Information processing method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are an information processing method and apparatus, and a storage medium. The method comprises: sending first information to a network device, wherein the first information is used for indicating that a first cell exceeds the network coverage range of a first slice. By means of the present disclosure, the aim of reporting a network slice coverage hole by a terminal can be achieved, and thus a network device can learn, in a timely manner, that a first cell exceeds the network coverage range of a first slice.

Description

Information processing method, device, and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to an information processing method and device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) new radio (NR) introduces network slicing technology, which allows the network to be divided into multiple network slices (Slices). Different slices can be used to transmit different services. Moreover, the service transmission in different slices does not interfere with each other. Even if there is a large-scale service congestion in one slice, it will not affect the normal operation of services in other slices.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The terminal can report to the network device that the network slice is unavailable or the service is terminated due to the unavailability of the network slice. In order to standardize the information reported by the terminal on the unavailability of the network slice or the interruption of the service, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, device and storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing method, applied to a terminal, the method comprising:

[0006] Send first information to the network device, where the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0007] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing method, applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] The receiving terminal sends first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0009] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, including:

[0010] The transceiver module is configured to send first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

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

[0012] The transceiver module is configured to receive first information sent by the terminal, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, including:

[0014] one or more processors;

[0015] The terminal is used to execute the information processing method provided in the first aspect above.

[0016] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including:

[0017] one or more processors;

[0018] The network device is used to execute the information processing method provided in the second aspect above.

[0019] According to the sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the information processing method provided by the above-mentioned first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the information processing method provided by the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal sends first information to a network device, and the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal. The first information is used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, so as to achieve the purpose of the terminal reporting the network slice coverage hole, so that the network device can promptly know that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice.

[0021] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a network slice division according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG3 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG4A is a flow chart of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG4B is a flow chart of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG5A is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG6A is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, like numbers in different figures represent like or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present invention, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0033] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of at least one of the associated listed items.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various messages, these messages should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish messages of the same type from each other. For example, a first message may also be referred to as a second message, and similarly, a second message may be referred to as a first message without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0035] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method, an information processing device, and a storage medium.

[0036] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, applied to a terminal, the method comprising:

[0037] Send first information to the network device, where the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the terminal sends the first information to the network device, and the first information is used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, so as to achieve the purpose of the terminal reporting the network slice coverage hole, so that the network device can promptly know that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first slice includes at least one of the following:

[0040] One or more network slices requested by the terminal;

[0041] One or more network slices supported by the terminal;

[0042] One or more network slices configured for the terminal;

[0043] One or more network slices corresponding to mobile-initiated traffic;

[0044] One or more network slices corresponding to the mobile receiving traffic;

[0045] One or more network slices supported by the last cell where the terminal resided;

[0046] One or more pre-configured network slices.

[0047] In the above embodiment, by providing multiple optional forms of the first slice, the terminal can report the situation where the first cell exceeds the network coverage of multiple network slices, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0048] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first cell includes at least one of a cell in which the terminal is currently camped and a neighboring cell of the cell in which the terminal is currently camped.

[0049] In the above embodiment, two optional forms of the first cell are provided, so that the terminal can not only report the situation that the currently resident cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, but also report the situation that the neighboring cell of the currently resident cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0051] identification information of the first slice;

[0052] Indication information indicating that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice;

[0053] Identification information of the first cell.

[0054] In the above embodiment, by providing optional forms of the content included in the first information, the content included in the first information can be set according to needs, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the identification information of the first slice includes at least one of the following:

[0056] Slice ID of the first slice;

[0057] The region identifier corresponding to the first slice.

[0058] In the above embodiment, two optional forms of identification information of the first slice are provided so that the slice identifier of the first slice or the region identifier corresponding to the first slice can be selected as the identification information of the first slice according to needs, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the slice identifier of the first slice includes any one of the following:

[0060] Single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0061] Network slice access layer group NSAG identifier;

[0062] Slice characteristic indication information, the slice characteristic indication information corresponds to the slice.

[0063] In the above embodiment, multiple optional forms of the slice identifier of the first slice are provided so that the slice identifier to be used as the slice identifier of the first slice can be selected according to needs, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the region identifier corresponding to the first slice includes any one of the following:

[0065] a mobile communication network identifier of an area corresponding to the first slice;

[0066] The tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice.

[0067] In the above embodiment, two optional forms of the region identifier corresponding to the first slice are provided so that the region identifier can be selected as the region identifier corresponding to the first slice according to needs, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0069] The first information is recorded.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the first information is recorded to achieve storage of the first information, so that when the first information needs to be sent subsequently, it can be sent directly based on the stored first information without repeatedly obtaining the first information, thereby reducing the processing pressure of the terminal.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, recording the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0072] The first cell does not support the first slice and records the first information;

[0073] A network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than a first threshold, and first information is recorded;

[0074] The first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice and records the first information.

[0075] In the above embodiment, optional trigger conditions for recording the first information are provided. In a variety of optional situations, the terminal can record the first information to the network device so that the purpose of reporting network coverage holes can be achieved by subsequently sending the recorded first information, thereby expanding the application scope of the information processing process and improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0076] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first threshold is predefined; or, the first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0077] In the above embodiment, two optional implementation methods for determining the first threshold are provided to improve the flexibility of the first threshold determination process, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0078] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, recording the first information includes:

[0079] The first information is recorded in the terminal report variable.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the first information is recorded in the terminal report variable so that the first information can be stored through the terminal report variable.

[0081] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0082] Second information is sent to the network device, where the second information is used to indicate that the terminal has available first information.

[0083] In the above embodiment, by sending the second information to the network device, the network device can learn that the terminal has available first information, and thus can request the terminal to send the first information.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending the second information to the network device includes:

[0085] A radio resource control completion message is sent to the network device, where the radio resource control completion message includes the second information.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the radio resource control completion message is used as a carrier of the second information to achieve multiplexing of the radio resource control completion message, thereby improving signal utilization.

[0087] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending first information to the network device includes:

[0088] receiving a first request sent by the network device based on the second information, wherein the first request is used to instruct the terminal to send the first information to the network device;

[0089] Based on the first request, first information recorded in the terminal report variable is sent to the network device.

[0090] In the above embodiment, when the network device determines that the terminal has available first information, it requests the terminal to send the first information through a first request, so that the terminal can send the first information recorded in the terminal report variable to the network device based on the first request, thereby avoiding invalid interaction when the terminal does not have available first information and reducing the processing pressure on the terminal and the network device.

[0091] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0092] The terminal records first information of the first cell, and records the first information in response to a change in information included in the first information.

[0093] In the above embodiment, when the terminal records the first information of the first cell and the information included in the first information changes, the terminal records the first information again, thereby ensuring the real-time performance and accuracy of the first information.

[0094] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, in response to a change in information included in the first information, recording the first information includes:

[0095] In response to a change in information included in the first information, the changed information in the first information is recorded.

[0096] In the above embodiment, when the terminal records the first information of the first cell and the information included in the first information changes, only the changed information in the first information is recorded, and there is no need to record the unchanged information repeatedly, thereby saving the terminal's internal storage and reporting signaling overhead.

[0097] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0098] Sending third information to the network device, where the third information is used to indicate that the terminal supports recording of the first information and / or that the terminal supports reporting of the first information.

[0099] In the above embodiment, by sending the third information, the network device can be informed that the terminal supports the recording and / or reporting of the first information, so that the network device can normally carry out the subsequent process of obtaining the first information recorded by the terminal, avoiding invalid interaction when the terminal does not support the recording and / or reporting of the first information, and reducing the processing pressure on the terminal and the network device.

[0100] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is applied to a network device. The method includes:

[0101] The receiving terminal sends first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal, and the first information is used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, so as to achieve the purpose of the terminal reporting the network slice coverage hole, so that the network device can promptly know that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice.

[0103] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is recorded by the terminal when the first cell does not support the first slice; or, the first information is recorded by the terminal when the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than the first threshold; or, the first information is recorded by the terminal when the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice.

[0104] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first threshold is predefined; or, the first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0105] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first cell includes at least one of a cell in which the terminal is currently camped and a neighboring cell of the cell in which the terminal is currently camped.

[0106] With reference to some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first slice includes at least one of the following:

[0107] One or more network slices requested by the terminal;

[0108] One or more network slices supported by the terminal;

[0109] One or more network slices configured for the terminal;

[0110] One or more network slices corresponding to mobile-initiated traffic;

[0111] One or more network slices corresponding to the mobile receiving traffic;

[0112] One or more network slices supported by the last cell where the terminal resided;

[0113] One or more pre-configured network slices.

[0114] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0115] identification information of the first slice;

[0116] Indication information indicating that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice;

[0117] Identification information of the first cell.

[0118] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the identification information of the first slice includes at least one of the following:

[0119] Slice ID of the first slice;

[0120] The region identifier corresponding to the first slice.

[0121] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the slice identifier of the first slice includes any one of the following:

[0122] Single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0123] Network slice access layer group NSAG identifier;

[0124] Slice characteristic indication information, the slice characteristic indication information corresponds to the slice.

[0125] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the region identifier corresponding to the first slice includes any one of the following:

[0126] a mobile communication network identifier of an area corresponding to the first slice;

[0127] The tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice.

[0128] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0129] Second information sent by the terminal is received, where the second information is used to indicate that the terminal has available first information.

[0130] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information sent by the receiving terminal includes:

[0131] A radio resource control completion message sent by the receiving terminal is received, where the radio resource control completion message includes second information.

[0132] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0133] Based on the second information, a first request is sent to the terminal, wherein the first request is used to instruct the terminal to send first information to the network device.

[0134] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0135] The third information sent by the terminal is received, where the third information is used to indicate that the terminal supports recording of the first information and / or that the terminal supports reporting of the first information.

[0136] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0137] The transceiver module is configured to send first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0138] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0139] The transceiver module is configured to receive first information sent by the terminal, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0140] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0141] one or more processors;

[0142] The terminal is used to execute the information processing method provided in the above-mentioned first aspect and any one of the first aspects.

[0143] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0144] one or more processors;

[0145] The network device is used to execute the information processing method provided in the second aspect and any one of the second aspects.

[0146] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication system, including a terminal and a network device; wherein the terminal is configured to implement the information processing method provided in the above-mentioned first aspect and any one of the first aspects, and the above-mentioned network device is configured to implement the information processing method provided in the above-mentioned second aspect and any one of the second aspects.

[0147] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes an information processing method as provided in the first aspect and any one of the first aspects, the second aspect and any one of the second aspects.

[0148] In the 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 information processing method provided in the first aspect and any one of the first aspects, the second aspect and any one of the second aspects.

[0149] 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 information processing method provided in the first aspect and any one of the first aspects, the second aspect and any one of the second aspects.

[0150] 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 information processing method provided in the first aspect and any one of the first aspect, the second aspect and any one of the second aspect.

[0151] 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.

[0152] The present disclosure provides an information processing method, device, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms information processing, communication method, and information reporting method are interchangeable; the terms information processing device, communication device, and information reporting device are interchangeable; and the terms information processing system, communication system, and information processing system are interchangeable.

[0153] 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.

[0154] 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.

[0155] 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.

[0156] 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.

[0157] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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.

[0162] 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.

[0163] 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.

[0164] 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.

[0165] 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.

[0166] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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.

[0169] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0170] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0171] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0172] FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0173] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0174] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0175] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0176] 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.

[0177] 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.

[0178] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device including multiple network elements, or may be multiple devices or device groups, each including all or part of multiple network elements. A network element may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0179] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a first network element, such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0180] In some embodiments, the first network element is used for user access management and mobility management, but is not limited thereto.

[0181] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a second network element, which is, for example, a session management function (SMF).

[0182] In some embodiments, the second network element is used for session management of the control plane and the user plane, but is not limited thereto.

[0183] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a third network element, such as a user plane function (UPF).

[0184] In some embodiments, the third network element is used for data forwarding, traffic statistics, quality of service (QoS) management, etc. on the user plane, but is not limited thereto.

[0185] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a fourth network element, which is, for example, a policy control function (PCF).

[0186] In some embodiments, the fourth network element is used to implement user control policy management, including but not limited to QoS control, service access control, etc.

[0187] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a fifth network element, where the fifth network element is, for example, a unified data management function (UDM).

[0188] In some embodiments, the fifth network element is used to implement user subscription data management, roaming control, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0189] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a sixth network element, which is, for example, an authentication service function (AUSF).

[0190] In some embodiments, the sixth network element is used to implement user identity authentication, but is not limited thereto.

[0191] In some embodiments, each of the above network elements may be independent of the core network device.

[0192] In some embodiments, each of the above network elements may be part of a core network device.

[0193] 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.

[0194] 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.

[0195] 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).

[0196] In communication scenarios (including but not limited to 4G, 5G, Internet of Vehicles and other communication scenarios and their improved versions, etc.), network slicing technology can be used to divide the network into multiple slices, so that different services can be processed through different network slices to ensure that the processing of different services does not interfere with each other. For example, referring to FIG2 , FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a network slice division according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , for three different types of services, taking critical Machine-Type Communications (critical MTC) services (such as equipment health detection services), massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) services (such as meter reading services), and Mobile Broadband (MBB) services (such as video services) as examples, critical MTC services, mMTC services, and MBB services can be divided into different slices, such as dividing critical MTC services into critical MTC slices, dividing mMTC services into mMTC slices, and dividing MBB services into MBB slices. The billing policies, security policies, and quality of service (QoS) policies of each slice may be different. When large-scale service congestion occurs in one slice, it will not affect the normal operation of services in other slices.

[0197] Optionally, in order to optimize the operator's network planning for slice deployment, the terminal can be planned to report information about network slice unavailability or service interruption.

[0198] Figure 3 is an interactive diagram of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the present disclosure embodiment relates to an information processing method, which includes:

[0199] Step S3101: The terminal sends third information.

[0200] In some embodiments, the terminal may send third information to the network device.

[0201] The third information may be used to indicate that the terminal supports recording of the first information and / or that the terminal supports reporting of the first information.

[0202] In some embodiments, the name of the third information is not limited, and it can be, for example, "capability indication information", "terminal capability information", etc.

[0203] Optionally, the network device may receive third information sent by the terminal, and may determine, based on the received third information, that the terminal can support recording and / or reporting of the first information. That is, the terminal may inform the network device of its ability to support recording and / or reporting the first information, wherein the first information may indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice. When the terminal has the ability to record and / or report that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice, the terminal may inform the network device that it has this capability.

[0204] Step S3102: The terminal records the first information.

[0205] It should be understood that step S3102 can be implemented independently of step S3101, that is, the terminal can directly record the first information without informing the network device that it has the ability to record and send the first information.

[0206] The first information can be used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0207] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it may be, for example, "slice coverage hole indication information", "network slice unavailable information", etc.

[0208] Optionally, the first cell may include at least one of the cell where the terminal is currently residing and the neighboring cell of the cell where the terminal is currently residing, but is not limited to this. In more possible implementations, the first cell may include any cell in the network. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit which cell the first cell is.

[0209] It should be noted that the first cell may be a suitable cell, or an acceptable cell, or another type of cell. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the type of the first cell. That is, the terminal may be in the anyCellSelection state.

[0210] Optionally, the first slice may be at least one of one or more network slices requested by the terminal, one or more network slices supported by the terminal, one or more network slices configured by the terminal, one or more network slices corresponding to mobile originated traffic (MO traffic), one or more network slices corresponding to mobile terminated traffic (MT traffic), one or more network slices supported by the previous (i.e., previous) cell where the terminal resided, and one or more pre-configured network slices, but is not limited to this. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit which network slice the first slice is.

[0211] It should be noted that MO traffic can be communication traffic initiated by a terminal. For example, MO traffic can be communication traffic sent from a terminal to a network device. Optionally, communication traffic initiated by a terminal includes, but is not limited to, traffic generated by outgoing calls and data transmission. For example, traffic generated when a user makes a call, sends text messages, or uses mobile data to access the Internet can all be considered MO traffic. Optionally, MO traffic can also be referred to as outgoing call traffic.

[0212] Mobile transit (MT) traffic can be the communication traffic sent to a terminal. For example, MT traffic can be the communication traffic sent from a network device to a terminal. Alternatively, communication traffic sent to a terminal includes, but is not limited to, traffic generated by incoming calls and mobile data reception. For example, traffic generated when a user answers a call, receives text messages, or downloads data from the network can all be considered MT traffic. MT traffic can also be referred to as called traffic.

[0213] Optionally, the network slices mentioned above may be a portion of all network slices, for example, one or more network slices with the highest priority or any one or more network slices; or, the network slices mentioned above may be all network slices. That is, the network slices mentioned above may be one or more and may have a specific priority, for example, the highest priority or the lowest priority.

[0214] Furthermore, network coverage can be considered the coverage of wireless network signals. That is, the geographical area, spatial range, or frequency domain range that can be covered by one or more communication network services. If a terminal can transmit information with a network device, or if the quality of the signal received or sent by the terminal meets a certain threshold, the terminal is considered to be within the network coverage of the network device. Otherwise, the terminal is considered to be outside the coverage of the network device. Meeting a certain threshold can mean being above a certain threshold or not below a certain threshold, which is not limited here. The certain threshold can be determined based on network configuration or protocol agreement.

[0215] In addition, the network coverage of a slice can be considered as the cell deployment range of the slice, that is, one or more cells deployed on the network that support the slice. If a cell supports one or more slices, it can be considered that the cell does not exceed the network coverage of the slice. Conversely, if a cell does not support one or more slices, it is considered that the cell exceeds the network coverage of the slice. Further, optionally, it can be judged in combination with the signal quality of the cell. If the cell supports one or more slices or the signal quality received or sent by the terminal meets a certain threshold, it can be considered that the cell does not exceed the network coverage of the slice. Otherwise, the cell is considered to exceed the network coverage of the slice. Among them, meeting a certain threshold can be higher than a certain threshold or not lower than a certain threshold, which is not limited here. The certain threshold can be determined according to network configuration or protocol agreement.

[0216] It should be noted that the last cell where the terminal resided is also the one or more cells where the terminal resided before the current cell. For example, the terminal may reside in a certain cell through cell switching or cell reselection. Before the cell switching or cell reselection, it may reside in the same or different cell as the currently residing cell, which can be referred to as the last cell where the terminal resided. If the cell where the terminal is currently residing is outside the network coverage of one or more slices supported by the last cell where the terminal resided, the terminal can inform the network device to optimize the slice deployment of the network device.

[0217] When the first slice is one or more preconfigured network slices, the first slice may be configured by the network device for the terminal. For example, the first slice may be indicated to the terminal by the network device through a logged measurement configuration. Of course, the network device may determine the first slice configured for the terminal in other ways.

[0218] In some embodiments, the first cell does not support the first slice, and the terminal can record the first information so that the recorded first information can be sent to the network device later.

[0219] Optionally, the first cell does not support the first slice, and the terminal may record the first information, which may be used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, so that the recorded first information may be reported later. The first cell may be a suitable cell or an acceptable cell, or neither (that is, the terminal is in the anyCellSelection state). The specific content of the first information will be described in detail later.

[0220] As described above, the first slice can be at least one of one or more network slices requested by the terminal, one or more network slices supported by the terminal, one or more network slices configured by the terminal, one or more network slices corresponding to MO traffic, one or more network slices corresponding to MT traffic, one or more network slices supported by the previous cell where the terminal resided, and one or more pre-configured network slices, but is not limited to this. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific form of the first slice.

[0221] Taking the first slice as one or more network slices requested by the terminal as an example, optionally, the first slice may be one or more slices of the highest priority requested by the terminal, or the first slice may be all slices requested by the terminal, or the first slice may be any slice requested by the terminal. When the terminal determines that the network coverage of the requested network slice (first slice) cannot cover the first cell, the terminal may feed back this information to the network device.

[0222] Optionally, the first cell does not support one or N slices with the highest priority requested by the terminal, and the terminal may record first information, where the first information may be used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of one or N (N may be a positive integer) slices with the highest priority, so that the recorded first information may be reported subsequently. Optionally, N may be predefined by the protocol, or N may be configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0223] The terminal may record that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the slice in the following circumstances:

[0224] Optionally, the first cell does not support all slices requested by the terminal. The terminal can record the first information, and the first information can be used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of all slices, so that the recorded first information can be reported subsequently.

[0225] Optionally, the first cell does not support any slice requested by the terminal, and the terminal can record the first information, which can be used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of any slice, so that the recorded first information can be reported subsequently.

[0226] In some embodiments, the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than a first threshold, and the terminal may record the first information so as to subsequently send the recorded first information.

[0227] Optionally, the first cell supports the first slice, but the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than the first threshold, and the terminal can record the first information, and the first information can be used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice, so that the recorded first information can be reported later. The first cell can be a suitable cell or an acceptable cell or neither (that is, the terminal is in the anyCellSelection state).

[0228] Optionally, the network signal performance parameter may be a reference signal received power (RSRP), or the network signal performance parameter may be a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), but is not limited thereto. The network signal performance parameter may also be other types of parameters. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific parameter type of the network signal performance parameter.

[0229] The first threshold may be predefined, or the first threshold may be configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0230] Optionally, the same first threshold can be configured for multiple network slices, or different first thresholds can be configured for different network slices, but this is not limited to this. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific threshold configuration method.

[0231] It should be noted that triggering the recording and reporting of the first information when the network signal performance parameters of the first cell are lower than (or less than) the first threshold is only an exemplary implementation method. In more possible implementation methods, the recording and reporting of the first information may also be triggered when the network signal performance parameters of the first cell are higher than (or greater than) the first threshold, the recording and reporting of the first information may be triggered when the network signal performance parameters of the first cell are not higher than (or not greater than, less than or equal to) the first threshold, the recording and reporting of the first information may be triggered when the network signal performance parameters of the first cell are not lower than (or not less than, greater than or equal to) the first threshold, and so on.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice, and the terminal may record the first information so that the recorded first information can be sent later. For example, the terminal may determine whether the first cell is configured with network resources for the requested first slice. If the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice, communication interruption is likely to occur in subsequent interactions with the network device. Therefore, the terminal may record that the first cell is outside the network coverage of the slice and report this to the network device in a subsequent process.

[0233] As described above, the first slice can be at least one of one or more network slices requested by the terminal, one or more network slices supported by the terminal, one or more network slices configured by the terminal, one or more network slices corresponding to MO traffic, one or more network slices corresponding to MT traffic, one or more network slices supported by the previous cell where the terminal resided, and one or more pre-configured network slices, but is not limited to these.

[0234] Taking the example that the first slice is one or more network slices requested by the terminal, optionally, the first slice can be one or N slices with the highest priority requested by the terminal, or the first slice can be all slices requested by the terminal, or the first slice can be any slice requested by the terminal.

[0235] Optionally, the first cell is not configured with network resources of one or N slices with the highest priority requested by the terminal, and the terminal may record first information, where the first information may be used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of one or N slices with the highest priority, so that the recorded first information may be reported later. Optionally, N may be predefined by the protocol, or may be configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0236] Optionally, the first cell is not configured with network resources of all slices requested by the terminal. The terminal can record the first information, which can be used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of all slices so that the recorded first information can be reported subsequently.

[0237] Optionally, the first cell is not configured with network resources of any slice requested by the terminal. The terminal can record the first information, which can be used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of any slice, so that the recorded first information can be reported subsequently.

[0238] It should be noted that the above are only several exemplary conditions for triggering the terminal to record the first information, and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure. In more possible implementations, other conditions may also be used as triggering conditions for recording the first information.

[0239] In addition, the various exemplary conditions shown above can be used individually or in any combination. For example, according to actual needs, a setting can be made to trigger the recording of the first information when a certain exemplary condition is met; or, according to actual needs, a combination of multiple exemplary conditions can be set, such as requiring that any several of the exemplary conditions are met simultaneously to trigger the recording of the first information. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the combination of trigger conditions.

[0240] In some embodiments, the terminal may record the first information in a terminal variable report.

[0241] The specific content of the first information may be as follows: Optionally, the first information may include at least one of identification information of the first slice, indication information indicating that the first cell is outside the network coverage of the first slice, and identification information of the first cell, but is not limited thereto. The first information may also include more information. In addition, the first information may be carried via existing signaling, reusing existing signaling, or via new signaling.

[0242] The identification information of the first slice may include at least one of a slice identifier of the first slice and a region identifier corresponding to the first slice, but is not limited thereto. Other types of identifiers may also be used as the identification information of the first slice.

[0243] Optionally, the slice identifier of the first slice may be single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), or the slice identifier of the first slice may be a network slice access layer group (NSAG) identifier, or the slice identifier of the first slice may be slice characteristic indication information (such as slicing feature), but is not limited to this, and other information that can uniquely identify the first slice may also be used as the slice identifier of the first slice.

[0244] It should be noted that the slice characteristic indication information may correspond to a slice, and the slice characteristic indication information corresponding to different slices may be different, so that the slice characteristic indication information can uniquely identify the slice. Of course, the slice characteristic indication information may also correspond to a slice group. For example, a slice group with the same characteristic information corresponds to one piece of slice indication information.

[0245] Optionally, the area identifier corresponding to the first slice may be a mobile communication network identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice. For example, the area identifier corresponding to the first slice may be a public land mobile network identifier (PLMN ID) of the area corresponding to the first slice, or the area identifier corresponding to the first slice may be a non-public network identifier (NPN ID), but is not limited thereto, and other types of regional mobile communication network identifiers may also be used as the area identifier corresponding to the first slice.

[0246] Optionally, the area identifier corresponding to the first slice may also be a tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice. For example, the area identifier corresponding to the first slice may be a tracking area code (TAC), or the area identifier corresponding to the first slice may be a tracking area identity (TAI), but is not limited thereto. Other types of tracking area identifiers may also be used as the area identifier corresponding to the first slice.

[0247] It should be noted that the above are only several exemplary introductions to the area identifiers corresponding to the first slice. In more possible implementations, other information besides the mobile communication network identifier and tracking area identifier of the area can also be used as the area identifier corresponding to the first slice. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the specific type of the area identifier corresponding to the first slice.

[0248] Optionally, the terminal report variable may be a terminal report variable commonly used in the related art, including but not limited to a connection establishment failure report variable (Variable Connection Failure Report, VarConnestFailReport), a log measurement report variable (Variable Log Measurement Report, VarLogMeasReport), an idle measurement report (Variable Measurement Idle Report, VarMeasIdleReport), a mobility history report (Variable Mobility History Report, VarMobilityHistoryReport), a random access report (Var Random Access Report, VarRA-Report), a radio link failure report (Variable Radio Link Failure Report, VarRLF-Report), and a successful handover report (Variable Successful Handover Report, VarSuccessHO-Report).

[0249] Optionally, the terminal report variable may also be a new report variable, such as a report variable newly defined in the communication protocol, a report variable customized by the manufacturer, and the like.

[0250] In some embodiments, the terminal may record the first information in an idle state or an inactive state, but is not limited thereto. The terminal may also record the first information in other states.

[0251] It should be noted that the terminal is a terminal that supports recording and reporting of the first information.

[0252] Step S3103: The terminal sends second information to the network device.

[0253] The second information may be used to indicate that the terminal has available first information.

[0254] It should be noted that the existence of available first information on the terminal may mean that the terminal has recorded the first information, but is not limited thereto. For example, after the terminal has recorded the first information, it is considered that the terminal has available first information.

[0255] In some embodiments, the name of the second information is not limited, and may be, for example, "availability indication information." In short, the terminal can inform the network device that the first information is available. This first information may indicate that the first cell is outside the network coverage of the first slice. The specific description of the first cell, the first slice, and the first information has been described in detail in the previous embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0256] In some embodiments, the terminal may send a radio resource control (RRC) completion message to the network device, where the radio resource control completion message may include the second information. The RRC completion message may include at least one of a radio resource control setup complete (RRCSetupComplete) message, a radio resource control recovery complete (RRCResumeComplete) message, a radio resource control reestablishment complete (RRCReestablishmentComplete) message, and a radio resource control reconfiguration complete (RRCReconfigurationComplete) message.

[0257] In some embodiments, the terminal may indicate that the first information is available to the terminal based on an existing reported availability indication (ie, availability indication information, second information), or may indicate that the first information is available to the terminal through new availability indication information.

[0258] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the second information to the network device each time it enters the connected state. Of course, the timing of sending the second information by the terminal is not limited thereto. For example, the terminal may periodically determine whether to send the second information to the network device.

[0259] Step S3104: The network device sends a first request to the terminal.

[0260] In some embodiments, the network device may receive the second information sent by the terminal.

[0261] In some embodiments, the network device may send a first request to the terminal based on the second information.

[0262] For example, when the network device determines that the terminal has available first information based on the second information sent by the terminal, it may send a first request to the terminal to request the terminal to send the available first information.

[0263] The first request may be used to instruct the terminal to send first information to the network device.

[0264] In some embodiments, the network device may request the terminal to report first information of one or more specific cells or cell groups through a first request.

[0265] In some embodiments, the network device may request the terminal to report first information of specific one or more slices or slice groups through a first request.

[0266] In some embodiments, the network device may request the terminal to report first information recorded by the terminal within a specific period of time through a first request.

[0267] In some embodiments, the name of the first request is not limited, and it can be, for example, a "report request", a "report variable request", a "slice availability request", etc.

[0268] Step S3105: The terminal sends the first information.

[0269] Optionally, the first information sent may be recorded by the terminal when the first cell does not support the first slice, or the first information sent may be recorded by the terminal when the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than the first threshold, or the first information sent may be recorded by the terminal when the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice.

[0270] In some embodiments, the network device may receive first information sent by the terminal.

[0271] In some embodiments, the network device may record the received first information so that operators, etc. may implement network planning for slice deployment based on the first information recorded by the network device.

[0272] In some embodiments, the network device can control the terminal to perform cell switching based on the received first information so that the terminal can reside in a cell that supports the first slice.

[0273] Through the solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some embodiments, the terminal can record the first information in the terminal report variable, and send the second information through the RRC completion message each time the terminal enters the connected state, and when receiving the first request sent by the network device, report the first information recorded in the terminal report variable to the network device.

[0274] The above embodiment mainly introduces the process of the terminal recording and reporting the first information. In more possible implementations, the terminal can also update the recorded first information. It should be noted that the above embodiment has introduced that the first information can include multiple types of information, which will not be repeated here.

[0275] In some embodiments, the terminal records the first information of the first cell. In response to a change in information included in the first information, the terminal may record the first information again.

[0276] In some embodiments, in response to a change in information included in the first information, the terminal may record the changed information in the first information. As described above, the first information may include multiple pieces of information, such as first slice identifier-related information, a slice-specific out-of-coverage indication, and first cell identifier information. This information may change in response to changes in the network environment, thereby causing the first information to change.

[0277] Optionally, in response to a change in a certain type of information included in the first information, the terminal may record the changed information, thereby eliminating the need to re-record other unchanged information.

[0278] Optionally, in response to a change in the multiple information included in the first information, the terminal may record the changed multiple information.

[0279] It should be noted that the terminal may not repeatedly record information that has not changed in the first information. Alternatively, the terminal may record the information and overwrite the old information with the new information. That is, each time the first information changes, the terminal may update all the information in the first information.

[0280] Optionally, if the first slice does not change, but the first cell changes, the terminal does not need to record the identification information of the first slice, but only needs to record the identification information of the changed first cell.

[0281] Optionally, if the first slice changes but the first cell does not change, the terminal does not need to record the identification information of the first cell, but only needs to record the identification information of the changed first slice.

[0282] In some embodiments, if the first information has not changed, the terminal does not need to repeatedly record the first information.

[0283] Optionally, the terminal does not move, that is, the first cell where the terminal resides does not change, and the network coverage of the first slice does not change, then the terminal does not need to record the first information.

[0284] 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.

[0285] In some embodiments, the terms "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", "RAN-based" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0286] In some embodiments, terms such as "reference signal (RS)", "synchronization signal (SS)", "synchronization signal block (SSB)", "pilot", and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0287] In some embodiments, terms such as "cell", "component carrier (CC)", "frequency carrier", and "carrier frequency" may be used interchangeably.

[0288] In some embodiments, the terms "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "precoding", "precoder", "weight", "precoding weight", "quasi-co-location (QCL)", "transmission configuration indication (TCI) state", "spatial relation", "spatial domain filter", "transmission power", "phase rotation", "antenna port", "antenna port group", "layer", "the number of layers", "rank", "beam", "beam width", "beam angular degree", "antenna", "antenna element", "panel" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0289] In some embodiments, terms such as "symbol", "frame", "radio frame", "subframe", "slot", "sub-slot", "mini-slot", "symbol", and "transmission time interval (TTI)" can be used interchangeably.

[0290] 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.

[0291] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0292] 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.

[0293] 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.

[0294] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0295] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3105. For example, step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3102+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3101+step S3102+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3102+step S3103+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3102+step S3104+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3101+step S3102+step S3103+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3101+step S3102+step S3104+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3102+step S3103+step S3104+step S3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited to this.

[0296] In some embodiments, step S3101 and step S3102 may be executed in an interchanged order or simultaneously.

[0297] In some embodiments, step S3101, step S3102, step S3103, and step S3104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0298] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3 .

[0299] FIG4A is a flow chart of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an information processing method, which includes:

[0300] Step S4101, sending the third information.

[0301] The optional implementation of step S4101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0302] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the third information to the network device, but is not limited thereto, and may also send the third information to other entities.

[0303] The third information may be used to indicate that the terminal supports recording of the first information and / or that the terminal supports reporting of the first information.

[0304] Optionally, the network device may receive third information sent by the terminal, so that the network device may determine, based on the received third information, that the terminal can support recording and / or reporting of the first information.

[0305] Step S4102, record the first information.

[0306] The optional implementation of step S4102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3102 in Figure 3 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0307] The first information can be used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0308] In some embodiments, the first slice includes at least one of one or more network slices requested by the terminal, one or more network slices supported by the terminal, one or more network slices configured by the terminal, one or more network slices corresponding to mobile initiated traffic, one or more network slices corresponding to mobile received traffic, one or more network slices supported by the previous cell where the terminal resided, and one or more pre-configured network slices.

[0309] In some embodiments, the first cell includes at least one of a cell where the terminal is currently camped and a neighboring cell of the cell where the terminal is currently camped.

[0310] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of identification information of the first slice, indication information indicating that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice, and identification information of the first cell.

[0311] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first slice includes at least one of a slice identifier of the first slice and an identifier of a region corresponding to the first slice.

[0312] In some embodiments, the slice identifier of the first slice is any one of single network slice selection auxiliary information, network slice access layer group identifier, and slice characteristic indication information. It should be noted that the slice characteristic indication information corresponds to the slice.

[0313] In some embodiments, the area identifier corresponding to the first slice includes any one of a mobile communication network identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice and a tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice.

[0314] In some embodiments, the first cell does not support the first slice, and the terminal may record the first information.

[0315] In some embodiments, the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than a first threshold, and the terminal may record the first information.

[0316] In some embodiments, the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice, and the terminal may record the first information.

[0317] Optionally, the first threshold is predefined, or the first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0318] In some embodiments, the terminal may record the first information into a terminal report variable.

[0319] Step S4103, sending the second information.

[0320] The optional implementation of step S4103 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3103 in Figure 3 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0321] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the second information to the network device, but is not limited thereto, and may also send the second information to other entities.

[0322] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains second information specified by the protocol.

[0323] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains the second information from an upper layer(s).

[0324] In some embodiments, the terminal performs processing to obtain the second information.

[0325] In some embodiments, step S4103 is omitted, and the terminal autonomously implements the function indicated by the second information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0326] In some embodiments, the terminal may send a radio resource control completion message to the network device, where the radio resource control completion message includes the second information.

[0327] Optionally, the network device may receive second information sent by the terminal, and may thereby send the first request to the terminal based on the second information.

[0328] Step S4104, obtain the first request.

[0329] The optional implementation of step S4104 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3104 in Figure 3 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0330] The first request may be used to instruct the terminal to send first information to the network device.

[0331] In some embodiments, the terminal may receive the first request sent by the network device, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first request sent by other entities.

[0332] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains a first request specified by a protocol.

[0333] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains the first request from upper layer(s).

[0334] In some embodiments, the terminal performs processing to obtain the first request.

[0335] In some embodiments, step S4104 is omitted, and the terminal autonomously implements the function indicated by the first request, or the above function is default or acquiescent.

[0336] Step S4105, sending the first information.

[0337] The optional implementation of step S4105 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3105 in Figure 3 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0338] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the first information to a network device, but is not limited thereto, and may also send the first information to other entities.

[0339] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the first information recorded in the terminal report variable to the network device.

[0340] In some embodiments, the network device may receive first information sent by the terminal.

[0341] In some embodiments, the first information can also be used to instruct the network device to record the first information, and the first information recorded by the network device is used to implement network planning for slice deployment.

[0342] In some embodiments, the first information may also be used to instruct the network device to control the terminal to perform cell switching.

[0343] In some embodiments, the terminal may also update the recorded first information.

[0344] In some embodiments, the terminal records first information of the first cell. In response to a change in information included in the first information, the terminal may record the first information again.

[0345] In some embodiments, in response to a change in information included in the first information, the terminal may record the changed information in the first information, and may not repeatedly record the unchanged information in the first information.

[0346] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4101 to S4105. For example, step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4102+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101+step S4102+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4102+step S4103+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4102+step S4104+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101+step S4102+step S4103+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4101+step S4102+step S4104+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4102+step S4103+step S4104+step S4105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited to this.

[0347] In some embodiments, step S4101 and step S4102 may be executed in an interchanged order or simultaneously.

[0348] In some embodiments, step S4101, step S4102, step S4103, and step S4104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0349] FIG4B is a flow chart of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4B , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an information processing method, which includes:

[0350] Step S4201, obtain third information.

[0351] Optional implementations of step S4201 can be found in step S3101 of FIG. 3 , optional implementations of step S4101 of FIG. 4A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0352] In some embodiments, the network device may receive the third information sent by the terminal, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the third information sent by other entities.

[0353] In some embodiments, the network device obtains third information specified by the protocol.

[0354] In some embodiments, the network device obtains the third information from upper layer(s).

[0355] In some embodiments, the network device performs processing to obtain the third information.

[0356] In some embodiments, step S4201 is omitted, and the network device autonomously implements the function indicated by the third information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0357] The third information may be used to indicate that the terminal supports recording of the first information and / or that the terminal supports reporting of the first information.

[0358] Step S4202, obtain the second information.

[0359] Optional implementations of step S4202 can be found in step S3103 of FIG. 3 , optional implementations of step S4103 of FIG. 4A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0360] In some embodiments, the network device may receive the second information sent by the terminal, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the second information sent by other entities.

[0361] In some embodiments, the network device may receive a radio resource control completion message sent by the terminal, where the radio resource control completion message includes the second information.

[0362] In some embodiments, the network device obtains second information specified by the protocol.

[0363] In some embodiments, the network device obtains the second information from an upper layer(s).

[0364] In some embodiments, the network device performs processing to obtain the second information.

[0365] In some embodiments, step S4202 is omitted, and the network device autonomously implements the function indicated by the second information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0366] The second information may be used to indicate that the terminal has available first information.

[0367] The first information is used to indicate that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice.

[0368] In some embodiments, the first information is recorded by the terminal when the first cell does not support the first slice; or, the first information is recorded by the terminal when the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than the first threshold; or, the first information is recorded by the terminal when the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice.

[0369] In some embodiments, the first threshold is predefined; or, the first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0370] In some embodiments, the first slice includes at least one of one or more network slices requested by the terminal, one or more network slices supported by the terminal, one or more network slices configured by the terminal, one or more network slices corresponding to mobile initiated traffic, one or more network slices corresponding to mobile received traffic, one or more network slices supported by the previous cell where the terminal resided, and one or more pre-configured network slices.

[0371] In some embodiments, the first cell includes at least one of a cell where the terminal is currently camped and a neighboring cell of the cell where the terminal is currently camped.

[0372] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of identification information of the first slice, indication information indicating that the first cell is beyond the network coverage of the first slice, and identification information of the first cell.

[0373] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first slice includes at least one of a slice identifier of the first slice and an identifier of a region corresponding to the first slice.

[0374] In some embodiments, the slice identifier of the first slice is any one of single network slice selection auxiliary information, network slice access layer group identifier, and slice characteristic indication information.

[0375] In some embodiments, the area identifier corresponding to the first slice includes any one of a mobile communication network identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice and a tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice.

[0376] In some embodiments, the first information may be recorded by the terminal in a terminal report variable.

[0377] Step S4203: Send the first request.

[0378] Optional implementations of step S4203 can be found in step S3104 of FIG. 3 , optional implementations of step S4104 of FIG. 4A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0379] In some embodiments, the network device may send the first request based on the second information.

[0380] In some embodiments, the network device may send the first request to the terminal, but is not limited thereto and may also send the first request to other entities.

[0381] The first request is used to instruct the terminal to send first information to the network device.

[0382] Optionally, the terminal may receive a first request sent by the network device, so as to send the first information based on the first request.

[0383] In some embodiments, the terminal may send the first information recorded in the terminal report variable.

[0384] Step S4204, obtaining first information.

[0385] Optional implementations of step S4204 can be found in step S3105 of FIG. 3 , optional implementations of step S4105 of FIG. 4A , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0386] In some embodiments, the network device may receive the first information sent by the terminal, but is not limited thereto, and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0387] In some embodiments, the network device obtains first information specified by a protocol.

[0388] In some embodiments, the network device obtains the first information from an upper layer(s).

[0389] In some embodiments, the network device performs processing to obtain the first information.

[0390] In some embodiments, step S4201 is omitted, and the network device autonomously implements the function indicated by the first information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0391] In some embodiments, the network device may record the first information, and the first information recorded by the network device is used to implement network planning for slice deployment.

[0392] In some embodiments, the network device may control the terminal to perform cell switching based on the first information.

[0393] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4201 to S4204. For example, step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4202 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4203 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4202 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4201 + step S4203 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S4202 + step S4203 + step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0394] In some embodiments, step S4201, step S4202, and step S4203 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0395] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, step S4201 can be combined with step S4101 of Figure 4A, step S4202 can be combined with step S4103 of Figure 4A, step S4203 can be combined with step S4104 of Figure 4A, and step S4204 can be combined with step S4102 and step S4105 of Figure 4A.

[0396] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0397] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0398] 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.

[0399] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the 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 and implementing 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 an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0400] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5A, the terminal 5100 may include at least a transceiver module 5101. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5101 is configured to send a first message, where the first message is used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice. Optionally, the transceiver module 5101 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal in any of the above methods (for example, step S3101, step S3103, step S3105, but not limited thereto), which will not be repeated here.

[0401] Optionally, the terminal 5100 may also include other modules. For example, the terminal 5100 may also include a processing module. The above processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps (such as step S3102, but not limited to this) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0402] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5B, the network device 5200 may include at least a transceiver module 5201. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5201 is configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the first cell exceeds the network coverage of the first slice. Optionally, the transceiver module 5201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods (such as step S3104, but not limited thereto), which will not be repeated here.

[0403] Optionally, the network device 5200 may further include other modules. For example, the network device 5200 may further include a processing module. The processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0404] 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.

[0405] 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.

[0406] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user device, 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 6100 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.

[0407] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. Processor 6101 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 communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, baseband chip, terminal device, terminal device chip, DU or CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 6100 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0408] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6102 may be located outside the communication device 6100.

[0409] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6103. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6103, the transceiver 6103 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S3101, step S3103, step S3104, step S3105, but not limited thereto), and the processor 6101 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step S3102, but not limited thereto).

[0410] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0411] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuit 6104 is connected to the memory 6102. The interface circuit 6104 may be configured to receive signals from the memory 6102 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to the memory 6102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 6104 may read instructions stored in the memory 6102 and send the instructions to the processor 6101.

[0412] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited to FIG6A. 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 and 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.

[0413] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. For communication device 6100, which may be a chip or a chip system, see the schematic diagram of the structure of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but is not limited thereto. Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201, and chip 6200 is used to execute any of the above methods.

[0414] In some embodiments, the chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, the interface circuit 6202 is connected to the memory 6203. The interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive signals from the memory 6203 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 6203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 6202 can read instructions stored in the memory 6203 and send the instructions to the processor 6201.

[0415] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S3101, step S3103, step S3104, and step S3105, but not limited thereto) of the above method, and the processor 6201 performs at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S3102, but not limited thereto). In some embodiments, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver are interchangeable.

[0416] In some embodiments, the chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside the chip 6200.

[0417] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 6100, the communication device 6100 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a transient storage medium.

[0418] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 6100, enables the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0419] 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.

[0420] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

[0421] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An information processing method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal, the method includes: Sending first information to a network device, where the first information is used to indicate that a first cell is outside the network coverage of a first slice.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first slice includes at least one of the following: One or more network slices requested by the terminal; One or more network slices supported by the terminal; One or more network slices configured by the terminal; One or more network slices corresponding to mobile-originated traffic; One or more network slices corresponding to mobile-terminated traffic; One or more network slices supported by the previous cell where the terminal camped; One or more pre-configured network slices.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first cell includes at least one of the cell where the terminal is currently camping and the neighboring cells of the cell where the terminal is currently camping.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of the first slice; Indication information indicating that the first cell is outside the network coverage of the first slice; Identification information of the first cell.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The identification information of the first slice includes at least one of the following: Slice identifier of the first slice; Area identifier corresponding to the first slice.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The slice identifier of the first slice includes any one of the following: Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI); Network Slice Access Stratum Aggregation (NSAG) identifier; Slice characteristic indication information, where the slice characteristic indication information corresponds to the slice.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The area identifier corresponding to the first slice includes any one of the following: Mobile communication network identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice; Tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further includes: Recording the first information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The recording of the first information includes at least one of the following: If the first cell does not support the first slice, record the first information; If the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than a first threshold, record the first information; If the first cell is not configured with network resources for the first slice, record the first information.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first threshold is predefined; or The first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that, The recording of the first information includes: Recording the first information into a terminal report variable.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending second information to the network device, where the second information is used to indicate that the terminal has available the first information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The sending of the second information to the network device includes: Sending a Radio Resource Control Complete message to the network device, where the second information is included in the Radio Resource Control Complete message.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The sending of the first information to the network device includes: Receiving a first request sent by the network device based on the second information, where the first request is used to indicate that the terminal sends the first information to the network device; Based on the first request, sending the first information recorded in the terminal report variable to the network device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the terminal records the first information of the first cell, and in response to a change in the information included in the first information, record the first information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The recording of the first information in response to a change in the information included in the first information includes: In response to a change in the information included in the first information, record the changed information in the first information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending third information to a network device, where the third information is used to indicate that the terminal supports the recording of the first information and / or the terminal supports the reporting of the first information.

18. An information processing method, characterized in that, Applied to a network device, the method includes: Receiving first information sent by a terminal, where the first information is used to indicate that a first cell is outside the network coverage of a first slice.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first information is recorded by the terminal when the first slice is not supported in the first cell; or The first information is recorded by the terminal when the network signal performance parameter of the first cell is lower than a first threshold; or The first information is recorded by the terminal when the network resources for the first slice are not configured in the first cell.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first threshold is predefined; or The first threshold is configured by the network device for the terminal.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that, The first cell includes at least one of the cell where the terminal is currently camped and the neighboring cells of the cell where the terminal is currently camped.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that, The first slice includes at least one of the following: One or more network slices requested by the terminal; One or more network slices supported by the terminal; One or more network slices configured by the terminal; One or more network slices corresponding to mobile originated traffic; One or more network slices corresponding to mobile terminated traffic; One or more network slices supported by the previous cell where the terminal camped; One or more preconfigured network slices.

23. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of the first slice; Indication information indicating that the first slice is outside the network coverage of the first slice; Identification information of the first cell.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein The identification information of the first slice includes at least one of the following: Slice identifier of the first slice; Area identifier corresponding to the first slice.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein The slice identifier of the first slice includes any one of the following: Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information S-NSSAI; Network Slice Access Stratum Aggregate NSAG identifier; Slice characteristic indication information, where the slice characteristic indication information corresponds to the slice.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein The area identifier corresponding to the first slice includes any one of the following: Mobile communication network identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice; Tracking area identifier of the area corresponding to the first slice.

27. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 26, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving second information sent by a terminal, where the second information is used to indicate that the terminal has available first information.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein The receiving the second information sent by the terminal includes: Receiving a Radio Resource Control Complete message sent by the terminal, where the second information is included in the Radio Resource Control Complete message.

29. The method according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the second information, sending a first request to the terminal, where the first request is used to indicate that the terminal sends the first information to the network device.

30. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 29, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving third information sent by a terminal, where the third information is used to indicate that the terminal supports the recording of the first information and / or the terminal supports the reporting of the first information.

31. A terminal, characterized in that, Includes: A transceiver module, configured to send first information to a network device, where the first information is used to indicate that a first cell is outside the network coverage of a first slice.

32. A network device, characterized in that, Comprising: A transceiver module, configured to receive first information sent by a terminal, where the first information is used to indicate that a first cell is outside the network coverage of a first slice.

33. A terminal, characterized in that, Comprising: One or more processors; Wherein, the terminal is used to execute the information processing method described in any one of claims 1-17.

34. A network device, characterized in that, Comprising: One or more processors; Wherein, the network device is used to execute the information processing method described in any one of claims 18-30.

35. A communication system, characterized in that, Comprising a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the information processing method described in any one of claims 1-17, and the network device is configured to implement the information processing method described in any one of claims 18-30.

36. A storage medium, the storage medium stores instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction runs on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the information processing method described in any one of claims 1-17 or 18-30.

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