Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. In the method, a terminal device receives configuration information of bandwidth parts (BWPs), wherein the configuration information of the BWPs is used for configuring a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for a first communication module of the terminal device to communicate, and the second BWP is used for a second communication module of the terminal device to communicate. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. This approach is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 29, 2023, with application number 202311630384.0 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the development of mobile communication technology, networks are placing increasingly higher demands on terminal devices, such as requiring them to have higher speeds, support more frequency bands, and increase bandwidth. However, higher requirements for terminal devices require more hardware, which in turn increases power consumption.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices is still an issue that needs to be studied.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus that are conducive to reducing the power consumption of terminal equipment.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method that can be executed by a terminal device. The terminal device here can refer to the terminal device itself or a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the terminal device. In this method, the terminal device receives configuration information for a bandwidth portion BWP, and the BWP configuration information is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of the terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0008] As can be seen, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device is configured with a first BWP of the first type and a second BWP of the second type, which facilitates the terminal device to communicate with the first communication module and the second communication module. The terminal device communicates via the second communication module in a low-power mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the first communication module is a main communication module, and the second communication module is a low-power communication module, which facilitates the terminal device to communicate in coordination with the main communication module and the low-power module.

[0010] In one optional embodiment, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This approach can reduce the power consumption of a terminal device when communicating using the second BWP to less than that when communicating using the first BWP, thereby facilitating the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second BWP.

[0011] In one optional embodiment, the BWP configuration information includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. The first type indication is used to indicate that the first BWP is of the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the second BWP is of the second type. This approach allows the terminal device to obtain information about a first BWP of the first type through the first type indication and about a second BWP of the second type through the second type indication.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, when the terminal device meets a first condition, communication is performed on the second BWP via the second communication module. The first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle or inactive state, or that the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold, or that the terminal device's discontinuous reception (DRX) is in a dormant period. The first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal device or pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device.

[0013] When the terminal device is in an idle or inactive state, or when the DRX of the terminal device is in a dormant period, it indicates that the terminal device is in a low-power mode, and the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP with lower power consumption. When the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a small amount of data and its power consumption is also low, and the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP. Therefore, when the first condition is met, the terminal device communicates in a low-power mode through the second communication module on the second BWP, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, when the terminal device meets the first condition, before communicating on the second BWP via the second communication module, the terminal device further receives first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first condition. This approach allows the terminal device to be informed of the conditions for communicating on the second BWP via the second communication module.

[0015] In one optional embodiment, when the first condition is met, the terminal device further receives second indication information before communicating on the second BWP via the second communication module. The second indication information is used to indicate activation of the second BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device activating the second BWP after receiving the second indication information, thereby enabling communication on the second BWP via the second communication module when the first condition is met. Alternatively, this approach facilitates the terminal device enabling communication on the second BWP via the second communication module after receiving the second indication information and when the first condition is met.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second condition, communication is performed on the first BWP through the first communication module. The second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0017] When the terminal device is in the connected state, indicating that the terminal device is in an operational state, the terminal device communicates on the first BWP via the first communication module. When the terminal device is in the connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold, indicating that the terminal device will transmit a large amount of data, to ensure communication quality, the terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP with higher power. Therefore, when the terminal device meets the second condition, communication is performed on the first BWP via the first communication module to ensure communication quality.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, when the terminal device meets the second condition, before communicating on the first BWP via the first communication module, the terminal device further receives third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the second condition. This approach allows the terminal device to be informed of the conditions for communicating on the first BWP via the first communication module.

[0019] In one optional embodiment, when the second condition is met, the terminal device further receives fourth indication information before communicating on the first BWP via the communication module. The fourth indication information is used to instruct the activation of the first BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device to activate the first BWP after receiving the fourth indication information, thereby enabling communication on the first BWP via the first communication module when the second condition is met. Alternatively, this approach facilitates the terminal device to communicate on the second BWP via the second communication module after receiving the second indication information and when the first condition is met.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, when a first switching condition is met, the terminal device switches from the second BWP to a third BWP, where the third BWP is a first type BWP; the terminal device communicates on the third BWP via the first communication module. The first switching condition is when the terminal device enters a connected state from an idle or inactive state, or when the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0021] When the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle or inactive state, or receives a wake-up signal indicating that the terminal device has entered or is about to enter the working state, it switches from the second type of BWP with lower power consumption to the first type of BWP with higher power consumption, for example, from the second BWP to the third BWP, and communicates through the first communication module on the third BWP. This method can ensure communication quality.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, when the terminal device satisfies the first switching condition, before switching from the second BWP to the third BWP, the terminal device further receives fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the first BWP. This approach allows the terminal device to learn the switching condition for switching from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP.

[0023] In an optional implementation, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP, so that the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first switching delay.

[0024] In an optional embodiment, when a second switching condition is met, the terminal device switches from the first BWP to a fourth BWP of the second type; the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; and the terminal device communicates on the fourth BWP through the second communication module. The second switching condition is when the terminal device switches from a connected state to an idle state or an inactive state, or when a first timer times out. The first timer is a timer used to time the terminal device's communication from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0025] When a terminal device enters an idle or inactive state from a connected state, indicating that the terminal device has entered a low-power mode, the terminal device switches from a first type of BWP with higher power consumption to a second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, and communicates on the fourth BWP through the second communication module. This approach can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0026] In addition, the duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or can be pre-set by the network device and the terminal device. If the first timer times out, it indicates that the terminal device needs to switch from the first communication module to the second communication module, so the terminal device switches from the first BWP of the first type to the fourth BWP of the second type.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, when the terminal device satisfies the second switching condition, before switching from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, the terminal device further receives sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. This approach allows the terminal device to learn the switching condition for switching from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP.

[0028] In an optional implementation, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, so that the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, the terminal device further receives seventh indication information, which is used to indicate a third switching delay for the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the same type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third switching delay for the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the first type, or is used to indicate a third switching delay for the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the second type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third switching delay for the terminal device to switch from a second BWP to a fourth BWP, such that the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the fourth BWP is the third switching delay, and the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. For another example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third switching delay for the terminal device to switch from a first BWP to a third BWP, such that the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the third BWP is the third switching delay, and the third BWP is a BWP of the first type. This approach enables the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the same type based on the third switching delay.

[0030] In an optional embodiment, the terminal device further sends eighth indication information, which is used to instruct the terminal device to communicate via the first communication module or the second communication module. This approach facilitates the network device to learn the communication module currently used by the terminal device for communication, thereby facilitating the network device to determine whether the terminal device needs to switch the communication module used.

[0031] In an optional embodiment, the terminal device further receives ninth indication information, where the ninth indication information indicates one or more of the following: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, maximum number of beams, or minimum scanning period allowed by the second BWP. This method enables the terminal device to determine whether to use the second BWP for communication based on the ninth indication information.

[0032] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method that can be executed by a network device. The network device here can refer to the network device itself, or a processor, module, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the network device. In this method, the network device sends configuration information of a bandwidth portion BWP, and the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for communication with the first communication module of the terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication with the second communication module of the terminal device. The power of the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power of communicating using the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0033] As can be seen, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device configures a first BWP of the first type and a second BWP of the second type for the terminal device through BWP configuration information, which facilitates the terminal device to communicate with the first communication module and the second communication module. The terminal device communicates through the second communication module in a low-power mode, which helps reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0034] In an optional implementation, the first communication module is a main communication module, and the second communication module is a low-power communication module, which facilitates the terminal device to communicate in coordination with the main communication module and the low-power module.

[0035] In one optional embodiment, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This approach can reduce the power consumption of a terminal device when communicating using the second BWP to less than that when communicating using the first BWP, thereby facilitating the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second BWP.

[0036] In one optional embodiment, the BWP configuration information includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. The first type indication is used to indicate that the first BWP is of the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the second BWP is of the second type. This approach facilitates a terminal device to obtain a first BWP of the first type through the first type indication, and to obtain a second BWP of the second type through the second type indication.

[0037] In an optional implementation, the network device sends first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first condition for the terminal device to communicate on the second BWP through the second communication module. The first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or that the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or that the terminal device's discontinuous reception (DRX) is in a dormant period.

[0038] When the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or when the DRX of the terminal device is in a dormant period, it indicates that the terminal device is in a low power consumption mode, and the network device instructs the terminal device to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. When the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a small amount of data and its power consumption is also low, and the network device also instructs the terminal device to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0039] In one optional embodiment, the network device sends second indication information, which indicates activation of the second BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device to activate the second BWP based on the second indication information and, when the first condition is met, to use the second BWP for communication. Alternatively, the terminal device may receive the second indication information and, when the first condition is met, use the second BWP for communication.

[0040] In an optional embodiment, the network device sends third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate on the first BWP through the first communication module. The second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or that the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0041] The terminal device is in a connected state, indicating that the terminal device is in a working state; when the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a large amount of data, and the network device instructs the terminal device to communicate through the first communication module on the first BWP to ensure communication quality.

[0042] In one optional implementation, the network device sends fourth indication information, which indicates activation of the first BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device activating the first BWP based on the fourth indication information and using the first BWP for communication when the second condition is met. Alternatively, the terminal device may receive the fourth indication information and, when the second condition is met, use the first BWP for communication.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the network device sends fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP, where the third BWP is the first type of BWP. The first switching condition is that the terminal device enters a connected state from an idle state or an inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0044] When the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal indicating that the terminal device has entered or is about to enter the working state, the network device instructs the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP with lower power consumption to the first type of BWP with higher power consumption, such as from the second BWP to the third BWP, to ensure communication quality.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the third type of BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP based on the first switching delay.

[0046] In an optional embodiment, the network device sends sixth indication information, which is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is the second type of BWP. The second switching condition is when the terminal device switches from a connected state to an idle state or an inactive state, or when a first timer expires, where the first timer is used to time the terminal device's communication from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0047] When the terminal device enters the idle state or inactive state from the connected state, it indicates that the terminal device enters the low power consumption mode. The network device then instructs the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP with higher power consumption to the second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0048] In addition, the duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or can be pre-set by the network device and the terminal device. If the first timer times out, it indicates that the terminal device needs to switch from the first communication module to the second communication module. Therefore, the network device instructs the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP with higher power consumption to the second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0049] In an optional embodiment, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. For example, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate the second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP based on the second switching delay.

[0050] In an optional embodiment, the seventh indication information sent by the network device is used to indicate the third switching delay of the terminal device when switching between BWPs of the same type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third switching delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the first type, or is used to indicate the third switching delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the second type. For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third switching delay when the terminal device switches from the second BWP to the fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. This method is conducive to the terminal device switching from the second BWP to the fourth BWP based on the third switching delay. For another example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third switching delay when the terminal device switches from the first BWP to the third BWP, where the third BWP is a BWP of the first type. This method is conducive to the terminal device switching from the first BWP to the third BWP based on the third switching delay.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, the network device receives eighth indication information, which is used to instruct the terminal device to communicate via the first communication module or the second communication module; and the network device determines whether the terminal device should switch the communication module based on the eighth indication information. Thus, the network device can determine whether the terminal device needs to switch the communication module based on the communication module currently used for communication as reported by the terminal device.

[0052] In an optional implementation, the network device sends and receives ninth indication information, where the ninth indication information indicates one or more of the following: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, maximum number of beams, or minimum scanning period allowed by the second BWP. This approach facilitates the terminal device determining whether the second BWP can be used for communication based on the ninth indication information.

[0053] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device. The communication device has the function of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal device described in the first aspect above, or implementing some or all of the functions of the network device described in the second aspect above. For example, the functions of the communication device may have the functions of some or all of the embodiments of the terminal device described in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application, or may have the function of implementing any one of the embodiments of the present application separately. The functions may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0054] In one possible design, the communication device may include a processing unit and a communication unit. The processing unit is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method. The communication unit is configured to support communication between the communication device and other communication devices. The communication device may also include a storage unit, which is coupled to the processing unit and the communication unit and stores program instructions and data necessary for the communication device.

[0055] In one embodiment, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a communication unit, the device is applied to a terminal device, and the processing unit is used to process signals / signaling;

[0056] The communication unit is configured to receive configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device;

[0057] The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0058] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the first aspect above and will not be described in detail here.

[0059] In another embodiment, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a communication unit, the device is applied to a network device, and the processing unit is used to process signals / signaling;

[0060] The communication unit is configured to send configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device;

[0061] The power used by the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power used when communicating using the first communication module.

[0062] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the second aspect above and will not be described in detail here.

[0063] As an example, the communication unit may be a transceiver or a communication interface, the storage unit may be a memory, and the processing unit may be a processor.

[0064] In one embodiment, the communication device includes: a processor and a transceiver, the device is applied to a terminal device, and the processor is used to process signals / signaling;

[0065] The transceiver is configured to receive configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device;

[0066] The power used by the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power used when communicating using the first communication module.

[0067] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the first aspect above and will not be described in detail here.

[0068] In another embodiment, the communication device includes: a processor and a transceiver, the device is applied to a network device, and the processor is used to process signals / signaling;

[0069] The transceiver is configured to send configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device;

[0070] The power used by the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power used when communicating using the first communication module.

[0071] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the second aspect above and will not be described in detail here.

[0072] In another embodiment, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. The processing unit may also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit; and the communication unit may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or related circuits on the chip or chip system.

[0073] During implementation, the processor can be used to perform, for example, but not limited to, baseband-related processing, and the transceiver can be used to perform, for example, but not limited to, radio frequency transceiver processing. The aforementioned devices can be provided on separate chips, or at least partially or entirely on the same chip. For example, the processor can be further divided into an analog baseband processor and a digital baseband processor. The analog baseband processor can be integrated with the transceiver on the same chip, while the digital baseband processor can be provided on a separate chip. With the continuous development of integrated circuit technology, more and more devices can be integrated on the same chip. For example, a digital baseband processor can be integrated with multiple application processors (such as, but not limited to, a graphics processor, a multimedia processor, etc.) on the same chip. Such a chip can be called a system on a chip (SoC). Whether each device is provided independently on different chips or integrated on one or more chips often depends on the needs of the product design. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the implementation form of the aforementioned devices.

[0074] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a processor for executing the various methods described above. In the process of executing these methods, the process of sending the above-mentioned information and receiving the above-mentioned information in the above-mentioned methods can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above-mentioned information and the process of the processor receiving the above-mentioned information input. When outputting the above-mentioned information, the processor outputs the above-mentioned information to the transceiver so that the transceiver can transmit it. After being output by the processor, the above-mentioned information may also need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives the above-mentioned information input, the transceiver receives the above-mentioned information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above-mentioned information, the above-mentioned information may need to undergo other processing before being input into the processor.

[0075] For the sending and receiving operations involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or unless they conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be more generally understood as processor output, reception, input and other operations, rather than sending and receiving operations directly performed by the RF circuit and antenna.

[0076] During implementation, the processor may be a processor specifically configured to execute these methods, or may be a processor that executes computer instructions in a memory to execute these methods, such as a general-purpose processor. The memory may be a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which may be integrated with the processor on the same chip or disposed on separate chips. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of memory or the configuration of the memory and the processor.

[0077] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices / functional network elements that interact with the terminal device and the network device.

[0078] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implements the method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0079] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, implements the method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0080] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is used to obtain a program or instruction, and the processor is used to call the program or instruction to implement or support the terminal device to implement the functions involved in the first aspect, or to implement or support the network device to implement the functions involved in the second aspect. For example, determining or processing at least one of the data and information involved in the above method. In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data necessary for the terminal. The chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0081] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor for executing a computer program or executable instructions stored in a memory, so that when the computer program or executable instructions are executed, the device executes the methods in each possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0082] In one possible implementation, the processor and memory are integrated;

[0083] In another possible implementation, the memory is located outside the communication device.

[0084] The beneficial effects of the third to ninth aspects can refer to the beneficial effects of the first or second aspect and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture;

[0086] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of an independent network;

[0087] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection system architecture;

[0088] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the capability evolution from a 4G terminal to a 5G terminal;

[0089] FIG5 is an interactive diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a main communication module and a low-power communication module working in coordination according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0094] To better understand the embodiments of the present application, the following first introduces the system architecture involved in the embodiments of the present application:

[0095] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to systems evolved after 5G, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, and sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication systems, as well as satellite communications and short-range wireless communication systems. The system architecture is shown in Figure 1. A wireless communication system may include one or more network devices and one or more terminal devices. A wireless communication system may also perform point-to-point communication, such as communication between multiple terminal devices.

[0096] The communication scenarios to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable include but are not limited to terrestrial cellular communications, non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications, satellite communications, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communications, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), integrated access and backhaul (IAB), reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) communications, and other scenarios.

[0097] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device is a device with wireless transceiver functions, which is used to communicate with the terminal device. It can be an evolved base station (evolved Node B, eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a base station in a 5G / 6G network, or a base station in a future evolved public land mobile network (public land mobile network, PLMN), a broadband network service gateway (BNG), an aggregation switch, or a non-third generation partnership project (3GPP) access device, etc. Optionally, the network devices in the embodiments of the present application may include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, devices that realize base station functions in the future, access points (APs) in wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, and devices that perform base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), V2X, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, devices that realize base station functions in communication systems evolved after 5G, IABs, and may also include centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) in cloud radio access networks (C-RAN) systems, and network devices in NTN communication systems, that is, they can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites, and may also be various devices that constitute access nodes, such as active antenna processing units (AAUs) and baseband units (BBUs). The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0098] Network devices can communicate and interact with core network devices to provide communication services to terminal devices. Core network devices are, for example, devices in the 5G core network (CN). As a bearer network, the core network provides an interface to the data network, providing communication connections, authentication, management, policy control, and data service delivery for terminals.

[0099] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities. The terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal. Terminal equipment may also refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user agent, cellular phone, smart phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, wireless modem, handheld device (handset), laptop computer, smart point of sale (POS), customer-premises equipment (CPE), machine type communication (MTC) terminal, communication equipment carried on high-altitude aircraft, wearable device, drone, robot, terminal in D2D, terminal in V2X, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, etc. This application does not limit the wireless terminals in the city, the wireless terminals in the smart home, or the terminal devices in the future communication network.

[0100] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to standalone (SA) communication scenarios. SA communication scenarios refer to: the terminal device is connected to a single base station, and the base station to which the terminal device is connected and the core network to which the base station is connected are of the same standard. For example, the core network is 5Gcore, the base station to which the terminal device is connected is a 5G base station, and the 5G base station is directly connected to the 5Gcore. For another example, the core network is 6Gcore, the base station to which the terminal device is connected is a 6G base station, and the 6G base station is directly connected to the 6Gcore. Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a standalone network. Specifically, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of SA under a 6G mobile communication system. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device is connected to a 6G base station, and the 6G base station is directly connected to the 6Gcore.

[0101] Embodiments of the present application can also be applied to dual connectivity (DC) scenarios. A dual connectivity scenario refers to a situation where a terminal device is connected to base stations of different / same standards at the same time, and is applicable to terminal devices in a connected state. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection system architecture. As shown in Figure 3, the core network is 5Gcore, and the terminal device is connected to a 5G base station and a 6G base station at the same time, wherein the 5G base station serves as the primary station and the 6G base station serves as the secondary station. For another example, the core network is 5Gcore, and the terminal device is connected to two 5G base stations at the same time, that is, both the primary station and the secondary station are 5G base stations. For another example, the core network is 6Gcore, and the terminal device is connected to a 6G base station and a 5G base station at the same time, wherein the 6G base station serves as the primary station and the 5G base station serves as the secondary station. For another example, the core network is 6Gcore, and the terminal device is connected to two 6G base stations at the same time, that is, both the primary station and the secondary station are 6G base stations.

[0102] The embodiments disclosed herein will present various aspects, embodiments, or features of the present invention centered around a system comprising multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these solutions may also be used.

[0103] With the development of communication technologies (such as 5G technology), the network's requirements for terminal capabilities are becoming increasingly higher. For example, the improvement of network capabilities has higher requirements for 5G terminal speeds. For another example, diversified applications require a variety of 5G terminal forms, such as smartphones, customer premises equipment (CPE), routers, laptops, televisions (TV), tablets, virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR), drones, autonomous driving, wearable devices, and other applications involving terminal forms. For another example, the network requires that 5G terminals can preferably support both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) networking. For another example, the network requires that 5G terminals need to support more frequency bands and larger bandwidths.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 4, which illustrates the evolution of capabilities from 4G to 5G terminals. As shown in Figure 4, a 4G or 4.5G terminal supports up to one transmit antenna and two receive antennas, with a maximum power of 23dBm and a maximum bandwidth of 20MHz. A 5G terminal supports up to two transmit antennas and two receive antennas, with a maximum power of 29dBm and a maximum bandwidth of 100MHz. This shows that the capabilities of 5G terminals are significantly greater than those of 4G or 4.5G terminals.

[0105] As 5G terminal requirements increase, the hardware requirements of the terminals will increase, and thus the power consumption of the terminals will inevitably increase. Under typical services (such as comprehensive web browsing, instant messaging, gaming, and video streaming), the average power consumption of 5G terminals increases by more than 200% compared to 4G terminals. In addition, the terminal's long-term battery life is also an important aspect of the user experience and can affect the use of 5G terminals or services. Therefore, the long-term battery life of 5G terminals faces great challenges, and researching how to reduce the power consumption of 5G terminals is the key to solving this problem.

[0106] In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has garnered widespread attention in the wireless communications field. 3GPP has introduced technologies for different types of IoT devices, including machine-type communication (MTC), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), and reduced capability devices (RedCap). To further reduce the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices, the Ambient IoT (Ambient IoT)—an IoT based on devices without batteries or with limited energy storage—has become a recent research hotspot. For these devices, energy is harvested from radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable power source. Ambient IoT can also be referred to as zero-power devices, near-zero-power devices, passive IoT, ambient backscatter communication (AmBC), or passive reflection-based communication. Compared to low-power, wide-coverage services (such as NB-IoT and eMTC), Ambient IoT offers lower complexity and power consumption, enabling a wider range of application scenarios.

[0107] The zero-power device receives the carrier signal from the reader and uses the RF energy harvesting module to collect energy, which is then used to power the low-power processing module. After the zero-power device acquires energy, the backscatter tag drives the corresponding circuit to adjust the incoming signal and backscatter it. Thus, the zero-power device can use the low-power module to obtain relevant information from the terminal device in a low-power manner. However, the zero-power device uses this low-power module to operate independently and does not work in conjunction with the main communication module.

[0108] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method 100. In this method, a network device sends configuration information of a bandwidth part (BWP) to a terminal device, and the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of the terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. This method is conducive to the terminal device coordinating the first communication module and the second communication module to communicate. The terminal device communicates through the second communication module in a low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0109] The present application embodiment proposes a communication method 100. FIG5 is an interaction diagram of the communication method 100. The communication method 100 is described from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device and the network device. The communication method 100 includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0110] S101. A network device sends BWP configuration information. The BWP configuration information is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type. The first BWP is used for communication with a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication with a second communication module of the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the BWP configuration information.

[0111] Among them, the terminal device communicates, which can be the terminal device communicating with the network device, or the terminal device communicating with other terminal devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0112] In addition, the first BWP is used for communication with the first communication module of the terminal device, which can be understood as: the terminal device can use the first BWP to communicate through the first communication module, or can be understood as: the terminal device can use the first communication module to communicate on the first BWP, or can be understood as: the first communication module of the terminal device can operate on the first BWP, or can be understood as: the first communication module of the terminal device can be carried by the first BWP. Similarly, the second BWP is used for communication with the second communication module of the terminal device, which can be understood as: the terminal device can use the second BWP to communicate through the second communication module, or can be understood as: the terminal device can use the second communication module to communicate on the second BWP, or can be understood as: the second communication module of the terminal device can operate on the second BWP, or can be understood as: the second communication module of the terminal device can be carried by the second BWP.

[0113] Optionally, the first communication module may also be referred to as a main communication module, and the second communication module may also be referred to as a low-power module. Therefore, the terminal device may use the main communication module to communicate on the first BWP, and may use the low-power communication module to communicate on the second BWP, that is, the terminal device may communicate in coordination with the main communication module and the low-power communication module.

[0114] As can be seen, the network device uses the BWP configuration information to configure a first BWP of the first type for the terminal device to use when communicating via the first communication module, and a second BWP of the second type for communication via the second communication module. Alternatively, the network device uses the BWP configuration information to configure the first and second communication modules to be carried by different types of BWPs: the first communication module is carried by the first BWP of the first type, and the second communication module is carried by the second BWP of the second type. This approach facilitates the coordinated communication between the first and second communication modules, allowing the terminal device to communicate via the first BWP via the first communication module and the second BWP via the second communication module.

[0115] Optionally, the network device may also configure other BWPs of the first type for the terminal device, and other BWPs of the second type for the terminal device, using the BWP configuration information, such as a third BWP of the first type and a fourth BWP of the second type. The first type of BWPs configured by the network device for the terminal device are all used for communication with the first communication module of the terminal device, and the second type of BWPs are all used for communication with the second communication module of the terminal device. This shows that by configuring the first communication module to be carried by the first type of BWP and the second communication module to be carried by the second type of BWP using the BWP configuration information, the network device facilitates communication between the terminal device and the first and second communication modules.

[0116] Furthermore, the maximum power allowed by the second communication module is lower than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is lower than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. Consequently, the power consumption of the terminal device when communicating via the second communication module is lower than that when communicating via the first communication module. This approach facilitates communication via the second communication module on the second BWP in low-power mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0117] In an optional embodiment, the second type of BWP allows one or more of the following less than that allowed by the first type of BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This approach can make the power consumption of the terminal device using the second type of BWP less than the power consumption of the first type of BWP, and can enable the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second type of BWP.

[0118] For example, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding scheme, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. The maximum power allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum power allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum power allowed by the second BWP is less than the maximum power allowed by the first BWP. The maximum bandwidth allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second BWP is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first BWP. For example, the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second BWP is 5 MHz, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first BWP is 20 MHz. The maximum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum MCS allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum MCS allowed by the second BWP is less than the maximum MCS allowed by the first BWP. For example, the maximum transmission modulation mode allowed by the second BWP is 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and the maximum transmission modulation mode allowed by the first BWP is 64 QAM.

[0119] The maximum subcarrier spacing (SCS) allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum SCS allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum SCS allowed by the second BWP is smaller than the maximum SCS allowed by the first BWP. For example, the maximum SCS of the second BWP is 30 kHz, and the maximum SCS of the first BWP is 60 kHz. The number of beams allowed by the second BWP is different from the maximum number of beams allowed by the first BWP, and the maximum number of beams allowed by the second BWP is smaller than the maximum number of beams allowed by the first BWP. For example, the second BWP allows a maximum of 2 synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB) beams, and the first BWP allows a maximum of 6 SSB beams.

[0120] Furthermore, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is different from that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams, and one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams. This approach allows the terminal device to communicate in a low-power mode using the second BWP.

[0121] Optionally, the minimum scan period allowed by the second type of BWP is different from the minimum scan period allowed by the first type of BWP. For example, the minimum scan period allowed by the second BWP is different from the minimum scan period allowed by the first BWP, for example, the minimum scan period allowed by the second BWP is 40ms, and the minimum scan period allowed by the first BWP is 10ms.

[0122] Optionally, the waveform allowed by the second type of BWP is different from the waveform allowed by the first type of BWP. For example, the waveform allowed by the second BWP is different from the waveform allowed by the first BWP.

[0123] In summary, network devices and terminal devices can distinguish between the first type of BWP and the second type of BWP by one or more of the following: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, maximum number of beams, minimum scanning period, or waveform. This approach allows terminal devices to effectively reduce power consumption in terms of resource utilization when using the second type of BWP.

[0124] In an optional embodiment, the BWP configuration information includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP. The first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

[0125] The first type indication is "1" and the second type indication is "0." Alternatively, the first type indication is "0" and the second type indication is "1." The present embodiment does not limit the specific forms of the first type indication and the second type indication. For ease of illustration, the following example uses the first type indication being "1" and the second type indication being "0."

[0126] For example, the BWP configuration information includes "1" and an identifier of a first BWP associated with "1," and "0" and an identifier of a second BWP associated with "0." Thus, the terminal device can learn from the BWP configuration information that the first BWP is a first-type BWP and that the second BWP is a second-type BWP.

[0127] Optionally, for different types of BWPs, a new field is required in the downlink control information (DCI) to describe the BWP type. Therefore, the BWP configuration information includes two levels of BWP indication. Optionally, the first level indication in the BWP configuration information uses 1 bit to indicate the BWP type, and the second level indication uses 2 bits to indicate the BWP index.

[0128] Optionally, the BWP configuration information also includes the subcarrier spacing SCS, cyclic prefix (CP), and bandwidth (BW) of the first BWP, and the SCS, CP, and BW of the second BWP. Optionally, the BWP configuration information may also include other information related to the first BWP and other information related to the second BWP, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0129] Optionally, if the network device also configures other BWPs of the first type in addition to the first BWP, and other BWPs of the second type in addition to the second BWP, through BWP configuration information, the first-type indication is also used to indicate the other BWPs of the first type, and the second-type indication is also used to indicate the other BWPs of the second type. For example, if the network device also configures a third BWP of the first type and a fourth BWP of the second type through BWP configuration information, the first-type indication is also used to indicate that the third BWP is a BWP of the first type, and the second-type indication is also used to indicate that the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. Optionally, the BWP configuration information also includes information related to the third BWP and information related to the fourth BWP, such as the SCS, CP, and BW of the third and fourth BWPs.

[0130] In an optional embodiment, the network device sends ninth indication information to the terminal device, where the ninth indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: maximum power allowed by the second BWP, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, maximum number of beams, or minimum scanning period. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the ninth indication information from the network device. Optionally, the ninth indication information is carried in the DCI to reduce signaling overhead.

[0131] It can be seen that the network device indicates to the terminal device one or more of the maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, maximum number of beams, or minimum scanning period allowed by the second BWP through the ninth indication information. Thus, the terminal device is informed of the one or more of the above conditions allowed by the second BWP, which helps the terminal device determine whether the second BWP can be adopted based on the one or more of the above conditions allowed by the second BWP.

[0132] Optionally, after the terminal device obtains the configured first BWP of the first type and the second BWP of the second type, the terminal device may further perform the following implementation:

[0133] Implementation method 1: When the terminal device meets the first condition, communication is performed through the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0134] The first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or that the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or that the terminal device's discontinuous reception (DRX) is in a dormant period. The first threshold value may be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or may be pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device.

[0135] It is understandable that when the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or when the DRX of the terminal device is in a dormant period, it indicates that the terminal device is in a low power consumption mode, and therefore the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP with lower power. When the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to the first threshold value, it indicates that the terminal device will transmit a small amount of data and its power consumption is also low, and the terminal device can communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP.

[0136] It can be seen that when the terminal device meets the first condition, the network is relatively idle and the power consumed by the terminal device for communication is relatively low. Therefore, the terminal device communicates through the second communication module on the second BWP, that is, communicates in low power consumption mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0137] In one optional embodiment, the network device further transmits first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information indicates the first condition. Accordingly, when the first condition is met, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device before communicating on the second BWP via the second communication module. Thus, the terminal device can obtain the first condition for communicating on the second BWP via the second communication module via the first indication information from the network device.

[0138] In one optional embodiment, the network device further transmits second instruction information to the terminal device, the second instruction information being used to instruct the activation of the second BWP. Accordingly, when the terminal device meets the first condition, before communicating on the second BWP via the second communication module, it further receives the second instruction information from the network device. Thus, the network device further instructs the terminal device to activate the second BWP via the second instruction information.

[0139] After receiving the second indication information, the terminal device activates the second BWP and, when the first condition is met, communicates via the second communication module on the second BWP. Optionally, after receiving the second indication information, the terminal device directly communicates via the second communication module on the second BWP when the first condition is met.

[0140] In one optional embodiment, when a first switching condition is met, the terminal device switches from the second BWP to a third BWP, where the third BWP is a first type BWP. The terminal device communicates on the third BWP via the first communication module. The first switching condition is when the terminal device enters a connected state from an idle or inactive state, or when the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0141] It is understandable that when the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, it indicates that the terminal device will communicate in the connected state. To ensure the quality of communication, the terminal device switches from the second BWP to the third BWP. When the terminal device receives a wake-up signal, it indicates that the terminal device will enter the working state from the sleep state. To ensure the quality of communication, the terminal device also switches from the second BWP to the third BWP.

[0142] In one optional embodiment, the network device further sends fifth indication information to the terminal device. The fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. For example, the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP. Accordingly, when the first switching condition is met, the terminal device further receives the fifth indication information before switching from the second BWP to the third BWP. Thus, the terminal device learns the switching condition for switching from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP, such as the switching condition for switching from the second BWP to the third BWP.

[0143] Optionally, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP. This method enables the terminal device to switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP based on the first switching delay. For example, the fifth indication information is also used to indicate the first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP. This allows the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP based on the first switching delay. That is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first switching delay.

[0144] Optionally, one or more of the first indication information, the second indication information and the fifth indication information are carried in downlink control information DCI to reduce signaling overhead.

[0145] Optionally, the first switching condition is not configured by the network device for the terminal device, but may be pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device, such as through a predetermined rule.

[0146] Implementation method 2: When the terminal device meets the second condition, communication is performed through the first communication module on the first BWP.

[0147] Among them, the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0148] As can be understood, when the terminal device is in a connected state, indicating that the terminal device is in an operational state, the terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP. When the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold, indicating that the terminal device will transmit a large amount of data, to ensure normal data transmission, the terminal device communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP with higher power. Therefore, when the terminal device meets the second condition, communication is performed via the first communication module on the first BWP to improve communication quality.

[0149] In one optional embodiment, the network device further transmits third indication information to the terminal device, the third indication information being used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate on the first BWP via the first communication module. Accordingly, when the second condition is met, the terminal device receives the second condition from the network device before communicating on the first BWP via the first communication module. Thus, the terminal device can obtain the conditions for communicating on the first BWP via the first communication module via the third indication information from the network device.

[0150] In one optional embodiment, the network device further transmits fourth instruction information to the terminal device, the fourth instruction information being used to instruct the activation of the first BWP. Accordingly, when the terminal device meets the second condition, before communicating on the first BWP via the first communication module, it receives the fourth instruction information from the network device. Thus, the network device further instructs the terminal device to activate the first BWP via the fourth instruction information.

[0151] After receiving the fourth indication information, the terminal device activates the first BWP and, when the second condition is met, communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP. Optionally, after receiving the fourth indication information, the terminal device directly communicates via the first communication module on the first BWP when the second condition is met.

[0152] In one optional embodiment, when a second switching condition is met, the terminal device switches from the first BWP to a fourth BWP of the second type. The fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type. The terminal device communicates on the fourth BWP via the second communication module. The second switching condition is when the terminal device switches from a connected state to an idle state or an inactive state, or when a first timer expires. The first timer is used to time the transition from communication with the terminal device from the first communication module to communication with the second communication module.

[0153] When the terminal device receives a radio resource control release (RRC release) message or a suspend message, it enters an idle state or an inactive state from a connected state, indicating that the terminal device enters a low power mode. The terminal device then switches from a first type of BWP with higher power consumption to a second type of BWP with lower power consumption, such as from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. This method enables the terminal device to communicate in a low power mode on the fourth BWP, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0154] In addition, the first timer is configured by the network device for the terminal device, or pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device, and is used to time the terminal device's transition from communicating with the first communication module to communicating with the second communication module. The duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device for the terminal device, or pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device. When the network device configures the duration of the first timer for the terminal device, the duration of the first timer can be determined based on the terminal device's communication service.

[0155] If the first timer times out, it indicates that the terminal device needs to switch from the first communication module to the second communication module, so the terminal device switches from the first BWP of the first type to the fourth BWP of the second type, and communicates through the second communication module on the fourth BWP.

[0156] In one optional embodiment, the network device sends sixth indication information to the terminal device. The sixth indication information is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. Thus, the terminal device learns the switching condition from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP through the sixth indication information. For example, the sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. Accordingly, before switching from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, the terminal device receives the sixth indication information from the network device.

[0157] In an optional implementation, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP. This approach enables the terminal device to switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP based on the second switching delay. For example, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP. This enables the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP based on the second switching delay. That is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0158] Optionally, one or more of the third indication information, the fourth indication information and the sixth indication information are carried in the DCI to reduce signaling overhead.

[0159] Optionally, the second switching condition is not configured by the network device for the terminal device, but is pre-negotiated between the network device and the terminal device, such as through a predetermined rule.

[0160] It is understandable that when the subcarrier spacing of the BWP is different, the switching delay of the terminal device from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP is different, and the switching delay from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP is different. The larger the subcarrier spacing of the BWP, the shorter the switching delay of the terminal device when switching between different types of BWP.

[0161] Optionally, the network device may indicate the first switching delay or the second switching delay to the terminal device in the form of a table, that is, the fifth indication information or the sixth indication information may be in the form of a table. For example, the network device indicates the second switching delay of the terminal device switching from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP to the terminal device through the following Table 1. As shown in Table 1, when the parameter set μ of the new radio (NR) is different, the value of the second switching delay is different.

[0162] Table 1

[0163] Optionally, the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the same type. For example, the terminal device can switch from a first BWP of the first type to a third BWP of the first type. For another example, the terminal device can switch from a second BWP of the second type to a fourth BWP of the second type. Furthermore, the larger the subcarrier spacing of the BWP, the shorter the switching delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the same type.

[0164] Optionally, the network device further sends seventh indication information to the terminal device, where the seventh indication information is used to indicate a third switching delay for the terminal device to switch between BWPs of the same type. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the seventh indication information from the network device. Thus, the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the same type based on the third switching delay.

[0165] For example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third switching delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the first type, so that the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the first type based on the third switching delay. For example, the terminal device switches from the first BWP to the third BWP of the first type based on the third switching delay, that is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the third BWP is the third switching delay. For another example, the seventh indication information is used to indicate the third switching delay when the terminal device switches between BWPs of the second type, so that the terminal device can switch between BWPs of the second type based on the third switching delay. For example, the terminal device switches from the second BWP to the fourth BWP of the second type based on the third switching delay, that is, the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the fourth BWP is the third switching delay.

[0166] Optionally, in the NR system, the network device may indicate the third switching delay to the terminal device through Table 2 below.

[0167] Table 2

[0168] As shown in Table 2, when the value of μ is 0, if the terminal device switches between BWPs of the first type (Type 1), the third switching delay is 1*1=1ms, and if the terminal device switches between BWPs of the second type (Type 2), the third switching delay is 1*3=3ms. Similarly, when the value of μ is 1, if the terminal device switches between BWPs of Type 1, the third switching delay is 0.5*2=1ms, and if the terminal device switches between BWPs of Type 2, the third switching delay is 0.5*5=2.5ms. When the value of μ is 2, 3, 5, and 6, the calculation method of the third switching delay is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0169] In an optional implementation, the terminal device may further send eighth indication information to the network device, where the eighth indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to communicate through the first communication module or to communicate through the second communication module. The eighth indication information may be carried in UE assistance information (UAI) to reduce signaling overhead. For example, the terminal device adds 1 bit to the UAI to instruct the terminal device to communicate through the first communication module or to communicate through the second communication module.

[0170] The terminal device sends the eighth instruction information to the network device, allowing the network device to learn the communication module currently used by the terminal device for communication. Furthermore, the network device can determine whether the terminal device needs to switch communication modules based on the communication module currently used by the terminal device and the terminal device's communication service. When the network device determines that the terminal device needs to switch communication modules, it instructs the terminal device to switch communication modules.

[0171] For example, the terminal device indicates to the network device, through the eighth indication information, that the communication module currently used by the terminal device for communication is the second communication module. The network device determines, based on the communication service of the terminal device, that the terminal device needs to switch from the second communication module to the first communication module. The network device then sends indication information to the terminal device instructing the terminal device to switch from the second communication module to the first communication module, causing the terminal device to switch from the second communication module to the first communication module and communicate via the first communication module on the first type of BWP to ensure communication quality.

[0172] In summary, when the first condition is met, the terminal device can communicate via the second communication module on the second type of BWP; when the second condition is met, the terminal device can communicate via the first communication module on the first type of BWP, thereby enabling the first and second communication modules to work in coordination. Furthermore, when the terminal device communicates via the second communication module, it does so in a low-power mode, reducing the terminal device's power consumption.

[0173] In addition, when the first switching condition is met, the terminal device can switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP to ensure communication quality. When the second switching condition is met, the terminal device can switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP to reduce power consumption of the terminal device.

[0174] Exemplarily, the first communication module is the main communication module, and the second communication module is the low-power communication module. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the main communication module and the low-power communication module working together. As shown in Figure 6, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle state / inactive state, or in the RRC connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than a first threshold, the terminal device uses the second type of BWP to communicate through the low-power communication module to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. In addition, when the terminal device is in the RRC connected state and has no data to transmit, it also uses the second type of BWP to monitor through the low-power communication module to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. When the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, or in the connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it uses the first type of BWP to communicate with the network device through the main communication module to ensure communication quality. When the terminal device enters the RRC connected state from the RRC idle state, it can switch from the second type of BWP to the first type of BWP, that is, switch from the low-power module to the main communication module to ensure communication quality. When the terminal device enters the RRC idle state / inactive state from the RRC connected state, it can switch from the first type of BWP to the second type of BWP, that is, switch from the main communication module to the low power consumption module to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0175] As can be seen, the terminal device can use the first type of BWP to communicate through the first communication module for a period of time, and use the second type of BWP to communicate through the second communication module for another period of time. In other words, the terminal device can use the first communication module with higher power consumption and the second communication module with lower power consumption to work together, allowing the terminal device to transmit data in a low-power mode for a period of time, which can effectively reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0176] In an embodiment of the present application, a network device configures a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type for a terminal device through BWP configuration information. The first BWP is used for communication with the terminal device's first communication module, and the second BWP is used for communication with the terminal device's second communication module. The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is less than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module. This approach facilitates communication between the terminal device and the first and second communication modules. Communication by the terminal device through the second communication module is performed in low-power mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0177] With respect to the technical solutions described above, the corresponding device implementation solutions are further described below.

[0178] To implement the various functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device and the network device may include hardware structures and / or software modules, and implement the aforementioned functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular one of the aforementioned functions is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0179] As shown in Figure 7, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 700. The communication device 700 can be a component of a terminal device (e.g., an integrated circuit, a chip, etc.), or a component of a network device (e.g., an integrated circuit, a chip, etc.). The communication device 700 can also be other communication units for implementing the method in the method embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 may include: a communication unit 701 and a processing unit 702. Optionally, it may also include a storage unit 703.

[0180] In one possible design, one or more units shown in FIG7 may be implemented by one or more processors, or by one or more processors and memories, or by one or more processors and transceivers, or by one or more processors, memories, and transceivers, although this is not limited in the present embodiment. The processors, memories, and transceivers may be provided separately or integrated.

[0181] The communication device 700 has the functions of a terminal device or a network device that implements the embodiments of the present application. For example, the communication device 700 includes a reader / writer that executes the modules, units, or means corresponding to the steps involved in the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The functions, units, or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation, or by a combination of software and hardware. For details, please refer to the corresponding description in the above-mentioned corresponding method embodiments.

[0182] In one possible design, a communication apparatus 700 may include: a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 701, wherein the apparatus is applied to a terminal device, and the processing unit 702 is configured to process signals / signaling;

[0183] The communication unit 701 is configured to receive configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, where the BWP configuration information is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device;

[0184] The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

[0185] In an optional embodiment, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

[0186] In an optional embodiment, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; the first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

[0187] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit 702 is used to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP when a first condition is met; wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception DRX of the terminal device is in a sleep period.

[0188] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 702 satisfies the first condition, before communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is configured to indicate the first condition.

[0189] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 702 meets the first condition, before communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive second indication information, where the second indication information is configured to indicate activation of the second BWP.

[0190] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit 702 is used to communicate through the first communication module on the first BWP when a second condition is met; wherein the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

[0191] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 702 satisfies the second condition, before communicating through the first communication module on the first BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive third indication information, where the third indication information is configured to indicate the second condition.

[0192] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 702 meets the second condition, before communicating through the first communication module on the first BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is configured to indicate activation of the first BWP.

[0193] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit 702 is also used to: switch from the second BWP to the third BWP when a first switching condition is met, and the third BWP is the first type of BWP; communicate on the third BWP through the first communication module; wherein the first switching condition is that the terminal device enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0194] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 702 satisfies the first switching condition, before switching from the second BWP to the third BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is configured to indicate the first switching condition.

[0195] In an optional implementation, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first switching delay.

[0196] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit 702 is also used to: switch from the first BWP to a fourth BWP when a second switching condition is met, and the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; communicate through the second communication module on the fourth BWP; wherein the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state from the connected state, or the first timer times out, and the first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0197] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 702 meets the second switching condition, before switching from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, the communication unit 701 is further configured to receive sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information is configured to indicate the second switching condition.

[0198] In an optional implementation, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0199] The embodiments of the present application and the above-mentioned method embodiments are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0200] In another possible design, a communication apparatus 700 may include: a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 701, wherein the apparatus is applied to a network device, the processing unit 702 is configured to process signals / signaling;

[0201] The communication unit 701 is used to send configuration information of the bandwidth part BWP, and the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; the first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of the terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device; the power when the terminal device uses the second communication module for communication is less than the power when using the first communication module for communication.

[0202] In an optional embodiment, one or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

[0203] In an optional embodiment, the configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; the first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

[0204] In an optional embodiment, the communication unit 701 is also used to send a first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate a first condition for the terminal device to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP; wherein, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception DRX of the terminal device is in a sleep period.

[0205] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send second indication information, where the second indication information is used to instruct activation of the second BWP.

[0206] In an optional embodiment, the communication unit 701 is also used to send a third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate through the first communication module on the first BWP; wherein, the second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0207] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 701 is further configured to send fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct activation of the first BWP.

[0208] In an optional embodiment, the communication unit 701 is also used to send a fifth indication information; the fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP, and the third BWP is the first type of BWP; wherein the first switching condition is that the terminal device enters a connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

[0209] In an optional implementation, the fifth indication information is further used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP.

[0210] In an optional embodiment, the communication unit 701 is also used to send a sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, and the fourth BWP is the second type of BWP; wherein, the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state from the connected state, or the first timer times out, and the first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

[0211] In an optional implementation, the sixth indication information is further used to indicate a second switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

[0212] The embodiments of the present application and the above-mentioned method embodiments are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0213] The present application also provides a communication device 800. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 800. The communication device 800 can be a terminal device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal device in implementing the above-mentioned method; or it can be a network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing the above-mentioned method. This device can be used to implement the method described in the above-mentioned method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0214] The communication device 800 may include one or more processors 801. The processor 801 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it may be a baseband processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a distributed unit (DU) or a centralized unit (CU), etc.), execute software programs, and process data of the software programs.

[0215] Optionally, the communication device 800 may include one or more memories 802, on which instructions 804 may be stored. The instructions may be executed on the processor 801, causing the communication device 800 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory 802 may also store data. The processor 801 and memory 802 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0216] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a transceiver 805 and an antenna 806. The transceiver 805 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit, etc., and is configured to implement transceiver functions. The transceiver 805 may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., and is configured to implement a receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., and is configured to implement a transmitting function.

[0217] In one possible design, the communication apparatus 800 may be applied to a terminal device. Specifically, the transceiver 805 is used to execute S101 in the above-mentioned communication method 100.

[0218] In another possible design, the communication device 800 can be applied to a network device. Specifically, the transceiver 805 is used to execute S101 in the above-mentioned communication method 100.

[0219] Optionally, the processor 801 may store an instruction 803. The instruction 803 runs on the processor 801, which enables the communication device 800 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. The instruction 803 may be fixed in the processor 801. In this case, the processor 801 may be implemented by hardware.

[0220] The embodiment of the present application and the method embodiment shown in the above-mentioned communication method 100 are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiment shown in the above-mentioned communication method 100, and no further details will be given.

[0221] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which may include a terminal device and a network device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices / functional network elements that interact with the terminal device and the network device.

[0222] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0223] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0224] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program that, when executed on a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0225] The terms "first" and "second" in the description, claims and drawings of the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. "First", "second" and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second" and the like may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0226] Furthermore, the terms "include," "comprise," and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or elements is not limited to the listed steps or elements, but may optionally include steps or elements not listed, or may optionally include other steps or elements inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0227] Reference to an "embodiment" in the embodiments of this application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it mean that each embodiment is mutually exclusive of another embodiment or an alternative embodiment. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0228] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, 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, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0229] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application 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 to facilitate understanding.

[0230] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may 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 may 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 may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, an SSD).

[0231] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, wherein the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; The first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device; The maximum power allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum power allowed by the first communication module, and the maximum bandwidth allowed by the second communication module is smaller than the maximum bandwidth allowed by the first communication module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that One or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; The first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the first condition is met, communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP; Among them, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception DRX of the terminal device is in a sleep period.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the first condition is met, before communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP, the method further includes: First indication information is received, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first condition.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: When the first condition is met, before communicating through the second communication module on the second BWP, the method further includes: Second indication information is received, where the second indication information is used to indicate activation of the second BWP.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When a second condition is met, communicating through the first communication module on the first BWP; The second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that When the second condition is met, before communicating through the first communication module on the first BWP, the method further includes: Third indication information is received, where the third indication information is used to indicate the second condition.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: When the second condition is met, before communicating through the communication module on the first BWP, the method further includes: Fourth indication information is received, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct activation of the first BWP.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When a first switching condition is met, switching from the second BWP to a third BWP, wherein the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; communicating on the third BWP through the first communication module; The first switching condition is that the terminal device enters a connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that When the first switching condition is met, before switching from the second BWP to the third BWP, the method further includes: Fifth indication information is received, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate the first switching condition.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The fifth indication information is also used to indicate a first switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP is the first switching delay.

13. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When a second switching condition is met, switching from the first BWP to a fourth BWP, the fourth BWP being a BWP of the second type; communicating on the fourth BWP through the second communication module; Among them, the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state from the connected state, or the first timer times out, and the first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that When the second switching condition is met, before switching from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, the method further includes: Sixth indication information is received, where the sixth indication information is used to indicate the second switching condition.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The sixth indication information is also used to indicate a second switching delay, and the time interval for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP is the second switching delay.

16. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending configuration information of a bandwidth part BWP, wherein the configuration information of the BWP is used to configure a first BWP of a first type and a second BWP of a second type; The first BWP is used for communication by a first communication module of a terminal device, and the second BWP is used for communication by a second communication module of the terminal device; The power used by the terminal device when communicating using the second communication module is less than the power used when communicating using the first communication module.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that One or more of the following allowed by the second BWP is less than that allowed by the first BWP: maximum power, maximum bandwidth, maximum modulation and coding strategy, maximum subcarrier spacing, or maximum number of beams.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The configuration information of the BWP includes a first type indication and an identifier of the first BWP, and a second type indication and an identifier of the second BWP; The first type indication is used to indicate that the type of the first BWP is the first type, and the second type indication is used to indicate that the type of the second BWP is the second type.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first condition for the terminal device to communicate through the second communication module on the second BWP; Among them, the first condition is that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold value, or the discontinuous reception DRX of the terminal device is in a sleep period.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate activation of the second BWP.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a second condition for the terminal device to communicate through the first communication module on the first BWP; The second condition is that the terminal device is in a connected state, or the terminal device is in a connected state and the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate activation of the first BWP.

23. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The method further comprises: sending a fifth instruction message; The fifth indication information is used to indicate a first switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to a third BWP, where the third BWP is a BWP of the first type; The first switching condition is that the terminal device enters a connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, or the terminal device receives a wake-up signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that The fifth indication information is also used to indicate a first switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the second BWP to the third BWP.

25. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information is used to indicate a second switching condition for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to a fourth BWP, where the fourth BWP is a BWP of the second type; Among them, the second switching condition is that the terminal device enters an idle state or an inactive state from the connected state, or the first timer times out, and the first timer is a timer used to time the communication of the terminal device from the first communication module to the second communication module.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The sixth indication information is also used to indicate a second switching delay for the terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

29. A communication system, characterized in that: include: An apparatus for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and an apparatus for executing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26 is executed.

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