Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure are a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a terminal receiving a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation command, wherein the TCI state activation command is used for activating a second TCI state; and on the basis of whether the terminal supports a first capability, the terminal determining whether to use downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data having a first TCI state to perform communication before the terminal completes TCI state switching, wherein the first capability is a capability of using the DL data and / or UL data having the first TCI state to perform communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching. By means of implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, DL or UL data can be used to schedule a terminal before the terminal completes DL and UL TCI state switching, thereby improving the overall throughput of a system.

Description

A communication method and device thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus thereof. Background Art

[0002] The Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) state includes parameters for configuring a quasi co-location (QCL) relationship between one or more reference signals (RS) and corresponding antenna ports. For example, the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the DMRS port of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or the channel state indicator reference signal (CSI-RS) port of the CSI-RS resource set can be associated with a QCL relationship. Two quasi-co-located signals experience very similar channel conditions, so that determining the channel characteristics of one signal will substantially contribute to the determination of the channel characteristics of the other signal. The TCI state change can be implemented by the network and indicated to the terminal in the network. The terminal expects to complete the switch from the previous (or current) TCI state to the new (or target) TCI state within a specified delay time.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method and a device thereof.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, where the method is executed by a terminal and includes:

[0006] receiving a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation command, wherein the TCI state activation command is used to activate a second TCI state;

[0007] According to whether the terminal supports the first capability, determine whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching; the first capability is the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0008] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, where the method is performed by a network device and includes:

[0009] Sending a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal; the TCI state activation command is used to activate the second TCI state;

[0010] The TCI state activation command is used by the terminal to determine whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

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

[0012] a transceiver module, configured to receive a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command; the TCI state activation command is used to activate a second TCI state;

[0013] A processing module is used to determine whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with a first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports a first capability; the first capability is the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with a first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including:

[0015] A transceiver module, configured to send a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal; the TCI state activation command is used to activate the second TCI state;

[0016] The TCI state activation command is used by the terminal to determine whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including:

[0018] A terminal, configured to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect;

[0019] A network device is configured to perform the optional implementation of the aforementioned second aspect.

[0020] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, including: one or more processors;

[0021] The processor is used to call instructions to enable the communication device to execute the optional implementation of the first and second aspects mentioned above.

[0022] According to a seventh 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 optional implementation methods of the aforementioned first and second aspects.

[0023] According to the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching is determined based on whether the terminal supports the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching. This can effectively improve the total throughput of the system during the TCI state activation period. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] 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.

[0025] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG2A is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG2B is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG2C is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG3 is an example diagram showing terminal scheduling restrictions during TCI state activation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG4A is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG4B is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG4C is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG4D is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG5A is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG5B is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG6 is an interactive diagram of a communication method proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG7A is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG8A is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG8B is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 8200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method and a device thereof.

[0042] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, which is executed by a terminal and includes:

[0043] receiving a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation command, wherein the TCI state activation command is used to activate a second TCI state;

[0044] Based on whether the terminal supports the first capability, determine whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching; the first capability is the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0045] In the above embodiment, after receiving the TCI state activation command, whether to use the downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching is determined based on whether the terminal supports the ability to use the DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching. This can effectively improve the total throughput of the system during the TCI state activation period.

[0046] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the receiving a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command includes: receiving the TCI state activation command through a media access control layer control element MAC CE.

[0047] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are any one of the following: a joint TCI state; a separate DL TCI state; a separate UL TCI state.

[0048] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with a first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: determining that the terminal supports the first capability; and using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with a first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0049] In the above embodiment, when the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability, before the terminal completes the TCI state switching, DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state can be used for communication, so that the terminal can be scheduled with DL or UL data before the terminal completes the DL and UL TCI state transition, thereby improving the total throughput of the system.

[0050] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before the terminal completes the TCI state switching, the communication is performed using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state, including: performing a first measurement, which is a measurement performed by the terminal for receiving and / or sending in the second TCI state; it is not expected to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position in the frequency band FR2; the first RS is the source reference signal of the second TCI state.

[0051] In the above embodiment, when the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability, during the activation of the TCI state, the terminal can still perform the above-mentioned first measurement for receiving and / or transmitting in the second TCI state (such as T / F tracking based on SSB or CSI-RS, L1-RSRP measurement or measurement of path loss calculation), and does not expect to receive and / or receive data at the positions of these reference signal RSs (such as the SSB or CSI-RS) in FR2. Because the beam directions are different, scheduling restrictions are performed on these conflicting RSs, that is, before the terminal completes the TCI state switching, downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state can be used for communication, and scheduling restrictions are performed at the source RS positions that are not expected in these second TCI states in FR2, so that the terminal can be scheduled with DL or UL data during the activation of the TCI state, thereby improving the total throughput of the system.

[0052] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, not expecting to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position in the frequency band FR2 includes: receiving and / or sending data at the first position of the FR2, the first position being a position of the FR2 other than the first RS position; or prohibiting receiving and / or sending data at the first RS position of the FR2.

[0053] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the source reference signal RS of the second TCI state includes a synchronization signal block SSB or a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS; and / or, wherein the measurement includes at least one of the following: time / frequency T / F tracking; layer 1 received signal reference power L1-RSRP measurement; path loss measurement.

[0054] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are joint TCI states; the not expecting to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position of the frequency band FR2 includes at least one of the following: receiving a terminal-specific physical downlink control channel PDCCH / physical downlink shared channel PDSCH with the first TCI state, and not expecting to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH at the first RS position of the FR2 until the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switching; using the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and not expecting to send UL data at the first reference signal RS position of the FR2 until the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switching.

[0055] In the above embodiment, when the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability and the first TCI state and the second TCI state are joint TCI states, during the activation of the TCI state, the terminal can still perform the above-mentioned first measurement for receiving and / or transmitting in the second TCI state (such as T / F tracking based on SSB or CSI-RS, L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation), and does not expect to receive and / or receive data at the positions of these reference signals RS (such as the SSB or CSI-RS) in FR2. Because the beam directions are different, scheduling restrictions are performed on these conflicting RSs, that is, before the terminal completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state can be used for communication, and scheduling restrictions are performed at the source RS positions that are not expected in these second TCI states in FR2, so that the terminal can be scheduled with DL or UL data during the activation of the TCI state, thereby improving the total throughput of the system.

[0056] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: after the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel, the terminal receives DL data on the downlink and / or sends UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0057] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are joint TCI states; determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability includes at least one of the following: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; when the terminal does not maintain the target path loss reference signal PL-RS, before the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switching of the joint TCI state, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state; before the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switching of the joint TCI state, it is not expected to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0058] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states; determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: determining that the terminal supports the first capability; receiving a terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and not expecting to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switching; the SSB configured for T / F tracking is a synchronization signal block on FR2.

[0059] In the above embodiment, when the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability and the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states, during the activation of the TCI state, the terminal receives the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and does not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switch, that is, scheduling restrictions are performed on the conflicting RS. In other words, before the terminal completes the separate DL TCI switch, downlink DL data with the first TCI state can be used for communication, and scheduling restrictions are performed on the source RS position of the second TCI state that is not expected in FR2, so that the terminal can be scheduled with DL data during the activation of the TCI state, thereby improving the total throughput of the system.

[0060] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states; determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; and when the terminal does not maintain the target PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switching.

[0061] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states; determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: determining that the terminal supports the first capability; using the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and not expecting to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switching; the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement is a synchronization signal block or channel state information reference signal on FR2.

[0062] In the above embodiment, when the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability and the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states, during the activation of the TCI state, the terminal uses the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and does not expect to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switch, that is, scheduling restrictions are performed on the conflicting RS. In other words, before the terminal completes the separate UL TCI switch, UL data with the first TCI state can be used for communication, and scheduling restrictions are performed on the source RS position that is not expected in the second TCI state of FR2, so that the terminal can be scheduled with UL data during the activation of the TCI state, thereby improving the total throughput of the system.

[0063] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states; determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; and not expecting to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switching.

[0064] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending first capability indication information of the terminal to a network device; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the terminal sends first capability indication information to the network device to indicate whether the terminal supports the above first capability, so that the network device can determine whether the terminal needs scheduling restriction based on the first capability indication information.

[0066] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, which is performed by a network device and includes:

[0067] Sending a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal; the TCI state activation command is used to activate the second TCI state;

[0068] The TCI state activation command is used by the terminal to determine whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0069] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, sending a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal includes: sending the TCI state activation command to the terminal through a media access control layer control element MAC CE.

[0070] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the said is any one of the following: the combination is any one of the following: a combined TCI state; a separate DL TCI state; a separate UL TCI state.

[0071] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving first capability indication information sent by the terminal; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first capability, and the first capability is the ability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data with a first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0072] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a terminal, comprising at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the terminal is used to execute the optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0073] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network device, comprising at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the above-mentioned network device is used to execute the optional implementation method of the second aspect.

[0074] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, including:

[0075] A terminal, configured as an optional implementation of the first aspect;

[0076] A network device is configured to perform the optional implementation of the aforementioned second aspect.

[0077] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processor is used to call instructions to enable the communication device to execute the optional implementation method of the aforementioned first aspect.

[0078] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processor is used to call instructions to enable the communication device to execute the optional implementation method of the aforementioned second aspect.

[0079] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium storing instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes optional implementation methods of the aforementioned first and second aspects.

[0080] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0081] In a tenth 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 and second aspects.

[0082] In an eleventh 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 and second aspects above.

[0083] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all 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.

[0084] The present disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus thereof. In some embodiments, the terms information processing method, communication method, etc. are interchangeable, the terms information processing apparatus, communication apparatus, etc. are interchangeable, and the terms information processing system, communication system, etc. are interchangeable.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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 also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time / frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or the frequency domain.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0099] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.

[0100] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", and in some embodiments may also be understood as "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission and / or reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)", etc.

[0101] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal" "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc.

[0102] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0103] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0104] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system may include, but is not limited to, one terminal and one network device. The number and configuration of devices shown in Figure 1 are for example purposes only and do not limit the present disclosure. In practical applications, two or more terminals and two or more network devices may be included. The communication system 100 shown in Figure 1 includes, for example, one terminal 101 and one network device 102.

[0105] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 herein may be an entity on the user side for receiving or transmitting signals, such as a mobile phone. It may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal may be a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0106] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may be an access network device. In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a NodeB (NB), a home nodeB (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 RAN, a cloud RAN, a base station in other communication systems, and an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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. 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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 illustrative only. 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 relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0111] The embodiments of the present disclosure can 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 802.20, 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).

[0112] First, several terms provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure are briefly introduced.

[0113] 1. TCI state:

[0114] Used to inform the terminal of the QCL (Quasi Co-Location) information or spatial reception parameter (spatial Rx parameter) used when receiving the PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) and / or the DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) of the PDCCH. The QCL information or spatial reception parameter corresponds to the QCL information or spatial reception parameter used when receiving the reference signal (Synchronization Signal Block, SSB) or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) sent by the network device (such as a base station). Or, used to inform the terminal of the QCL information or spatial reception parameter used when receiving the PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and / or the DMRS of the PDSCH. The QCL information or spatial reception parameter corresponds to the QCL information or spatial reception parameter used when receiving the reference signal (Synchronization Signal Block, SSB) or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) sent by the network device (such as a base station).

[0115] Or, inform the terminal of the QCL information or spatial relationship information or spatial filtering used when sending PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) and / or the DMRS of the PUCCH, and the QCL information or spatial relationship information or spatial filtering corresponds to which reference signal (such as SRS) is sent or which SSB or CSI-RS is received by the network device (such as a base station). Or used to inform the terminal of the QCL information or spatial relationship information or spatial filtering used when sending PUSCH and / or the DMRS of the PUSCH, and the QCL information or spatial relationship information or spatial filtering corresponds to which reference signal (such as SRS) is sent or which SSB or CSI-RS is received by the network device (such as a base station).

[0116] 2. Unified TCI state:

[0117] If a network device (such as a base station) indicates a unified TCI state for downlink, then the TCI state can be applied to the PDSCH and PDCCH of the terminal and some downlink reference signals; if a network device (such as a base station) indicates a unified TCI state for uplink, then the TCI state can be applied to indicate the PUSCH and PUCCH of the terminal and some uplink reference signals. The unified TCI state may currently be indicated separately by a separate uplink TCI state (Separate Up Link TCI State, also called a separate UL TCI state, also called a separate UL TCI state, or named other names, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure) and a separate downlink TCI state (Separate Down Link TCI State, also called a separate DL TCI state, also called a separate DL TCI state, or named other names, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure), or a joint uplink and downlink TCI state (Joint TCI State) may be indicated jointly.

[0118] The separate uplink TCI state is applicable to uplink channels and / or signals, the separate downlink TCI state is applicable to downlink channels and / or signals, and the joint TCI state is applicable to both uplink channels and / or signals and downlink channels and / or signals.

[0119] In some embodiments, for unified TCI state switch, the requirement for joint TCI state switch is as below: In case of joint TCI state switch, if the target PL-RS (path loss reference signal) is not maintained, the UE is not expected to receive on DL based on the target TCI state before the UE completes the DL and UL TCI state switch; In case of joint TCI state switch, the UE is not expected to transmit on UL based on the second TCI state before the UE completes the DL and UL TCI state switch. It shows that if joint TCI state switch is activated, UE can't receive on DL or transmit on UL before UE finish both DL and UL TCI state switch activation. There will be too much delay.

[0120] In some embodiments, new terminal capabilities and behaviors are defined for TCI state switching so that the terminal can be scheduled with DL and / or UL data before completing the TCI state switching (e.g., DL and UL TCI state switching of a combined TCI state, or a separate UL TCI state transition or a separate DL TCI state switching), thereby improving the overall throughput of the system.

[0121] Figure 2A is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the communication method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0122] Step S2101, the network device 102 sends a TCI state activation command.

[0123] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned TCI state activation command can be sent by the network device 102 to the terminal 101. Exemplarily, the network device 102 can send a TCI state activation command to the terminal 101, and accordingly, the terminal 101 can receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command can be used to activate a second TCI state. The second TCI state can refer to the TCI state indicated to be activated by the network device, and can also be called the target TCI state (or new TCI state), or can be named by other names, which is not limited by the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the terms "second TCI state", "target TCI state", "new TCI state", etc. can be interchangeable.

[0124] Exemplarily, before the network device 102 sends the TCI state activation command, the terminal 101 communicates using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data in the first TCI state. In some embodiments, the first TCI state may be the TCI state used by the terminal before the network device instructs the activation of the second TCI state, or the first TCI state may be the TCI state used by the terminal before the TCI state switch is performed. In some embodiments, the terms "first TCI state" and "old TCI state" may be used interchangeably.

[0125] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be based on a MAC CE activation command. In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send the TCI state activation command via a MAC CE. Exemplarily, the network device 102 sends the TCI state activation command to the terminal 101 via a MAC (Medium Access Control) CE (Control Element). Accordingly, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command via the MAC CE. For example, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 via the MAC CE.

[0126] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may activate K TCI states (e.g., K is a number between 1 and 8) of at least one TCI state (e.g., M TCI states) configured by network device 102 for terminal 101 to codepoints in the TCI field of the DCI. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be received at a layer higher than the physical layer but lower than the layer used to receive the at least one TCI state. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be received at the MAC layer, for example, via a MAC CE command. For example, the MAC CE may include the TCI state IDs of the K TCI states to be activated.

[0127] In other words, the TCI state activation command (e.g., MAC CE) is used to activate a relatively small number of TCI states out of the total number of configured TCI states. These activated TCI states can be considered "active" TCI states, and the terminal 101 should track these activated TCI states (rather than necessarily tracking all M TCI states). In some embodiments, K can be greater than 4, which is greater than the maximum number of SRS resources in the SRS resource set.

[0128] In some embodiments, the second TCI state may be a combined TCI state (also called a combined uplink and downlink TCI state, or a combined uplink and downlink TCI state). Exemplarily, the beam indicated by the combined TCI state may be used for both uplink and downlink transmissions by terminal 101. In some embodiments, if the second TCI state is a combined TCI state, the TCI state activation command may use a combined indication.

[0129] In step S2102, the terminal 101 supports the first capability and communicates using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first capability is, for example, the capability of communicating using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching.

[0131] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 101 receives a TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102, and can perform TCI state switching based on the activation command. During the TCI state switching process (or before the TCI state switching, or when the TCI state switching is performed), the terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 can determine whether to use the DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 determines that it supports the above-mentioned first capability and can determine to use the DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching. Exemplarily, when the terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal 101 can use the DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching.

[0132] In some embodiments, the TCI state may be a joint TCI state, and the first capability may be communicating using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes switching between the DL and UL TCI states of the joint TCI state. For example, the terminal 101 receives a joint TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 and may perform a joint TCI state switch based on the activation command. During the joint TCI state switch (or before or during the joint TCI state switch), the terminal 101 may determine whether it supports the first capability (e.g., the capability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes switching between the DL and UL TCI states of the joint TCI state). The terminal 101 may determine whether to communicate using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes switching between the DL and UL TCI states of the joint TCI state based on whether it supports the first capability. The terminal 101 determines that it supports the above-mentioned first capability, and can determine that before the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching of the joint TCI state, it uses the DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state to communicate. Exemplarily, when the terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal 101 can use the DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state to communicate before the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching of the joint TCI state.

[0133] In some embodiments, the aforementioned possible implementation of communicating using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before terminal 101 completes TCI state switching may include: performing a first measurement, the first measurement being a measurement performed by terminal 101 for receiving and / or transmitting in the second TCI state; not expecting to receive and / or transmit data at a first RS position in FR2 (Frequency Range 2, millimeter wave frequency band); and the first RS may be a source reference signal for the second TCI state. In some embodiments, the aforementioned "not expecting to receive and / or transmit data at the first RS position in FR2" may mean that the terminal can receive and / or transmit data at the first RS position in FR2. In some embodiments, the aforementioned "not expecting to receive and / or transmit data at the first RS position in FR2" may indicate that the terminal cannot receive and / or transmit data at the first RS position in FR2, for example, the terminal receives and / or transmits data at other positions in FR2 (e.g., positions other than the first RS position), or the terminal is prohibited from receiving and / or transmitting data at the first RS position in FR2.

[0134] Exemplarily, terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability, and terminal 101 can perform a first measurement for receiving and / or transmitting in a second TCI state. It is not expected that terminal 101 receives and / or transmits data at a first RS position in FR2, where the first RS may be a source reference signal in the second TCI state. Exemplarily, a possible implementation method of not expecting terminal 101 to receive and / or transmit data at a first RS position in FR2 may include: receiving and / or transmitting data at a first position in FR2, where the first position is a position other than the first RS position in FR2. Exemplarily, a possible implementation method of not expecting terminal 101 to receive and / or transmit data at a first RS position in FR2 may include: prohibiting receiving and / or transmitting data at the first RS position in FR2.

[0135] In some embodiments, the source RS of the second TCI state may include, but is not limited to, an SSB or a CSI-RS. Exemplarily, before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switch, the terminal 101 may still perform measurements for receiving and / or transmitting in the second TCI state, where the source RS of the second TCI state may be an SSB or a CSI-RS.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first measurement may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: T / F (time / frequency) tracking; L1-RSRP (layer-1 reference signal received power) measurement; and path loss measurement. Exemplarily, before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switch, the terminal 101 may still perform T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss measurement based on the SSB or CSI-RS. Exemplarily, for a DL TCI state switch in a joint TCI state, the terminal 101 may perform T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss measurement in the downlink, for example, performing T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss measurement in the downlink. Exemplarily, for a UL TCI state switch in a joint TCI state, the terminal 101 may perform L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement in the uplink, for example, performing L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement in the uplink.

[0137] For example, as shown in FIG3 , terminal 101 receives a MAC CE based activation command (MAC CE based activation command), such as a combined TCI state activation command, sent by network device 101 at time T1. If terminal 101 supports the first capability described above, UL or DL ​​data with the first TCI state can be used to schedule terminal 101 before time T3 (UE can be scheduled with UL or DL ​​data with the old TCI state before T3). For example, UL or DL ​​data with the first TCI state is used to schedule terminal 101 during the TCI state activation period (T1 to T3). During T2 to T3, terminal 101 can still perform T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss measurement based on SSB or CSI-RS. It is not expected that the terminal 101 receives and / or sends data at the positions of these RSs in FR2 (i.e., the SSBs or CSI-RSs configured for T / F tracking or L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement) because the beam directions are different. Therefore, scheduling restrictions are required for these conflicting RSs, that is, during T2 to T3, it is not expected that the terminal 101 receives and / or sends data at the positions of these conflicting RSs in FR2 (i.e., the SSBs or CSI-RSs configured for performing T / F tracking or L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement). For example, as shown in Figure 3, during T2 to T3, the terminal 101 can receive and / or transmit data during the time interval with the first TCI state (UE can Receive or transmit data during the time gap with old TCI state), and the terminal 101 is not expected to receive and / or transmit data at the SSB position of FR2, for example, the terminal 101 is prohibited from receiving and / or transmitting data at the SSB position of FR2, or the terminal 101 receives and / or transmits data at other positions on FR2 except the SSB position, wherein the SSB is a synchronization signal block configured for T / F tracking or L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state may be a joint TCI state, and the terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability. For the DL TCI of the joint TCI state of the unified TCI state switching framework, in the case of the joint TCI state switching, the terminal 101 can receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state (UE shall be able to receive UE-dedicated PDCCH / PDSCH with the old TCI state until the UE completes both DL and UL TCI state switch), and does not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the first RS position in FR2 until the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switch. Exemplarily, the terminal 101 will be able to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state until the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch of the joint TCI state. For FR2, the terminal 101 does not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking or L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement. For example, for FR2, the terminal 101 does not receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking or L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement, or the terminal 101 receives the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH at a location other than the SSB or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking or L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state may be a joint TCI state, and terminal 101 supports the first capability described above. For UL TCI in the joint TCI state of the unified TCI state switching framework, in the case of a joint TCI state switching, terminal 101 may use the first TCI state to transmit UL data on the uplink, and is not expected to transmit UL data at the first reference signal RS position in FR2 until the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink and uplink channels. Exemplarily, terminal 101 should be able to transmit using the old UL TCI state until terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching of the joint TCI state. For FR2, terminal 101 is not expected to transmit UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. For example, for FR2, terminal 101 does not transmit UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation, or terminal 101 transmits UL data on a location other than the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation.

[0140] In step S2103, the terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability. When the terminal 101 does not maintain the target PL-RS (Path Loss-Reference Signal), it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and uplink channel of the joint TCI state.

[0141] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 101 receives a TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 and can perform TCI state switching based on the activation command. During the TCI state switching process (or before the TCI state switching is performed, or when the TCI state switching is performed), the terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 can determine whether to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 determines that it does not support the above-mentioned first capability and can determine that it does not expect the terminal to receive on the DL based on the second TCI state. Exemplarily, if the terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability and does not maintain the target PL-RS, it is not expected that the UE will receive on the DL based on the second TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability. If the target PL-RS is not maintained, the terminal 101 does not need to receive data within the time interval from T2 to T3, such as the terminal 101 does not receive DL data in the downlink based on the second TCI state within the time interval.

[0142] In step S2104, the terminal 101 does not support the first capability and does not expect to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel in the joint TCI state.

[0143] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, terminal 101 receives a TCI state activation command sent by network device 102 and can perform a TCI state switch based on the activation command. During the TCI state switch process (or before the TCI state switch, or when the TCI state switch is performed), terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. Terminal 101 can determine whether to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before terminal 101 completes the TCI state switch based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. If terminal 101 determines that it does not support the above-mentioned first capability, it can determine that it is not expected that the terminal sends UL data based on the second TCI state. Exemplarily, if terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability, it is not expected that the terminal transmits on the UL based on the second TCI state before terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch. For example, as shown in Figure 3, terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability. During the period T2 to T3, terminal 101 does not need to send data within the time interval, such as terminal 101 does not send UL data based on the second TCI state within the time interval.

[0144] In some embodiments, step S2103 and step S2104 may be executed in an interchanged order or simultaneously.

[0145] Step S2105: After the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, the terminal 101 receives DL data on the downlink and / or sends UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0146] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and second TCI states may be a joint TCI state. If terminal 101 supports the first capability described above, for DL ​​TCI in the joint TCI state within the unified TCI state switching framework, in the case of a joint TCI state switch, terminal 101 will be able to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH in the first TCI state until terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch. For FR2, terminal 101 does not expect to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on SSBs or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss calculation. After terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 can receive on the DL with the new TCI state. If terminal 101 does not support the first capability described above, for DL ​​TCI in the joint TCI state within the unified TCI state switching framework, in the case of a joint TCI state switch, if the target PL-RS is not maintained, then the UE is not expected to receive on the DL based on the second TCI state until terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch. After the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, the terminal 101 receives DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state.

[0147] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first TCI state and the second TCI state may be a joint TCI state. Terminal 101 supports the first capability described above. For UL TCI in the joint TCI state within the unified TCI state switching framework, upon a joint TCI state switch, terminal 101 should be able to transmit using the old UL TCI state until terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch. For FR2, terminal 101 is not expected to transmit UL data on SSBs or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. After terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 may transmit on the UL with the new second TCI state. If terminal 101 does not support the first capability, it is not expected to transmit on the UL based on the second TCI state until terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch. After terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 transmits UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0148] Step S2106 : Terminal 101 sends first capability indication information of terminal 101 to network device 102 .

[0149] In some embodiments, the first capability indication information may be used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability. Exemplarily, the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the capability of communicating using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the joint TCI state switch.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first capability indication information may be sent by the terminal 101 to the network device 102. Exemplarily, the terminal 101 sends the first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102, and accordingly, the network device 102 receives the first capability indication information sent by the terminal 101, so that the network device 102 determines whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability based on the first capability indication information, and schedules the terminal 101 using UL data and / or DL ​​data during the activation of the TCI state. Exemplarily, the first capability indication information is a first value (such as a valid value or 1, etc.), which may indicate that the terminal 101 supports the first capability, and the first capability indication information is a second value (such as an invalid value or 0, etc.), which may indicate that the terminal 101 does not support the first capability. The first value and the second value may also be other values, which are not limited in this disclosure and will not be described in detail.

[0151] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, step S2106 may be performed before step S2101, or step S2101 may be performed before step S2106, or step S2106 and step S2101 may be performed simultaneously. Exemplarily, before the TCI state is switched, the terminal may send first capability indication information of terminal 101 to network device 102, so that network device 101 understands whether terminal 101 supports the first capability, thereby facilitating whether the network device can use UL data and / or DL ​​data to schedule the terminal during the TCI state activation period.

[0152] It is worth noting that in some embodiments, if the source RS of the joint TCI state is associated with a PCI (Physical Cell Identifier) ​​that is different from the serving cell, then if the cell with the different PCI meets the known cell conditions defined in the standard protocol (such as 8.15.1), the embodiment scheme shown in Figure 2 should also apply, that is, if the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal will be able to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state until the terminal completes the DL and UL TCI state switching. For FR2, the terminal does not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. After the terminal completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, the terminal can receive on the DL with the new TCI state. If the known cell conditions are not met, a longer delay may occur. If the source RS in the UL TCI state or the joint TCI state is associated with a PCI different from that of the serving cell, then if the cell with the different PCI satisfies the known cell conditions defined in the standard protocol (such as 8.16.1), the embodiment scheme shown in Figure 2 should also apply, that is, if the terminal has the above-mentioned first capability, then the terminal should be able to use the old UL TCI state for transmission until the terminal completes the state switching of DL and UL TCI. For FR2, the terminal does not expect to send UL on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. After the terminal completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, the terminal can transmit on the UL with the new second TCI state. If the known cell conditions are not met, a longer delay can be expected.

[0153] 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.

[0154] In some embodiments, terms such as "uplink", "uplink", "physical uplink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "downlink", "downlink", "physical downlink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "side", "sidelink", "side communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", "direct link communication" can be interchangeable with each other.

[0155] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0156] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0157] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "a certain", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "a certain A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0158] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0159] The method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2106. For example, step S2101 + step S2102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101 + step S2102 + step S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101 + step S2102 + step S2105 + step S2106 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101 + step S2103 + step S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101 + step S2103 + step S2104 + step S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S2101 + step S2103 + step S2104 + step S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0160] In some embodiments, step S2103, step S2104, step S2105, and step S2106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0161] In some embodiments, step S2103, step S2104, and step S2106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0162] In some embodiments, step S2103 and step S2104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0163] In some embodiments, step S2102, step S2105, and step S2106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0164] In some embodiments, step S2102 and step S2106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0165] In some embodiments, step S2102 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0166] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2A .

[0167] Figure 2B is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the communication method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0168] Step S2201: The network device 102 sends a TCI status activation command.

[0169] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be sent by the network device 102 to the terminal 101. For example, the network device 102 may send a TCI state activation command to the terminal 101, and accordingly, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be used to activate a second TCI state. The second TCI state may refer to a TCI state indicated for activation by the network device, may also be referred to as a target TCI state (or a new TCI state), or may be named by other names, which is not limited in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the terms "second TCI state," "target TCI state," "new TCI state," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0170] Exemplarily, before the network device 102 sends the TCI state activation command, the terminal 101 communicates using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data in the first TCI state. In some embodiments, the first TCI state may be the TCI state used by the terminal before the network device instructs the activation of the second TCI state, or the first TCI state may be the TCI state used by the terminal before the TCI state switch is performed. In some embodiments, the terms "first TCI state" and "old TCI state" may be used interchangeably.

[0171] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be based on a MAC CE activation command. In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send the TCI state activation command via a MAC CE. Exemplarily, the network device 102 sends the TCI state activation command to the terminal 101 via a MAC CE. Accordingly, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command via the MAC CE. For example, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 via the MAC CE.

[0172] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may activate K TCI states (e.g., K is a number between 1 and 8) of at least one TCI state (e.g., M TCI states) configured by network device 102 for terminal 101 to codepoints in the TCI field of the DCI. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be received at a layer higher than the physical layer but lower than the layer used to receive the at least one TCI state. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be received at the MAC layer, for example, via a MAC CE command. For example, the MAC CE may include the TCI state IDs of the K TCI states to be activated.

[0173] In other words, the TCI state activation command (e.g., MAC CE) is used to activate a relatively small number of TCI states out of the total number of configured TCI states. These activated TCI states can be considered "active" TCI states, and the terminal 101 should track these activated TCI states (rather than necessarily tracking all M TCI states). In some embodiments, K can be greater than 4, which is greater than the maximum number of SRS resources in the SRS resource set.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state may be separate DL TCI states. Exemplarily, the beam indicated by the separate DL TCI state may be used for downlink transmission by the terminal 101, for example, the separate DL TCI state is applicable to downlink channels and / or signals.

[0175] In step S2202, the terminal 101 supports the first capability, receives the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and does not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the individual DL TCI state switching.

[0176] In some embodiments, the above “not expecting to receive terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking” may mean that the terminal can receive terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking. In some embodiments, the above “not expecting to receive terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking” may indicate that the terminal cannot receive terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking, for example, prohibiting the terminal from receiving terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking.

[0177] In some embodiments, the SSB configured above for T / F tracking is a synchronization signal block on FR2.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first capability is, for example, the capability of communicating using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes TCI state switching. Exemplarily, the first TCI state and the second TCI state may be separate DL TCI states, and the first capability is the capability of communicating using DL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes separate DL TCI state switching.

[0179] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 101 receives a separate DL TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102, and can perform a separate DL TCI state switch based on the activation command. During the separate DL TCI state switch process (or before the separate DL TCI state switch is performed, or when the separate DL TCI state switch is performed), the terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 can determine whether to use the DL data with the first TCI state to communicate before the terminal 101 completes the separate DL TCI state switch based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 determines that it supports the above-mentioned first capability and can determine to use the DL data with the first TCI state to communicate before the terminal 101 completes the separate DL TCI state switch. Exemplarily, when the terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal 101 can use the DL data with the first TCI state to communicate before the terminal 101 completes the separate DL TCI state switch.

[0180] In some embodiments, the possible implementation of communicating using DL data with the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the individual DL TCI state switch may include: performing T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss measurement based on SSB or CSI-RS, and for FR2, it is not expected to receive downlink data at these SSB or CSI-RS positions configured for T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss measurement. Exemplarily, in the case of individual DL TCI state switching, if the terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal 101 will be able to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state until the UE completes the DL and UL TCI state switching. For FR2, the UE does not expect to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on SSB or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss calculation. For example, if the second TCI state is known, when a PDSCH carrying a MAC-CE activation command is received in time slot n, the terminal 101 will be able to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH in time slot n. The first time slot after the time slot length receives the UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the target TCI of the serving cell where the TCI state switching occurs. If the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal should be able to The terminal receives a UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state before the time slot length. For FR2, the terminal does not expect to receive a UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking. HARQ (time slot) is the timing between DL data transmission and acknowledgment, Tfirst-SSB T is the time of the first SSB transmission after the terminal decodes the MAC CE command. The SSB should be QCL-TypeA or QCL-TypeC in the second TCI state. SSB-proc =2ms; if the second TCI state is not in the active TCI state list of PDSCH / PDCCH, then TO k =1, otherwise TO k is 0.

[0181] In step S2203, the terminal 101 does not support the first capability. When the terminal does not maintain the target PL-RS, it does not expect to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the individual DL TCI state switching.

[0182] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 101 receives a separate DL TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102, and can perform a separate DL TCI state switch based on the activation command. During the separate DL TCI state switch process (or before performing a separate DL TCI state switch, or when performing a separate DL TCI state switch), the terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 can determine whether to use the DL data with the first TCI state to communicate before the terminal 101 completes the separate DL TCI state switch based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 determines that it does not support the above-mentioned first capability and can determine that it does not expect the terminal to receive on the DL based on the second TCI state. Exemplarily, the terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability. If the target PL-RS is not maintained, the UE is not expected to receive on the DL based on the second TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the separate DL TCI state switch. For example, as shown in FIG3 , if terminal 101 does not support the first capability and does not maintain the target PL-RS, then during the time interval T2 to T3, terminal 101 does not need to receive data, e.g., terminal 101 does not receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state during the time interval. In some embodiments, the phrase "not expecting to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the switch to a separate DL TCI state" may indicate that the terminal can receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the switch to a separate DL TCI state. In some embodiments, the phrase "not expecting to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the switch to a separate DL TCI state" may indicate that receiving DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state is incapable of or prohibited from being performed on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the switch to a separate DL TCI state.

[0183] Step S2204: After the terminal 101 completes the individual DL TCI state switching, the terminal 101 receives DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state.

[0184] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second TCI states may be standalone DL TCI states. If terminal 101 supports the first capability described above, upon standalone DL TCI state switching, terminal 101 will be able to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state until terminal 101 completes the standalone DL TCI state switch. For FR2, terminal 101 does not expect to receive UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on SSBs or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement, or path loss calculation. After terminal 101 completes the standalone DL TCI state switch, terminal 101 may receive data on the downlink with the new TCI state. If terminal 101 does not support the first capability described above, upon standalone DL TCI state switching, if the target PL-RS is not maintained, the UE is not expected to receive data on the downlink based on the second TCI state until terminal 101 completes the standalone DL TCI state switch. After terminal 101 completes the standalone DL TCI state switch, terminal 101 receives downlink data on the downlink based on the second TCI state.

[0185] In step S2205 , the terminal 101 sends first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102 ; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability.

[0186] The optional implementation of step S2205 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2106 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, step S2205 may be performed before step S2201, or step S2201 may be performed before step S2205, or step S2205 and step S2201 may be performed simultaneously. For example, before the TCI state is switched, the terminal may send first capability indication information of terminal 101 to network device 102, so that network device 101 understands whether terminal 101 supports the first capability, thereby facilitating whether the network device can use DL data to schedule the terminal during the TCI state activation period.

[0188] It is worth noting that in some embodiments, if the source RS of the separate DL TCI state is associated with a PCI (Physical Cell Identifier) ​​that is different from that of the serving cell, then if the cell with the different PCI meets the known cell conditions defined in the standard protocol (such as 8.15.1), the embodiment scheme shown in Figure 2 should also apply, that is, if the terminal supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal will be able to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state until the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switch. For FR2, the terminal does not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for T / F tracking, L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. After the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switch, the terminal can receive on the DL with the new TCI state. If the known cell conditions are not met, a longer delay may occur.

[0189] The method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2205. For example, step S2201 + step S2202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2201 + step S2202 + step S2204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2201 + step S2202 + step S2204 + step S2205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2201 + step S2203 + step S2204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2201 + step S2203 + step S2204 + step S2205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S2201 + step S2202 + step S2204 + step S2205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0190] In some embodiments, step S2203, step S2204, and step S2205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0191] In some embodiments, step S2203 and step S2205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0192] In some embodiments, step S2203 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0193] In some embodiments, step S2202 and step S2205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0194] In some embodiments, step S2202 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0195] In some embodiments, step S2203 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0196] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2B .

[0197] Figure 2C is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2C, the communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0198] Step S2301: The network device 102 sends a TCI status activation command.

[0199] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned TCI state activation command can be sent by the network device 102 to the terminal 101. Exemplarily, the network device 102 can send a TCI state activation command to the terminal 101, and accordingly, the terminal 101 can receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command can be used to activate a second TCI state. The second TCI state can refer to the TCI state indicated to be activated by the network device, and can also be called the target TCI state (or new TCI state), or can be named by other names, which is not limited by the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the terms "second TCI state", "target TCI state", "new TCI state", etc. can be interchangeable.

[0200] Exemplarily, before the network device 102 sends the TCI state activation command, the terminal 101 communicates using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data in the first TCI state. In some embodiments, the first TCI state may be the TCI state used by the terminal before the network device instructs the activation of the second TCI state, or the first TCI state may be the TCI state used by the terminal before the TCI state switch is performed. In some embodiments, the terms "first TCI state" and "old TCI state" may be used interchangeably.

[0201] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be based on a MAC CE activation command. In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send the TCI state activation command via a MAC CE. Exemplarily, the network device 102 sends the TCI state activation command to the terminal 101 via a MAC CE. Accordingly, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command via the MAC CE. For example, the terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 via the MAC CE.

[0202] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may activate K TCI states (e.g., K is a number between 1 and 8) of at least one TCI state (e.g., M TCI states) configured by network device 102 for terminal 101 to codepoints in the TCI field of the DCI. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be received at a layer higher than the physical layer but lower than the layer used to receive the at least one TCI state. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be received at the MAC layer, for example, via a MAC CE command. For example, the MAC CE may include the TCI state IDs of the K TCI states to be activated.

[0203] In other words, the TCI state activation command (e.g., MAC CE) is used to activate a relatively small number of TCI states out of the total number of configured TCI states. These activated TCI states can be considered "active" TCI states, and the terminal 101 should track these activated TCI states (rather than necessarily tracking all M TCI states). In some embodiments, K can be greater than 4, which is greater than the maximum number of SRS resources in the SRS resource set.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state may be separate UL TCI states. Exemplarily, the beam indicated by the separate UL TCI state may be used for uplink transmission by the terminal 101, for example, the separate UL TCI state is applicable to uplink channels and / or signals.

[0205] In step S2302, the terminal 101 supports the first capability, uses the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and does not expect to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the individual UL TCI state switching.

[0206] In some embodiments, the phrase "not expecting to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement" may mean that the terminal may send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement. In some embodiments, the phrase "not expecting to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement" may indicate that the terminal cannot send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement, for example, prohibiting the terminal from sending UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement.

[0207] In some embodiments, the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement may be a synchronization signal block or a channel state information reference signal on FR2.

[0208] In some embodiments, the first capability is, for example, the capability of communicating using DL data and / or UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes TCI state switching. Exemplarily, the TCI state is a separate UL TCI state, and the first capability is the capability of communicating using UL data in the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes separate UL TCI state switching.

[0209] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 101 receives a separate UL TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 and can perform a separate UL TCI state switch based on the activation command. During the separate UL TCI state switch (or before performing the separate UL TCI state switch, or when performing the separate UL TCI state switch), the terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 can determine whether to use UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the separate UL TCI state switch based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. If the terminal 101 determines that it supports the above-mentioned first capability, it can determine to use UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the separate UL TCI state switch. Exemplarily, if the terminal 101 supports the above-mentioned first capability, the terminal 101 can use UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the separate UL TCI state switch.

[0210] In some embodiments, the possible implementation of communicating using UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the individual UL TCI state switch may include: performing L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement based on SSB or CSI-RS, and for FR2, not expecting to send uplink data at these SSB or CSI-RS positions configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss measurement. Exemplarily, in the case of individual UL TCI state switching, if the terminal 101 supports the first capability described above, the terminal 101 should be able to use the old UL TCI state for transmission until the terminal completes the state switch of the individual UL TCI state. For FR2, the UE does not expect to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation.

[0211] For example, for separate UL TCI state switch or joint TCI state switch for PUCCH or PUSCH, or semi-persistent / aperiodic / periodic SRS, when beamCorrespondenceWithoutUL BeamSwiping is set to 1, upon receiving PDSCH carrying MAC-CE activation command in slot n on serving cell, if the second TCI state is known, the terminal shall be able to The uplink signal of the second TCI state is sent in the time slot length. If the second TCI state is unknown, the terminal should be able to If the terminal supports the first capability, the terminal should be able to For FR2, the terminal does not expect to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and path loss measurements.

[0212] In step S2303, the terminal 101 does not support the first capability and does not expect to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the individual UL TCI state switching.

[0213] In some embodiments, the phrase "before the terminal completes switching to a separate UL TCI state, it is not expected to transmit UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state" may mean that before the terminal completes switching to a separate UL TCI state, the terminal may transmit UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state. In some embodiments, the phrase "before the terminal completes switching to a separate UL TCI state, it is not expected to transmit UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state" may mean that before the terminal completes switching to a separate UL TCI state, the terminal may not or may be prohibited from transmitting UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0214] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 101 receives a separate UL TCI state activation command sent by the network device 102 and can perform a separate UL TCI state switch based on the activation command. During the separate UL TCI state switch process (or before performing the separate UL TCI state switch, or when performing the separate UL TCI state switch), the terminal 101 can determine whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. The terminal 101 can determine whether to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal 101 completes the separate UL TCI state switch based on whether it supports the above-mentioned first capability. If the terminal 101 determines that it does not support the above-mentioned first capability, it can determine that it does not expect the terminal to send UL data based on the second TCI state. Exemplarily, the terminal 101 does not support the above-mentioned first capability and does not expect the terminal to transmit on the UL based on the second TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the separate UL TCI state switch. For example, as shown in FIG3 , the terminal 101 does not support the first capability. During T2 to T3 , the terminal 101 does not need to send data within the time interval, such as the terminal 101 does not send UL data based on the second TCI state within the time interval.

[0215] Step S2304: After the terminal 101 completes the individual UL TCI state switching, the terminal 101 sends UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0216] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and second TCI states may be standalone UL TCI states. Terminal 101 supports the first capability. In the case of a standalone UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 transmits UL data on the uplink using the first TCI state until terminal 101 completes the standalone UL TCI state switch. For FR2, terminal 101 does not expect to transmit UL data on SSBs or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. After terminal 101 completes the standalone UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 may transmit UL data on the UL with the new TCI state. If terminal 101 does not support the first capability, in the case of a standalone UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 does not expect the UE to transmit UL data on the UL based on the second TCI state until terminal 101 completes the standalone UL TCI state switch. After terminal 101 completes the standalone UL TCI state switch, terminal 101 transmits UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state. In some embodiments, "not expected" may mean "may" or "may not." In some embodiments, the terms "cannot", "may not", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0217] In step S2305 , the terminal 101 sends first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102 ; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability.

[0218] The optional implementation of step S2305 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2106 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0219] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, step S2305 may be performed before step S2301, or step S2301 may be performed before step S2305, or step S2305 and step S2301 may be performed simultaneously. For example, before the TCI state is switched, the terminal may send first capability indication information of terminal 101 to network device 102, so that network device 101 understands whether terminal 101 supports the first capability, thereby facilitating whether the network device can use DL data to schedule the terminal during the TCI state activation period.

[0220] It is worth noting that in some embodiments, if the source RS in the UL TCI state is associated with a PCI different from that of the serving cell, then if the cell with the different PCI satisfies the known cell conditions defined in the standard protocol (such as 8.16.1), then the embodiment scheme shown in Figure 2 should also apply, that is, if the terminal has the above-mentioned first capability, then the terminal should be able to use the old UL TCI state for transmission until the terminal completes the state switching of DL and UL TCI. For FR2, the terminal does not expect to send UL on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP measurement or path loss calculation. After the terminal completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, the terminal can transmit on the UL with the new second TCI state. If the known cell conditions are not met, a longer delay can be expected.

[0221] The method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2301 to S2305. For example, step S2301 + step S2302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2301 + step S2302 + step S2304 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2301 + step S2302 + step S2304 + step S2305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2301 + step S2303 + step S2304 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2301 + step S2303 + step S2304 + step S2305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S2301 + step S2302 + step S2304 + step S2305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0222] In some embodiments, step S2303, step S2304, and step S2305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0223] In some embodiments, step S2303 and step S2305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0224] In some embodiments, step S2303 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0225] In some embodiments, step S2302 and step S2305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0226] In some embodiments, step S2302 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0227] In some embodiments, step S2303 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0228] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2C .

[0229] FIG4A is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by terminal 101 and may include but is not limited to the following steps.

[0230] Step S4101, receiving a TCI status activation command.

[0231] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be sent by network device 102 to terminal 101. For example, network device 102 may send the TCI state activation command to terminal 101, and terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be used to activate the second TCI state.

[0232] 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.

[0233] Step S4102: supporting the first capability and communicating using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes TCI state switching.

[0234] The optional implementation of step S4102 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.

[0235] Step S4103: The above-mentioned first capability is not supported. When the terminal 101 does not maintain the target PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal 101 completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and uplink channel of the joint TCI state.

[0236] The optional implementation of step S4103 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.

[0237] Step S4104: The first capability is not supported, and before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel in the joint TCI state, it is not expected to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0238] The optional implementation of step S4104 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.

[0239] Step S4105: After the terminal 101 completes the DL and UL TCI state switching, it receives DL data on the downlink and / or sends UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0240] The optional implementation of step S4105 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.

[0241] Step S4106 : Send the first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102 .

[0242] The optional implementation of step S4106 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2106 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0243] The method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4101 to S4106. For example, step S4101 + step S4102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101 + step S4102 + step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101 + step S4102 + step S4105 + step S4106 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101 + step S4103 + step S4104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101 + step S4103 + step S4104 + step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S4101 + step S4103 + step S4104 + step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0244] In some embodiments, step S4103, step S4104, step S4105, and step S4106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0245] In some embodiments, step S4103, step S4104, and step S4106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0246] In some embodiments, step S4103 and step S4104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0247] In some embodiments, step S4102, step S4105, and step S4106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0248] In some embodiments, step S4102 and step S4106 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0249] In some embodiments, step S4102 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0250] FIG4B is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4B , the communication method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to terminal 101, and the method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0251] Step S4201, receiving a TCI status activation command.

[0252] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be sent by network device 102 to terminal 101. For example, network device 102 may send the TCI state activation command to terminal 101, and terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be used to activate the second TCI state.

[0253] The optional implementation of step S4201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2201 in Figure 2B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0254] Step S4202: support the first capability, receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and do not expect to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the individual DL TCI state switching.

[0255] The optional implementation of step S4202 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2202 in Figure 2B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0256] Step S4203: If the first capability is not supported and the terminal does not maintain the target PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the individual DL TCI state switching.

[0257] The optional implementation of step S4203 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2203 in Figure 2B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0258] Step S4204: After the terminal 101 completes the individual DL TCI state switching, the terminal 101 receives DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state.

[0259] The optional implementation of step S4204 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2204 in Figure 2B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0260] Step S4205 : Send first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102 ; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability.

[0261] The optional implementation of step S4205 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2205 in Figure 2B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0262] The method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4201 to S4205. For example, step S4201 + step S4202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4202 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4202 + step S4204 + step S4205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4203 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4203 + step S4204 + step S4205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S4201 + step S4202 + step S4204 + step S4205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0263] In some embodiments, step S4203, step S4204, and step S4205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0264] In some embodiments, step S4203 and step S4205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0265] In some embodiments, step S4203 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0266] In some embodiments, step S4202 and step S4205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0267] In some embodiments, step S4202 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0268] In some embodiments, step S4203 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0269] FIG4C is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4B , the communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to terminal 101 , and the method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0270] Step S4301: Receive a TCI state activation command. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be used to activate a second TCI state.

[0271] The optional implementation of step S4301 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2301 in Figure 2C and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0272] Step S4302, supporting the first capability, using the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and not expecting to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the individual UL TCI state switching.

[0273] The optional implementation of step S4302 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2302 in Figure 2C and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0274] Step S4303: The first capability is not supported, and before the terminal completes the individual UL TCI state switching, it is not expected to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0275] The optional implementation of step S4303 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2303 in Figure 2C and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0276] Step S4304: After the terminal 101 completes the individual UL TCI state switching, UL data is sent on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0277] The optional implementation of step S4304 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2304 in Figure 2C and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0278] Step S4305 : Send first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102 ; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability.

[0279] The optional implementation of step S4305 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2305 in Figure 2C and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0280] The method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4301 to S4305. For example, step S4301 + step S4302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4301 + step S4302 + step S4304 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4301 + step S4302 + step S4304 + step S4305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4301 + step S4303 + step S4304 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4301 + step S4303 + step S4304 + step S4305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S4301 + step S4302 + step S4304 + step S4305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0281] In some embodiments, step S4303, step S4304, and step S4305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0282] In some embodiments, step S4303 and step S4305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0283] In some embodiments, step S4303 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0284] In some embodiments, step S4302 and step S4305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0285] In some embodiments, step S4302 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0286] In some embodiments, step S4303 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0287] FIG4D is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4D , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by terminal 101 and may include but is not limited to the following steps.

[0288] Step S4401, receiving a TCI status activation command.

[0289] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command is received via the media MAC CE. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be used to activate the second TCI state.

[0290] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are any one of the following: a joint TCI state; a separate DL TCI state; a separate UL TCI state.

[0291] Step S4402: Determine whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching, based on whether the terminal supports the first capability; the first capability is the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0292] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability include: determining that the terminal supports the first capability; and using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0293] In some embodiments, the possible implementation methods of communicating using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching include: performing a first measurement, which is a measurement performed by the terminal for receiving and / or sending in the second TCI state; not expecting to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position in the frequency band FR2; the first RS is the source reference signal of the second TCI state.

[0294] In some embodiments, possible implementations of not expecting to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position in the frequency band FR2 include: receiving and / or sending data at the first position in FR2, where the first position is a position in FR2 other than the first RS position; or prohibiting receiving and / or sending data at the first RS position in FR2.

[0295] In some embodiments, the source reference signal RS of the second TCI state includes a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). In some embodiments, the measurement includes at least one of the following: time / frequency (T / F) tracking; layer 1 received signal reference power (L1-RSRP) measurement; and path loss measurement.

[0296] In some embodiments, the TCI state is a joint TCI state; the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of not expecting to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position of the frequency band FR2 include at least one of the following: receiving a terminal-specific physical downlink control channel PDCCH / physical downlink shared channel PDSCH with the first TCI state, and not expecting to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH at the first RS position of FR2 until the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel; using the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and not expecting to send UL data at the first reference signal RS position of FR2 until the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel.

[0297] In some embodiments, after the terminal completes TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel, the terminal receives DL data on the downlink and / or sends UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0298] In some embodiments, the TCI state is a joint TCI state; the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability include at least one of the following: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; when the terminal does not maintain the target path loss reference signal PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and uplink channel of the joint TCI state; it is not expected to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and uplink channel of the joint TCI state.

[0299] In some embodiments, the TCI state is a separate DL TCI state; the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability include: determining that the terminal supports the first capability; receiving a terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and not expecting to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switching; the SSB configured for T / F tracking is a synchronization signal block on FR2.

[0300] In some embodiments, the TCI state is a separate DL TCI state; the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability include: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; when the terminal does not maintain the target PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switching.

[0301] In some embodiments, the TCI state is a separate UL TCI state; the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability include: determining that the terminal supports the first capability; using the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and not expecting to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switching; configuring the SSB or CSI-RS used for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement to be a synchronization signal block or channel state information reference signal on FR2.

[0302] In some embodiments, the TCI state is a separate UL TCI state; the above-mentioned possible implementation methods of determining whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability include: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; and not expecting to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switching.

[0303] In some embodiments, the terminal sends first capability indication information of the terminal to the network device; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability.

[0304] For possible implementations of the terminal-side method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to the descriptions of the relevant steps on the terminal side in Figures 2A, 2B and 2C above, which will not be repeated here.

[0305] FIG5A is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by the network device 102 and can include but is not limited to the following steps.

[0306] Step S5101, send a TCI status activation command.

[0307] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be sent by network device 102 to terminal 101. For example, network device 102 may send the TCI state activation command to terminal 101, and terminal 101 may receive the TCI state activation command sent by the network device. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command may be used to activate the second TCI state.

[0308] The optional implementation of step S5101 can be found in the optional implementation of steps S2101, S2201, and S2301 in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0309] Step S5102 : Receive first capability indication information sent by terminal 101 .

[0310] In some embodiments, the first capability indication information may be sent by the terminal 101 to the network device 102. Exemplarily, the terminal 101 sends the first capability indication information of the terminal 101 to the network device 102, and accordingly, the network device 102 receives the first capability indication information sent by the terminal 101, so that the network device 102 determines whether the terminal 101 supports the first capability based on the first capability indication information, and schedules the terminal 101 using UL data and / or DL ​​data during the TCI state activation period.

[0311] The optional implementation of step S5102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2106 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0312] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S5101 and S5102. For example, step S5101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S5101 + step S5102 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0313] In some embodiments, step S5102 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0314] In some embodiments, step S5101 and step S5102 may be executed in an interchanged order or simultaneously.

[0315] FIG5B is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5B , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by the network device 102 and can include but is not limited to the following steps.

[0316] Step S5201: Send a TCI status activation command to the terminal.

[0317] In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command is used by the terminal to determine whether to communicate using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data in the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch. In some embodiments, the TCI state activation command can be used to activate the second TCI state.

[0318] In some embodiments, a possible implementation of sending the transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal includes: sending the TCI state activation command to the terminal through a media access control layer control element MAC CE.

[0319] In some embodiments, the TCI state is any one of the following: a joint TCI state; a separate DL TCI state; or a separate UL TCI state.

[0320] In some embodiments, the network device receives first capability indication information sent by the terminal; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability, and the first capability is the ability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0321] Possible implementations of the network device side method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be found in the descriptions of the relevant steps on the network device side in Figures 2A, 2B and 2C above, which will not be repeated here.

[0322] Figure 6 is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0323] Step S6101, the network device 102 sends a TCI status activation command to the terminal 101.

[0324] The optional implementation of step S6101 can be found in the optional implementation of steps S2101, S2201, and S2301 in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0325] In step S6102, the terminal 101 determines whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching based on whether the terminal supports the first capability; the first capability is the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0326] The optional implementation of step S6102 can be found in the optional implementation of steps S2102-step S2104, step S2202-step S2203, step S2302-step S2303 in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, which will not be repeated here.

[0327] In some embodiments, the above method may include the method described in the above terminal side, network device side, etc. embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0328] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device in any of the above methods.

[0329] 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), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules 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.

[0330] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with information 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.

[0331] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7A, the terminal 7100 may include: a transceiver module 7101, a processing module 7102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is configured to receive a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation command, which may be used to activate a second TCI state. The processing module 7102 is configured to determine, based on whether the terminal supports a first capability, whether to use downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switch; the first capability is the ability to use DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switch. Optionally, the transceiver module is configured to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2106, S2205, and S2305, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the above-mentioned processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps (such as step S2102-step S2105, step S2202-step S2204, step S2302-step S2304, but not limited to these) performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0332] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is specifically used to: receive a TCI state activation command through a media MAC CE.

[0333] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are any one of the following: a joint TCI state; a separate DL TCI state; a separate UL TCI state.

[0334] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is specifically used to: determine whether the terminal supports the first capability; and communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching.

[0335] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module 7102 is specifically used to: perform a first measurement, which is a measurement performed by the terminal for receiving and / or sending in the second TCI state; it is not expected to receive and / or send data at the first reference signal RS position in the frequency band FR2; the first RS is the source reference signal of the second TCI state.

[0336] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is specifically used to: receive and / or send data at the first position of FR2, where the first position is any position of FR2 other than the first RS position; or, prohibit receiving and / or sending data at the first RS position of FR2.

[0337] In some embodiments, the source reference signal RS of the second TCI state includes a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). In some embodiments, the measurement includes at least one of the following: time / frequency (T / F) tracking; layer 1 received signal reference power (L1-RSRP) measurement; and path loss measurement.

[0338] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are joint TCI states; the processing module 7102 is specifically used to perform at least one of the following: receiving a terminal-specific physical downlink control channel PDCCH / physical downlink shared channel PDSCH with the first TCI state, and not expecting to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH at the first RS position of FR2 until the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switching; using the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and not expecting to send UL data at the first reference signal RS position of FR2 until the terminal completes the downlink channel and uplink channel TCI state switching.

[0339] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: after the terminal completes TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel, receive DL data on the downlink and / or send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0340] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are joint TCI states; the processing module 7102 is specifically used to perform at least one of the following: determining that the terminal does not support the first capability; when the terminal does not maintain the target path loss reference signal PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and uplink channel of the joint TCI state; it is not expected to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and uplink channel of the joint TCI state.

[0341] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states; the processing module 7102 is specifically used to: determine that the terminal supports the first capability; receive a terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and do not expect to receive a terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switch; the SSB configured for T / F tracking is a synchronization signal block on FR2.

[0342] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states; the processing module 7102 is specifically used to: determine that the terminal does not support the first capability; when the terminal does not maintain the target PL-RS, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state before the terminal completes the separate DL TCI state switching.

[0343] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states; the processing module 7102 is specifically used to: determine that the terminal supports the first capability; use the first TCI state to send UL data on the uplink, and do not expect to send UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switch; configure the SSB or CSI-RS used for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement as a synchronization signal block or channel state information reference signal on FR2.

[0344] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states; the processing module 7102 is specifically used to: determine that the terminal does not support the first capability; and before the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switching, it is not expected to send UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

[0345] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is further used to: send first capability indication information of the terminal to the network device; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability.

[0346] Figure 7B is a structural diagram of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7B, the network device 7200 may include: at least one of a transceiver module 7201, a processing module 7202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is used to send a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal, and the TCI state activation command can be used to activate the second TCI state; wherein the TCI state activation command is used by the terminal to determine whether to use downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state for communication before the terminal completes the TCI state switch. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to execute at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving (for example, step S2101, step S2201, step S2301, but not limited to this) performed by the network device 7200 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0347] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is specifically used to: send a TCI state activation command to the terminal via a media access control layer control element MAC CE.

[0348] In some embodiments, the first TCI state and the second TCI state are any one of the following: a joint TCI state; a separate DL TCI state; or a separate UL TCI state.

[0349] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is also used to: receive first capability indication information sent by the terminal; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability, and the first capability is the ability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

[0350] 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.

[0351] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules each execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module and the processor can be interchangeable.

[0352] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 8100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment, etc.), a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 8100 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.

[0353] As shown in Figure 8A, the communication device 8100 includes one or more processors 8101. The processor 8101 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 8100 is used to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 8101 are used to call instructions to enable the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0354] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more transceivers 8103. When the communication device 8100 includes one or more transceivers 8103, the transceiver 8103 performs at least one of the communication steps of sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., step S2106, step S2205, step S2305, step S2101, step S2201, step S2301, but not limited thereto), and the processor 8101 performs at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S2102-step S2105, step S2202-step S2204, step S2302-step S2304, but not limited thereto). In an optional embodiment, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, terms such as transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface can be replaced with each other, terms such as transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit can be replaced with each other, and terms such as receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit can be replaced with each other.

[0355] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more memories 8102 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 8102 may be located outside the communication device 8100. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 8100 may include one or more interface circuits 8104. Optionally, the interface circuits 8104 are connected to the memories 8102 and may be configured to receive data from the memories 8102 or other devices, or to send data to the memories 8102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 8104 may read data stored in the memories 8102 and send the data to the processor 8101.

[0356] The communication device 8100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 8100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 8100 may not be limited by FIG. 8A. 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.

[0357] FIG8B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 8200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 8100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 8200 shown in FIG8B , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0358] The chip 8200 includes one or more processors 8201. The chip 8200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0359] In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more interface circuits 8202. Terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pins may be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more memories 8203 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of memory 8203 may be located external to chip 8200. Optionally, interface circuit 8202 is connected to memory 8203 and may be used to receive data from memory 8203 or other devices, or may be used to send data to memory 8203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 8202 may read data stored in memory 8203 and send the data to processor 8201.

[0360] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 8202 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2106, S2205, S2305, S2101, S2201, and S2301) of the aforementioned method. The interface circuit 8202 performing the communication steps (e.g., steps S2106, S2205, S2305, S2101, S2201, and S2301) of the aforementioned method, for example, means that the interface circuit 8202 performs data exchange between the processor 8201, the chip 8200, the memory 8203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 8201 performs at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S2102-S2105, S2202-S2204, and S2302-S2304, but not limited thereto).

[0361] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed on the communication device 8100, causes the communication device 8100 to execute 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.

[0362] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 8100, enables the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0363] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

[0364] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer program can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0365] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0366] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0367] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: Receiving a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state activation command; the TCI state activation command is used to activate a second TCI state; Determining whether to communicate using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data with a first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch according to whether the terminal supports a first capability; the first capability is the capability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The receiving the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state activation command includes: Receiving the TCI state activation command through a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first TCI state and the second TCI state are any one of the following: Joint TCI state; Separate DL TCI state; Separate UL TCI state.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The determining whether to communicate using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data with a first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch according to whether the terminal supports a first capability includes: Determining that the terminal supports the first capability; Communicating using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The communicating using downlink (DL) data and / or uplink (UL) data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch includes: Performing a first measurement, where the first measurement is a measurement performed by the terminal for receiving and / or transmitting in the second TCI state; Not expecting to receive and / or transmit data at a first reference signal (RS) position in frequency range 2 (FR2); the first RS is the source reference signal of the second TCI state.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The source reference signal (RS) of the second TCI state includes a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) or a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); and / or, The measurement includes at least one of the following: Time / Frequency (T / F) tracking; Layer 1 Received Signal Reference Power (L1-RSRP) measurement; Path loss measurement.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The first TCI state and the second TCI state are joint TCI states; the not expecting to receive and / or transmit data at a first reference signal (RS) position in frequency range 2 (FR2) includes at least one of the following: Receiving a terminal-specific Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) / Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) with the first TCI state, not expecting to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH at the first RS position in FR2 until the terminal completes the TCI state switch for downlink and uplink channels; Transmitting UL data on the uplink with the first TCI state, not expecting to transmit UL data at the first reference signal (RS) position in FR2 until the terminal completes the TCI state switch for downlink and uplink channels.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The method further includes: After the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel, the terminal receives DL data on the downlink and / or transmits UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first TCI state and the second TCI state are combined TCI states; determining whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching according to whether the terminal supports the first capability includes at least one of the following: Determine that the terminal does not support the first capability; When the terminal does not maintain the target path loss reference signal PL-RS, before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel of the combined TCI state, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state; Before the terminal completes the TCI state switching of the downlink channel and the uplink channel of the combined TCI state, it is not expected to transmit UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states; determining whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching according to whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: Determine that the terminal supports the first capability; Receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH with the first TCI state, and it is not expected to receive the terminal-specific PDCCH / PDSCH on the SSB configured for T / F tracking until the terminal completes the switching of the separate DL TCI state; the SSB configured for T / F tracking is the synchronization signal block on FR2.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate DL TCI states; determining whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching according to whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: Determine that the terminal does not support the first capability; When the terminal does not maintain the target PL-RS, before the terminal completes the switching of the separate DL TCI state, it is not expected to receive DL data on the downlink based on the second TCI state.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states; determining whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switching according to whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: Determine that the terminal supports the first capability; Transmit UL data on the uplink using the first TCI state. It is not expected to transmit UL data on the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement until the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switch; the SSB or CSI-RS configured for L1-RSRP and / or path loss measurement is a synchronization signal block or channel state information reference signal on FR2.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first TCI state and the second TCI state are separate UL TCI states; determining whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch according to whether the terminal supports the first capability includes: Determine that the terminal does not support the first capability; Before the terminal completes the separate UL TCI state switch, it is not expected to transmit UL data on the uplink based on the second TCI state.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first capability indication information of the terminal to the network device; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a network device, and the method includes: Send a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal; the TCI state activation command is used to activate the second TCI state; Wherein, the TCI state activation command is used for the terminal to determine whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The sending the transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal includes: Send the TCI state activation command to the terminal through a media access control layer control element MAC CE.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first TCI state and the second TCI state are any one of the following: Combined TCI state; Separate DL TCI state; Separate UL TCI state.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 - 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the first capability indication information sent by the terminal; the first capability indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first capability, and the first capability is the capability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

19. A terminal, characterized in that, Includes: A transceiver module, configured to receive a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command; The TCI state activation command is used to activate the second TCI state; A processing module, configured to determine whether to communicate using downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch according to whether the terminal supports the first capability; the first capability is the capability to communicate using DL data and / or UL data with the first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

20. A network device, characterized in that, Includes: A transceiver module, configured to send a transmission configuration indication TCI state activation command to the terminal; the TCI state activation command is used to activate the second TCI state; Wherein, the TCI state activation command is used for the terminal to determine whether to communicate with downlink DL data and / or uplink UL data having a first TCI state before the terminal completes the TCI state switch.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, Comprising: A terminal, configured to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-14; A network device, configured to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 15-18.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising: One or more processors; Wherein, the communication device is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-14, 15-18.

23. A storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction runs on the communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-14, 15-18.

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