CA. Currently, the protocol defines a minimum requirement for the maximum time from when the UE receives the SCell activation command to when the UE completes SCell activation.

[0076] The SCel activation instruction may be carried by layer 2 signaling, for example, by a medium access control element (MAC CE), and the MAC CE may be carried by a PDSCH.

[0077] Assume that a UE receives an SCell activation command in timeslot n, indicating the activation of multiple SCells. For each SCell indicated for activation, the UE must complete valid channel state information (CSI) reporting for the activated SCell and apply other actions indicated in the activation command no later than timeslot n1. In other words, the terminal device must complete SCell activation no later than timeslot n1.

[0078] The calculation method of time slot n1 can be shown in Formula 1.

[0079] Among them, T HARQIndicates the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) delay. HARQ delay can refer to the time it takes for the UE to receive the PDSCH and send an acknowledgment message. Tactivation_time_multiple_scells indicates the secondary cell activation delay. CSI_reporting Indicates the CSI reporting delay. NR_slot_length indicates the length of a time slot.

[0080] As can be seen from Formula 1, the SCell activation delay is related to the HARQ delay, cell activation delay, and CSI reporting delay. If the UE knows the SCell to be activated and the CSI-RS used for CSI reporting is periodic, the activation delay for multiple SCells is the same as the activation delay for a single SCell. In other words, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells in Formula 1 is the same as the activation delay for a single SCell. The cell activation delay includes the time required for baseband and / or RF link switching and preparation.

[0081] In existing communication protocols, the number of CCs configured by network equipment for terminal devices is generally less than or equal to the maximum number of carriers supported by the terminal device. However, when the number of deployed carriers on the network far exceeds the carrier capacity that the terminal device can simultaneously process, in order to maximize the user experience, it is necessary to enable the terminal device to flexibly use the preferred carrier resources within its limited capacity.

[0082] In one example, as shown in FIG4 , a schematic diagram of cell switching based on L1 / L2 triggered mobility (layer1 / layer2 triggered mobility, L1 / L2 LTM) is provided. In FIG4 , the network side configures multiple service cells (CC1 to CC4) for the terminal device. The number of configured service cells (4) is greater than the number of carriers supported by the terminal device (2). Only activated service cells are counted in the capacity consumption of the terminal device. LTM technology can use layer 2 signaling to indicate cell switching, and the switching time is about 10 milliseconds (ms). Among them, MAC CE activation signaling takes about 5ms, abstract syntax notation one.decoding (ASN.1.decoding) + L2 / 3 re-cfg takes 1 to 6ms, and baseband (BB) retuning + radio frequency (RF) rerunning takes 1 to 2ms.

[0083] LTM technology requires that a terminal device switch to the PCell before switching to the cell. It does not support switching to the SCell alone. Currently, SCell switching requires an L3 signaling process, which includes RRC reconfiguration signaling, SCell activation, and RRC completion signaling, resulting in a latency of approximately 50ms. Therefore, LTM technology cannot fully and dynamically utilize downlink spectrum resources.

[0084] In another example, as shown in FIG5 , there is a schematic diagram of uplink carrier switching based on UL Tx switching. In FIG5 , the network side configures and activates multiple uplink service cells for the terminal device, and the number of activated uplink service cells is greater than or equal to the number of Txs of the terminal device. The UL Tx switching technology uses layer 1 scheduling to indicate the switching of Txs on different carriers, thereby enabling the terminal device to use a limited number of Txs to dynamically switch between multiple carriers, with an interruption time of approximately several hundred microseconds. In FIG5 , a square represents a time slot, U represents an upper and lower time slot, S represents a special time slot, and D represents a downlink time slot.

[0085] The R18 UL Tx switching technology is essentially designed to solve the problem of limited uplink Tx of terminals. It does not yet support downlink carrier switching when the downlink baseband processing capability is limited.

[0086] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which ensures that the terminal device can flexibly use carrier resources with limited capabilities when the number of secondary cells configured by the network device for the terminal device exceeds the number of cells supported by the terminal device's carrier aggregation capability, thereby improving the user experience.

[0087] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following explanations are made before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0088] 1. In the embodiment of the present application, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network may include an operator network, wherein the 3GPP network may include one or more operator networks.

[0089] 2. In the embodiments of the present application, "network element" and "node" can be logical entities or physical entities. In other words, in the embodiments of the present application, "device" can be used interchangeably with "network element" and will be described here as a unified description and will not be repeated below.

[0090] 3. In the embodiments of the present application, for the convenience of description, when numbering or indexing is involved, the consecutive numbering can start from 1, the consecutive numbering can also start from 0, or the numbering can start from any parameter.

[0091] 4. "Pre-definition," "pre-configuration," or "protocol agreement" may be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a network device or terminal device). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" may mean storing in one or more memories.

[0092] 5. The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as the long term evolution (LTE) protocol, the new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems (such as 6G communication systems). The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0093] 6. In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform judgment actions when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0094] 7. In the embodiments of the present application, “sending information to… (terminal device)” can be understood as the destination end of the information being the terminal device, and can include sending information to the terminal device directly or indirectly. “Receiving information from… (network device)” or “receiving information from… (network device)” can be understood as the source end of the information being the network device, and can include receiving information from the network device directly or indirectly. The information may be processed as necessary between the source end and the destination end of the information transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0095] 8. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the "and / or" in the embodiments of the present application indicates that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural. Moreover, "at least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions.

[0096] The embodiments of the present application can be applicable to LTE systems or NR systems (also referred to as fifth generation (5G) systems), systems with hybrid LTE and NR networking, vehicle to everything (V2X) systems, device-to-device (D2D) systems, machine to machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems (such as narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems), 6G systems and other systems evolved after 5G, as well as other next-generation communication systems. Alternatively, the communication system may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, without limitation.

[0097] In addition, the communication 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. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the communication 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.

[0098] Figure 6 shows a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the communication system may include: a network device and a terminal device. The terminal device is communicatively connected to the network device.

[0099] The network device in FIG6 is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication capabilities for terminal devices. That is, the network device can be used to communicate with terminal devices and, for example, can include an evolved base station (NodeB, eNB, or e-NodeB) in an LTE system or an enhanced LTE (LTE-advanced, LTE-A) system, such as a traditional macro eNB and a micro eNB in ​​a heterogeneous network scenario. Alternatively, it can include a next-generation node B (gNB) in an NR system. Alternatively, it can include a transmission reception point (TRP), a home base station (e.g., a home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), a baseband pool (BBU pool), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) access point (AP). Alternatively, it may include a base station in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), which can be deployed on an aircraft or satellite. In an NTN, the network device can function as a Layer 1 (L1) relay, a base station, or an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. Alternatively, the network device can be a device that implements base station functions in the IoT, such as drone communications, V2X, D2D, or machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

[0100] In some possible scenarios, the network device may also be a module or unit that can implement some of the functions of the base station. For example, the network device may be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU may be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0101] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, the network device may be a network device or a module of a network device in an open radio access network (open RAN, ORAN) system. In the ORAN system, CU may also be referred to as open (open, O)-CU, DU may also be referred to as O-DU, CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP, and RU may also be referred to as O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0102] Optionally, the base station in the embodiment of the present application may include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, home base stations, TRPs, transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0103] In the embodiments of the present application, the form of the network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0104] The terminal device involved in the embodiments of the present application can be a UE, an access terminal, a terminal unit, a user station, a terminal station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a user terminal terminal equipment, a mobile device, a wireless communication device, a terminal agent, a tablet computer (pad), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a vehicle-mounted transceiver unit, a wearable device, or a terminal device in a fifth generation mobile communication technology (5th generation, 5G) network or a public land mobile network (PLMN) evolved after 5G. The access terminal can be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a drone, a robot, an intelligent point of sale (POS) machine, a customer-premises equipment (CPE) or a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device. The terminal device may be a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, or a wireless terminal in smart home. Alternatively, the terminal device may be a terminal with communication capabilities in the Internet of Things (IoT), such as a terminal in V2X (e.g., a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) device), a terminal in D2D communication, or a terminal in M2M communication. The terminal device may be mobile or fixed.

[0105] The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device to implement the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0106] It should be noted that Figure 6 is an exemplary figure, and the number of devices shown in Figure 6 and the naming of the interfaces between the devices in Figure 6 are not limited. In addition to the network elements shown in Figure 6, the communication system shown in Figure 6 may also include other devices, such as core network devices, without limitation.

[0107] In specific implementation, the devices in Figure 6 can all adopt the composition structure shown in Figure 7, or include the components shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 can be a master device or a chip or system on chip in the master device. Alternatively, the communication device 700 can be a slave device or a chip or system on chip in the slave device. As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 700 includes a processor 701, a communication interface 702, and a communication line 703.

[0108] Furthermore, the communication device 700 may further include a memory 704 , wherein the processor 701 , the memory 704 and the communication interface 702 may be connected via a communication line 703 .

[0109] The processor 701 is a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 701 may also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0110] Communication interface 702 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. Such other communication networks may be Ethernet, radio access networks (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. Communication interface 702 may be a module, circuit, communication interface, or any other device capable of implementing communication.

[0111] The communication line 703 is used to transmit information between the components included in the communication device 700.

[0112] The memory 704 is used to store instructions, where the instructions may be computer programs.

[0113] The memory 704 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and / or instructions, or a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and / or instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0114] It should be noted that the memory 704 can exist independently of the processor 701 or can be integrated with the processor 701. The memory 704 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data. The memory 704 can be located within the communication device 700 or outside the communication device 700, without limitation. The processor 701 is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory 704 to implement the data transmission method for short-range wireless communication provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0115] In one example, the processor 701 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 7 .

[0116] As an optional implementation, the communication device 700 includes multiple processors. For example, in addition to the processor 701 in FIG. 7 , it may also include a processor 707 .

[0117] As an optional implementation, the communication apparatus 700 further includes an output device 705 and an input device 706. For example, the input device 706 is a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a joystick, or the like, and the output device 705 is a display screen, a speaker, or the like.

[0118] It should be noted that the communication device 700 can be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal, an embedded device, a chip system, or a device having a structure similar to that shown in FIG7 . Furthermore, the structure shown in FIG7 does not limit the network device and the terminal device. In addition to the components shown in FIG7 , the network device and the terminal device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0119] In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0120] In addition, the actions and terms involved in the various embodiments of this application can refer to each other without limitation. The names of the information exchanged between the various devices or the names of the parameters in the information are only examples, and other names can also be used in specific implementations without limitation.

[0121] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG6 .

[0122] It should be understood that the information names between the various devices or the names of the various parameters in the information in the following embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0123] As shown in FIG8 , a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0124] S801: A network device sends instruction information to a terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the instruction information from the network device.

[0125] The indication information may be used to indicate the activation of multiple secondary cells. For example, the indication information may be used to indicate the activation of K secondary cells. K is a positive integer. For example, the indication information may include the identification / numbering / coding of the K secondary cells. For example, the indication information may include the identity document (ID) of each secondary cell. K+S is greater than N-1, S represents the number of secondary cells activated by the terminal device, and N represents the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device; K and N are positive integers, and S is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0126] Optionally, the indication information is transmitted on the PCell.

[0127] It is understandable that the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device includes PCell.

[0128] Since K+S is greater than N-1, that is, K+S+1 is greater than N, it indicates that the number of cells to be activated (including the already activated PCell) is greater than the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0129] In some examples, the indication information may be a separate signaling, or may be carried in other information, for example, may be carried in a MAC CE, without limitation.

[0130] Optionally, the indication information is carried in downlink control information (DCI) transmitted by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0131] In one possible implementation, the network device may determine the value of K based on the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device. The maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device may be pre-configured by the network device, or may be obtained by the network device from other devices, such as other network devices that are in communication with the terminal device, or obtained from a core network device, or obtained through interaction with the terminal device.

[0132] In one example, when accessing a network device, the terminal device may actively send the network device the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0133] In another example, after receiving the request information from the network device, the terminal device may send the network device the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, wherein the request information is used to request the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0134] In a possible application scenario, when the terminal device needs to send data of a high-speed service or the network device needs to send a certain number of high-speed services to the terminal device, since the secondary cell currently activated by the terminal device cannot meet the transmission requirements of the high-speed service data, or the channel state of the currently activated secondary cell deteriorates, the network device can select a better carrier for transmitting PDSCH based on the service volume or channel state conditions, which is conducive to load balancing, thereby improving the user experience rate. Therefore, the network device can send an indication information to the terminal device to indicate the activation of K secondary cells.

[0135] In one example, when a terminal device needs to transmit high-speed service data, it can send a notification message to the network device, such as a scheduling request (SR) or a buffer state report (BSR), to notify the network device that high-speed service data needs to be transmitted. In response to the notification message, the network device can send indication information to the terminal device.

[0136] In another example, when the network device determines that it needs to transmit high-speed service data to the terminal device, for example, another terminal device transmits a request message to the network device requesting transmission of high-speed service data to the terminal device. In response to the request message, the network device may transmit indication information to the terminal device.

[0137] S802. The terminal device activates multiple secondary cells.

[0138] Among them, the implementation method of the terminal device activating the secondary cell can refer to the existing technology and will not be described in detail. One or more secondary cells in the activated secondary cell are in the first activation BWP (first active BWP). For example, the indication information indicates the activation of K secondary cells. After activating the K secondary cells, the terminal device can set the BWP of one or more secondary cells in the K secondary cells to the first activation BWP. The number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to the difference between the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device and 1. 1 refers to the primary cell (PCell) of the terminal device. For example, if the maximum cell data supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device is N, the number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to N-1. N is a positive integer.

[0139] In the embodiment of the present application, the first activated BWP of the secondary cell may include the first activated downlink BWP and / or the first activated downlink BWP. The terminal device may determine the corresponding first activated BWP based on the configuration information of the secondary cell. For example, the configuration information of a secondary cell may include information about multiple BWPs configured in the secondary cell (such as ID, cell number, frequency, etc.), as well as the ID corresponding to the first activated downlink BWP and the ID corresponding to the first activated uplink BWP. In this way, the terminal device can determine the first activated downlink BWP and the first activated downlink BWP of the secondary cell based on the ID of the BWP in the secondary cell.

[0140] Optionally, a secondary cell may include a downlink and an uplink, or only a downlink (for example, the terminal device only receives downlink data in the secondary cell), or only an uplink (for example, the terminal device only sends uplink data in the secondary cell).

[0141] In one possible scenario, the terminal device has an activated secondary cell before receiving the indication information. The terminal device can switch the BWP of the activated secondary cell to a special dormant BWP to release the N-1 carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0142] In one example, a terminal device has S activated secondary cells, where S is greater than 0. The terminal device can switch the BWP of one or more of the S activated secondary cells to a special dormant BWP. For example, S1 of the S cells can be switched to a special dormant BWP, where S-S1+K=N-1. S1 is an integer greater than or equal to 0. In this way, the terminal device can release part of the carrier aggregation capability. After activating K secondary cells, the number of all activated secondary cells is equal to N-1.

[0143] Optionally, S1 secondary cells may be selected from S cells according to a preset order of cell numbers and switched to the special dormant BWP.

[0144] Optionally, the preset sequence of cell numbers may be predetermined by a standard or configured by a network device.

[0145] Optionally, the network device can configure a cell set. If the secondary cells in the cell set have been activated and the BWP is not a special dormant BWP, the BWP of the secondary cells in the cell set remains unchanged and is not switched to the special dormant BWP. The BWP of the secondary cells not in the cell set can be switched to the special dormant BWP. In this way, certain secondary cells are always activated to ensure data transmission of terminal devices and ensure data transmission rate.

[0146] Optionally, the network device can configure a cell set. If the secondary cells in the cell set are activated and their BWP is not a special dormant BWP, the BWP of the secondary cells in the cell set is switched to the special dormant BWP, while the secondary cells not in the cell set are not switched to the special dormant BWP. In this way, the network device can clearly identify which secondary cells can be switched to the special dormant BWP, thereby releasing the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0147] Optionally, S1 is equal to 0, that is, the terminal device switches all the S activated secondary cells to the special dormant BWP.

[0148] In the embodiment of the present application, the special dormant BWP may be referred to as a special BWP, a special inactive BWP or other names. The special dormant BWP may be one of the multiple BWPs configured for the secondary cell. The special dormant BWP does not occupy / consume the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, or, on the special dormant BWP, the terminal device does not receive and / or parse channel information, for example, does not receive and / or parse PDSCH and other information. Alternatively, on the special dormant BWP, the terminal device does not monitor DCI, etc. Alternatively, on the special dormant BWP, the terminal device does not send uplink information, etc. Alternatively, the cell of the special dormant BWP does not limit the maximum number of cells that the terminal device can receive / transmit in parallel. That is, when calculating the number of secondary cells simultaneously activated by the terminal device based on the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, the secondary cell switched to the special dormant BWP is not counted. Subsequent special dormant BWPs can refer to the description here and will not be described in detail.

[0149] It can be understood that if the terminal device has an activated secondary cell before receiving the indication information, it is assumed that the BWP currently used (currently activated) by the activated secondary cell is not a special dormant BWP.

[0150] In another possible implementation, before receiving the indication information, the terminal device has no activated secondary cells. The terminal device activates the K secondary cells. One or more of the K activated secondary cells are in the first activated BWP.

[0151] In one scenario, when the number of multiple secondary cells indicated by the indication information exceeds the number of secondary cells supported by the terminal device, that is, K is greater than N-1, the terminal device can activate the multiple secondary cells through multiple rounds. The number of secondary cells that can be activated by the terminal device in each round can be less than or equal to N-1. After activation, the multiple secondary cells are in a special dormant BWP. For the remaining inactivated secondary cells among the K secondary cells, the terminal device can continue to activate them, and the remaining inactivated secondary cells are in the first activated BWP after activation.

[0152] The secondary cells activated in each round are selected according to a preset order of the cell numbers of the secondary cells, and the secondary cells activated in each round are placed in a special dormant BWP after activation. The secondary cells activated in the last round are placed in a first active BWP after activation.

[0153] Optionally, the preset order may be in the order of cell numbers from small to large, or from large to small.

[0154] Optionally, the preset order may be configured by the network device.

[0155] In one example, taking the indication of activating K secondary cells, where K is greater than or equal to N, as an example, the terminal device can activate L of the K secondary cells, and the L secondary cells are in a special dormant BWP after activation. Wherein, L is an integer multiple of N-1. For example, if N=3, then L can be 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. In the case where the terminal device activates N-1 secondary cells per round, the terminal device can activate the L secondary cells through P rounds. P*(N-1)=L. P is a positive integer. For the remaining KL secondary cells, the terminal device can continue to activate, and the KL secondary cells are in the first activation BWP after activation. For example, if the indication information indicates to activate 3 secondary cells, and the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device is 3, then the terminal device can activate a maximum of 2 secondary cells per round. The terminal device can activate 2 secondary cells in one round, and set the BWP of the 2 activated secondary cells to a special dormant BWP. After one round of activation, there is still one secondary cell that is not activated. The terminal device can continue to activate the remaining secondary cell and set the BWP after the activation of the remaining secondary cell as the first activated BWP.

[0156] As shown in Figure 9, taking the example of a terminal device with a maximum number of cells supported by carrier aggregation capabilities of 3 and an indication indicating the number of activated secondary cells as 3, the terminal device has already activated secondary cells Cell 1 and Cell 2, and the indication information indicates the activation of Cells 3 to 5. After receiving the indication information, the terminal device can switch the BWPs of Cells 1 and 2 to the special dormant BWP. In ascending order of cell numbers, the terminal device can first activate Cells 3 and 4. The terminal device can activate Cells 3 and 4, and after activation, Cells 3 and 4 are in the special dormant BWP. After activating Cells 3 and 4, since Cells 1 to 4 are all in the special dormant BWP, the carrier aggregation capabilities of the terminal device can also support the terminal device to continue activating secondary cells. Therefore, the terminal device can continue activating Cell 5, and after activation, Cell 5 is in the first activated BWP. At this point, all secondary cells configured by the terminal device are activated.

[0157] In one example, when K is greater than or equal to N, the terminal device needs multiple rounds to complete the activation of K secondary cells. In the last round of the above-mentioned P rounds of activation, that is, the P-th round of activation, if the number A of the remaining unactivated secondary cells is less than 2*(N-1), then only A%(N-1) secondary cells are activated in the P-th round of activation, where % represents the remainder operation. In this way, after completing the P rounds of activation, the number of remaining unactivated secondary cells is guaranteed to be N-1. In this way, after the last round of activation (that is, the P+1 round), the number of activated secondary cells (secondary cells in the first activation BWP) is N-1, which can maximize the use of the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device to improve the data transmission rate.

[0158] In another scenario, when the number of secondary cells indicated by the indication information does not exceed the number of secondary cells supported by the terminal device, that is, K is less than N-1, since the number of secondary cells that need to be activated is within the capabilities of the terminal device, the terminal device can directly activate the multiple secondary cells. For example, the terminal device can activate the multiple secondary cells synchronously to reduce activation latency. For another example, the terminal device can activate the multiple secondary cells sequentially to reduce the processing pressure on the terminal device. For example, the terminal device can activate the multiple secondary cells in ascending or descending order based on the identification numbers of the secondary cells.

[0159] It can be understood that in order to prioritize the activation of multiple secondary cells indicated by the indication information, before receiving the indication information, the terminal device has an activated secondary cell, then the terminal device can switch the BWP of the activated secondary cell to a special dormant BWP to ensure that the terminal device has sufficient capacity to activate the multiple secondary cells.

[0160] Furthermore, in combination with the above example, after P rounds of activation, if the number of remaining inactivated secondary cells, X, is less than N-1, after activating the X secondary cells, the X secondary cells are in the first activated BWP. At this time, the number of secondary cells in the activated BWP is less than N-1, which does not reach the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device. In this case, the terminal device can select R secondary cells from the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP and switch the BWP of the R secondary cells from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP. Where R = N-1-X.

[0161] For example, it can be seen from Figure 9 that after the terminal device activates all the secondary cells configured for the terminal, the number of secondary cells in the first activated BWP is 1, plus the activated PCell, which is less than the maximum number of cells 3 supported by the carrier capability of the terminal device, wasting the link resources and capabilities of the terminal device.

[0162] Furthermore, in order to improve the utilization rate of link resources of the terminal device, when the number of secondary cells in the first activated BWP is less than N-1, the terminal device can select R secondary cells from the secondary cells located in the special dormant BWP, and switch the BWP of the R secondary cells from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP.

[0163] It can be understood that the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP include: the secondary cells that have been activated before receiving the indication information and have switched the BWP to the special dormant BWP, and the secondary cells in the K secondary cells that have been activated in the previous P rounds and are in the special dormant BWP.

[0164] In the embodiment of the present application, the R secondary cells may be specified by the protocol, configured by the network device for the terminal device, or indicated by the network device to the terminal device through information. For example, the R secondary cells may be configured by the network device for the terminal device through RRC, or indicated to the terminal device through MAC CE. For another example, the PDSCH carrying the indication information for activating K secondary cells may also carry selection rules, which may be used to select R secondary cells from the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP. For example, the selection rule may include selecting secondary cells from large to small according to the cell number of the cell, or selecting secondary cells from small to large according to the cell number. Of course, the selection rule may also include other rules, such as selecting secondary cells from high to low according to the channel quality of the secondary cells, which is not limited. In the embodiment of the present application, the selection rule may be carried in the PDSCH in the form of a cell number list.

[0165] In some examples, the R secondary cells are selected according to a preset order of cell numbers of the secondary cells. For example, the R secondary cells are secondary cells with larger cell numbers among the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP.

[0166] This preset order can be predefined by a standard or configured by a network device. Alternatively, it can be a preset order that is the reverse of the preset order selected when activating the K secondary cells. For example, when activating K secondary cells, P rounds of secondary cell selection are performed sequentially in ascending order of cell numbers. Therefore, when selecting R secondary cells, R secondary cells are selected from the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP in descending order of cell numbers.

[0167] For example, if there are five secondary cells in a special dormant BWP, X=1, N=3, then R=3-1-1=1. That is, the terminal device can select one secondary cell from the five secondary cells in the special dormant BWP and switch from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP. The one secondary cell can be the secondary cell with the largest cell number among the five secondary cells.

[0168] For another example, if there are five secondary cells in a special dormant BWP, X = 1, N = 4, then R = 4-1-1 = 2. That is, the terminal device can select two secondary cells from the five secondary cells in the special dormant BWP and switch from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP. The two secondary cells can be the two secondary cells with larger cell numbers among the five secondary cells.

[0169] In one example, in combination with FIG9 above, as shown in FIG10, in the secondary cells cell1 to cell5 configured for the terminal device on the network side, the BWP of cell1 to cell4 is a special dormant BWP, and the BWP of cell5 is the first activated BWP. The terminal device can select R=N-1-X=3-1-1=1 secondary cell (i.e., cell4) according to the cell number from large to small, and switch the BWP of the secondary cell (cell4) from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP. At this time, the multiple secondary cells configured by the terminal device have been activated, and the BWP of two secondary cells (cell4 and cell5) are in the first activated BWP and the BWP of the primary cell of the terminal device is in the activated BWP, which is consistent with the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0170] Based on the technical solution of Figure 6, since the number of secondary cells indicated to be activated and the number of secondary cells activated by the terminal device plus the number of primary service cells of the terminal device (i.e., 1) exceeds the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, at this time, the terminal device can activate the K secondary cells, and the BWP of one or more secondary cells in the K secondary cells after activation is in the first activation BWP. The number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to the difference between the number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device and 1. In this way, when the terminal device activates the K secondary cells, it can also make the number of secondary cells in the activation BWP meet the number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device, thereby ensuring normal data transmission of the terminal device.

[0171] In some embodiments, the method provided in the embodiments of the present application may further include: the terminal device transmits data through the activated secondary cell.

[0172] The activated secondary cell may refer to a secondary cell whose BWP is in the first activated BWP. It is understood that since the activated secondary cell is in the first activated BWP, the terminal device can transmit data on the secondary cell in the first activated BWP. For example, the terminal device can receive data from the network device or send data to the network device. This ensures normal data transmission between the terminal device and the network device.

[0173] In some embodiments, after sending the indication information, the network device may configure the multiple secondary cells indicated by the indication information as the first activated BWP. Alternatively, after receiving an activation response from the terminal device, the network device may set the BWPs of K secondary cells as the first activated BWP according to the activation response. If the activation response indicates that the secondary cell is in a special dormant BWP, the network device may set the BWP of the secondary cell to a special dormant BWP to maintain consistency with the terminal device.

[0174] In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the terminal device can complete the activation of the secondary cell in a timely manner, in the embodiments of the present application, the activation delay for the terminal device to activate K secondary cells is specified.

[0175] Among them, the activation delay can be in the protocol, configured by the network device for the terminal device, or indicated by the network device. For example, it can be included in the indication information, or it can be indicated by the network device through separate signaling, without limitation.

[0176] The activation delay of the K secondary cells is related to the HARQ delay, BWP switching delay, cell activation delay, and CSI reporting delay. The BWP switching delay may refer to the BWP switching delay of the secondary cell. For example, the BWP switching delay may include the switching delay of the secondary cell's BWP to the special dormant BWP, the switching delay of the secondary cell's BWP to the first activated BWP, and the switching delay of the secondary cell's BWP from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP. The activation delay of the secondary cell described above is described below with reference to specific scenarios.

[0177] In one possible scenario, K is less than N-1, that is, the indication information indicates that the number of activated secondary cells does not exceed the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0178] In one example, if the terminal device has an activated secondary cell, the above-mentioned BWP switching delay may refer to the maximum delay for switching the BWP of the activated secondary cell from an active BWP to a special dormant BWP.

[0179] For example, the activation delay T of K secondary cells is less than or equal to T1. T1 can be:

[0180] T1=T HARQ +T BWP_switch +Tactivation_time_multiple_scells+T CSI_reporting .

[0181] Among them, T BWP_switchIt can represent the switching delay of the BWP of the secondary cell from the activated BWP to the special dormant BWP. Other parameters can refer to the above formula 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0182] Furthermore, in combination with the above formula 1, the time slot n1 in which the terminal device completes the activation of the secondary cell at the latest can be as shown in formula 2.

[0183] That is, the terminal device completes the activation of K secondary cells before T1 at the latest.

[0184] Optionally, the above BWP switching delay (T BWP_switch ) can be the maximum BWP switching delay configured by the network device, or the BWP switching delay supported by the terminal device, or the BWP switching delay corresponding to the minimum subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the terminal device. Optionally, it can be the maximum BWP switching delay for switching the BWP to the special dormant BWP among S activated secondary cells (assuming that the BWP switching delays of different secondary cells are different).

[0185] In another example, if the terminal device does not have an activated secondary cell before activating K secondary cells, then T in the above T1 is BWP_switch =0.

[0186] In another possible scenario, K is greater than N, that is, the indication information indicates that the number of activated secondary cells exceeds the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

[0187] It can be understood that when the number of K secondary cells indicated by the indication information exceeds the number of cells supported by the terminal device, the terminal device needs to activate the K secondary cells in multiple rounds. Therefore, the activation delay is also extended accordingly. In combination with the previous embodiment, the extended activation delay T is related to the HAQR delay, BWP handover delay, cell activation delay, CSI reporting delay, as well as K and N.

[0188] For example, the activation delay T can be less than or equal to T2. T2 can be:

[0189] T2=T HARQ +T BWP_switch *M1+Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2+T CSI_reporting .

[0190] Among them, M1 and M2 can be related to K and N.

[0191] In one example, before the terminal device receives the indication information, if there is no activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(K / (N-1))-1, M2 = ceil(K / (N-1)). Wherein, ceil(x) represents the smallest integer greater than or equal to x, and / represents a division operation. For example, K = 3, N = 3, then if the terminal device does not have an activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(3 / 2)-1 = 1, M2 = ceil(3 / 2) = 2. If the terminal device has an activated secondary cell, M1 = ceil(3 / 2) = 2.

[0192] The above T2 is equivalent to including M1 BWP switching delays. For example, if the terminal device has an activated secondary cell before activating K secondary cells, the BWP of the activated secondary cell needs to be switched to a special dormant BWP, which corresponds to one BWP switching delay. If the terminal device requires multiple rounds to complete the switching of K secondary cells, for example, K=3 and N=3, the terminal device needs to activate three secondary cells in two rounds. The first round completes the activation of two secondary cells. After activation, the BWP is first set to the first active BWP, and then the first active BWP is switched to the special dormant BWP, which corresponds to one BWP switching delay. The second round then completes the activation of the remaining secondary cell, and after activation, the BWP is set to the first active BWP, thus completing the activation of all three secondary cells. Therefore, in this case, M1 equals 2, and T2 includes two BWP switching delays. If the terminal device does not have an activated secondary cell before activating K secondary cells, M1 equals 1, and T2 includes only one BWP switching delay.

[0193] Optionally, after each round of secondary cell activation, the terminal device can directly set the BWP of the secondary cell to a special dormant BWP, and only after the last round of secondary cell activation, set the BWP of the secondary cell to the first activated BWP. In this way, in the above T2, M1 has only two values, 1 or 0. When the terminal device has an activated secondary cell before activating K secondary cells, it is necessary to switch the BWP of the activated secondary cell to a special dormant BWP. At this time, M1=1. In the process of activating K secondary cells, it is no longer necessary to perform BWP switching. If the terminal device does not have an activated secondary cell before activating K secondary cells, M1 is equal to 0.

[0194] Based on this scenario, the terminal device can complete the activation of multiple secondary cells in a timely manner according to the activation delay.

[0195] In another possible scenario, the terminal device needs to select N-1-X secondary cells from the secondary cells located in the special dormant BWP and switch the BWPs of these N-1-X secondary cells from the special dormant BWP to other BWPs, for example, switching to the first active BWP. The activation delay of the K secondary cells may also need to be extended. The extended activation delay T is related to the HAQR delay, BWP switching delay, cell activation delay, CSI reporting delay, as well as K and N.

[0196] For example, the activation delay T can be less than or equal to T3. T3 can be:

[0197] T3=T HARQ +T BWP_switch *(M1+M3)+Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2+T CSI_reporting .

[0198] M1 and M2 can refer to the description of M1 and M2 in the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here. M3 is related to K and N. For example, when K is a multiple of N-1, that is, when K%(N-1)=0, M3=0. When K is not a multiple of N-1, when K%(N-1)≠0, that is, M3=1. % represents the remainder operation.

[0199] Based on this scenario, when the terminal device needs to activate multiple secondary cells through multiple activation cycles (i.e., multiple rounds), in order to fully utilize the capabilities of the terminal device, the activation delay of the terminal device can be extended to ensure that the terminal device can activate multiple secondary cells.

[0200] It can be understood that the multiples of N-1 mentioned above represent multiples of (N-1), rather than N minus (multiples of 1).

[0201] The various solutions in the above embodiments of the present application can be combined under the premise that there is no contradiction.

[0202] Among them, the actions of the terminal device in the above steps S801 to S802 can be performed by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in Figure 7 calling the application code stored in the memory 703 to instruct the communication device 700 to execute, and the actions of the network device in the above steps S801 to S802 can be performed by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in Figure 7 calling the application code stored in the memory 703 to instruct the communication device 700 to execute. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0203] The above description primarily describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application also provide a communication device for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device can be a terminal device in the above method embodiments, or a component usable in a terminal device; alternatively, the communication device can be a network device in the above method embodiments, or a component usable in a network device. It will be understood that, to implement the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0204] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device can be divided into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be understood that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0205] For example, taking the communication device as a terminal device in the above method embodiment, FIG11 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device 1100. The terminal device 1100 includes a transceiver module 1101 and a processing module 1102. The transceiver module 1101, which may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement transceiver functions, and may be, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0206] Transceiver module 1101 is configured to receive information indicating activation of K secondary cells. K + S is greater than N - 1. S represents the number of secondary cells activated by the terminal device, and N represents the maximum number of cells supported by the terminal device's carrier aggregation capability. Processing module 1102 is configured to activate K secondary cells, where one or more of the K activated secondary cells are in a first activation BWP. The number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to N - 1.

[0207] Among them, the transceiver module 1101 can be used to implement the transceiver function corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 1102 can be used to implement the processing function corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiment. Furthermore, all relevant contents of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, which will not be repeated here.

[0208] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device 1100 is presented in the form of various functional modules divided in an integrated manner. The "module" here can refer to a specific ASIC, circuit, processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the terminal device 1100 can take the form of the communication device 700 shown in Figure 7.

[0209] For example, the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 may call the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703 to enable the communication device 700 to execute the communication method in the above method embodiment.

[0210] Specifically, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 1101 and the processing module 1102 in FIG11 can be implemented by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 1102 in FIG11 can be implemented by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 1101 in FIG11 can be implemented by the communication interface 704 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7.

[0211] Since the terminal device 1100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can execute the above-mentioned communication method, the technical effects that can be obtained can be referred to the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0212] Alternatively, for example, taking the communication device as the network device in the above method embodiment, FIG12 shows a schematic structural diagram of a network device 1200. The network device 1200 includes a transceiver module 1201 and a processing module 1202. The transceiver module 1201, also known as a transceiver unit, is used to implement transceiver functions and can be, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0213] The transceiver module 1201 is configured to send instruction information for activating K secondary cells; the processing module 1102 is configured to activate the K secondary cells. The transceiver module 1201 can be configured to implement the corresponding transceiver functions of the network device in the above-described method embodiment, and the processing module 1202 can be configured to implement the corresponding processing functions of the network device in the above-described method embodiment. Furthermore, all relevant content of each step involved in the above-described method embodiment can be referenced to the functional description of the corresponding functional module and will not be repeated here.

[0214] In the embodiment of the present application, the network device 1200 is presented in the form of various functional modules divided in an integrated manner. The "module" here can refer to a specific ASIC, circuit, processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can imagine that the network device 1200 can take the form of the communication device 700 shown in Figure 7.

[0215] For example, the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 may call the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703 to enable the communication device 700 to execute the communication method in the above method embodiment.

[0216] Specifically, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 1201 and the processing module 1202 in FIG12 can be implemented by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 1202 in FIG12 can be implemented by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 1201 in FIG12 can be implemented by the communication interface 704 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7.

[0217] Since the network device 1200 provided in this embodiment can execute the above-mentioned communication method, the technical effects that can be obtained can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0218] It should be understood that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented in software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into an SoC (system on chip) or an ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), PLDs (programmable logic devices), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0219] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a DSP chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0220] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the method in any of the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the communication device also includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data, and the processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip, or it may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0221] In one possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any of the above method embodiments or any of its implementations.

[0222] In a possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the network device described in the above method embodiment and the terminal device described in the above method embodiment.

[0223] In a possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method, which includes the method described in any of the above method embodiments or any of its implementations.

[0224] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more media integrated therein. The available media may be magnetic media (eg, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (eg, DVDs), or semiconductor media (eg, solid state drives (SSDs)).

[0225] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0226] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Including: Receiving indication information for indicating to activate K secondary cells of a terminal device; K + S is greater than N - 1, where S represents the number of secondary cells already activated by the terminal device, and N represents the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device; K and N are positive integers, and S is an integer greater than or equal to 0; Activating the K secondary cells, and one or more of the activated K secondary cells are in a first activated bandwidth part (BWP), and the number of the one or more secondary cells is less than or equal to N - 1.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When K is less than N and S is greater than 0, before activating the K secondary cells, the method further includes: Switching the BWP of the S already activated secondary cells to a special dormant BWP; wherein the secondary cell where the special dormant BWP is located does not occupy the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The K secondary cells are in the first activated BWP after activation.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The activation delay of the K secondary cells is related to the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) delay, the BWP switching delay, the cell activation delay, and the channel state information (CSI) reporting delay.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The activation delay T of the K secondary cells is less than or equal to T1, where T1 = T HARQ + T BWP_switch + Tactivation_time_multiple_scells + T CSI_reporting ; where T HARQ represents the HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells represents the cell activation delay, and T CSI_reporting represents the CSI reporting delay, and T BWP_switch represents the BWP switching delay.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein When K is greater than or equal to N, the method further includes: If S is greater than 0, switching the BWP of the S already activated secondary cells to a special dormant BWP; Activating L secondary cells among the K secondary cells, and the L secondary cells are in the special dormant BWP after activation; L is an integer multiple of N - 1, and L is less than K, and L + N - 1 is greater than or equal to K; Activating the remaining unactivated secondary cells among the K secondary cells, and the X activated secondary cells are in the first activated BWP; where X represents the number of the remaining unactivated secondary cells among the K secondary cells, and X = K - L.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The activating L secondary cells among the K secondary cells includes: Activating the L secondary cells in P rounds, and the secondary cells activated in each round are selected according to a preset order of the cell numbers of the secondary cells. N - 1 secondary cells are activated in each round, and the secondary cells activated in each round are in the special dormant BWP after activation, P*(N - 1) = L, and P is a positive integer.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, When X is less than N - 1, the method further includes: Switching the BWP of R secondary cells among the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP from the special dormant BWP to the first activated BWP, where R = N - 1 - X.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The R secondary cells are the R secondary cells with the largest cell numbers among the secondary cells in the special dormant BWP.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6-9, characterized in that, The activation delay of the K secondary cells is related to the HARQ delay, the BWP switching delay, the cell activation delay, the CSI reporting delay, K, and N.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The activation delay of the K secondary cells is less than or equal to T2, where T2 = T HARQ + T BWP_switch * M1 + Tactivation_time_multiple_scells * M2 + T CSI_reporting ; where T HARQ represents the HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells represents the cell activation delay, and T CSI_reporting represents the CSI reporting delay, and T BWP_switch represents the BWP switching delay; M1 and M2 are respectively related to K and N.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The activation delay of the K secondary cells is less than or equal to T3, where T3 = T HARQ + T BWP_switch *(M1 + 1)+ Tactivation_time_multiple_scells*M2 + T CSI_reporting ; where T HARQ represents the HARQ delay, Tactivation_time_multiple_scells represents the cell activation delay, and T CSI_reporting represents the CSI reporting delay, and T BWP_switch represents the BWP switching delay; M1 and M2 are related to K and N respectively.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, When S is 0, M1 = ceil(K / (N - 1)) - 1; when S is greater than 0, M1 = ceil(K / (N - 1)); where ceil(x) represents the smallest integer greater than or equal to x; M2 = ceil(K / (N - 1)).

14. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: a processor and a communication interface coupled to the processor, The processor is configured to: receive indication information through the communication interface, where the indication information is used to indicate activation of K secondary cells of a terminal device; K + S is greater than N - 1, S represents the number of secondary cells that have been activated by the terminal device, and N represents the maximum number of cells supported by the carrier aggregation capability of the terminal device; K and N are positive integers, and S is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes one or more processors and one or more memories; the one or more memories are coupled to the one or more processors, and the one or more memories are configured to store computer program code or computer instructions; When the one or more processors execute the computer instructions, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or a program, and when the computer instructions or the program runs on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

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