Measurement method, device, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a measurement method, a device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: on the basis of a measurement gap and whether a terminal device supports the capability of performing measurement without gaps outside an activated BWP, measuring a measurement object; determining to activate a secondary cell associated with the measurement object; and maintaining the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivating the measurement gap. The measurement gap is a small gap NCSG controlled by a network. In this way, the terminal device can automatically deactivate or maintain the measurement gap when the secondary cell is activated, thereby improving the flexibility of measurement control.

Description

Measurement methods, equipment and storage media Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a measurement method, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In a wireless communication system, a terminal device can measure one or more measurement objects (MO) and report the measurement results to a network device. The measurement results can be used by the network device to determine the current status of the terminal device for mobility management, cell status control, data scheduling, etc. The network device can configure a measurement gap (MG) for the terminal device, and the terminal device can measure measurement objects (such as inter-frequency measurement objects and inter-system measurement objects) based on the measurement gap.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a measurement method, a device, and a storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a measurement method is proposed, the method comprising:

[0006] Measuring the measurement object according to a measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG;

[0007] Determine and activate the secondary cell associated with the measurement object;

[0008] The measurement gap is kept activated, or the measurement gap is deactivated.

[0009] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a measurement method is proposed, the method comprising:

[0010] Send first information, where the first information is used to configure a measurement gap for the terminal device, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG, and the measurement gap is used by the terminal device to measure the measurement object associated with the secondary cell, and the measurement gap can be maintained or deactivated by the terminal device.

[0011] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal device is provided, including:

[0012] The processing module is configured to measure the measurement object according to the measurement gap, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG; determine to activate the secondary cell associated with the measurement object; keep the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivate the measurement gap.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including:

[0014] The transceiver module is configured to send first information, where the first information is used to configure a measurement gap for the terminal device, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG, and the measurement gap is used by the terminal device to measure the measurement object associated with the secondary cell. The measurement gap can be maintained or deactivated by the terminal device.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device is proposed, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the communication device can be used to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0016] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is proposed, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0017] According to the seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is proposed, which may include: a terminal device and a network device; wherein the terminal device is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0018] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: measuring a measurement object based on a measurement gap; determining and activating a secondary cell associated with the measurement object; and maintaining the measurement gap in an activated state or deactivating the measurement gap. The measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG). This allows a terminal device to automatically deactivate or maintain the measurement gap when a secondary cell is activated, improving measurement control flexibility.

[0019] Can improve the flexibility of measurement control,

[0020] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG2A is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG2B is a schematic diagram showing a secondary cell changing from a deactivated state to an activated state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG2C is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG3A is a flow chart illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG3B is a flow chart illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG3C is a flow chart illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG4A is a flow chart illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG4B is a flow chart illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG5 is a flow chart showing a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG6A is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG6B is a schematic structural diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG7A is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG7B is a schematic structural diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a measurement method, a device, and a storage medium.

[0037] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a measurement method, the method comprising:

[0038] Measuring the measurement object according to a measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG;

[0039] Determine and activate the secondary cell associated with the measurement object;

[0040] The measurement gap is kept activated, or the measurement gap is deactivated.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the terminal device may automatically deactivate or maintain the measurement gap when activating the secondary cell, thereby improving the flexibility of measurement control.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, maintaining the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivating the measurement gap includes:

[0043] According to the frequency band location information of the measurement object and / or the capability of the terminal device, the measurement gap is kept activated, or the measurement gap is deactivated.

[0044] In the above embodiments, the measurement gaps can be flexibly managed according to the capabilities of the measurement object and / or the terminal device, thereby improving the flexibility and reliability of measurement control.

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, maintaining the measurement gap in an activated state includes:

[0046] Determining that the measurement object is outside the activated part bandwidth BWP of the terminal device;

[0047] determining that the terminal device does not support a capability of performing measurements on a measurement object outside an activated BWP based on an out-of-gap measurement mode;

[0048] Keep the measurement gap active.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the measurement gap can be kept in an activated state, which can improve the timeliness and reliability of the measurement.

[0050] With reference to some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, deactivating the measurement gap includes:

[0051] Determining that the measurement object is outside the activated part bandwidth BWP of the terminal device;

[0052] Determining a capability of the terminal device to support performing measurements on a measurement object outside an activated BWP based on an out-of-gap measurement mode;

[0053] The measurement gap is deactivated.

[0054] In the above embodiment, deactivating the measurement gap does not affect the measurement of the secondary cell, and can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0055] With reference to some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, deactivating the measurement gap includes:

[0056] Determining that the measurement object is within the activated part bandwidth BWP of the terminal device;

[0057] The measurement gap is deactivated.

[0058] In the above embodiment, deactivating the measurement gap does not affect the measurement of the secondary cell, and can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0060] First information is received, where the first information is used to configure the measurement gap for a terminal device.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the terminal device may pre-configure the measurement gap, so that the measurement gap may be automatically managed.

[0062] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is carried by a radio resource control RRC message.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the reliability of the measurement gap configuration can be improved through the RRC message.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0065] Second information is received, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to activate the secondary cell.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the activation of the secondary cell may be controlled by the network device.

[0067] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is carried by a media access control element MAC CE.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the timeliness of secondary cell activation can be improved through MAC CE.

[0069] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a measurement method, the method comprising:

[0070] Send first information, where the first information is used to configure a measurement gap for the terminal device, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG, and the measurement gap is used by the terminal device to measure the measurement object associated with the secondary cell, and the measurement gap can be maintained or deactivated by the terminal device.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the network device may pre-configure the measurement gap for the terminal device, and the terminal device may automatically deactivate or maintain the measurement gap when activating the secondary cell, thereby improving the flexibility of measurement control.

[0072] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is carried by a radio resource control RRC message.

[0073] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0074] Send second information, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to activate the secondary cell.

[0075] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is carried by a media access control element MAC CE.

[0076] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a terminal device, which may include at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the terminal device can be used to execute the optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0077] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network device, which may include at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the network device can be used to execute the optional implementation method of the second aspect.

[0078] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication device, which may include: one or more processors; wherein the communication device can be used to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0079] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0080] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product, which, when executed by a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0081] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0082] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0083] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication system, which may include: a terminal device and a network device; wherein, the terminal device is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0084] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication method, which may include: a network device sends first information to a terminal device, wherein the first information is used to configure a measurement gap for the terminal device, and the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG; the terminal device configures the measurement gap according to the first information.

[0085] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminal devices, network devices, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems can all be used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0086] The present disclosure provides a measurement method, device, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "measurement method" and "information processing method" and "communication method" are interchangeable; "measuring device" and "information processing device" and "communication device" are interchangeable; and "information processing system" and "communication system" are interchangeable.

[0087] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0088] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0089] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0090] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0091] In some embodiments, "plurality" may refer to two or more.

[0092] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0093] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0094] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is similar when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0095] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0096] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0097] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0098] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0099] In some embodiments, devices and the like can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as "device," "equipment," "device," "circuit," "network element," "node," "function," "unit," "section," "system," "network," "chip," "chip system," "entity," and "subject" can be used interchangeably.

[0100] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (eg, network equipment, access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.).

[0101] In some embodiments, the network device may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0102] In some embodiments, the terms "Access Network Device (AN Device)", "Radio Access Network Device (RAN Device)", "Base Station (BS)", "Radio Base Station (Radio Base Station)", "Fixed Station (Fixed Station)", "Node (Node)", "Access Point (Access Point)", "Transmission Point (TP)", "Reception Point (RP)", "Transmission and / or Reception Point (TRP))", "Panel (Panel)", "Antenna Panel (Antenna Panel)", "Antenna Array (Antenna Array)" "Cell (Cell)", "Macro Cell (Macro Cell)", "Small Cell (Small Cell)", "Femto Cell (Femto Cell)", "Pico Cell (Pico Cell)" "Sector (Sector)", "Cell Group (Cell Group)", "Serving Cell", "Carrier (Carrier)", "Component Carrier (Component Carrier)", "Bandwidth Part (BWP)" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal" "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station (Subscriber Station), mobile unit (Mobile Unit), subscriber unit (Subscriber Unit), wireless unit (Wireless Unit), remote unit (Remote Unit), mobile device (Mobile Device), wireless device (Wireless Device), wireless communication device (Wireless Communication Device), remote device (Remote Device), mobile subscriber station (Mobile Subscriber Station), access terminal (Access Terminal), mobile terminal (Mobile Terminal), wireless terminal (Wireless Terminal), remote terminal (Remote Terminal), handset (Handset), user agent (User Agent), mobile client (Mobile Client), client (Client) and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0104] In some embodiments, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device can be replaced by a terminal device. For example, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to a structure in which the communication between the access network device, the core network device, or the network device and the terminal device is replaced by the communication between multiple terminal devices (for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, it is also possible to set the structure in which the terminal device has all or part of the functions of the access network device. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by terms corresponding to communication between terminal devices (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channels, downlink channels, etc. can be replaced by side channels or direct channels, and uplinks, downlinks, etc. can be replaced by side links or direct links.

[0105] In some embodiments, the terminal device may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device may have a structure that has all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0106] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0107] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0108] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0109] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codeword", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0110] FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system 100 may include a terminal device 101 and a network device 102 .

[0111] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 may include at least one of a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a road side unit (RSU), a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in smart city, and a wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0112] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0113] In some embodiments, the access network device may be a node or device that accesses the terminal device to the wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0114] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0115] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit (Control Unit). The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0116] In some embodiments, the core network device may be a single device, or may be multiple devices or a group of devices. The core network may include at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0117] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0118] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are examples. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the entities is an example. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0119] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G New Radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New Radio Access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.17 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.18 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.19 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.21 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.22 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.23 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.24 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.25 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.26 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.27 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.28 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.29 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.30 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.31 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.32 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.33 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0120] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a network device may configure a measurement gap (MG) for a terminal device, and the terminal device may measure some measurement objects (such as inter-frequency measurement objects, inter-system measurement objects, secondary cells, etc.) according to the measurement gap.

[0121] In some embodiments, terms such as "gap", "interval", "GAP", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0122] In some embodiments, the network device may configure different types of measurement gaps for corresponding measurements.

[0123] For example, the network device may configure a pre-configured measurement gap (Pre-MG) for the terminal device, and the terminal device may measure the measurement object according to the Pre-MG.

[0124] For another example, the network device may configure a Network Control Small Gap (NCSG) for the terminal device, and the terminal device may measure the measurement object according to the NCSG.

[0125] In some embodiments, the measurement gap may be used by a terminal device to measure a secondary cell (SCell) in a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario. For example, a network device may configure an NCSG for the terminal device, and the terminal device may measure a measurement object associated with the secondary cell based on the NCSG, such as a synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the secondary cell.

[0126] In some embodiments, the terminal device may have the capability to support unrestricted partial bandwidth (BWP without restriction), which may include at least one of the following options A to C:

[0127] Option A: The terminal device can perform measurements based on the reference signal within the activated BWP.

[0128] The reference signal may include a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), and the measurement may include at least one of beam measurement (BM), radio link monitoring (RLM), and beam failure detection (BFD). Optionally, the measurement may also include measurement based on radio resource management (RRM).

[0129] Option B: The terminal device can perform measurements based on reference signals outside the activated BWP.

[0130] The reference signal may include SSB, and the measurement may include at least one of BM, RLM, and BFD.

[0131] Optionally, Option B may include at least one of the following sub-options:

[0132] Option B-1: The terminal device does not require additional measurement gaps to perform measurements.

[0133] For example, the terminal device can use a larger bandwidth (BW) to cover the SSB outside the activated BWP without interruption.

[0134] For another example, the terminal device can use a larger bandwidth to cover the activation of SSB outside the BWP in the event of an interruption.

[0135] Option B-2: The terminal device performs measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the measurement gap.

[0136] For example, the terminal device may perform measurement based on a dedicated measurement gap (MG) or a dedicated NCSG, and the measurement may include at least one of BM, RLM, and BFD.

[0137] Option C: The terminal device can perform measurements based on the non-cell defining SSB (NCD-SSB) technology.

[0138] Among them, the NCD-SSB technology can be implemented based on the existing terminal equipment hardware architecture and can support measurements, which can include at least one of BM, RLM, and BFD.

[0139] In related technologies, the control of measurement gaps in a CA scenario cannot adapt to the different capabilities of terminal devices, resulting in inflexible measurement control and affecting communication efficiency and measurement delay.

[0140] FIG2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method may be performed by the above-mentioned communication system. As shown in FIG2A , the method may include:

[0141] Step S2101: The network device sends first information to the terminal device.

[0142] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive the first information. For example, the terminal device may receive the first information sent by the network device.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to configure a measurement gap.

[0144] Optionally, the measurement gap may be used to measure a measurement object, which may be an SSB or other reference signal associated with the secondary cell.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to pre-configure a measurement gap, wherein the pre-configuration may be independent of the measurement object.

[0146] For example, the measurement gap may be pre-configured first, and then the measurement object may be configured, and the correspondence between the measurement object and the measurement gap may be configured. For another example, the measurement object may be configured first, and then the measurement gap may be configured, and the correspondence between the measurement object and the measurement gap may be configured. Optionally, the measurement object, the measurement gap, and the correspondence between the measurement object and the measurement gap may also be configured simultaneously in the first message.

[0147] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and may be, for example, "pre-configuration information", "pre-configuration measurement information", "measurement configuration information", etc.

[0148] In some embodiments, the measurement gap may be a network controlled small gap NCSG.

[0149] In some other embodiments, the measurement gap may be a pre-configured network controlled small gap (pre-configured NCSG).

[0150] In some other embodiments, the measurement gap may be a pre-configured measurement gap (Pre-MG).

[0151] In some embodiments, the measurement gap is a measurement gap corresponding to a measurement object, and the measurement object may be associated with a secondary cell. For example, the measurement object may be an SSB of the secondary cell.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in at least one of a radio resource control (RRC) message, a medium access control element (MAC CE), downlink control information (DCI), or other messages sent by a network device to a terminal device. Optionally, the first information may be carried via an RRC message.

[0153] In some embodiments, the network device may send the first information to the terminal device via a serving cell, and the terminal device may receive the first information via the serving cell. Optionally, the serving cell may include a primary cell or an activated secondary cell of the terminal device.

[0154] Step S2102: The terminal device performs measurement.

[0155] In some embodiments, the terminal device may measure the measurement object according to the measurement gap.

[0156] In some embodiments, the terminal device may automatically activate the measurement gap and measure the measurement object according to the measurement gap. The measurement object may be associated with an unactivated secondary cell. For example, the measurement object may be the SSB corresponding to the unactivated secondary cell.

[0157] In some embodiments, the terminal device may measure the measurement object based on the measurement gap and whether the terminal device supports the capability of performing out-of-gap measurements outside the activated BWP.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terminal device may configure a measurement gap in response to the first information, and automatically activate or deactivate the measurement gap.

[0159] In some embodiments, the terminal device may activate or deactivate the measurement gap. For example, the terminal device may configure the measurement gap according to the first information and automatically activate or deactivate the measurement gap.

[0160] In one implementation, when a measurement gap is activated, the terminal device may measure the measurement object according to the measurement gap. For example, the terminal device may measure the measurement object in the presence of a gap (with a GAP). For another example, the terminal device may measure the measurement object within the time corresponding to the measurement gap based on a gap pattern. The gap pattern may be a mode in which the terminal device performs measurements based on the activated measurement gap. For example, the terminal device may perform inter-frequency measurement or inter-system measurement based on the activated measurement gap.

[0161] In another implementation, when the measurement gap is deactivated, the terminal device may measure a measurement object without a measurement gap, where the measurement object is associated with the activated secondary cell. For example, the terminal device may measure the measurement object based on a without GAP measurement mode. The without GAP measurement mode may be a mode in which the terminal device performs measurements without activating a measurement gap or configuring a measurement gap. For example, the terminal device may perform measurements on a measurement object associated with the activated secondary cell without activating a measurement gap.

[0162] Step S2103: The network device sends second information to the terminal device.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive the second information. For example, the terminal device may receive the second information sent by the network device.

[0164] In some embodiments, the second information may be used to instruct the terminal device to activate a secondary cell, where the secondary cell may be the secondary cell associated with the measurement object.

[0165] In some embodiments, the name of the second information is not limited, and may be, for example, "activation information", "trigger information", "trigger event", etc.

[0166] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried in at least one of an RRC message, a MAC CE, a DCI, or other messages sent by the network device to the terminal device. Optionally, the second information may be carried by a MAC CE.

[0167] In some embodiments, the network device may send the second information to the terminal device via a serving cell, and the terminal device may receive the second information via the serving cell. Optionally, the serving cell may include a primary cell of the terminal device or an activated secondary cell.

[0168] In some embodiments, step S2102 can be omitted, and the terminal device can autonomously implement the function indicated by the second information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0169] Step S2104: The terminal device determines to activate the secondary cell.

[0170] In some embodiments, the terminal device may determine to activate the secondary cell associated with the above-mentioned measurement object.

[0171] In one implementation, the terminal device may determine to activate the secondary cell associated with the measurement object based on the second information. For example, the second information may include an identifier of the secondary cell to be activated, and the terminal device may determine to activate the secondary cell associated with the measurement object based on the identifier of the secondary cell.

[0172] In another implementation, the terminal device can autonomously determine whether to activate a secondary cell associated with the measurement object. For example, the terminal device can autonomously determine a triggering event and determine to activate the secondary cell based on the triggering event. The triggering event can be an event triggered by an upper layer of the terminal device. For example, if the signal strength of the secondary cell measured is greater than a preset signal strength threshold, the event can be triggered to activate the secondary cell. Optionally, the terminal device can notify the network device of the autonomously determined triggering event so that the network device can activate the secondary cell for the terminal device based on the triggering event.

[0173] Step S2105: The terminal device keeps the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivates the measurement gap.

[0174] In some embodiments, the terminal device may determine to keep the measurement gap in an activated state when activating the secondary cell associated with the measurement object. Optionally, the terminal device may keep the measurement gap in an activated state when activating the secondary cell associated with the measurement object. Optionally, the terminal device may keep the measurement gap in an activated state when activating the secondary cell associated with the measurement object.

[0175] In some embodiments, the terminal device may determine to deactivate the measurement gap when activating the secondary cell associated with the measurement object. Alternatively, the terminal device may deactivate the measurement gap when activating the secondary cell associated with the measurement object. Alternatively, the terminal device may deactivate the measurement gap while activating the secondary cell associated with the measurement object.

[0176] In some embodiments, the terminal device may keep the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivate the measurement gap according to the frequency band location information of the measurement object and / or the capability of the terminal device.

[0177] In one implementation, the frequency band location information of the measurement object may be used to indicate whether the measurement object is within an active BWP of the terminal device. For example, the measurement object may be within the active BWP, or for another example, the measurement object may be outside the active BWP.

[0178] In one implementation, the capabilities of a terminal device may be used to indicate whether the terminal device supports the ability to perform measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode. Optionally, whether the terminal device supports the ability to perform measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode may also be referred to as whether the terminal device supports Option B under the aforementioned unrestricted partial bandwidth capability. In other words, the capabilities of the terminal device may be used to indicate whether the terminal device supports Option B under the aforementioned unrestricted BWP capability.

[0179] In some embodiments, the terminal device may activate the secondary cell and keep the measurement gap in an activated state.

[0180] For example, if the terminal device determines that the measurement object is outside the activated BWP of the terminal device, and determines that the terminal device does not support the ability to perform measurements on the measurement object outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode, then the measurement gap is kept activated.

[0181] Optionally, the terminal device may keep the above-mentioned measurement gap in an activated state when a first condition is met, and the first condition may include: the measurement object is outside the activated BWP of the terminal device, and the terminal device does not support the ability to perform measurements on the measurement object outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode.

[0182] Optionally, the terminal device keeps the measurement gap in an activated state, and may autonomously keep the configuration of the measurement gap (eg, NCSG) unchanged, and perform measurement on the measurement object based on the measurement gap.

[0183] In some embodiments, when the first condition is met, the network device may not deactivate the measurement gap of the terminal device, for example, the configuration of the measurement gap may be kept unchanged.

[0184] In other embodiments, the terminal device may activate the secondary cell and deactivate the measurement gap.

[0185] In one implementation, the terminal device may determine that the measurement object is outside the activated BWP of the terminal device, and determine that the terminal device supports the ability to perform measurements on the measurement object outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode, and then deactivate the above-mentioned measurement gap.

[0186] In another implementation, the terminal device may determine that the measurement object is within the activated BWP of the terminal device, and then deactivate the measurement gap.

[0187] Optionally, the terminal device may deactivate the measurement gap when determining that the measurement object is within the activated BWP of the terminal device.

[0188] In some embodiments, the terminal device may deactivate the measurement gap if a second condition is met. The second condition may include any one of the following:

[0189] The measurement object is outside the activated BWP of the terminal device, and the terminal device supports the capability of performing measurements on the measurement object outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode;

[0190] The above measurement objects are within the activated BWP of the terminal device;

[0191] The terminal device supports the capability of performing measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode.

[0192] Optionally, when the second condition is met, the terminal device may automatically deactivate the measurement gap.

[0193] Optionally, when the second condition is met, the network device may send third information to the terminal device, where the third information may be used to instruct the terminal device to deactivate the measurement gap. The terminal device may receive the third information and deactivate the measurement gap.

[0194] In some embodiments, the terminal device deactivates the measurement gap and may close an idle radio frequency chain (RF Chain), thereby saving resources and overhead of the terminal device.

[0195] In some embodiments, deactivating the measurement gap may mean no longer using the measurement gap, or no longer configuring the measurement gap, for example, deconfiguring the measurement gap.

[0196] The method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, step S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2102+S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2102+S2103+S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S2101+S2102+S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0197] In some embodiments, the above steps S2101 to S2105 can be executed in a swapped order or simultaneously.

[0198] In some embodiments, the above steps S2101 to S2105 are all optional steps.

[0199] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2A .

[0200] FIG2B is a schematic diagram illustrating a secondary cell changing from a deactivated state to an activated state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2B :

[0201] Before time t0, the secondary cell of the terminal device is in a deactivated state, and the network device configures a measurement gap (such as NCSG) for the terminal device. During the T1 time period corresponding to the measurement gap, the network device can send data in the primary cell, the terminal device can receive data in the primary cell, and can also perform measurements on the measurement object, which can be a measurement object associated with the secondary cell, and the frequency band position of the measurement object is outside the activated BWP of the secondary cell. Among them, the T1 time period includes the visible interruption length VIL on both sides. During the time period corresponding to the VIL, the terminal device cannot receive data in the primary cell. Except for the time period corresponding to the VIL, the terminal device can still receive data in the primary cell when performing measurements on the secondary cell, and the network device can also send data in the primary cell.

[0202] At time t0, the terminal device determines to activate the secondary cell. For example, the terminal device may determine to activate the secondary cell based on a triggering event, or may determine to activate the secondary cell in response to receiving second information from the network device.

[0203] At time t1, the terminal device successfully activates the secondary cell, and the time period between t1 and t0 may be the time required for internal processing of the terminal device.

[0204] In the time period after time t1 (for example, time period T2 and time period T3), the secondary cell has been activated, and the measurement object associated with the secondary cell is outside the BWP activated by the terminal device. The terminal device still needs to perform measurements on the measurement object.

[0205] If the terminal device does not support the ability to perform measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode (for example, the terminal device does not support option B under the above-mentioned unrestricted BWP capability), the terminal device can keep the measurement gap in an activated state. Optionally, the network device may not deactivate the measurement gap of the terminal device and keep the configuration of the measurement gap unchanged. For example, the network device does not need to perform any RRC reconfiguration (such as RRC reconfiguration to cancel the configuration of NCSG), nor does it need to reconfigure other measurement gaps (MG) for secondary cell measurements where the SSB is not within the activated BWP range.

[0206] If the terminal device supports the capability of performing measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode (for example, the terminal device supports option B under the above-mentioned unrestricted BWP capability), the terminal device may automatically deactivate the measurement gap. Optionally, the network device may also deactivate the measurement gap of the terminal device. For example, the network device may send third information to the terminal device, where the third information may be used to instruct the terminal device to deactivate the measurement gap. The terminal device may receive the third information and deactivate the measurement gap.

[0207] In some embodiments, the terminal device may automatically activate or deactivate the measurement gap (the measurement gap may be a preconfigured NCSG). For example, the terminal device may automatically activate or deactivate the measurement gap, or automatically determine the state of the measurement gap, if a third condition is met. The third condition may include at least one of the following:

[0208] Activation BWP changes, such as activation BWP changes based on DCI, timer or RRC indication;

[0209] Activate or deactivate a secondary cell;

[0210] Add or delete measurement objects;

[0211] Addition, release or change of secondary cells in carrier aggregation.

[0212] Optionally, the first capability may be the ability of the terminal device to perform measurements on measurement objects outside the activated BWP based on the out-of-gap measurement mode, and the first capability may also be option B under the unrestricted partial bandwidth capability. Optionally, the first capability may be indicated by a feature group indicator (FGI).

[0213] In some embodiments, the terminal device does not support the first capability described above. If, when the secondary cell changes from a deactivated state to an activated state, the measurement object of the secondary cell is outside the activated BWP, the terminal device may maintain the measurement gap in an activated state. Optionally, the network device may also maintain the configuration of the measurement gap for the secondary cell measurement unchanged.

[0214] In some embodiments, the terminal device supports the first capability described above. If, when the secondary cell changes from a deactivated state to an activated state, the measurement object of the secondary cell is outside the activated BWP, the terminal device may deactivate the measurement gap. Alternatively, the terminal device may use one radio frequency link to perform measurement of the measurement object and receive data. Optionally, the network device may also deactivate the measurement gap used for the secondary cell measurement or cancel the configuration of the measurement gap. In this way, the terminal device can shut down idle radio frequency links, for example, only one radio frequency link needs to be enabled, which can save power consumption.

[0215] FIG2C is an interactive diagram illustrating a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2C , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a communication system and can include:

[0216] Step S2301: The network device sends first information to the terminal device.

[0217] The optional implementation of step S2301 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0218] Step S2302: The terminal device performs measurement.

[0219] The optional implementation of step S2302 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0220] Step S2303: The terminal device determines to activate the secondary cell.

[0221] The optional implementation of step S2303 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2104 in FIG. 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0222] Step S2304: The terminal device keeps the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivates the measurement gap.

[0223] The optional implementation of step S2304 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2105 in FIG2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG2A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0224] In some embodiments, the above steps are all optional steps.

[0225] In some embodiments, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2C may also be combined with any one or more steps in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A to form a new embodiment.

[0226] FIG3A is a flow chart of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a terminal device. The method may include:

[0227] Step S3101: Obtain first information.

[0228] The optional implementation of step S3101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0229] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive the first information sent by the network device, but is not limited thereto. The terminal device may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0230] In some embodiments, the terminal device may obtain first information specified by the protocol.

[0231] In some embodiments, the terminal device may obtain the first information from an upper layer(s).

[0232] In some embodiments, the terminal device may perform processing to obtain the first information.

[0233] In some embodiments, step S3101 may be omitted, and the terminal device may autonomously implement the function indicated by the first information, or the above function may be default or by default.

[0234] Step S3102: perform measurement.

[0235] The optional implementation of step S3102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0236] Step S3103: Obtain second information.

[0237] The optional implementation of step S3103 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2103 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0238] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive the second information sent by the network device, but is not limited thereto. The terminal device may also receive the second information sent by other entities.

[0239] In some embodiments, the terminal device may obtain second information specified by the protocol.

[0240] In some embodiments, the terminal device may obtain the second information from upper layer(s).

[0241] In some embodiments, the terminal device may perform processing to obtain the second information.

[0242] In some embodiments, step S3103 may be omitted, and the terminal device may autonomously implement the function indicated by the second information, or the above function may be default or by default.

[0243] Step S3104: Determine to activate the secondary cell.

[0244] The optional implementation of step S3104 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2104 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0245] Step S3105: Keep the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivate the measurement gap.

[0246] The optional implementation of step S3105 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2105 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0247] The method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3105. For example, step S3105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3104+S3105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3102+S3104+S3105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3102+S3103+S3104+S3105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S3101+S3102+S3104+S3105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0248] In some embodiments, the above steps S3101 to S3105 can be executed in a swapped order or simultaneously.

[0249] In some embodiments, the above steps S3101 to S3105 are all optional steps.

[0250] FIG3B is a flow chart of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3B , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a terminal device. The method may include:

[0251] Step S3201: Obtain first information.

[0252] The optional implementation of step S3201 can be found in step S2101 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S3101 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be repeated here.

[0253] Step S3202: perform measurement.

[0254] The optional implementation of step S3202 can be found in step S2102 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S3102 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0255] Step S3203: Determine to activate the secondary cell.

[0256] Optional implementations of step S3203 may be found in step S2104 of FIG. 2A , optional implementations of step S3104 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0257] Step S3204: Keep the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivate the measurement gap.

[0258] The optional implementation of step S3204 can be found in step S2105 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S3105 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0259] In some embodiments, the above steps are all optional steps.

[0260] FIG3C is a flow chart of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3C , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a terminal device. The method may include:

[0261] Step S3301: perform measurement.

[0262] The optional implementation of step S3301 can be found in step S2102 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S3102 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be repeated here.

[0263] Step S3302: Determine to activate the secondary cell.

[0264] The optional implementation of step S3302 can be found in step S2104 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S3104 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0265] Step S3303: Keep the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivate the measurement gap.

[0266] The optional implementation of step S3303 can be found in step S2105 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S3105 of FIG. 3A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A , which will not be repeated here.

[0267] In some embodiments, the above steps are all optional steps.

[0268] In some embodiments, maintaining the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivating the measurement gap includes:

[0269] According to the frequency band location information of the measurement object and / or the capability of the terminal device, the measurement gap is kept activated, or the measurement gap is deactivated.

[0270] In some embodiments, maintaining the measurement gap in an activated state includes:

[0271] Determining that the measurement object is outside the activated part bandwidth BWP of the terminal device;

[0272] determining that the terminal device does not support a capability of performing measurements on a measurement object outside an activated BWP based on an out-of-gap measurement mode;

[0273] Keep the measurement gap active.

[0274] In some embodiments, deactivating the measurement gap includes:

[0275] Determining that the measurement object is outside the activated part bandwidth BWP of the terminal device;

[0276] Determining a capability of the terminal device to support performing measurements on a measurement object outside an activated BWP based on an out-of-gap measurement mode;

[0277] The measurement gap is deactivated.

[0278] In some embodiments, deactivating the measurement gap includes:

[0279] Determining that the measurement object is within the activated part bandwidth BWP of the terminal device;

[0280] The measurement gap is deactivated.

[0281] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0282] First information is received, where the first information is used to configure the measurement gap for a terminal device.

[0283] In some embodiments, the first information is carried via a radio resource control RRC message.

[0284] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0285] Second information is received, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to activate the secondary cell.

[0286] In some embodiments, the second information is carried by a media access control element MAC CE.

[0287] FIG4A is a flow chart of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a network device, and the method includes:

[0288] Step S4101: Send the first information.

[0289] The optional implementation of step S4101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0290] In some embodiments, the network device may send the first information to the terminal device, but is not limited thereto. The network device may also send the first information to other entities.

[0291] Step S4102: Send the second information.

[0292] The optional implementation of step S4102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2103 in FIG2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG2A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0293] In some embodiments, the network device may send the second information to the terminal device, but is not limited thereto. The network device may also send the second information to other entities.

[0294] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of the above steps S4101 to S4102. For example, step S4101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S4102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0295] In some embodiments, the above steps S4101 to S4102 can be executed in a swapped order or simultaneously.

[0296] In some embodiments, the above steps S4101 to S4102 are all optional steps.

[0297] FIG4B is a flow chart of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4B , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a network device. The method may include:

[0298] Step S4201: Send the first message.

[0299] The optional implementation of step S4201 can be found in step S2101 of FIG. 2A , the optional implementation of step S4101 of FIG. 4A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2A and FIG. 4A , which will not be repeated here.

[0300] In some embodiments, the first information is used to configure a measurement gap for the terminal device, the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG, the measurement gap is used by the terminal device to measure the measurement object associated with the secondary cell, and the measurement gap can be maintained or deactivated by the terminal device.

[0301] In some embodiments, the first information is carried via a radio resource control RRC message.

[0302] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0303] Send second information, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to activate the secondary cell.

[0304] In some embodiments, the second information is carried by a media access control element MAC CE.

[0305] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a measurement method, which can be performed by a terminal device and / or a network device. The method may include:

[0306] Step S5101: pre-configure a measurement gap.

[0307] In some embodiments, the measurement gap may be a pre-configured NCSG.

[0308] In some embodiments, the network device may preconfigure the measurement gap for the terminal device. For example, the network device may send first information to the terminal device, and the first information may be used to configure the measurement gap for the terminal device.

[0309] In some embodiments, the secondary cell (SCell) in the CA of the terminal device will be activated.

[0310] In some embodiments, if the measurement object associated with the activated secondary cell is not within the activated BWP of the terminal device, the network device may keep the NCSG configuration unchanged after activating the secondary cell.

[0311] In some embodiments, the terminal device may autonomously determine that the NCSG configuration remains unchanged after the secondary cell is activated.

[0312] In some embodiments, when the terminal device does not support measurement of unrestricted BWP option B (for example, performing at least one of RRM, BM, RLM, and BFD based on SSB outside the activated BWP), if the measurement object associated with the activated secondary cell is not within the activated BWP of the terminal device, the terminal device can autonomously determine that the NCSG configuration remains unchanged after the secondary cell is activated, and the network device can keep the NCSG configuration unchanged after activating the secondary cell.

[0313] In some embodiments, if the measurement object associated with the activated secondary cell is not within the activated BWP of the terminal device, the network device may release the configuration or deactivate the pre-configured NCSG after activating the secondary cell.

[0314] In some embodiments, the terminal device may autonomously determine to configure the NCSG when the secondary cell is activated.

[0315] In some embodiments, when the terminal device supports measurement of unrestricted BWP option B (for example, performing at least one of RRM, BM, RLM, and BFD based on SSB outside the activated BWP), if the measurement object associated with the activated secondary cell is not within the activated BWP of the terminal device, the terminal device can autonomously determine to deactivate NCSG when the secondary cell is activated, and the network device can also deconfigure or deactivate the pre-configured NCSG after activating the secondary cell.

[0316] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, which may include a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device can execute the measurement method performed by the terminal device in the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure; the network device can execute the measurement method performed by the network device in the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0317] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal device in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0318] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the functions of some or all of the above units or modules are realized by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0319] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of a hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document to implement the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0320] Figure 6A is a structural diagram of a terminal device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6A, the terminal device 101 may include: at least one of a transceiver module 6101, a processing module 6102, etc. In some embodiments, the processing module 6102 is configured to measure the measurement object according to the measurement gap, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap NCSG; determine to activate the secondary cell associated with the measurement object; keep the measurement gap in an activated state, or deactivate the measurement gap. Optionally, the transceiver module 6101 can be used to execute at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving (for example, step S2101, step S2103, but not limited to this) performed by the terminal device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the processing module 6102 can be used to execute at least one of the other steps (for example, step S2102, step S2104, step S2105, but not limited to this) performed by the terminal device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0321] Figure 6B is a structural diagram of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6B, the network device 102 may include: at least one of a transceiver module 6201, a processing module 6202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 6201 is configured to send a first message, wherein the first message is used to configure a measurement gap for the terminal device, the measurement gap is a small gap NCSG controlled by the network, and the measurement gap is used for the terminal device to measure the measurement object associated with the secondary cell, and the measurement gap can be maintained or deactivated by the terminal device. Optionally, the transceiver module 6201 can be used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving (for example, step S2101, step S2103, but not limited to this) performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the processing module 6202 can be used to perform at least one of the other steps (for example, step S2102, step S2104, step S2105, but not limited to this) performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0322] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0323] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or can include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules respectively execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be interchangeable with the processor.

[0324] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 7100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), or a terminal device (e.g., a user device, etc.). It can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal device to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0325] As shown in Figure 7A, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 7100 can be used to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 7101 are used to call instructions to enable the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0326] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 may further include one or more transceivers 7102. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7102, the transceiver 7102 may perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S2101 and step S2103, but not limited thereto), and the processor 7101 may perform at least one of the other steps (for example, step S2102, step S2104, and step S2105, but not limited thereto).

[0327] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0328] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7103 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 7103 may be located outside the communication device 7100. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 7100 may include one or more interface circuits 7104. Optionally, the interface circuits 7104 are connected to the memories 7103 and may be configured to receive data from the memories 7103 or other devices, or to send data to the memories 7103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 7104 may read data stored in the memories 7103 and send the data to the processor 7101.

[0329] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal device, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited to FIG. 7A. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0330] 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 7200 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 shown in FIG7B , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0331] The chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201 , and the chip 7200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0332] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7204. Alternatively, the terms interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pins may be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of memories 7203 may be located external to chip 7200.

[0333] Optionally, the interface circuit 7204 is connected to the memory 7203 and can be used to receive data from the memory 7203 or other devices, or to send data to the memory 7203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7204 can read data stored in the memory 7203 and send the data to the processor 7201.

[0334] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 7204 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S2101 and step S2103, but not limited thereto) of the sending and / or receiving in the above method. For example, the interface circuit 7204 performing the communication steps (e.g., step S2101 and step S2103, but not limited thereto) of the above method means that the interface circuit 7204 performs data exchange between the processor 7201, chip 7200, memory 7203, or transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 7201 may perform at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S2102, step S2104, and step S2105, but not limited thereto).

[0335] The modules and / or devices described in various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be arbitrarily combined or separated according to circumstances. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0336] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 7100, the communication device 7100 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0337] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 7100, enables the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product may be a computer program product.

[0338] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the above methods.

Claims

1. A measurement method, characterized in that, The method includes: Measuring a measurement object according to a measurement gap, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG); Determining to activate a secondary cell associated with the measurement object; Keeping the measurement gap in an active state, or deactivating the measurement gap.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The keeping the measurement gap in an active state, or deactivating the measurement gap includes: Keeping the measurement gap in an active state, or deactivating the measurement gap according to the frequency band position information of the measurement object and / or the capabilities of the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Keeping the measurement gap in an active state includes: Determining that the measurement object is outside the active part bandwidth (BWP) of the terminal device; Determining that the terminal device does not support the ability to perform measurements on measurement objects outside the active BWP based on an out-of-gap measurement mode; Keeping the measurement gap in an active state.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Deactivating the measurement gap includes: Determining that the measurement object is outside the active part bandwidth (BWP) of the terminal device; Determining that the terminal device supports the ability to perform measurements on measurement objects outside the active BWP based on an out-of-gap measurement mode; Deactivating the measurement gap.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Deactivating the measurement gap includes: Determining that the measurement object is within the active part bandwidth (BWP) of the terminal device; Deactivating the measurement gap.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving first information for configuring the measurement gap for the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first information is carried by a radio resource control (RRC) message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving second information for instructing the terminal device to activate the secondary cell.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second information is carried by a media access control control element (MAC CE).

10. A measurement method, characterized in that, The method includes: Sending first information for configuring a measurement gap for the terminal device, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG), the measurement gap is used for the terminal device to measure a measurement object associated with a secondary cell, and the measurement gap can be kept or deactivated by the terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first information is carried by a radio resource control (RRC) message.

12. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending second information for instructing the terminal device to activate the secondary cell.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The second information is carried by a media access control control element (MAC CE).

14. A terminal device, wherein, It includes: A processing module configured to measure a measurement object according to a measurement gap, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG); Determining to activate a secondary cell associated with the measurement object; keeping the measurement gap in an active state, or deactivating the measurement gap.

15. A network device, wherein, It includes: A transceiver module configured to send first information for configuring a measurement gap for the terminal device, where the measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG), the measurement gap is used for the terminal device to measure a measurement object associated with a secondary cell, and the measurement gap can be kept or deactivated by the terminal device.

16. A communication device, wherein, It includes: One or more processors; Wherein, the communication device is used to execute the measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or claims 10 to 13.

17. A storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instruction runs on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the measurement method described in any one of claims 1 to 9 or claims 10 to 13.

18. A communication system, wherein, The communication system includes a terminal device and a network device. Among them, the terminal device is configured to implement the measurement method described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and the network device is configured to implement the measurement method described in any one of claims 10 to 13.

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