Communication method, apparatus and system

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, apparatus and system, applicable to low-power wakeup signal (LP-WUS) transmission scenarios. In the method, by means of a predefined or configured mode, when monitoring signals in a low-power mode, such as LP-WUSs, a terminal device can change a monitoring mode in time, thereby meeting monitoring requirements of different channel states and improving the monitoring performance.

Description

Communication method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202311634987.8 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 30, 2023, and priority to the Chinese patent application with the invention name “Communication Methods, Devices and Systems”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] When the network side sends data to the terminal device, the network side first sends a low power wakeup signal (LP-WUS) to wake up the main receiver, and then the main receiver performs blind detection of the physical uplink control channel (PDCCH) and receives the corresponding data scheduling. Since the low power wakeup receiver (LP-WUR) usually uses a low-speed, low-precision analog-to-digital converter, a low-precision local oscillator, and a low-complexity digital processing module, the power consumption of the LP-WUR is much lower than that of the traditional NR main receiver. However, the channel state changes over time, and the terminal device cannot obtain information about the network device during the period of receiving the LP-WUS. Therefore, it is impossible to adjust the relevant parameters in time, affecting communication performance, such as monitoring performance.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method, device and system to facilitate terminal equipment to adjust relevant parameters in a timely manner and improve monitoring performance.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. This method may be executed by a terminal device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit used in the terminal device, which is not limited in this application. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a terminal device.

[0007] The method includes: entering a first mode at a first moment, using a first configuration parameter to monitor a first signal, the type of the first signal is a first type, the signal of the first type is used to wake up the second mode of the terminal device, and the power consumption of the second mode is greater than that of the first mode; if the first signal is not received, using a second configuration parameter to monitor a second signal from a second moment or monitoring a third signal from a second moment, the type of the second signal is the first type, the type of the third signal is the second type, and the signal of the second type is a signal in the second mode.

[0008] In this method, the terminal device can use different configuration parameters to enter different modes at different times, avoiding the problem of difficulty in entering different modes due to inability to obtain configuration, and can improve monitoring performance.

[0009] In some implementations, the monitoring of the second signal using the second configuration parameters starting from the second moment or the monitoring of the third signal starting from the second moment includes: when the first timer times out, monitoring the second signal using the second configuration parameters starting from the second moment, or monitoring the third signal starting from the second moment, and the running length of the first timer is the length of time for monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameters.

[0010] That is, the network device configures a timer to determine when the terminal device changes the configuration parameters to access different modes, further improving the timeliness of the terminal device accessing different modes.

[0011] In some implementations, the second moment is a start moment of an activated state of a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle.

[0012] In some implementations, the third signal is monitored starting from the second moment, and the method further includes: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information instructs the terminal device to monitor the second signal.

[0013] That is, although the terminal device is instructed to monitor the second signal, the terminal device still monitors the third signal starting from the second time instant.

[0014] In some implementations, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within the first time period, or in other words, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal monitoring method within the first time period, the start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

[0015] In some implementations, when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type; or, when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type.

[0016] In some implementations, the first indication information is carried in radio resource control RRC signaling, a physical downlink control channel PDCCH, or a media access control element MAC CE.

[0017] In some implementations, when the duration of monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameter is greater than or equal to a second time period, monitoring the third signal begins at the second moment, and the duration of the second time period is configured or predefined.

[0018] In this manner, the terminal device can determine the time to monitor the third signal without the need for indication information, thereby further saving indication overhead.

[0019] In certain implementations, channel state information is sent.

[0020] In this method, the terminal device sends timely reporting of channel status information to the network device, which facilitates the network device to update configuration parameters according to the channel status and improve communication performance.

[0021] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured or predefined.

[0022] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured, and the method further includes: receiving RRC signaling, where the RRC signaling is used to indicate the second configuration parameter.

[0023] In some implementations, entering the first mode at the first moment includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information instructing the terminal device to enter the first mode, or, when a second timer times out, entering the first mode at the first moment, the running time of the second timer is the time length for monitoring the second type of signal before entering the first mode.

[0024] That is, there are multiple ways for the terminal device to enter the first mode, which has a certain degree of flexibility.

[0025] In some implementations, the second indication information is carried in downlink control information DCI or MAC CE.

[0026] In some implementations, the first configuration parameter and / or the second configuration parameter indicates at least one of a repetition mode, a repetition number, or a time-frequency resource of the first type of signal.

[0027] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a chip or circuit used in the network device, which is not limited in this application. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a network device.

[0028] The method includes: notifying the terminal device to enter a first mode at a first moment, using a first configuration parameter to monitor a first signal, the type of the first signal is a first type, the signal of the first type is used to wake up the second mode of the terminal device, and the power consumption of the second mode is greater than that of the first mode; determining a second moment, the second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring a second signal or start monitoring a third signal using a second configuration parameter, the type of the second signal is the first type, the type of the third signal is the second type, and the signal of the second type is a signal in the second mode.

[0029] In some implementations, determining the second moment includes: configuring a first timer, the running duration of the first timer is the duration during which the terminal device monitors the first signal using the first configuration parameters, and the second moment is the moment when the first timer times out or the moment after the first timer times out.

[0030] In some implementations, the second moment is a start moment of the first DRX cycle active state.

[0031] In some implementations, the second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring the third signal, and the method further includes: sending first indication information, where the first indication information instructs the terminal device to monitor the second signal.

[0032] In some implementations, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within the first time period, or in other words, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal monitoring method within the first time period, the start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

[0033] In some implementations, when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type; or, when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type.

[0034] In some implementations, the first indication information is carried in RRC signaling, PDCCH or MAC CE.

[0035] In some implementations, the second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring the third signal, including: when the duration for which the terminal device monitors the first signal using the first configuration parameter is greater than or equal to a second time period, determining the second moment, the duration of the second time period is configured or predefined.

[0036] In some implementations, the method further includes receiving channel state information.

[0037] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured or predefined.

[0038] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured, and the method further includes: sending RRC signaling, where the RRC signaling is used to indicate the second configuration parameter.

[0039] In some implementations, notifying a terminal device to enter a first mode at a first moment includes: sending a second indication message, wherein the second indication message instructs the terminal device to enter the first mode, or configuring a second timer, wherein when the second timer times out, the second timer instructs the terminal device to enter the first mode at the first moment, and the running time of the second timer is the time length for which the terminal device monitors the second type of signal before entering the first mode.

[0040] In some implementations, the second indication information is carried in downlink control information DCI or MAC CE.

[0041] In some implementations, the first configuration parameter and / or the second configuration parameter indicates at least one of a repetition mode, a repetition number, or a time-frequency resource of the first type of signal.

[0042] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a transceiver module and a processing module, wherein the processing module is configured to enter a first mode at a first moment, monitor a first signal using a first configuration parameter, wherein the type of the first signal is a first type, and the signal of the first type is used to wake up the second mode of the terminal device, and the power consumption of the second mode is greater than that of the first mode; in the case where the first signal is not received, monitor the second signal using a second configuration parameter starting from a second moment or monitor the third signal starting from a second moment, wherein the type of the second signal is the first type, the type of the third signal is the second type, and the signal of the second type is a signal in the second mode.

[0043] In some implementations, the processing module is used to monitor the second signal using the second configuration parameters starting from a second moment when the first timer times out, or to monitor the third signal starting from a second moment, and the running duration of the first timer is the duration of monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameters.

[0044] In some implementations, the second moment is a start moment of an activated state of a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle.

[0045] In some implementations, the communication apparatus includes a transceiver module configured to receive first indication information, where the first indication information instructs the terminal device to monitor the second signal.

[0046] In some implementations, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within the first time period, or in other words, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal monitoring method within the first time period, the start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

[0047] In some implementations, when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type; or, when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type.

[0048] In some implementations, the first indication information is carried in radio resource control RRC signaling, a physical downlink control channel PDCCH, or a media access control element MAC CE.

[0049] In some implementations, the processing module is configured to monitor the third signal starting from the second moment when the duration of monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameters is greater than or equal to a second time period, where the duration of the second time period is configured or predefined.

[0050] In some implementations, the transceiver module is used to send channel state information.

[0051] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured or predefined.

[0052] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured, and the method further includes: receiving RRC signaling, where the RRC signaling is used to indicate the second configuration parameter.

[0053] In some implementations, the transceiver module is also used to receive a second indication information, which indicates that the terminal device enters the first mode, or enters the first mode at a first moment when the second timer times out, and the running time of the second timer is the time length for monitoring the second type of signal before entering the first mode.

[0054] In some implementations, the second indication information is carried in downlink control information DCI or MAC CE.

[0055] In some implementations, the first configuration parameter and / or the second configuration parameter indicates at least one of a repetition mode, a repetition number, or a time-frequency resource of the first type of signal.

[0056] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processing module, which is used to notify a terminal device to enter a first mode at a first moment and monitor a first signal using a first configuration parameter, where the type of the first signal is a first type, and the signal of the first type is used to wake up the second mode of the terminal device, and the power consumption of the second mode is greater than that of the first mode; the processing module is also used to determine a second moment, where the second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring a second signal or start monitoring a third signal using a second configuration parameter, where the type of the second signal is the first type, the type of the third signal is the second type, and the signal of the second type is a signal in the second mode.

[0057] In some implementations, the processing module is also used to determine the second moment, including: the processing module is used to configure a first timer, the running time of the first timer is the time length during which the terminal device monitors the first signal using the first configuration parameters, and the second moment is the moment when the first timer times out or the moment after the first timer times out.

[0058] In some implementations, the second moment is a start moment of the first DRX cycle active state.

[0059] In some implementations, the second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring the third signal, and the communication device also includes a transceiver module, which is used to send first indication information, and the first indication information instructs the terminal device to monitor the second signal.

[0060] In some implementations, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within the first time period, or in other words, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal monitoring method within the first time period, the start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

[0061] In some implementations, when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type; or, when the first indication information takes a value of 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type; when the first indication information takes a value of 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type.

[0062] In some implementations, the first indication information is carried in RRC signaling, PDCCH or MAC CE.

[0063] In some implementations, the processing module is used to determine the second moment when the duration of the terminal device monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameter is greater than or equal to a second time period, and the duration of the second time period is configured or predefined.

[0064] In some implementations, the transceiver module is further configured to receive channel state information.

[0065] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured or predefined.

[0066] In some implementations, the second configuration parameter is configured, and the method further includes: sending RRC signaling, where the RRC signaling is used to indicate the second configuration parameter.

[0067] In some implementations, the transceiver module is also used to send a second indication message, which instructs the terminal device to enter the first mode, or to configure a second timer, which instructs the terminal device to enter the first mode at the first moment when the second timer times out. The running time of the second timer is the time length for monitoring the second type of signal before the terminal device enters the first mode.

[0068] In some implementations, the second indication information is carried in downlink control information DCI or MAC CE.

[0069] In some implementations, the first configuration parameter and / or the second configuration parameter indicates at least one of a repetition mode, a repetition number, or a time-frequency resource of the first type of signal.

[0070] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and a processor, wherein the interface circuit is used to implement the function of the transceiver module in the third aspect, and the processor is used to implement the function of the processing module in the third aspect.

[0071] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and a processor, wherein the interface circuit is used to implement the function of the transceiver module in the fourth aspect, and the processor is used to implement the function of the processing module in the sixth aspect.

[0072] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution on a terminal device, the program code comprising instructions for executing the method of the first aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect, or all possible manners in the first aspect.

[0073] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution by a network device, the program code including instructions for executing the method of the second aspect, or the third aspect, or any possible manner in the second aspect, or any possible manner in the third aspect, or all possible manners in the second aspect, or all possible manners in the third aspect.

[0074] In the ninth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the first aspect, or any possible method of the first aspect, or all possible methods of the first aspect.

[0075] In the tenth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect, or any possible method of the second aspect, or all possible methods of the second aspect.

[0076] In the eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a device having functions of implementing the above-mentioned first aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect, or all possible manners in the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible manner in the second aspect, or all possible manners in the second aspect, and various possible designed functions.

[0077] In the twelfth aspect, a processor is provided, which is coupled to a memory and is used to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect, or any possible method of the first aspect, or all possible methods of the first aspect.

[0078] In a thirteenth aspect, a processor is provided, coupled to a memory, for executing the method of the second aspect, or any possible manner of the second aspect, or all possible manners of the second aspect.

[0079] In a fourteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and a memory configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, so that the chip system implements the method of any of the aforementioned first or second aspects, as well as any possible implementation of either aspect. The chip system may be composed of a chip alone, or may include a chip and other discrete components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0080] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] (a) in FIG2 is a receiver interaction diagram applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] FIG2( b ) is a schematic diagram of a DRX cycle applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a CSI reporting method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] FIG5 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0086] FIG6 shows a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system includes a radio access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The radio access network 100 may include at least one radio access network device (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1 ) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1 ). The terminal is wirelessly connected to the radio access network device, and the radio access network device is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network. The core network device and the radio access network device may be independent, distinct physical devices, or the core network device's functions and the radio access network device's logical functions may be integrated into the same physical device, or a single physical device may integrate some of the core network device's functions and some of the radio access network device's functions. Terminals and radio access network devices may be interconnected via wired or wireless connections. Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram. The communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1 .

[0089] The network device may be a wireless access network device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation base station (next generation NodeB, gNB) in a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system; it may also be a module or unit that performs part of the functions of a base station, for example, the wireless access network device may include at least one of a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU), wherein the centralized unit may also be referred to as a central unit (CU) or a control unit (CU). Here, the CU completes the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer of the base station, and can also complete the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer; the DU completes the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer of the base station, and can also complete the functions of part of the physical layer (for example, the upper layer of the physical layer) or the entire physical layer; the RU completes the radio frequency function and can also complete the functions of part of the physical layer (for example, the lower layer of the physical layer); for the specific description of each of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant technical specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The wireless access network device can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), or a relay node or a donor node. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the wireless access network device. For the convenience of description, the following description takes the base station as an example of the network device.

[0090] Terminal devices may also be referred to as terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0091] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0092] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0093] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0095] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to wireless communications between communication devices. Wireless communications between communication devices may include: wireless communications between network devices and terminals, wireless communications between network devices, and wireless communications between terminals. In the embodiments of this application, the term "wireless communications" may also be referred to as "communication," which may also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0096] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the physical downlink share channel (PDSCH), the physical downlink control channel PDCCH and the physical uplink share channel (PUSCH) are merely examples of downlink data channels, downlink control channels and uplink data channels, respectively. In different systems and different scenarios, data channels and control channels may have different names, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0097] In order to facilitate understanding of the solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the concepts involved in the embodiments of the present application are first explained.

[0098] 1.LP-WUS

[0099] LP-WUS is a low-power wake-up signal. Terminal devices can monitor for this signal while operating in a lower-power mode. This signal is then used to wake the terminal device and enter a higher-power mode to receive and / or transmit data, thereby reducing terminal power consumption. There are various methods for improving LP-WUS signal monitoring performance, such as time-domain repetition, energy-focused transmission, transmit diversity, and frequency modulation. The configuration of these technologies requires advance notification to the terminal device. For example, network equipment must inform the terminal device of the LP-WUS transmission method before monitoring it, including information such as the number of time-domain signal repetitions and whether frequency hopping is used.

[0100] An example of LP-WUS interaction is given below.

[0101] As shown in (a) of Figure 2, when the network side sends data to the terminal device, the network side first sends an LP-WUS signal to wake up the main receiver, and then the main receiver performs PDCCH blind detection and receives the corresponding data scheduling. Since LP-WUR usually uses a low-speed, low-precision ADC, a low-precision local oscillator, and a low-complexity digital processing module, the power consumption of LP-WUR is much lower than that of a traditional NR main receiver. Therefore, by using LP-WUR to receive a wake-up signal and then waking up the main receiver to receive data scheduling, the power consumption of the terminal device can be reduced. When the LP-WUR is turned on, the main receiver can enter a sleep state, thereby saving energy. When the LP-WUR receives the LP-WUS signal, the main receiver turns on and performs subsequent operations such as data reception.

[0102] In this application, the mode in which the terminal device receives LP-WUS (i.e., a lower power consumption working mode) is called the first mode, and one form of expression is: executing the first mode through the auxiliary receiver, and the mode of receiving messages such as PDCCH (i.e., a higher power consumption working mode) is called the second mode, and one form of expression is: executing the second mode through the main receiver.

[0103] In the present application, the type of signal used to wake up the primary receiver is the first type, for example, the first type of signal may be LP-WUS. The type of signal without a wake-up function is the second type, for example, the second type of signal may be PDCCH.

[0104] 2. Discontinuous reception (DRX)

[0105] In DRX mode, end devices can shut down their receivers during specified intervals to avoid unnecessary data transmission, saving power and extending battery life. The network can control the end device's sleep and wake-up times to optimize power consumption and network resource utilization. This mode is primarily designed to support low-power end devices, such as IoT sensor nodes.

[0106] The DRX mode includes multiple DRX cycles. As shown in (b) of Figure 2, there are two DRX cycles, DRX cycle 1 and DRX cycle 2. Each DRX cycle includes an active window (also called an active state) and an inactive window (also called an inactive state). During the active window, the terminal device needs to turn on the receiver and receive data transmitted by the network. For example, the terminal device can monitor the PDCCH at the beginning of each DRX active state. During the inactive window, the terminal device can turn off the receiver and enter a sleep state to save power.

[0107] While the terminal device is continuously receiving the LP-WUS signal using the auxiliary receiver, the primary receiver does not perform PDCCH blind detection. However, the channel state changes over time. At locations separated by long time intervals, changes in the channel state require that the terminal device's LP-WUS monitoring method change in order for the terminal device to correctly receive the LP-WUS. For example, if the channel state is good at time A, the network can use fewer repetitions to send the LP-WUS signal. After a longer period of time, the channel state may deteriorate, and the network may need to use more repetitions or a frequency hopping-based method to send the LP-WUS signal in order for the terminal device to correctly receive the LP-WUS. However, currently, network devices cannot notify terminal devices that a change in monitoring method is required.

[0108] In view of this, the present application proposes a communication method that enables a terminal device to change its monitoring configuration in a timely manner and improve monitoring performance. As shown in FIG3 , the method includes the following steps:

[0109] S310, the terminal device enters a first mode at a first moment and monitors a first signal using a first configuration parameter.

[0110] The first signal is of the first type. For example, the first signal may be an LP-WUS. The first type of signal is used to wake up the terminal device in the second mode. The power consumption of the terminal device in the second mode is greater than the power consumption of the terminal device in the first mode. The first mode and the second mode can be described above.

[0111] The monitoring in this application may also be referred to as listening, listening, intercepting, etc., without limitation.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the first moment is configured. For example, the network device sends indication information A (an example of the second indication information) to the terminal device. The indication information A indicates the start moment of the first mode, i.e., the first moment. The terminal device begins monitoring the first signal at the first moment according to the indication information. Alternatively, the indication information A instructs the terminal device to enter a monitoring state for the first type of signal. For example, the indication information A instructs the terminal device to enter an LP-WUS monitoring state.

[0113] Optionally, the indication information A is carried in downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

[0114] Another possible implementation is that the network device configures timer A (i.e., the second timer) to the terminal device, and the running time of the second timer is the time length for the terminal device to monitor the second type of signal before entering the first mode. When the timer (timer) times out, the terminal device enters the first mode. For example, the terminal device continuously monitors the PDCCH. If the terminal device does not detect the PDCCH for data scheduling during this period, the timer continues to count. If the terminal device detects the PDCCH for data scheduling during this period, the timer is initialized (such as set to zero) and restarts timing. When the timer times out, the terminal device enters the LP-WUS monitoring state.

[0115] The first configuration parameter is used by the terminal device to monitor the first type of signal. The first configuration parameter can be configured or predefined. Taking the case where the first configuration parameter is configured as an example, the network device sends the first configuration parameter to the terminal device. The first configuration parameter is a configuration parameter used by the terminal device to monitor the LP-WUS. The first configuration parameter can be at least one of the repetition method and number of repetitions of the LP-WUS in the time domain and / or frequency domain, and whether the LP-WUS is sent using frequency hopping or interleaving. The terminal device receives the LP-WUS on the corresponding time-frequency resource according to the first configuration parameter.

[0116] The terminal device receives the indication information A sent by the network, or before the terminal device enters the first mode, the main receiver can turn off some functions, such as not blindly detecting PDCCH in the third type of communication subsystem (Type 3 communications subsystem, Type 3CSS) and the universal serial interface (Universal serial interface, USS).

[0117] It should be understood that the fact that the terminal device enters the first mode and uses the first configuration parameters to monitor the first signal does not necessarily mean that the terminal device can receive the first signal. That is, the terminal device enters the first mode and keeps monitoring, but may not be able to monitor the first signal.

[0118] S320: The terminal device monitors the second signal using the second configuration parameters starting from the second moment or monitors the third signal starting from the second moment.

[0119] For example, when the first signal is not received, the terminal device monitors the second signal using the second configuration parameters starting from the second moment or monitors the third signal starting from the second moment.

[0120] The second signal is of the first type. The third signal is of the second type. For example, the second signal is an LP-WUS, and the third signal is a PDCCH. The first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter may be the same or different. The first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter are not associated, or in other words, the first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter are independent of each other.

[0121] In a possible implementation 1, the second time may be configurable. For example, the network device indicates the second time to the terminal device, and the terminal device monitors the second signal or the third signal starting from the second time.

[0122] In a possible implementation 2, the second moment is determined by a timer. For example, the network device configures timer B (i.e., a first timer) for the terminal device. The running duration of timer B is the duration for which the terminal device monitors the first signal using the first configuration parameters. When the first timer expires, the terminal device starts monitoring the second signal using the second configuration parameters from the second moment, or starts monitoring the third signal from the second moment.

[0123] For example, a network device configures Timer B for a terminal device. This Timer B indicates that during the timing period of Timer B, the network will first send an LP-WUS signal when scheduling the terminal device. The network notifies the terminal device to monitor for LP-WUS and starts Timer B. If the network sends an LP-WUS during the timing period of Timer B, Timer B is initialized (e.g., reset to zero) and stops timing. When Timer B times out, there are two possibilities:

[0124] Possibility 1: After timer B expires, the network sends an LP-WUS based on second monitoring parameters. These second monitoring parameters are unrelated to the first. These second monitoring parameters can include a higher repetition count, frequency hopping, or interleaving. In short, the second monitoring parameters are intended to ensure that the LP-WUS is accurately received by the terminal device, with a low false positive rate.

[0125] The second configuration parameter may be configured by RRC, that is, adding an LP-WUS monitoring configuration parameter field to the RRC configuration parameter.

[0126] The second configuration parameter may also be a method predefined by the protocol. For example, as specified in the standard, after timer B times out, the terminal device monitors the configuration parameter of the LP-WUS for the maximum number of repetitions, using methods such as interleaving and frequency hopping.

[0127] Possibility 2: After timer B expires, the network schedules the UE by directly sending the PDCCH instead of the LP-WUS signal. The terminal device turns on the main receiver (i.e., enters the second mode), such as receiving the PDCCH or reporting channel state information (CSI).

[0128] The above solution is applicable to DRX scenarios. For example, the second moment is the start moment of a DRX cycle activation state, including the following two possible implementations:

[0129] Possible implementation A: The terminal device starts monitoring the first type of signal (such as the second signal) from the moment the activation state of DRX cycle 1 starts.

[0130] The DRX cycle 1 is one or more of a plurality of DRX cycles.

[0131] For example, the network device sends an LP-WUS at the beginning of each DRX cycle active state. The configuration parameters of the LP-WUS may include a larger number of repetitions, frequency hopping, or interleaving. The terminal device receives the LP-WUS at the beginning of each DRX cycle active state.

[0132] In this way, no matter whether the terminal device monitors the first type of signal or the second type of signal in the DRX cycle before the current DRX cycle activation state starts, it will monitor the first type of signal after the next DRX cycle activation state starts.

[0133] Possible implementation B: The terminal device starts monitoring the second type of signal (such as the third signal) from the moment the activation state of DRX cycle 1 starts.

[0134] Before the terminal device monitors the second type of signal, the network device may further send indication information B (an example of the first indication information) to the terminal device, where the indication information B indicates that the network device will send the first type of signal, or in other words, the indication information B instructs the terminal device to monitor the first type of signal, such as the second signal. That is, although the network device indicates that the first type of signal will be sent, it still directly sends the second type of signal instead of the first type of signal at the start of the active state of DRX cycle 1.

[0135] For example, the predefined network uses PDCCH to send control signaling to the terminal device at the beginning of each DRX cycle activation state. That is, if before the start of the DRX cycle activation state, the network instructs the terminal device that the network will send LP-WUS, but the network will still directly send PDCCH instead of LP-WUS at the start of the DRX cycle activation state. Correspondingly, the terminal device monitors PDCCH at the beginning of each DRX cycle activation state. That is, if before the start of the DRX cycle activation state, the network instructs the terminal device to monitor LP-WUS, the terminal device will still monitor PDCCH instead of LP-WUS at the start of the DRX cycle activation state.

[0136] In this way, no matter whether the terminal device monitors the first type of signal or the second type of signal in the DRX cycle before the current DRX cycle activation state starts, it will monitor the second type of signal after the next DRX cycle activation state starts.

[0137] Optionally, the network device indicates to the terminal device that at the beginning of the opening of the duration timer (onduration timer) corresponding to each DRX cycle or the beginning of the DRX activation state, the method of sending the signal may be configured through high-level signaling. For example, the network device configures the type of signal sent at the beginning of the opening of the duration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle through RRC signaling. For example, the network can instruct the terminal device whether to monitor PDCCH or LP-WUS, and can also instruct the UE whether to monitor the first signal or the second signal (both are LP-WUS).

[0138] That is, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within the first time period. When the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type. When the value of the first indication information is 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type. Alternatively, when the value of the first indication information is 0, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the first type. When the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the type of the signal within the first time period is the second type. The start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

[0139] The start time of the first time period may be any one of the start time of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle, the start time of the DRX activation state, and the timeout time of timer B.

[0140] Specifically, an indication field, such as default_monitortype_DRX, can be added to the RRC signaling. The value of this field is used to indicate the type of signal being sent. For example:

[0141] The value of default_monitortype_DRX is 1: it means that the network device sends LP-WUS at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle; the value of default_monitortype_DRX is 0: it means that the network device sends PDCCH at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle. Or,

[0142] The value of default_monitortype_DRX is 0: it means that the network device sends LP-WUS at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle; the value of default_monitortype_DRX is 1: it means that the network device sends PDCCH at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle.

[0143] Optionally, the first indication information may also be carried on PDCCH or MAC CE.

[0144] In another example, when the network is configured with the second configuration parameter, the network device can configure the signal transmission method at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle through RRC signaling, that is, to send one of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal (equivalent to a 2-bit indication). For example, the value of default_monitortype_DRX is 00: indicating that the network device sends the first signal at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle; the value of default_monitortype_DRX is 01: indicating that the network device sends the second signal at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle; the value of default_monitortype_DRX is 10: indicating that the network device sends the third signal at the beginning of the onduration timer corresponding to each DRX cycle.

[0145] It should be understood that the above numerical values ​​and their meanings are only examples.

[0146] When a terminal device monitors WUS, it generally does not report channel state information. In an embodiment of the present application, when a terminal device monitors WUS for a period of time and the period exceeds a preset value, the terminal device can report channel state information to the network device. For example, when the terminal device uses the first configuration parameter to monitor the first signal for a period greater than or equal to the second period, it monitors the third signal from the second moment, and the duration of the second period is configured or predefined. Optionally, the terminal device can also send channel state information to the network device.

[0147] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the terminal device continuously monitors LP-WUS in the first time period, and does not report CSI at this time. When the duration of the above process exceeds a preset value, the terminal device will resume CSI reporting and start blind detection of PDCCH.

[0148] The methods for the terminal device to resume CSI reporting include but are not limited to the following:

[0149] Method 1: When the terminal device is configured with a periodic CSI reporting method, when the duration of monitoring the first signal is greater than or equal to the second time period, the terminal device starts to report CSI according to the CSI reporting method configured by the network.

[0150] Method 2: When the terminal device is configured with semi-continuous / aperiodic CSI reporting mode, the terminal device can start monitoring the corresponding PDCCH.

[0151] In this method, through pre-definition or configuration, the terminal device can change the monitoring mode in time when monitoring signals in low power consumption modes such as LP-WUS to meet the monitoring requirements of different channel states and improve the monitoring performance.

[0152] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the base station and the terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the units and method steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0153] Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or base station in the above-mentioned method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in Figure 1, or it can be the base station 110a or 110b shown in Figure 1, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal or base station.

[0154] As shown in Figure 5 , a communication device 500 includes a processing unit 510 and a transceiver unit 520. The communication device 500 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3 above.

[0155] When the communication device 500 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , the transceiver unit 520 may be used to receive the first indication information, the second indication information, the first configuration parameter, etc.; the processing unit 510 may be used to monitor the first signal, the second signal, or the third signal, etc.;

[0156] When the communication device 500 is used to implement the function of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 : the transceiver unit 520 is used to send the first indication information, the second indication information, the first configuration parameter, and the like.

[0157] A more detailed description of the processing unit 510 and the transceiver unit 520 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and is not repeated here.

[0158] As shown in Figure 6, communication device 600 includes a processor 610 and an interface circuit 620. Processor 610 and interface circuit 620 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 620 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 600 may also include a memory 630 for storing instructions executed by processor 610, input data required by processor 610 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 610 executes instructions.

[0159] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 3 , the processor 610 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 510 , and the interface circuit 620 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 520 .

[0160] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station.

[0161] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The base station module receives information from other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station; or the base station module sends information to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal. The base station module here can be the baseband chip of the base station, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0162] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0163] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0164] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using 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 programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0165] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0166] Depending on whether the specification uses optional: In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following situations: A exists alone, B exists alone, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions is used to represent any combination of the listed items; for example, at least one of A, B and (or) C can represent the following situations: A exists alone, B exists alone, C exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, B and C exist at the same time, A and C exist at the same time, and A, B and C exist at the same time, where A, B, and C can be singular or plural.

[0167] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Entering a first mode at a first moment, monitoring a first signal using a first configuration parameter, wherein the type of the first signal is a first type, the signal of the first type is used to wake up a second mode of the terminal device, and the power consumption of the second mode is greater than that of the first mode; In the case where the first signal is not received, a second signal is monitored using second configuration parameters from a second moment or a third signal is monitored from a second moment, the type of the second signal is the first type, the type of the third signal is the second type, and the signal of the second type is a signal in the second mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The monitoring of the second signal using the second configuration parameter from the second moment or the monitoring of the third signal from the second moment includes: When the first timer times out, the second signal is monitored using the second configuration parameters from a second moment, or the third signal is monitored from a second moment, and the running time of the first timer is the time for monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameters.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The second moment is a start moment of the first discontinuous reception DRX cycle activation state.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Starting from the second moment to monitor the third signal, the method further includes: Receive first indication information, where the first indication information instructs the terminal device to monitor the second signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in radio resource control RRC signaling, physical downlink control channel PDCCH or media access control element MAC CE.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within a first time period, the start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Monitoring the third signal from the second moment includes: When the duration of monitoring the first signal using the first configuration parameter is greater than or equal to a second time period, monitoring the third signal starts from the second moment, and the duration of the second time period is configured or predefined.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send channel status information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that Entering the first mode at the first moment includes: receiving second indication information, where the second indication information indicates that the terminal device enters the first mode, or, When the second timer times out, the first mode is entered at a first moment, and the running time of the second timer is the time length for monitoring the second type of signal before entering the first mode.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in downlink control information DCI or MAC CE.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first configuration parameter and / or the second configuration parameter indicates at least one of a repetition mode, a repetition number or a time-frequency resource of the first type of signal.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Notify the terminal device to enter a first mode at a first moment, monitor a first signal using a first configuration parameter, the type of the first signal is a first type, the signal of the first type is used to wake up the second mode of the terminal device, and the power consumption of the second mode is greater than that of the first mode; Determine a second moment, where the second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring a second signal or start monitoring a third signal using second configuration parameters, the type of the second signal is the first type, the type of the third signal is the second type, and the signal of the second type is a signal in the second mode.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Determining the second moment includes: Configure a first timer, the running time of the first timer is the time length that the terminal device monitors the first signal using the first configuration parameter, and the second moment is the moment when the first timer times out or the moment after the first timer times out.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The second moment is a start moment of the first DRX cycle activation state.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring the third signal, and the method further includes: Sending first indication information, wherein the first indication information instructs the terminal device to monitor the second signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in RRC signaling, PDCCH or MAC CE.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The value of the first indication information is used to indicate the signal type within a first time period, the start time of the first time period is the second time, and the duration of the first time period is configured or predefined.

18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The second moment is used for the terminal device to start monitoring the third signal, including: When the duration of the first signal monitored by the terminal device using the first configuration parameter is greater than or equal to a second time period, the second moment is determined, and the duration of the second time period is configured or predefined.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive channel state information.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that Notifying the terminal device to enter the first mode at a first moment includes: sending second indication information, where the second indication information indicates that the terminal device enters the first mode, or, A second timer is configured. When the second timer times out, the terminal device is instructed to enter the first mode at the first moment. The running time of the second timer is the time for the terminal device to monitor the second type of signal before entering the first mode.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in downlink control information DCI or MAC CE.

22. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first configuration parameter and / or the second configuration parameter indicates at least one of a repetition mode, a repetition number or a time-frequency resource of the first type of signal.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a processing module and a transceiver module, and is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

24. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a processing module and a transceiver module, and is used to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 22.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises a processor connected to a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

26. A communication system, characterized in that: Comprising a communication device as claimed in claims 24 and 25.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, and when the computer program is run on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

28. A chip, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor is used to read instructions to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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