Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, for use in solving the problem of high power consumption caused by continuing data transmission when data transmission of a terminal device is interrupted. The method comprises: sending a first message, wherein the first message is used for requesting to retain first data transmitted by the terminal device, alternatively, the first message indicates the remaining battery level of the terminal device and / or data volume of data to be transmitted; sending the first data in the data to be transmitted; and sending second data in the data to be transmitted. A network device retains data transmitted by a terminal device, so that the transmitted data does not need to be retransmitted when the data transmission of the terminal device is interrupted and reconnection is carried out. For example, the network device does not release the data transmitted before the terminal device is powered off, so that the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data when the battery level is recovered, without retransmitting the transmitted data, and therefore, the terminal device can save the energy required for repeatedly transmitting the data, thereby reducing power consumption.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 28, 2023, with application number 202311287437.3 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] During the process of transmitting data from a terminal device to a network device, the connection may be suddenly interrupted. For example, due to exhaustion of power or low power, the terminal device may suddenly be unable to maintain the connection, which in turn causes the terminal device to be unable to respond to the downlink signaling of the network device. This will eventually cause the network device to disconnect from the terminal device, release the user equipment (UE) context, and put the terminal device into an idle state. In this case, when the terminal device recovers to a state where it can communicate normally (for example, the terminal device regains power), it needs to re-randomly access, establish a connection with the network side, and then retransmit the interrupted data. It can be seen that when the terminal device suddenly loses connection during the transmission process, it needs to re-establish the connection when retransmitting data / data packets next time, and retransmit the data that failed to be transmitted before, which consumes a lot of power.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for solving the problem of high power consumption when continuing to transmit data after data transmission of a terminal device is interrupted.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the executing subject of the method may be a terminal device or a chip, a chip system or a circuit located in the terminal device, and the method may be implemented by the following steps: sending a first message, the first message carrying at least one of the following: an indication information requesting to retain the first data transmitted by the terminal device, the remaining power of the terminal device, or the amount of data to be transmitted; sending the first data among the data to be transmitted; and sending the second data among the data to be transmitted.

[0008] This application uses a network device to retain data transmitted by a terminal device, so that after the terminal device's data transmission is interrupted and reconnected, there is no need to retransmit the transmitted data. For example, by saving the data transmitted by the terminal device before power failure and not releasing it, the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data after power is restored without retransmitting the transmitted data. This allows the terminal device to save the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduce power consumption.

[0009] In one possible design, before sending the first message, the method also includes: determining whether the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the data to be transmitted meet preset conditions.

[0010] Through the above design, a terminal device with insufficient power can transmit a part of the data before the power is exhausted, and the network side can save the part of the data, so that the part of the data does not need to be retransmitted after the power is restored, saving energy and reducing power consumption.

[0011] In one possible design, before sending the first data in the data to be transmitted, the method also includes: receiving a second message, where the second message is used to instruct to save the first data.

[0012] Through the above design, the network side can trigger the terminal device to transmit a part of the data before the power is exhausted, so that there is no need to retransmit the part of the data after the power is restored, saving energy and reducing power consumption.

[0013] In one possible design, before sending the second data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: sending a third message, the third message being used to request a retransmission. Through the above design, the terminal device and the network device can align the data transmission behavior, thereby improving the performance of data transmission.

[0014] In a possible design, the third message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data. Through the above design, it is beneficial for the network device to reorganize the received data, thereby improving the performance of data transmission.

[0015] In one possible design, sending the second data in the data to be transmitted includes sending a fourth message, where the fourth message is used to request to restore the connection and the fourth message carries the second data. The above design sends the second data via small packet transmission, eliminating the need for re-random access, thereby further reducing power consumption.

[0016] In a possible design, the fourth message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data. The above design is helpful for the network device to reorganize the received data, thereby improving the performance of data transmission.

[0017] In a possible design, the method further includes: sending a fifth message, the fifth message being used to indicate the end of data transmission. Through the above design, the network side can release relevant configurations and entities in a timely manner, thereby saving network resources.

[0018] In one possible design, the amount of the first data is less than or equal to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted supported by the remaining power.

[0019] In one possible design, before sending the second data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: determining whether the power level of the terminal device has recovered to a preset threshold. The above design can reduce the delay of data transmission by continuing data transmission after the terminal device recovers its power level.

[0020] In one possible design, the terminal device is a passive device or a semi-passive device.

[0021] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, the execution subject of the method can be a network device or a chip, chip system or circuit located in the network device, and the method can be implemented by the following steps: receiving a first message, the first message carrying at least one of the following: an indication information requesting to retain the first data transmitted by the terminal device, the remaining power of the terminal device, or the amount of data to be transmitted; receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted; retaining the first data; receiving the second data in the data to be transmitted.

[0022] The present application retains the data transmitted by the terminal device before power failure through the first network device and does not release it, so that the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data after the power is restored without retransmitting the transmitted data. In this way, the terminal device can save the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduce power consumption.

[0023] In one possible design, before receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted, the method also includes: determining whether the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the data to be transmitted meet preset conditions; and sending a second message, where the second message is used to indicate that the first data is to be saved.

[0024] Through the above design, the network side can trigger the terminal device to transmit a part of the data before the power is exhausted, so that there is no need to retransmit the part of the data after the power is restored, saving energy and reducing power consumption.

[0025] In one possible design, before receiving the second data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: receiving a third message, the third message being used to request a retransmission. Through the above design, the terminal device and the network device can align data transmission behaviors, thereby improving data transmission performance.

[0026] In a possible design, the third message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data. Through the above design, it is beneficial for the network device to reorganize the received data, thereby improving the performance of data transmission.

[0027] In one possible design, the method also includes: saving context information of the terminal device; receiving second data in the data to be transmitted, including: receiving a fourth message, the fourth message is used to request to restore the connection, and the fourth message carries the second data.

[0028] The above design sends the second data in a packet transmission manner, without the need for random access again, thereby further reducing power consumption.

[0029] In a possible design, the fourth message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data. The above design is helpful for the network device to reorganize the received data, thereby improving the performance of data transmission.

[0030] In one possible design, the method further includes: determining that the data transmission is completed. Through the above design, the network side can release relevant configurations and entities in a timely manner, thereby saving network resources.

[0031] In one possible design, determining the end of data transmission includes: receiving a fifth message, where the fifth message is used to indicate the end of data transmission. The above design indicates the end of data transmission on the terminal side, which can enable the network side to release relevant configurations and entities in a timely manner, thereby saving network resources.

[0032] In one possible design, determining the end of data transmission includes: not receiving data from the terminal device within the second time period. The above design determines the end of data transmission on the network side, which can enable the network side to release related configurations and entities in a timely manner, thereby saving network resources.

[0033] In one possible design, the method further includes: reorganizing the first data and the second data.

[0034] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the executing subject of the method may be a network device or a chip, chip system or circuit located in the network device, and the method may be implemented by the following steps: receiving a first message, the first message carrying at least one of the following: an indication information requesting to retain the first data transmitted by the terminal device, the remaining power of the terminal device, or the amount of data to be transmitted; receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted; retaining the first data; receiving a sixth message, the sixth message being used to request the first data; and sending the first data.

[0035] In the present application, after the terminal device switches to the second network device, the data transmitted by the terminal device before power failure is retained by the first network device and sent to the second network device, so that the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data after power is restored without retransmitting the transmitted data. In this way, the terminal device can save the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduce power consumption.

[0036] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving a seventh message, the seventh message being used to request context information of the terminal device; and sending all or part of the context information of the terminal device.

[0037] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving second data; and sending first data and second data to a core network device.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The execution subject of the method can be a network device or a chip, chip system or circuit located in the network device. The method can be implemented through the following steps: receiving second data; sending a sixth message to the first network device, the sixth message being used to request the first data; and receiving the first data.

[0039] In the present application, after the terminal device switches to the second network device, the data transmitted by the terminal device before power failure is retained by the first network device and sent to the second network device, so that the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data after power is restored without retransmitting the transmitted data. In this way, the terminal device can save the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduce power consumption.

[0040] In one possible design, receiving the second data includes: receiving a fourth message, the fourth message being used to request restoration of the connection, and the fourth message carrying the second data. The above method sends the second data by way of small packet transmission, without the need for re-random access, thereby further reducing power consumption.

[0041] In one possible design, the method also includes: sending a seventh message, where the seventh message is used to request context information of the terminal device; and receiving all or part of the context information of the terminal device.

[0042] In one possible design, the method also includes: sending first data and second data.

[0043] In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides a communication device, which is a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device. The communication device has the function of implementing any of the methods provided in the first aspect above. The communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in executing the corresponding functions of the terminal device in the method described above. The communication device may also include a memory, which may be coupled to the processor and stores program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device also includes an interface circuit for supporting communication between the communication device and devices such as the first network device and the second network device, such as the transmission and reception of data or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules for implementing the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0046] In one possible design, the structure of the communication device includes a processing unit (or processing unit) and a communication unit (or communication unit), which can perform the corresponding functions in the above method example. For details, please refer to the description of the method provided in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, the present application further provides a communication device, which is a network device or a chip in a network device. The communication device has the function of implementing any of the methods provided in the second aspect, the third aspect, or the fourth aspect. The communication device can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0048] In one possible design, the communication device includes: a processor configured to support the communication device in executing the corresponding functions of the network device in the method shown above. The communication device may also include a memory, which may be coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is used to support communication between the communication device and devices such as terminal devices, other network devices, and core network devices, such as the transmission and reception of data or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface can be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules for implementing the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0050] In one possible design, the structure of the communication device includes a processing unit (or processing unit) and a communication unit (or communication unit), which can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples. For details, please refer to the description of the method provided in the second aspect, the third aspect or the fourth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0051] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, the processor being used to implement the method in the aforementioned first aspect and any possible design through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0052] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, the processor being used to implement the methods of the aforementioned second aspect, third aspect, or fourth aspect and any possible design through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0053] In the ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, the method of the aforementioned first aspect, second aspect, third aspect, or fourth aspect and any possible design is implemented.

[0054] In the tenth aspect, a computer program product storing instructions is provided, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method in the aforementioned first aspect, second aspect, third aspect, or fourth aspect and any possible design.

[0055] In an eleventh aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and possibly a memory, for implementing the methods of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects, and any possible designs. The chip system may be composed solely of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0056] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the device described in the first aspect (such as a terminal device) and the device described in the second aspect (such as a network device).

[0057] In the thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the device described in the first aspect (such as a terminal device), the device described in the third aspect (such as a first network device), and the device described in the fourth aspect (such as a second network device).

[0058] The technical effects that can be achieved by the technical solutions in any of the fifth to thirteenth aspects mentioned above can be described with reference to the technical effects that can be achieved by the technical solutions in the first aspect mentioned above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a process of sending second data according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of another process of sending second data according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG5 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a process of sending data to a core network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of another process of sending data to a core network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] Below, some terms used in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0070] 1) Radio resource control (RRC) status of the terminal device

[0071] There are three RRC states for terminal devices: RRC connected (RRC_CONNECTED), RRC idle (RRC_IDLE) and RRC inactive (RRC_INACTIVE).

[0072] RRC connection state (or, can also be simply referred to as connection state. In this article, "connection state" and "RRC connection state" are the same concept and the two names can be interchanged): the terminal device establishes an RRC connection with the network and can transmit data.

[0073] RRC idle state (or, can also be simply referred to as idle state. In this article, "idle state" and "RRC idle state" are the same concept and the two names can be interchanged): the terminal device has not established an RRC connection with the network, and the access network device has not stored the context of the terminal device. If the terminal device needs to enter the RRC connected state from the RRC idle state, it needs to initiate the RRC connection establishment process.

[0074] RRC inactive state (or, can also be simply referred to as inactive state. In this article, "deactivated state", "deactivated state", "inactive state", "RRC inactive state" or "RRC deactivated state", etc., are the same concept, and these names can be interchanged): the terminal device previously entered the RRC connected state on the access network device, and then the access network device released the RRC connection, but the access network device saved the context of the terminal device. When the terminal device needs to enter the RRC connected state, it can initiate the RRC connection recovery process.

[0075] 2) Terminal device: Also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., it refers to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. For example, handheld devices and vehicle-mounted devices with wireless connectivity capabilities. Currently, some examples of terminals include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. Terminal devices can also include tags, passive IoT devices, or active IoT devices based on passive technology, such as semi-passive tags. Semi-passive tags are electronic tags that have a power source but do not emit radio frequency signals. They can also be energy storage tags or solar charging tags. Terminal devices can also include read / write devices such as readers, as well as excitation devices or auxiliary devices that can only send downlink excitation signals or data to tags.

[0076] Tags can also be called electronic tags or RFID tags or tag devices. Alternatively, tags can also be called ambient IoT (AIoT) terminals or AIoT devices. In this application, tags can also be regarded as a terminal device. Tags can be divided into passive tags, semi-passive tags and active tags. Among them, passive tags and semi-passive tags can adopt a communication method based on backscatter, and active tags adopt a communication method that actively generates a carrier.

[0077] The terminal devices in this application can be of the following three types:

[0078] Passive terminal: no energy storage, cannot generate signals independently, and uses backscattering to transmit signals;

[0079] Semi-passive terminal: It has energy storage but cannot generate signals independently. It uses backscattering to transmit signals. The stored energy can amplify the reflected signal.

[0080] Active terminal: has energy storage, can generate signals independently, and has active RF components for transmission.

[0081] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described by taking the terminal device as an example in which the device for implementing the function of the terminal is a terminal device.

[0082] 3) Network equipment: A radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, also known as a base station. Examples of RAN nodes include: evolved Node B (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or HNB), base band unit (BBU), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP). In addition, in a network architecture, network equipment may include a centralized unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device that includes both a CU node and a DU node. RAN equipment, including CU and DU nodes, splits the protocol layers of the eNB in ​​the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, centrally controlling some protocol layer functions within the CU and distributing some or all of the remaining protocol layer functions within the DU, which is then centrally controlled by the CU. Network equipment can also include read / write devices such as readers and readers, as well as activation devices or auxiliary devices that can only send downlink activation signals or data to tags.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "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. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0084] Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish between multiple objects and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, the first message and the second message are only used to distinguish different messages and do not indicate differences in content, priority, or importance between the two messages.

[0085] It should be noted that, in this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0086] The terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof mentioned in the following description of the embodiments of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0087] The foregoing text introduces some of the terms and concepts involved in the embodiments of this application. The following text introduces the technical features involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0088] For terminal devices with low battery, if the terminal device runs out of power or falls below the minimum transmission voltage / power threshold during data transmission, the terminal device will suddenly be unable to maintain the connection and data transmission will be interrupted. In the low battery state, the terminal device cannot respond to the network device's downlink signaling (such as RRC release / reconfiguration information) with a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) response, which will eventually cause the network device to disconnect the RRC connection with the terminal device, release the terminal device context, and the terminal device to enter the RRC_IDLE state.

[0089] After the terminal device recovers power and transmits data to the network device, it loses its context and connection configuration. Therefore, it needs to reestablish the RRC connection with the network device through a random access process, transitioning from the RRC_IDLE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state. The original data is then retransmitted. However, because the HARQ process does not complete due to a partially transmitted packet, the network device discards the previously transmitted data. This indicates that transmitting data after a power outage consumes more power.

[0090] Based on this, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for resolving the issue of high power consumption when continuing to transmit data after an interruption in data transmission on a terminal device. The method and apparatus are based on the same inventive concept. Since the principles for solving the problems solved by the method and apparatus are similar, the implementation of the apparatus and method can be referenced to each other, and any repetitions will not be repeated.

[0091] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, for example, the Internet of Things (IoT), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), long term evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G) communication systems, hybrid architectures of LTE and 5G, 6G or new communication systems emerging in future communication developments, etc. The communication system can also be a machine to machine (M2M) network, machine type communication (MTC) or other network. The communication system can also be a passive Internet of Things network communication system, a semi-passive Internet of Things network communication system, etc.

[0092] The following describes a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, in conjunction with Figure 1. Referring to Figure 1, a communication system architecture is shown, which includes a network device 101 and a terminal device 102. The number of devices in the communication system shown in Figure 1 is for example only and does not limit the present application.

[0093] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0094] The breakpoint resume involved in this application can be understood as a mechanism or process that allows terminal devices to perform discontinuous transmission. For example, the terminal device interrupts data due to insufficient power or for energy saving, and then continues to transmit data under a trigger mechanism (such as power recovery, power saving off, etc.). In the breakpoint resume mode, the terminal device retains the data before the data transmission is interrupted, and continues to transmit the remaining data after the data transmission is resumed. Correspondingly, the network device retains the data before the data transmission is interrupted, and receives the remaining data after the terminal device resumes data transmission. It should be understood that "breakpoint resume" is only an exemplary name, and in specific implementations it can also be named other, such as discontinuous transmission, power-off resume, etc. This application does not specifically limit the naming of the above modes. For ease of description, this mode is referred to as breakpoint resume below.

[0095] In this application, "power" may also be described as "energy", etc. "Power off" may also be described as "shut down", "enter low power mode (or state)", "enter energy saving mode (or state)", etc.

[0096] In this application, "save" may also be described as "retain," "do not release the cache," "do not release the configuration," etc. For example, "save the first data" below may also be described as "retain the first data," "do not release the cache of the first data," etc. For another example, "save the PDCP entity" below may also be described as "retain the PDCP entity," "do not release the configuration of the PDCP entity," etc.

[0097] The following will describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For ease of introduction, the following takes the method executed by a network device and a terminal device as an example.

[0098] See Figure 2, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided by this application. The method includes:

[0099] S201: A terminal device sends a first message, and a first network device receives the first message accordingly.

[0100] The first message may trigger breakpoint resume transmission. Alternatively, the first message may indicate the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the amount of data to be transmitted, so that the first network device may trigger breakpoint resume transmission according to the first message.

[0101] The first message may be carried in Msg3 in the random access process. Exemplarily, Msg3 may be called a connection resumption request message (RRCResumeRequest), a connection establishment request message (RRCSetupRequest), or a connection reestablishment request message (RRCReestablishmentRequest).

[0102] Alternatively, the first message may also be carried in UE assistance information (UEAssistanceInformation).

[0103] Alternatively, the first message may also be carried in uplink data, UE capability information (UECapabilityInformation), UE information response (UEInformationResponse), etc.

[0104] In an embodiment where the first message can trigger breakpoint resumption, the first message can be used to request to retain the first data transmitted by the terminal device (or the first message carries indication information requesting to retain the first data transmitted by the terminal device). Alternatively, it can also be described as the first message being used to request breakpoint resumption, or being used to request to continue transmission after data transmission is interrupted, or being used to indicate that the terminal device is low on battery, etc., or being used to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to resume transmission, or being used to request to enter the RRC_INACTIVE state, or being used to request to enter the RRC_INACTIVE state after transmitting the first data. It will be understood that the present application does not limit the specific content of the first message. As long as it can trigger the first network device to retain the data transmitted before the terminal device loses power (or the data transmitted or transmitted before the data transmission is interrupted), it can be understood as the first message described in the present application.

[0105] In the above manner, the terminal device triggers breakpoint resume transmission through the first message, so that the terminal device can promptly notify the network device to enter the breakpoint resume mode before data transmission is interrupted to reduce power consumption.

[0106] Optionally, the first network device may send a response message to the first message after receiving the first message. For example, if the first message is carried in Msg3 in the random access process, the response message may be carried in Msg4 in the random access process. Exemplarily, Msg4 may be called an RRC setup message (RRCSetup), or an RRC recovery message (RRCResume), or an RRC reestablishment message (RRCReestablishment), etc. If the first message is carried in UE auxiliary information, uplink data, UE capability information, etc., the response message may be a hybrid automatic repeat request (HAQR) confirmation message.

[0107] Optionally, in an embodiment where the first message can trigger breakpoint resuming, the terminal device can also send the remaining battery power of the terminal device and / or the amount of data to be transmitted to the network device. The remaining battery power of the terminal device and / or the amount of data to be transmitted can be carried in the first message or in a message other than the first message, which is not specifically limited here.

[0108] In an embodiment where the first message indicates the remaining battery power of the terminal device and / or the amount of data to be transmitted, the first message may further indicate that the terminal device has a resumable transmission capability. The resumable transmission capability may include at least one of the following: a segmented transmission capability (such as a radio link control (RLC) segmentation capability) and a discontinuous transmission capability of a data packet / transmission block (TB).

[0109] Optionally, the first network device may instruct the terminal device to enter a breakpoint resume state after receiving the first message. For example, the first network device may send a second message to the terminal device, and the second message is used to instruct the first data to be saved. Alternatively, it can also be described as the second message being used to indicate breakpoint resume, or being used to indicate that data transmission continues after an interruption, or being used to indicate that the terminal can enter the RRC_INACTIVE state after transmitting the first data, or being used to indicate that the first data transmitted before the terminal device is powered off (or transmitted or transmitted before the data transmission is interrupted) is retained, or being used to indicate entering the RRC_INACTIVE state, etc., or being used to enable a breakpoint resume state (or mode). It will be understood that the present application does not limit the specific content of the second message. As long as it can trigger the terminal device to retain the data transmitted before the terminal device breaks (or transmitted or transmitted before the data transmission is interrupted), it can be understood as the second message described in the present application.

[0110] In the above method, the network device can obtain information such as the power level of the terminal device and the amount of data to be transmitted in a timely manner, so that it can judge whether the data transmission is about to be interrupted based on the power level of the terminal device and the amount of data to be transmitted. Then, before the data transmission is interrupted, the terminal device can be notified in time to enter the breakpoint resume mode to reduce power consumption.

[0111] In one possible implementation, before the terminal device triggers breakpoint resume, the terminal device may determine that the remaining power and / or the data to be transmitted meet a preset condition. Similarly, before the first network device triggers breakpoint resume (i.e., the first network device sends a second message), it may determine that the remaining power and / or the data to be transmitted meet a preset condition. Exemplarily, the preset condition may be that the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than the maximum amount of data supported by the remaining power. Alternatively, the preset condition may be that the remaining power is less than a first threshold value. Alternatively, the preset condition may be that the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than a second threshold value.

[0112] The above method allows a terminal device with insufficient power to transmit a portion of data before the power is exhausted. Before the terminal device uploads subsequent data, the network side saves this portion of data and does not release it, so that there is no need to retransmit this portion of data after the power is restored. In addition, the terminal device can save the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduce power consumption.

[0113] The above preset conditions may be specified by a protocol, or may be configured by the first network device, such as by configuring through a broadcast message or an RRC message, or by carrying the first threshold value, the second threshold value, etc. in the downlink data.

[0114] In an optional solution, the remaining power of the terminal device is not less than a third threshold value, and the power of the third threshold value can at least maintain the terminal device to store the second data, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity, etc.

[0115] S202: The terminal device sends the first data in the data to be transmitted. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first data in the data to be transmitted.

[0116] The first data may be determined based on the remaining power of the terminal device. For example, the amount of the first data may be less than or equal to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted supported by the remaining power of the terminal device.

[0117] In an exemplary description, the data to be transmitted can be the data currently buffered in the buffer of the terminal device, or the data of the current service, etc. In the present application, the data to be transmitted can be composed of first data and second data, and the first data and the second data are two different parts of the data to be transmitted. Since the terminal device has limited power and cannot transmit all the data to be transmitted in one transmission, the first data is transmitted first, and after a certain amount of power is restored, the remaining part (the second data) is transmitted. Regarding the specific transmission form of the first data and the second data, they can be transmitted with the granularity of data packets, or they can be transmitted with RLC segments or RRC segments.

[0118] In one possible implementation, the terminal device may perform RLC segmentation on the data to be transmitted based on the remaining power to obtain the first data. For example, assuming that the amount of data to be transmitted is 10 bits and the remaining power supports a maximum of 4 bits of data transmission, the terminal device may perform RLC segmentation on the data to be transmitted to obtain 4 bits of first data. In one example, the RLC service data unit (SDU) carrying the data to be transmitted may be segmented and then carried in RLC protocol data units (PDU) of variable size after segmentation.

[0119] In another possible implementation, the terminal device may packetize the data to be transmitted based on the remaining power to obtain the second data. For example, assuming the data to be transmitted includes 10 data packets, and a transmission process of the terminal device can transmit 5 data packets when the power is sufficient, but the remaining power only supports the transmission of 3 data packets, the terminal device may re-packetize the data to be transmitted and transmit 3 data packets before power is cut off.

[0120] Optionally, the terminal device may save the first data and may also save the location of the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted, for example, the serial number of the first data and / or the serial number of the second data.

[0121] Optionally, the terminal device can suspend (or save) the PDCP entity and context information. In this way, the terminal device does not need to re-establish the PDCP entity and context information after resuming data transmission, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device and can also reduce the delay of data transmission.

[0122] The terminal device may also save or recreate the RLC entity. The terminal device may also reset or recreate the medium access control (MAC) entity.

[0123] S203: The first network device saves the first data.

[0124] Optionally, the first network device may further retain at least one of the following: a PDCP entity, context information, or RLC entity configured for the terminal device. This allows the network device to avoid having to reestablish the PDCP entity, context information, or RLC entity after the terminal device resumes data transmission, which not only helps save energy for the network device but also reduces data transmission latency.

[0125] The unreserved entities may be reconfigured, for example, through an RRC message (such as a connection establishment (RRCSetup) or a connection recovery (RRCResume) or a connection reestablishment message (RRCReestablishment) or a connection release message RRCRelease), or through an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0126] S204: The terminal device sends the second data in the data to be transmitted. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the second data in the data to be transmitted.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the terminal device may send the second data when the power level recovers to a preset threshold. Optionally, the preset threshold power level can at least maintain the location of the RLC entity of the terminal device and the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted.

[0128] It can be understood that the first data and the second data belong to the same service. The first data can be the first part of the data that is segmented (or packetized) by RLC according to the remaining power, and the second data is the second part of the data that is segmented (or packetized) by RLC according to the remaining power. For example, assuming that the amount of data to be transmitted is 10 bits, and the remaining power supports a maximum of 4 bits of data transmission, the terminal device can perform RLC segmentation on the data to be transmitted, and transmit 4 bits (i.e., the first data) before power failure. When the power is restored to the preset threshold, the terminal device transmits the remaining 6 bits (i.e., the second data). For another example, assuming that the data to be transmitted includes 10 data packets, and the current remaining power only supports the transmission of 3 data packets, the terminal device can re-packetize the data to be transmitted, and transmit 3 data packets (i.e., the first data) before power failure. When the power is restored to the preset threshold, the terminal device transmits the remaining 7 data packets (i.e., the second data).

[0129] In another possible implementation, the terminal device may also send the second data after a period of time T. T may be configured by the first network device, such as through a second message, or may depend on the terminal device implementation or protocol provisions.

[0130] Two implementations of S204 are described below.

[0131] In implementation method 1, the terminal device re-initiates random access to the first network device and sends the second data to the first network device after establishing an RRC connection with the first network device (i.e., receiving Msg4). Taking the first message carried in Msg3 as an example, the process of the terminal device sending the second data can be shown in Figure 3.

[0132] Optionally, before sending the second data, the terminal device may send a third message to the first network device. The third message can align the data transmission behaviors of the terminal device and the network device, thereby improving data transmission performance.

[0133] Furthermore, after receiving the third message, the first network device sends a response message to the third message to the terminal device.

[0134] The third message is used to request the continuation of transmission. Alternatively, it can be described as the third message being used to request the sending of the second data. Alternatively, it can be described as the third message being used to request the transmission of the remaining data. Alternatively, it can be described as the third message being used to request the resumption of transmission. Alternatively, it can be described as the third message being used to indicate the transmission of previously untransmitted data, etc. It will be understood that the present application does not limit the specific content of the third message. As long as it can trigger the terminal device to retain the terminal device to continue transmitting the remaining data, it can be understood as the third message described in the present application.

[0135] In one possible example, the third message may also carry a user identifier of the terminal device, for example, a temporary identifier of the terminal device, or a random number assigned by the first network device to the terminal device. In this way, the first network device can determine that the first data and the second data come from the same terminal device.

[0136] Optionally, the third message may also carry a cell identifier.

[0137] Alternatively, the user identifier and / or cell identifier of the terminal device may also be carried in the second data.

[0138] Exemplarily, the third message may be carried in Msg3, and the response message to the third message may be carried in Msg4.

[0139] In the above implementation, the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data after the power is restored without retransmitting the first data, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0140] In implementation 2, the terminal device sends an RRC resume request message to the first network device, where the RRC resume request message carries the second data. In this implementation, the first network device can retain the context information of the terminal device, so that the terminal device can restore the RRC connection through the RRC resume request message. Taking the first message carried in Msg3 as an example, the process of the terminal device sending the second data can be shown in Figure 4.

[0141] In the above implementation, after the terminal device recovers its power, it can continue to transmit the remaining data without retransmitting the first data, thereby reducing power consumption. Furthermore, this implementation uses small packet transmission to send the remaining data to be transmitted via an RRC recovery request message. Compared to reestablishing an RRC connection through random access, this second implementation can further reduce power consumption.

[0142] Optionally, the terminal device may also send the location of the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted to the first network device, for example, the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number (SN) of the second data. For example, in the above implementation method 1, the location of the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted may be carried in the third message. In the above implementation method 2, the location of the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted may be carried in the RRC recovery request message. Thus, the first network device may perform RLC reorganization on the first data and the second data according to the location of the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted.

[0143] The above method is conducive to the network device to reorganize the received data, thereby improving the performance of data transmission.

[0144] In one specific implementation, the first network device determines whether the second data can be reassembled with the first data based on the location of the RLC segment (or packet) of the data to be transmitted. For example, if the SN number of the end position of the first data is 10, if the SN number of the received second data is 10, the first network device can determine that the second data is the continuation of the first data.

[0145] After the terminal device sends the data to be transmitted, the terminal device and the first network device may terminate the data transmission, thereby allowing the first network device to release related configurations and entities and end the data transmission.

[0146] Specifically, the terminal device may terminate the data transmission. For example, after sending the data to be transmitted, the terminal device may send a fifth message to the first network device, the fifth message being used to indicate the end of the data transmission. Because the terminal device may be unable to receive the RRC release message due to power depletion, the above method of terminating the data transmission by the terminal device can enable the first network device to release the relevant configuration and entity in a timely manner, thereby saving network resources.

[0147] Alternatively, the first network device may terminate the data transmission. For example, if the first network device does not receive data from the terminal device within the second time period, it may release the relevant configuration and entity and end the data transmission.

[0148] The present application retains the data transmitted by the terminal device before power failure through the first network device, so that the terminal device can continue to transmit the remaining data after power is restored without retransmitting the transmitted data, thereby saving energy and reducing power consumption. In addition, the present application can also send the second data through small packet transmission, without the need for re-random access, thereby further reducing power consumption.

[0149] The above describes the process of resuming data transmission between a terminal device and a first network device. In one possible scenario, due to the mobility of the terminal device, the terminal device switches from the first network device to the second network device during data transmission. Assume that the terminal device switches to the second network device after sending the first data. The following describes the method for resuming data transmission in this scenario in conjunction with Implementation Method 2 of S204 above.

[0150] See Figure 5, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided by this application. The method includes:

[0151] S501: A terminal device sends a first message, and a first network device receives the first message accordingly.

[0152] For details, please refer to the relevant description of S201 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0153] S502: The terminal device sends the first data in the data to be transmitted. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first data in the data to be transmitted.

[0154] For details, please refer to the relevant description of S202 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0155] S503: The first network device saves the first data.

[0156] Optionally, the first network device may further retain at least one of the following: a PDCP entity, context information, and an RLC entity configured for the terminal device. Unreserved entities may be reconfigured, for example, through an RRC message (such as a connection establishment (RRCSetup) or a connection recovery (RRCResume) or a connection reestablishment message (RRCReestablishment) or a connection release message (RRCRelease), or through an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0157] S504: The terminal device sends the second data in the data to be transmitted. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the second data in the data to be transmitted.

[0158] Optionally, the terminal device may send the second data when the power level is restored to a preset threshold. Optionally, the power level of the preset threshold can at least maintain the location of the RLC entity of the terminal device and the RLC segment (or subpacket) of the data to be transmitted.

[0159] The relationship between the first data and the second data can be found in the relevant description of the method shown in FIG2 , and will not be repeated here.

[0160] A possible implementation of S504 is that the terminal device sends an RRC resume request (RRC resume request) message to the second network device, wherein the RRC resume request message carries the second data.

[0161] S505: The second network device sends a sixth message. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the sixth message.

[0162] Among them, the sixth message is used to request the first data. Alternatively, it can also be described as the sixth message being used to request continued transmission, or the sixth message being used to request data transmitted before the terminal device was powered off (or transmitted or transmitted before the data transmission was interrupted). It is understandable that this application does not limit the specific content of the sixth message. As long as it can trigger the first network device to send the data transmitted before the terminal device was powered off (i.e., the first data) to the second network device, it can be understood as the sixth message described in this application.

[0163] Optionally, the sixth message may also carry an identifier of the terminal device.

[0164] In a possible implementation, the terminal device may further send a cell identifier to the second network device, where the cell identifier is used to determine the first network device, so that the second network device can determine the first network device based on the cell identifier.

[0165] S506: The first network device sends the first data, and correspondingly, the second network device receives the first data.

[0166] It should be noted that steps S505 to S506 are optional. In this manner, the second network device requests the first data from the first network device via the sixth message, so that the terminal device does not need to retransmit the first data to the second network device after switching to the second network device. This saves the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduces power consumption.

[0167] Optionally, the first data may be carried in a response message of the sixth message.

[0168] In this implementation, the second network device can obtain the context information of the terminal device from the first network device, so that the terminal device can restore the RRC connection through the RRC recovery request message.

[0169] Specifically, the second network device may send a seventh message to the first network device. The seventh message is used to request the context information of the terminal device. Optionally, after receiving the seventh message, the first network device may send a response message to the seventh message. The first network device may send all or part of the context information of the terminal device to the second network device.

[0170] Exemplarily, the seventh message may be a RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message. Optionally, the response message to the seventh message may be a RETRIEVE RESPONSE message.

[0171] If the first network device sends all the context information of the terminal device, the second network device can send the first data and the second data to the core network device. For example, the second network device can initiate a path switch (PATH SWITCH) through the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, and then send the first data and the second data to the user plane function (UPF) network element, as shown in Figure 6.

[0172] If the first network device sends part of the context information of the terminal device, the second network device can re-establish the RLC entity and send the first data and the second data to the UPF network element through the first network device, as shown in Figure 7.

[0173] Optionally, the terminal device may further send the location of the RLC segment (or packet) of the data to be transmitted, for example, the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data, to the second network device. Thus, the second network device may perform RLC reassembly on the first data and the second data based on the location of the RLC segment (or packet) of the data to be transmitted.

[0174] After the terminal device sends the data to be transmitted, the terminal device and the first network device can terminate the data transmission. The first network device can then release the relevant configuration and entities, ending the data transmission. For specific termination methods, please refer to the relevant description of the method described in FIG. 2 , and will not be repeated here.

[0175] In this application, after a terminal device switches to a second network device, the first network device retains the data transmitted by the terminal device before power failure and sends it to the second network device without releasing it. This allows the terminal device to continue transmitting the remaining data after power is restored without having to retransmit the previously transmitted data. This saves the energy required for repeated data transmission and reduces power consumption. Furthermore, by transmitting the second data in small packets, there is no need to re-perform random access, further reducing power consumption.

[0176] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiment, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the structure of which may be as shown in FIG8 , including a communication unit 801 and a processing unit 802 .

[0177] In one embodiment, a communication device can be specifically used to implement the method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment of Figure 2. The device can be the terminal device itself, or a chip, chipset, or part of a chip in the terminal device that is used to execute the functions of the related method. The processing unit 802 is configured to send a first message via the communication unit 801, the first message carrying at least one of the following: an indication requesting retention of first data transmitted by the terminal device, the remaining battery power of the terminal device, or the amount of data to be transmitted; and, send first data among the data to be transmitted via the communication unit 801; and, send second data among the data to be transmitted via the communication unit 801.

[0178] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further used to: before sending the first message through the communication unit 801, determine whether the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the data to be transmitted meet a preset condition.

[0179] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: before sending the first data in the data to be transmitted through the communication unit 801, receive a second message, where the second message is used to instruct to save the first data.

[0180] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: before sending the second data in the data to be transmitted through the communication unit 801, send a third message, where the third message is used to request for retransmission.

[0181] Exemplarily, the third message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

[0182] Optionally, when sending the second data in the data to be transmitted through the communication unit 801, the processing unit 802 is specifically configured to: send a fourth message, where the fourth message is used to request restoration of the connection, and the fourth message carries the second data.

[0183] Exemplarily, the fourth message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

[0184] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: send a fifth message through the communication unit 801, where the fifth message is used to indicate the end of data transmission.

[0185] Exemplarily, the amount of the first data is less than or equal to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted supported by the remaining power.

[0186] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: before sending the second data in the data to be transmitted through the communication unit 801, determine that the power level of the terminal device has recovered to a preset threshold.

[0187] Exemplarily, the terminal device is a passive device or a semi-passive device.

[0188] In one embodiment, a communication device can be specifically used to implement the method executed by the first network device in the embodiment of Figure 2. The device can be the first network device itself, or a chip, chipset, or a portion of a chip in the first network device that is used to execute the functions of the related method. The processing unit 802 is configured to receive a first message via the communication unit 801, the first message carrying at least one of the following: an indication requesting retention of first data transmitted by the terminal device, the remaining battery power of the terminal device, or the amount of data to be transmitted; receiving first data from the data to be transmitted via the communication unit 801; retaining the first data; and receiving second data from the data to be transmitted via the communication unit 801.

[0189] Optionally, before receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted, the processing unit 802 is also used to: determine whether the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the data to be transmitted meet preset conditions; and send a second message through the communication unit 801, where the second message is used to indicate that the first data is to be saved.

[0190] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: before receiving the second data in the data to be transmitted through the communication unit 801, receive a third message through the communication unit 801, where the third message is used to request for retransmission.

[0191] Exemplarily, the third message carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

[0192] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is also used to: save the context information of the terminal device; when receiving the second data in the data to be transmitted through the communication unit 801, specifically used to: receive a fourth message through the communication unit 801, the fourth message is used to request to restore the connection, and the fourth message carries the second data.

[0193] Exemplarily, the fourth message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

[0194] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further used to: receive a fifth message through the communication unit 801, where the fifth message is used to indicate the end of data transmission.

[0195] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: reorganize the first data and the second data.

[0196] In one embodiment, the communication device can be specifically used to implement the method executed by the first network device in the embodiment of Figure 5. The device can be the first network device itself, or it can be a chip or chipset in the first network device or a part of the chip used to execute the function of the relevant method. Among them, the communication unit 801 is used to receive a first message, and the first message carries at least one of the following: an indication information requesting to retain the first data transmitted by the terminal device, the remaining power of the terminal device, or the amount of data to be transmitted; and, receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted. The processing unit 802 is used to retain the first data. The communication unit 801 is also used to receive a sixth message, and the sixth message is used to request the first data; and, send the first data.

[0197] Optionally, the communication unit 801 is further configured to: receive a seventh message, where the seventh message is used to request context information of the terminal device; and send all or part of the context information of the terminal device.

[0198] Optionally, the communication unit 801 is further used to: receive second data; and send the first data and the second data to the core network device.

[0199] In one embodiment, a communication device can be specifically used to implement the method performed by the second network device in the embodiment of Figure 5. The device can be the second network device itself, or a chip, chipset, or a portion of a chip in the second network device that performs the functions of the related method. The processing unit 802 is configured to receive the second data via the communication unit 801; send a sixth message to the first network device via the communication unit 801, the sixth message being used to request the first data; and receive the first data via the communication unit 801.

[0200] Optionally, when receiving the second data through the communication unit 801, the processing unit 802 is specifically configured to: receive a fourth message, where the fourth message is used to request restoration of the connection, and the fourth message carries the second data.

[0201] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: send a seventh message through the communication unit 801 , where the seventh message is used to request context information of the terminal device; and receive all or part of the context information of the terminal device through the communication unit 801 .

[0202] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to: send the first data and the second data through the communication unit 801 .

[0203] The division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application can be integrated into a processor, or can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It is understood that the functions or implementations of the various modules in the embodiments of the present application can be further referred to the relevant description of the method embodiment.

[0204] In one possible embodiment, a communication device may be as shown in FIG9 . The device may be a communication device or a chip within the communication device, wherein the communication device may be a terminal device or a network device in the above embodiments. The device includes a processor 901 and a communication interface 902, and may also include a memory 903. The processing unit 802 may be the processor 901. The communication unit 801 may be the communication interface 902. Optionally, the processor 901 and the memory 903 may be integrated.

[0205] The processor 901 may be a CPU, a digital processing unit, or the like. The communication interface 902 may be a transceiver, an interface circuit such as a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver chip, or the like. The apparatus further includes a memory 903 for storing programs executed by the processor 901. The memory 903 may be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM). The memory 903 is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0206] The processor 901 is used to execute the program code stored in the memory 903, specifically to execute the actions of the processing unit 802, which will not be described in detail in this application. The communication interface 902 is specifically used to execute the actions of the communication unit 801, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0207] The specific connection medium between the communication interface 902, processor 901, and memory 903 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 9, the embodiment of the present application shows that the memory 903, processor 901, and communication interface 902 are connected via bus 904. The bus is represented by a bold line in Figure 9. The connection method between other components is only for schematic illustration and is not limiting. Buses can be divided into address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, only one bold line is used in Figure 9, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0208] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer software instructions required to be executed by the above-mentioned processor, which includes a program required to be executed by the above-mentioned processor.

[0209] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including a communication device for implementing the terminal device function in the embodiment of Figure 2 and a communication device for implementing the first network device function in the embodiment of Figure 2.

[0210] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including a communication device for implementing the terminal device function in the embodiment of Figure 5, a communication device for implementing the first network device function in the embodiment of Figure 5, and a communication device for implementing the second network device function in the embodiment of Figure 7.

[0211] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0212] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0213] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0214] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0215] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending a first message, where the first message carries at least one of the following: indication information requesting to retain first data transmitted by the terminal device, remaining power of the terminal device, or data volume of data to be transmitted; Sending the first data in the data to be transmitted; Sending second data in the data to be transmitted.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before sending the first message, the method further includes: Determine whether the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the data to be transmitted meet a preset condition.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before sending the first data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: A second message is received, where the second message is used to instruct to save the first data.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Before sending the second data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: A third message is sent, where the third message is used to request for resuming transmission.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The third message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The sending the second data in the data to be transmitted includes: Send a fourth message, where the fourth message is used to request to restore the connection, and the fourth message carries the second data.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The fourth message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A fifth message is sent, where the fifth message is used to indicate the end of data transmission.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The data volume of the first data is less than or equal to the maximum data volume supported for transmission by the remaining power.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: Before sending the second data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: Determine whether the power level of the terminal device has returned to a preset threshold.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The terminal device is a passive device or a semi-passive device.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving a first message, wherein the first message carries at least one of the following: indication information requesting to retain first data transmitted by a terminal device, remaining power of the terminal device, or data volume of data to be transmitted; receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted; retaining the first data; Receive second data in the data to be transmitted.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Before receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: Determining that the remaining power of the terminal device and / or the data to be transmitted meet a preset condition; A second message is sent, where the second message is used to instruct to save the first data.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that Before receiving the second data in the data to be transmitted, the method further includes: A third message is received, where the third message is used to request for resuming transmission.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The third message carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

16. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Saving the context information of the terminal device; The receiving second data in the data to be transmitted includes: A fourth message is received, where the fourth message is used to request restoration of the connection and the fourth message carries the second data.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The fourth message also carries the sequence number of the first data and / or the sequence number of the second data.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A fifth message is received, where the fifth message is used to indicate an end of data transmission.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first data and the second data are reorganized.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving a first message, wherein the first message carries at least one of the following: indication information requesting to retain first data transmitted by a terminal device, remaining power of the terminal device, or data volume of data to be transmitted; receiving the first data in the data to be transmitted; retaining the first data; receiving a sixth message, where the sixth message is used to request the first data; The first data is sent.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein: The method further comprises: receiving a seventh message, wherein the seventh message is used to request context information of the terminal device; Send all or part of the context information of the terminal device.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving second data; Send the first data and the second data to a core network device.

23. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving second data; Sending a sixth message to the first network device, where the sixth message is used to request the first data; The first data is received.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein: The receiving of the second data comprises: A fourth message is received, where the fourth message is used to request restoration of the connection and the fourth message carries the second data.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a seventh message, where the seventh message is used to request context information of the terminal device; Receive all or part of the context information of the terminal device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The method further comprises: The first data and the second data are sent.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising a unit or module for executing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 19, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as described in any one of claims 20 to 22, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as described in any one of claims 23 to 26.

28. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer storage medium stores computer-readable instructions, and when the computer-readable instructions are executed on the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 19 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 20 to 22 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 23 to 26 is executed.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product runs on a device, the device is enabled to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, the method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, or the method according to any one of claims 23 to 26.

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