Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications and provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: receiving a wake-up signal; on the basis of the wake-up signal, waking up a first link; according to the time when the wake-up signal is received, determining a target detection window, the starting time of the target detection window being later than or equal to the wake-up time of the first link; and receiving a paging message on a target paging occasion in the target detection window. By receiving the wake-up signal sent at a proper time, the method can wake up the first link earlier than the target detection window or at the starting time of the target detection window, so as to receive paging control information on the target paging occasion in the target detection window, thereby avoiding the problem that as the time for waking up the first link is later than the paging occasion corresponding to a second communication apparatus, some terminals can only receive the paging control information at the next paging cycle.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on December 26, 2023, with application number 202311831686.4 and application name “Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] In a wireless communication system, for a terminal in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state, a wake-up signal (WUS) can be used to wake up the terminal so that the terminal receives downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling paging messages, i.e., paging DCI, in its corresponding paging occasion (PO) within the paging cycle.

[0004] However, under the aforementioned paging mechanism, some terminals experience significant paging delays after being awakened. For example, if the terminal's corresponding PO is earlier than the time it was awakened, the terminal will have to wait until the next paging cycle to detect the paging DCI. If the time interval between the terminal's corresponding PO and the time it was awakened is large, the terminal will need to wait a long time after waking up to detect the paging DCI. Addressing this significant paging delay is an urgent issue. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which aim to solve the problem of large paging delay in current technology.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be performed by a second communication device, or by a component of the second communication device (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second communication device. The second communication device may be a terminal.

[0007] The method includes: receiving a wake-up signal; waking up a first link according to the wake-up signal; determining a target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received, wherein the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the time when the first link is awakened; and receiving a paging message at a target paging opportunity in the target detection window.

[0008] It should be noted that the time when the first link is awakened does not indicate the time when the first link of a terminal, such as the first link of the second communication device, is actually awakened. The time when the first link is awakened can be a predefined value or can be configured by the network to the second communication device.

[0009] According to the communication method provided by the present application, the second communication device can receive the wake-up signal sent at the appropriate time, so that the first link can be woken up before the target detection window or at the start time of the target detection window, thereby receiving the paging control information on the target paging opportunity in the target detection window. In this way, it is possible to avoid the problem that some terminals can only wait until the next paging cycle to receive the paging control information because the time of waking up the first link is later than the paging opportunity corresponding to the second communication device, that is, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced. At the same time, it can also try to avoid the problem that some terminals have to wait a long time after the first link is awakened before receiving the paging control information on the corresponding target paging opportunity, that is, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the wake-up signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a start time of the target detection window and / or an end time of the target detection window. Determining the target detection window based on the time of receiving the wake-up signal includes determining the target detection window based on the time of receiving the wake-up signal and the first indication information.

[0011] Exemplarily, when the first indication information is used to indicate the start time or end time of the target detection window, the length of the target detection window may be configured by the network side or defined by a protocol.

[0012] Based on this solution, the target detection window can be flexibly configured according to demand, so that there is no need to receive paging messages at a fixed time, which can further reduce the paging delay of some terminals to a certain extent.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first indication information indicates a first frame number, and the target detection window is the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number, or the start time of the target detection window is the start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number. Alternatively, the first indication information indicates a first offset, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to a first time, and the time interval between the first time and receiving the wake-up signal is the first offset.

[0014] In a possible implementation, determining the target detection window according to the time of receiving the wake-up signal includes: determining the target detection window according to the time of receiving the wake-up signal and the wake-up time of the first link.

[0015] Exemplarily, the time when the first link is awakened can be determined based on the time when the wake-up signal is received and the wake-up time of the first link, and then the target detection window can be determined based on the time when the first link is awakened. For example, the time when the first link is awakened = the time when the wake-up signal is received + the wake-up time of the first link + T1, where T1 ≥ 0. For example, T1 can be a preset value or an empirical value. For example, the start time of the target detection window is the calculated time when the first link is awakened, or the start time of the target detection window is the first paging frame after the calculated time when the first link is awakened.

[0016] It should be noted that the time when the first link is awakened is not the time required for a specific terminal to wake up the first link. For example, the time when the first link is awakened can be defined by a protocol, or the time when the first link is awakened can be configured by the network side.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the start time of the target detection window is the start time of a paging frame, and the end time of the target detection window is the end time of a paging frame.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the target detection window is a period of time within a paging cycle, and the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle.

[0019] Based on this solution, by limiting the target paging mechanism corresponding to the second communication device to a time window (ie, the target detection window in this application) whose length is less than the paging cycle, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the paging cycle includes m detection windows, where m ≥ 1. Determining the target detection window based on the time when the wake-up signal is received includes: determining, based on the time when the wake-up signal is received, a detection window among the m detection windows whose start time is closest to the time when the first link is awakened as the target detection window.

[0021] This solution can reduce the paging delay of some terminals by designing the target detection window to be a detection window closest to the time when the first link is awakened.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the end time of the i-th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the i+1-th detection window, where i=1, 2, ..., m-1.

[0023] In a possible implementation, before receiving the wake-up signal, the method further includes: receiving configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the m detection windows.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the wake-up signal is used to wake up at least one terminal group, where the at least one terminal group includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the target paging occasion is determined according to one or more of the following parameters: an identifier of the terminal, a length of the target detection window, a number of paging frames within the target detection window, and a number of paging occasions within one paging frame.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups out of k terminal groups, where k ≥ 2 and h ≥ 1, one of the h terminal groups includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link. The target detection window includes k sub-windows, the end time of the j-th sub-window among the k sub-windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the j+1-th sub-window, where j = 1, 2, ..., k-1, the k sub-windows correspond one-to-one to the k terminal groups, and the target paging opportunity is located in the sub-window corresponding to the second communication device among the k sub-windows.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the sub-window is a paging frame.

[0028] In a possible implementation, after the target detection window, the first link enters a sleep state, thereby reducing power consumption of the second communication device.

[0029] In one possible implementation, after stopping the wake-up signal, the paging control information is detected at the corresponding paging occasion. The paging occasion here refers to the paging occasion defined in the current technology. This solution is compatible with the current paging mechanism.

[0030] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a first communication device, or by a component of the first communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the first communication device. The second communication device can be a network device or a terminal.

[0031] The method includes: sending a wake-up signal, where the wake-up signal is used to wake up a first link of at least one terminal group; determining a target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group based on the time when the first link is sent, where the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the time when the first link is awakened; and sending paging messages for some or all terminals in the at least one terminal group in the target detection window at target paging occasions corresponding to the some or all terminals.

[0032] It should be noted that the time when the first link is awakened does not indicate the time when the first link of a terminal, such as the first link of the second communication device, is actually awakened. The time when the first link is awakened can be a predefined value or can be configured by the network to the second communication device.

[0033] According to the communication method provided by the present application, the first communication device can send a wake-up signal at an appropriate time to enable the second communication device to wake up the first link before the target detection window or at the start time of the target detection window, thereby receiving the paging control information on the target paging opportunity in the target detection window. In this way, it is possible to avoid the problem that some terminals can only wait until the next paging cycle to receive the paging control information because the time of waking up the first link is later than the paging opportunity corresponding to the second communication device, that is, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced. At the same time, it can also try to avoid the problem that some terminals have to wait a long time after the first link is awakened before receiving the paging control information on the corresponding target paging opportunity, that is, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the wake-up signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a start time of the target detection window and / or an end time of the target inspection window.

[0035] Exemplarily, when the first indication information is used to indicate the start time or end time of the target detection window, the length of the target detection window may be configured by the network side or defined by a protocol.

[0036] Based on this solution, the target detection window can be flexibly configured according to demand, so that there is no need to receive paging messages at a fixed time, which can further reduce the paging delay of some terminals to a certain extent.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the first indication information indicates a first frame number, and the target detection window is the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number, or the start time of the target detection window is the start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number. Alternatively, the first indication information indicates a first offset, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to a first time, and the time interval between the first time and receiving the wake-up signal is the first offset.

[0038] In a possible implementation, determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is sent includes: determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is sent and the wake-up time of the first link.

[0039] Exemplarily, the time when the first link is awakened can be determined based on the time when the wake-up signal is sent and the wake-up time of the first link, and then the target detection window can be determined based on the time when the first link is awakened. For example, the time when the first link is awakened = the time when the wake-up signal is sent + the wake-up time of the first link + T1, where T1 ≥ 0. For example, T1 can be a preset value or an empirical value. For example, the start time of the target detection window is the calculated time when the first link is awakened, or the start time of the target detection window is the first paging frame after the calculated time when the first link is awakened.

[0040] It should be noted that the time when the first link is awakened is not the time required for a specific terminal to wake up the first link. For example, the time when the first link is awakened can be defined by a protocol, or the time when the first link is awakened can be configured by the network side.

[0041] In a possible implementation, the start time of the target detection window is the start time of a paging frame, and the end time of the target detection window is the end time of a paging frame.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the target detection window is a period of time within a paging cycle, and the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle.

[0043] Based on this solution, by limiting the target paging mechanism corresponding to the second communication device to a time window (ie, the target detection window in this application) whose length is less than the paging cycle, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the paging cycle includes m detection windows, where m ≥ 1. Determining the target detection window based on the time when the wake-up signal is sent includes: determining, based on the time when the wake-up signal is sent, a detection window among the m detection windows whose start time is closest to the time when the first link is awakened as the target detection window.

[0045] This solution can reduce the paging delay of some terminals by designing the target detection window to be a detection window closest to the time when the first link is awakened.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the end time of the i-th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the i+1-th detection window, where i=1, 2, ..., m-1.

[0047] In a possible implementation, before sending the wake-up signal, the method further includes: sending configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the m detection windows.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the target paging occasion is determined according to one or more of the following parameters: an identifier of the terminal, a length of the target detection window, a number of paging frames within the target detection window, and a number of paging occasions within one paging frame.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups out of k terminal groups, where k ≥ 2 and h ≥ 1, one of the h terminal groups includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link. The target detection window includes k sub-windows, the end time of the j-th sub-window among the k sub-windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the j+1-th sub-window, where j = 1, 2, ..., k-1, the k sub-windows correspond one-to-one to the k terminal groups, and the target paging opportunity is located in the sub-window corresponding to the second communication device among the k sub-windows.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the sub-window is a paging frame.

[0051] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a module or unit for executing the method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0052] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a module or unit for executing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0053] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which, when executing a computer program (also referred to as code, or instruction) or instruction stored in a memory, causes the device to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0054] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes the memory.

[0055] In a possible implementation, there are one or more processors and / or one or more memories.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0058] In one implementation, the device is a terminal. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0059] In another implementation, the device is a chip in a terminal. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0060] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, wherein when the processor executes a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, the device executes the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0061] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes the memory.

[0062] In a possible implementation, there are one or more processors and / or one or more memories.

[0063] In a possible implementation, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0064] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0065] In one implementation, the apparatus is a network device or a terminal. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0066] In another implementation, the device is a chip in a network device or a terminal. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0067] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of any of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0068] In a specific implementation, the processor may be a chip, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0069] In an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising an apparatus for executing the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and / or an apparatus for executing the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0070] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program, which, when executed, enables a computer to execute the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0071] In the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions). When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0072] In the eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0073] In the twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes an interface and a processor, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a possible scenario under a paging mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a paging cycle structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a terminal structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figures 6 to 10 are schematic diagrams of paging scenarios according to the communication method provided in this application;

[0080] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a detection window structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another detection window structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of another detection window structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG14 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG15 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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

[0088] In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. In addition, to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different.

[0089] In the various method embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number does not mean the order of execution. The order of execution should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0090] It is understood that, in this application, expressions such as "under...", "if...", "when...", "if...", and similar expressions may be used interchangeably. Furthermore, these expressions all imply that corresponding actions will be taken under certain objective circumstances, and do not limit the timeframe, require no judgment in implementation, or imply any other limitations.

[0091] It can be understood that in the present application, “greater than or equal to” can be replaced by “greater than”, and correspondingly, “less than” can be replaced by “less than or equal to”.

[0092] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may, in certain scenarios, be implemented independently of other features, such as the solution on which they are currently based, to solve corresponding technical problems and achieve corresponding effects. They may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios as needed. Accordingly, the devices provided in the embodiments of the present application may also implement these features or functions accordingly, which will not be described in detail here.

[0093] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can refer to each other. In the various embodiments in this application, and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, implementation methods, implementation methods, or implementation methods according to their inherent logical relationships. The implementation methods of this application described below do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0094] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the terms "receiving," "detecting," "monitoring," and "intercepting" are not differentiated and are interchangeable. For example, "receiving paging control information" can be replaced by "detecting paging control information." Furthermore, "paging control information" in the present application can be replaced by "paging message," for example, "receiving paging control information" can be replaced by "receiving paging message."

[0095] The present application relates to communication between a terminal and a network device, and communication between terminals. Exemplarily, the solution provided by the present application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G), new radio (NR), device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), short-range scenarios, or other communication systems or communication scenarios that may appear as technology evolves. For example, the solution provided by the present application can be applied to the communication between the terminal 110 or the terminal 120 and the network device 130 in the communication system shown in Figure 1, and can also be applied to the communication between the terminal 110 and the terminal 120.

[0096] Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication system applicable to the present application. Referring to Figure 1, the system includes two communication interfaces, namely a PC5 interface and a Uu interface. Among them, the PC5 interface is a direct communication interface between two terminals (for example, terminal 110 and terminal 120 shown in the figure). The direct communication link between the terminals is also defined as a side link or side link (SL). The Uu interface is an interface for communication between a terminal (for example, terminal 110 or terminal 120) and a network device 130. The network device 130 can be a macro station or a small station. Among them, the network device 130 can page the terminal 110 and / or the terminal 120, the terminal 110 can also page the terminal 120, or the terminal 120 can also page the terminal 110.

[0097] It should be understood that the communication system shown in FIG1 may also include more network nodes, such as more terminals or network devices, and the embodiments of the present application are no longer shown one by one in the figure.

[0098] In the embodiments of the present application, a terminal, such as terminal 110 or terminal 120, also referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal device, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., refers to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. For example, the terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, a smart home device, etc.

[0099] The network device in the embodiment of the present application, such as the network device 130, refers to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal to a wireless network, and may also be referred to as a base station or access network device. For example, the network device may be an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, or a network device in other communication systems that evolve in the future.

[0100] In one possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node (i.e., the network device in this application) can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU) or a remote radio head (RRH). In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (ORAN) system, CU may also be referred to as O-CU (open CU), DU may also be referred to as O-DU, CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP, and RU may also be referred to as O-RU. Any unit in the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0101] To reduce the power consumption of terminals in the radio resource control (RRC) idle and inactive states, a paging mechanism allows the terminal to detect a wake-up signal in low-power mode. If the wake-up signal instructs the terminal to enter normal power mode, the terminal enters normal power mode (i.e., awake state) a period of time after detecting the wake-up signal. After entering normal power mode, the terminal detects the DCI used to schedule paging messages, i.e., paging DCI, in one or more paging occasions (PO) corresponding to the terminal according to the paging cycle. After detecting the paging DCI, the terminal can receive the content of the paging message at the resource location indicated by the paging DCI. If the paging message contains the terminal's own identification information, the terminal determines the subsequent operation based on the other content in the paging message; if the paging message does not contain the terminal's own identification information, the terminal ignores the paging message.

[0102] For example, Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a possible scenario under the paging mechanism described above. Referring to Figure 2, the wake-up signal can wake up terminal 1 and terminal 2, but these two terminals are not shown in Figure 2, and Figure 2 assumes that terminal 1 and terminal 2 are awakened at the same time. Terminal 1 detects paging DCI at PO1 based on its own identification calculation. However, since terminal 1 enters the awakening state after PO1, it has missed the opportunity to detect paging DCI in the first paging cycle and can only wait until the next paging cycle to detect paging DCI. Terminal 2 detects paging DCI at PO4 based on its own identification calculation. PO4 is at a later position in the paging cycle, resulting in terminal 2 having to wait for a long time after being awakened to detect paging DCI. In summary, the above-mentioned paging mechanism has the problem that the terminal may have to wait for a long time to detect paging DCI after being awakened, that is, the paging delay is large.

[0103] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method that can reduce the paging delay of some terminals.

[0104] To facilitate understanding of this application, some terms or concepts involved in this application are first explained.

[0105] 1. Paging cycle, paging frame and paging opportunity

[0106] Refer to Figure 3, which shows a schematic diagram of a paging cycle. The meanings of the parameters in Figure 3 are as follows:

[0107] PO: represents paging occasion, which is a set of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) monitoring occasions (MO), which can be obtained according to the corresponding search space.

[0108] PF: The radio frame where the PO is located. A PF can include one or more POs.

[0109] T: paging cycle or paging cycle length, also known as discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle. A paging cycle may contain one or more paging frames (PF).

[0110] PF_offset: The offset value of the start time of the first paging frame in the paging cycle relative to the start time of the paging cycle.

[0111] During the paging cycle, the terminal can determine the corresponding PO according to its own identifier, and thus detect paging control information, such as paging DCI, on the corresponding PO to receive a paging message.

[0112] 2. Wake-up signal

[0113] The wake-up signal may refer to a signal that causes the terminal to enter the normal power consumption mode, or the wake-up signal may refer to a signal for waking up the first link of the terminal, that is, the wake-up signal is used to wake up the first link of the terminal. For example, the wake-up signal in this application may be a low-power wake-up signal (LP-WUS), other currently existing signals, or new signals that appear with the evolution of technology and are used to cause the terminal to enter the normal power consumption mode.

[0114] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may wake up at least one group of terminals.

[0115] 3. Low power mode and normal power mode

[0116] In one design, as shown in FIG4 , the terminal includes two links, namely a first link and a second link. When the terminal turns on the second link or the second link is in an awake state and the first link is in a sleep state, the terminal is considered to be in a low power consumption mode. The terminal can always detect or periodically detect a wake-up signal in the low power consumption mode. If the wake-up signal detected by the second link indicates to wake up the first link, the first link is woken up after a period of time, and the terminal is considered to be operating in a normal power consumption mode. It will be understood that in this design, when the terminal operates in a normal power consumption mode, the first link and the second link of the terminal can both be in an awake state, or the second link of the terminal can be in an awake state and the first link can be in a closed state.

[0117] First link: may also be referred to as main radio (MR), main radio device, main link, etc. In some embodiments, the first link mainly includes a radio frequency processing module and a baseband processing module.

[0118] The state of the first link includes an awake state and a sleep state. In some embodiments, the sleep state can also be divided into different degrees of sleep states, such as ultra-deep sleep state, deep sleep state, light sleep state and micro-sleep state.

[0119] The awake state refers to a state in which all hardware of the first link is turned on; the sleep state refers to a state in which some hardware of the first link is turned on, or a state in which all hardware of the first link is turned off. If there are different degrees of sleep states, the hardware of the first link turned on in different degrees of sleep states is generally different. For example, in the ultra-deep sleep state, all hardware of the first link is turned off, while in the deep sleep state, light sleep state, and micro-sleep state, some hardware of the first link is turned on. As the sleep level decreases, the hardware of the first link turned on gradually increases.

[0120] Second link: Also known as auxiliary radio (MR), auxiliary radio device, auxiliary link, low-power receiver, low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), etc. Compared to the first link, the second link has lower complexity, lower power consumption, and lower processing power (such as demodulation and calculation), and can be used to receive wake-up signals. In some embodiments, the second link can only implement some of the functions of the first link. For example, the second link only includes the RF front end, such as the receive antenna, RF filter, RF amplifier, etc.

[0121] In another design, only the first link may be deployed in the terminal, without the second link. Low power consumption mode may mean that the terminal only turns on part of the hardware of the first link (i.e., the terminal is in sleep mode), such as the radio frequency front end. The terminal may continuously detect or periodically detect a wake-up signal in low power consumption mode. If the wake-up signal detected in low power consumption mode indicates that the first link should be awakened, all first links are turned on after a period of time, i.e., the terminal is awakened. At this time, the terminal is considered to be operating in normal power consumption mode.

[0122] The solution provided in this application is described in detail below.

[0123] The method provided in this application can be applied to a scenario where a network device paging a terminal, such as a scenario where a network device 130 paging a terminal 110 (or a terminal 120). In this scenario, the first communication device in this application can be a network device, and the second communication device can be a terminal. The method provided in this application can also be applied to a scenario where a terminal paging a terminal, such as terminal 110 paging terminal 120, or terminal 120 paging terminal 110. In this scenario, the first communication device in this application can be a terminal sending a paging, and the second communication device can be a terminal being paged. In the scenario where a terminal paging a terminal, the first communication device and the second communication device can be of the same or different types, such as both communication devices are mobile phones, or one is a mobile phone and the other is a laptop computer.

[0124] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided by the present application. The method 500 may include S510 to S550, and each step is described below.

[0125] S510: A first communication device sends a wake-up signal, and a second communication device receives the wake-up signal accordingly.

[0126] S520: The second communication device wakes up the first link according to the wake-up signal.

[0127] When the first communication device needs to page a terminal in a certain terminal group, it sends a wake-up signal, which instructs each terminal in at least one terminal group to wake up the first link. Accordingly, after receiving the wake-up signal, each terminal in the at least one terminal group will wake up the first link. For example, the wake-up signal includes the group identifier of the at least one terminal group. If the terminal that receives the wake-up signal determines that the wake-up signal includes the group identifier of the terminal group to which it belongs, it wakes up the first link. It should be understood that, as described above, the terminal receives the wake-up signal in low power consumption mode, such as receiving the wake-up signal through the second link.

[0128] It should be noted that the wake-up signal may only wake up the first link of one terminal. In this case, the group identifier may not be used to indicate the terminal that needs to wake up the first link, but the terminal identifier may be used to indicate the terminal that needs to wake up the first link.

[0129] Exemplarily, the identifier of the terminal in the present application may be an identifier of the terminal in the prior art, or a newly defined identifier. For example, the identifier of the terminal may be a 5G system architecture evolution temporary mobile station identifier (5G s-temporary mobile subscription identifier, 5G-S-TMSI) mod X, where mod represents remainder, and the value of X may be 4096 or 1024, for example. Alternatively, the identifier of the terminal may be a truncated 5G-S-TMSI, that is, a unique shorter terminal identifier within the core network may be used in the wake-up signal.

[0130] It should be understood that the second communication device may be any terminal in the at least one terminal group.

[0131] S530: The first communication device determines a target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group according to the time of sending the wake-up signal.

[0132] The first communication device may determine the target detection window before sending the wake-up signal, or after sending the wake-up signal, or while sending the wake-up signal. In other words, the present application does not limit the execution order between S510 and S530.

[0133] Among them, the target detection window is the detection window where the target paging opportunity corresponding to the at least one terminal group is located. In other words, the target paging opportunity corresponding to the at least one terminal group, that is, the target paging opportunity corresponding to any terminal in the at least one terminal group, is located within the target detection window. For any terminal, its corresponding target paging opportunity refers to the paging opportunity used by the terminal to receive paging control information this time, that is, the paging opportunity used by the first communication device to send paging control information for the terminal this time. Exemplarily, in the scenario where the network device pagings the terminal, the paging control information may be paging DCI. In the scenario where the terminal pagings the terminal, that is, the SL scenario, the paging control information may be paging sidelink control information (SCI).

[0134] Exemplarily, the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the time when the first link is awakened. For ease of description, the time when the first link is awakened is recorded as: t_wu.

[0135] The first communication device hopes that the at least one terminal group can wake up the first link before the start time of the target detection window or at the start time of the target detection window, so that the terminal can receive the paging control information in the target detection window, thereby avoiding the problem that the terminal can only wait until the next paging cycle to receive the paging control information on the corresponding paging opportunity because the time when the terminal wakes up the first link is earlier than the paging opportunity corresponding to the terminal.

[0136] In an embodiment of the present application, t_wu may be an estimated value, and the time when the first link of the terminal is actually awakened may not be equal to t_wu. Due to the influence of some factors, such as the time required for the same terminal to wake up the first link in different degrees of sleep state is different, the time required for the first link of different terminals to wake up the first link may be different, the communication delay between the first communication device and different terminals may be different, and / or the time required for different terminals to parse the wake-up signal may be different, etc., the first communication device may not be able to know the exact time when the terminal it needs to page or the first link of the at least one terminal group is awakened. In order to ensure that the at least one terminal group can wake up the first link before the start time of the target detection window or at the start time of the target detection window as much as possible, and in order to avoid the first link of the at least one terminal group being awakened for a long time before receiving the paging control information on the corresponding target paging opportunity, the first communication device can reasonably estimate the time when the first link of the at least one terminal group is awakened based on the relevant information, and thus send the paging control information according to the estimated time. For example, the relevant information may include the wake-up time of the first link.

[0137] For ease of description, the wake-up time of the first link is denoted as T_st. T_st refers to the time required to wake up the first link. For example, t_wu = the time it takes to send / receive the wake-up signal + T_st + T1, where T1 ≥ 0. For example, T1 can be a preset value or an empirical value, or T1 can be determined based on the communication delay between the first communication device and the terminal and / or the time required for the terminal to interpret the wake-up signal.

[0138] Since the time required for the same terminal to wake up the first link in different degrees of sleep state may be different, and / or the time required for the first links of different terminals to wake up the first link may be different, T_st is not the time required for a specific terminal to wake up the first link. Exemplarily, T_st can be defined by the protocol, or T_st can be determined by the network device and indicated to the terminal. For example, T_st can be determined based on the time required for most terminals to wake up the first link. For example, if the time required for most terminals to wake up the first link is 400ms, then T_st can be 400ms. For example, T_st can be determined based on the longest time required for a terminal to wake up the first link. For example, if the longest time required for a terminal to wake up the first link is 800ms, then T_st can be 800ms. For example, T_st can be the average of the time required for most terminals to wake up the first link and the longest time required for a terminal to wake up the first link, such as 600ms.

[0139] It should be noted that, in a possible implementation, T_st has no specific physical meaning, but is only a specific numerical value, or the value can be defined within a range, for example, the value or value range of T_st can be defined by a protocol.

[0140] Exemplarily, the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal is earlier than the start time of the target detection window, and the time interval between the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal and the start time of the target detection window is greater than the above-mentioned T_st and less than or equal to the first threshold (corresponding to sending) / the second threshold (corresponding to receiving). The first threshold and the second threshold can be preset values. Optionally, the first threshold and the second threshold are the same.

[0141] Exemplarily, the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal is earlier than the start time of the target detection window, and the time interval between the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal and the start time of the target detection window is less than or equal to the third threshold (corresponding to sending) / the fourth threshold (corresponding to receiving). For example, the third threshold or the fourth threshold can be determined based on the above-mentioned T_st, for example, the third threshold or the fourth threshold is T_st+T2, T2≥0, and T2 can be a preset value.

[0142] Based on the above two exemplary schemes, the first communication device can ensure that the first link of the terminal is awakened at a time close to the start time of the target detection window or at the start time of the target detection window by sending a wake-up signal at an appropriate time, so that after waking up the first link, there is no need to wait for a long time to receive the paging control information at the target paging opportunity in the target detection window.

[0143] S540: The second communication device determines a target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal according to the time when the wake-up signal is received.

[0144] It should be understood that the present application does not limit the execution order between S530 and S540.

[0145] S550: The first communication device sends paging control information to corresponding terminals on target paging occasions corresponding to some or all terminals in the at least one terminal group in the target detection window. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives paging control information on target paging occasions in the target detection window.

[0146] The first communication device can page all terminals in the at least one terminal group, or it can page only some of the terminals in the at least one terminal group. For example, if the first communication device only needs to page the first terminal and the second terminal in the at least one terminal group, the first communication device sends paging control information to the first terminal at the target paging opportunity corresponding to the first terminal, and sends paging control information to the second terminal at the target paging opportunity corresponding to the second terminal. When the first terminal and the second terminal receive the corresponding paging control information, they receive the paging message on the corresponding resources according to the paging control information and perform subsequent processing based on the paging message. For details, reference can be made to the existing technology.

[0147] In some embodiments, after the target detection window, the first link of the second communication device enters a sleep state. For example, if the second communication device does not receive paging control information during the target paging occasion, the first link of the second communication device enters a sleep state after the target detection window. This can save power consumption of the second communication device.

[0148] In summary, according to the communication method provided by the present application, the first communication device can send a wake-up signal at an appropriate time, so that the terminal can wake up the first link before the target detection window or at the start time of the target detection window, thereby receiving the paging control information on the target paging opportunity in the target detection window. In this way, it is possible to avoid the problem that some terminals can only wait until the next paging cycle to receive the paging control information because the time of waking up the first link is later than the paging opportunity corresponding to the terminal, that is, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced. At the same time, it can also try to avoid the problem that some terminals have to wait a long time after the first link is awakened before receiving the paging control information on the corresponding target paging opportunity, that is, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced.

[0149] The following describes possible implementations of S530 and / or S540.

[0150] In some embodiments, in S530, the first communication device may determine the target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group based on the time of sending the wake-up signal and the wake-up time T_st of the first link. Accordingly, in S540, the second communication device may determine the target detection window based on the time of receiving the wake-up signal and the wake-up time T_st of the first link, or the second communication device may determine the target detection window based on the time of receiving the wake-up signal and the first indication information. This is described in detail below with reference to two designs. It should be noted that the relationship between the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal, T_st, and t_wu has been described above and will not be repeated below.

[0151] The first design

[0152] m detection windows can be defined within a paging cycle, and the length of each detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle, m≥1. For example, the m detection windows can be defined by a protocol. Alternatively, the network device determines and configures the m detection windows to the terminal. For example, the configuration information for configuring the m detection windows can be sent via an RRC message or a system information block (SIB). The RRC message can be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message or an RRC Connection Re-establishment message, and the specific message is not limited here. For example, the configuration information can indicate the value of m, the length of each detection window, and the start time / end time of each detection window. Optionally, the length of each detection window is the same.

[0153] In the case of m=1, the paging opportunity corresponding to the second communication device (i.e., the target paging opportunity) is defined to be within the detection window (i.e., the target detection window). In S530 / S540, the first communication device / the second communication device can determine the time t_wu when the first link is awakened based on the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal and the wake-up time T_st of the first link, and then determine the detection window within the paging cycle whose start time is closest to t_wu and is later than or equal to t_wu as the target detection window. Exemplarily, the start time of the target detection window can be the start time of the paging cycle or later than the start time of the paging cycle.

[0154] For example, referring to the paging scenario diagram shown in Figure 6, a detection window is configured at the same location within each paging cycle. At time t1, the network device sends a wake-up signal to wake up the second communication device. Based on t1 and T_st, t_wu is determined to be t2. Since t2 is within paging cycle 1, the target detection window is the detection window in paging cycle 2.

[0155] In the case where m>1, in one implementation, it is defined that each detection window includes the paging opportunity corresponding to the second communication device. For example, in the case where each detection window has the same length, the paging opportunity at the same position in each detection window can be defined as the paging opportunity corresponding to the second communication device. In S530 / S540, the first communication device / the second communication device can determine, according to the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal and the wake-up time t_wu of the first link, a detection window whose start time in the m detection windows is closest to the time when the first link is awakened as the target detection window. Exemplarily, the end time of the i-th detection window in the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the i+1-th detection window, i=1, 2, ..., m-1. Exemplarily, the start time of the first detection window in the m detection windows can be the start time of the paging cycle or later than the start time of the paging cycle.

[0156] For example, refer to the paging scenario diagram shown in Figure 7. A paging cycle includes three detection windows, and the end time of the i-th detection window among the three detection windows is the start time of the i+1-th detection window. If the first communication device sends a wake-up signal at time t1 to wake up the second communication device, t_wu determined based on t1 and T_st is t2. t2 is closest to detection window 1 in paging cycle 1, so the target detection window is detection window 1 in paging cycle 1. If the first communication device sends a wake-up signal at time t3 to wake up the second communication device, t_wu determined based on t3 and T_st is t4. t4 is closest to detection window 1 in paging cycle 1, so the target detection window is detection window 1 in paging cycle 1. If the first communication device sends a wake-up signal at time t5 to wake up the second communication device, t_wu determined based on T_st is t6. t6 is closest to detection window 2 in paging cycle 1, so the target detection window is detection window 2 in paging cycle 1.

[0157] When m>1, in another implementation, a detection window is defined to correspond to one or more terminal groups. For example, m=3, and the m detection windows are detection window 1, detection window 2, and detection window 3, respectively. Detection window 1 can correspond to terminal group 1 and terminal group 2, detection window 2 can correspond to terminal group 3 and terminal group 4, and detection window 3 can correspond to terminal group 5 and terminal group 6. Then, the detection window corresponding to terminal group 1 and terminal group 2 is detection window 1, the detection window corresponding to terminal group 3 and terminal group 4 is detection window 2, and the detection window corresponding to terminal group 5 and terminal group 6 is detection window 3. It should be understood that the number of terminal groups corresponding to different detection windows can be the same or different. In S530 / S540, the first communication device / second communication device can determine the detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group in a paging cycle closest to the time when the first link is awakened as the target detection window based on the time of sending / receiving the wake-up signal and the wake-up time t_wu of the first link. Exemplarily, the end time of the i-th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the i+1-th detection window, where i=1, 2, ..., m-1. Exemplarily, the start time of the first detection window among the m detection windows may be the start time of the paging cycle or may be later than the start time of the paging cycle.

[0158] For example, see the paging scenario diagram shown in Figure 8. A paging cycle includes multiple detection windows, where the end time of the i-th detection window among the multiple detection windows is the start time of the i+1-th detection window, and detection window 1 in each paging cycle is the detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group. If the first communication device sends a wake-up signal at time t1 to indicate waking up the second communication device, and t_wu determined based on t1 and T_st is t2, and t2 is closest to detection window 1 in paging cycle 2, then the target detection window is detection window 1 in paging cycle 2.

[0159] It should be noted that when m>1, the start time of the i+1th detection window among the m detection windows may also be earlier than the end time of the i-th detection window and later than the start time of the i-th detection window, that is, two adjacent detection windows among the m detection windows may partially overlap.

[0160] In the first design described above, by limiting the target paging mechanism corresponding to the terminal to a time window (ie, the target detection window in this application) whose length is less than the paging cycle, the paging delay of some terminals can be reduced.

[0161] Second design

[0162] The target detection window may be dynamically defined, wherein the length of the target detection window is equal to the length of the paging cycle, or the target detection window is located within the paging cycle and the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle.

[0163] In S530, the first communication device may determine the time t_wu when the first link is awakened based on the time when the awakening signal is sent and the awakening time T_st of the first link, and then determine the target detection window based on t_wu. For example, t_wu may be determined as the start time of the target detection window; or, if t_wu is the start time of a paging frame, t_wu may be determined as the start time of the target detection window; otherwise, the first paging frame after t_wu may be determined as the start time of the target detection window.

[0164] In one implementation, after the first communication device determines the target detection window, it may send a first indication message to the second communication device, where the first indication message is used to determine the start time and / or end time of the target detection window. Thus, correspondingly, in S540, the second communication device may determine the start time and / or end time of the target detection window based on the time of receiving the wake-up signal and the first indication message. For example, the first indication message may indicate the first frame number, and the target detection window is the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number (for example, in a scenario where the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle), or the start time of the target detection window is the start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number. Alternatively, the first indication message indicates a first offset, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the first time, such as the start time of the target detection window is the first time or the start time of the first paging frame after the first time, and the time interval between the first time and receiving the wake-up signal is the first offset. In a scenario where the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle, the first indication information may optionally further indicate the length of the target detection window. Alternatively, the length of the target detection window may be pre-configured by the network device to the terminal. For example, the length of the target detection window may be configured via an RRC message or SIB, where the RRC message may be, for example, an RRC connection establishment message or an RRC connection re-establishment message. Alternatively, the length of the target detection window may be defined by a protocol.

[0165] For example, referring to the paging scenario diagram shown in Figure 9, the first communication device sends a wake-up signal at time t1 to wake up the second communication device. Based on t1 and T_st, t_wu is determined to be t2, where t2 is defined as the start time of the target detection window. The length of the target detection window is equal to the length of the paging cycle. As can be seen from Figure 9, compared to the existing technology, this solution is equivalent to shifting an existing paging cycle forward or backward by a certain amount of time.

[0166] For example, refer to the paging scenario diagram shown in Figure 10. If the network device sends a wake-up signal at time t1 to indicate waking up the second communication device, and the first indication information carried by the wake-up signal indicates offset1 (i.e., an example of the first offset), then the start time of the target detection window t2 = t1 + offset1. If the network device sends a wake-up signal at time t3 to indicate waking up the second communication device, and the first indication information carried by the wake-up signal indicates offset2 (i.e., another example of the first offset), then the start time of the target detection window t4 = t3 + offset2.

[0167] In another embodiment, in S540, the second communication device may determine the time t_wu when the first link is awakened based on the time of sending and receiving the awakening signal and the awakening time T_st of the first link, and then determine the target detection window based on t_wu. For example, t_wu may be determined as the start time of the target detection window; or, if t_wu is the start time of a paging frame, t_wu may be determined as the start time of the target detection window; otherwise, the first paging frame after t_wu may be determined as the start time of the target detection window.

[0168] It should be understood that, compared with the previous method, this method does not require the first communication device to send the first indication information to the second communication device, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0169] In the second design, the target detection window can be flexibly configured according to demand, so that there is no need to send / receive paging messages at a fixed time, which can further reduce the paging delay of some terminals to a certain extent.

[0170] The above describes how to determine the target detection window. The following describes how to determine the target paging opportunity.

[0171] In some embodiments, the target paging occasion may be determined based on one or more of the following parameters: terminal identification, target detection window length, number of paging frames within the target detection window, or number of paging occasions within a paging frame.

[0172] In one example, the target paging occasions are all paging occasions within the target detection window. Thus, once all paging occasions within the target detection window are determined, the target paging occasion is determined. In another example, for any terminal, the target paging occasion corresponding to the terminal is a paging occasion within the target detection window.

[0173] The following describes how to determine the target paging opportunity by combining two implementation methods of the detection window or target detection window within the paging cycle and the paging frame. For ease of description, the detection window or target detection window is uniformly referred to as the detection window. At the same time, the following definitions are uniformly made:

[0174] T: length of the paging cycle;

[0175] T1: length of the detection window;

[0176] UE_ID: terminal identifier, as mentioned above, can be the identifier used by the terminal in the prior art, or a newly defined identifier for the terminal;

[0177] System frame number (SFN): the system frame number of the paging frame corresponding to the terminal (i.e., the second communication device) within the detection window;

[0178] i_s: the index of the paging opportunity corresponding to the terminal in the paging frame with the system frame number SFN;

[0179] offset: used to determine the offset of the paging occasion, which may or may not exist.

[0180] In addition, it should be understood that in the following text, mod means remainder, div means integer quotient, and floor means rounding down.

[0181] In one approach, the granularity and location of the paging frames and paging occasions in the detection window follow the granularity and location of the paging frames and paging occasions in the paging cycle in the current technology. That is, the paging frames and paging occasions in the detection window are certain paging frames and paging occasions in the paging cycle in the current technology.

[0182] In an example, each paging occasion within the detection window is a target paging occasion corresponding to the terminal.

[0183] In another example, SFN and i_s satisfy equations (1) and (2), respectively: (SFN + offset ) mod T1 = (T1 div N1)*(UE_ID mod N1) (1) i_s = floor (UE_ID / N1) mod Ns (2)

[0184] Wherein, N1 represents the number of paging frames in the detection window, and Ns represents the number of paging occasions in one paging frame in the detection window, which is also the number of paging occasions in one paging frame in the current technology.

[0185] N1 satisfies the following formula (3): N1 = floor(T1 / (T / N)) (3)

[0186] N represents the number of paging frames in a paging cycle. The first communication device and the second communication device may determine N1 according to formula (3); or N1 may be defined by a protocol; or the network device may determine N1 according to formula (3) and then send N1 to the terminal (e.g., the second communication device, or the first communication device and the second communication device). For example, N1 may be sent via an RRC message or broadcast SIB, for example, the RRC message may be an RRC connection establishment message or an RRC connection re-establishment message.

[0187] In another approach, the granularity and / or location of paging frames and / or paging occasions within the detection window can be redefined. That is, the granularity and / or location of paging frames and / or paging occasions within the detection window can differ from the granularity and / or location of paging frames and / or paging occasions within a paging cycle in current technologies. For example, while the number of paging occasions within a paging frame in current technologies is Ns, the number of paging occasions within a paging frame within the detection window may not be equal to Ns. For example, while the length of a paging frame in current technologies is 10 ms, the length of a paging frame within the detection window may not be equal to 10 ms.

[0188] In an example, each paging occasion in the detection window is a target paging occasion corresponding to the terminal.

[0189] In another example, SFN and i_s satisfy equations (4) and (5), respectively: (SFN + offset ) mod T1 = (T1 div N1')*(UE_ID mod N1') (4) i_s = floor (UE_ID / N1') mod Ns' (5)

[0190] In the above formula, N1' represents the number of paging frames within the detection window. N1' can be defined by the protocol or configured by the network device to the terminal. It should be understood that if the paging frame length or the paging frame position is redefined, N1' will be different from N1. Ns' represents the number of paging occasions within a paging frame within the detection window and can be different from Ns.

[0191] Some possible implementations of the detection window are described below.

[0192] In some embodiments, the start time of the detection window is the start time of a paging frame, and the end time of the detection window is the end time of a paging frame. The paging frame here can be a paging frame defined in the prior art or the redefined paging frame described above.

[0193] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 11 , the detection window is one paging frame.

[0194] If the granularity and position of the paging frames and paging occasions in the detection window follow the granularity and position of the paging frames and paging occasions in the paging cycle in the current technology, in one example, i_s satisfies: i_s = (UE_ID) mod Ns, where Ns is the number of paging occasions in a paging frame in the current technology.

[0195] If the granularity and / or position of the paging frame and / or paging occasion in the detection window is the newly defined granularity and / or position of the paging frame and / or paging occasion, then i_s satisfies: i_s=UE_ID mod Ns', where Ns' is the number of paging occasions in a newly defined paging frame in the detection window.

[0196] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 12, the detection window includes a portion of consecutive paging occasions within a paging frame. The paging frame and paging occasion may be paging frames and paging occasions defined in the current technology, or may be newly defined paging frames and paging occasions.

[0197] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups out of k terminal groups, where k ≥ 2 and h ≥ 1. For example, the wake-up signal may include k bits, each bit indicating a terminal group. If a terminal group is to be woken up, the bit corresponding to that terminal group may be set to 1; if a terminal group is not to be woken up, the bit corresponding to that terminal group may be set to 0. It should be understood that the meanings of 0 and 1 can be reversed.

[0198] Furthermore, referring to Figure 13 , the detection window includes k subwindows, where the end time of the jth subwindow in the k subwindows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the j+1th subwindow, where j = 1, 2, ..., k-1. The k subwindows correspond one-to-one to the k terminal groups. That is, the target paging opportunity corresponding to any terminal group is within the subwindow corresponding to that terminal group. For example, if k = 3, the correspondence between the k subwindows and the k terminal groups is as follows: subwindow 1 corresponds to terminal group 1, subwindow 2 corresponds to terminal group 2, and subwindow 3 corresponds to terminal group 3. Therefore, terminals in terminal group 1 will receive paging control information in subwindow 1, terminals in terminal group 2 will receive paging control information in subwindow 2, and terminals in terminal group 3 will receive paging control information in subwindow 3.

[0199] Exemplarily, each sub-window is a paging frame, which may be a paging frame defined in the current technology or a paging frame newly defined in this application.

[0200] In some embodiments, after the second communication device stops using the wake-up signal, it detects the paging control information on its corresponding paging occasion. The paging occasion here refers to the paging occasion defined in the current technology. For example, if the second communication device does not receive the wake-up signal for a long period of time, it will no longer continue to wait for the reception of the wake-up signal, but will directly wake up the first link and detect the paging control information on its corresponding paging occasion determined according to the current technology. Alternatively, the second communication device determines that it has left the wake-up signal coverage area through a specific signal measurement value, then wakes up the first link, and detects the paging control information on its corresponding paging occasion determined according to the current technology. Or, if the second communication device does not monitor the paging control message on the target detection window for a long period of time, it will detect the paging control information on its corresponding paging occasion determined according to the current technology.

[0201] This solution can enable the second communication device to fall back to the existing paging mechanism under some conditions to monitor its corresponding paging opportunity determined in the current technology, that is, the second communication device can choose the paging technology of this application or the existing paging technology under different conditions.

[0202] The above describes the method provided by the present application, and the following describes a device that can implement the method.

[0203] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 2000 may include at least one of a communication unit 2100 and a processing unit 2200. The communication unit 2100 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the communication can be internal communication of the communication device 2000 or communication between the communication device 2000 and other devices; the processing unit 2200 can implement corresponding processing functions. The communication unit 2100 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver unit. Optionally, the communication device 2000 may also include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 2200 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the communication device 2000 implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0204] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be the second communication device in the above method embodiment, or may be a module or chip applied to the second communication device in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the second communication device in the above method embodiment.

[0205] Specifically, the communication unit 2100 is used to receive a wake-up signal; the processing unit 2200 is used to wake up the first link according to the wake-up signal, and determine a target detection window according to the time of receiving the wake-up signal, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the time when the first link is awakened; the communication unit 2100 is also used to receive a paging message at a target paging opportunity in the target detection window.

[0206] Optionally, the wake-up signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a start time of the target detection window and / or an end time of the target detection window. The processing unit 2200 is specifically configured to: determine the target detection window based on the time when the wake-up signal is received and the first indication information.

[0207] Optionally, the first indication information indicates a first frame number, and the target detection window is the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number, or the start time of the target detection window is the start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number; or, the first indication information indicates a first offset, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the first time, and the time interval between the first time and receiving the wake-up signal is the first offset.

[0208] Optionally, the processing unit 2200 is specifically configured to: determine the target detection window according to the time of receiving the wake-up signal and the wake-up time of the first link.

[0209] Optionally, the start time of the target detection window is the start time of a paging frame, and the end time of the target detection window is the end time of a paging frame.

[0210] Optionally, the target detection window is a period of time within a paging cycle, and the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle.

[0211] Optionally, the paging cycle includes m detection windows, m≥1; the processing unit 2200 is specifically used to: determine, according to the time of receiving the wake-up signal, a detection window among the m detection windows whose start time is closest to the time when the first link is awakened as the target detection window.

[0212] Optionally, the end time of the i-th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the i+1-th detection window, i=1, 2, ..., m-1.

[0213] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further used to: receive configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the m detection windows.

[0214] Optionally, the wake-up signal is used to wake up at least one terminal group, the at least one terminal group includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link.

[0215] Optionally, the target paging occasion is determined according to one or more of the following parameters: an identifier of the terminal, a length of the target detection window, a number of paging frames within the target detection window, and a number of paging occasions within one paging frame.

[0216] Optionally, the wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups out of k terminal groups, k≥2, h≥1, one of the h terminal groups includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link; the target detection window includes k sub-windows, the end time of the j-th sub-window in the k sub-windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the j+1-th sub-window, j=1, 2,..., k-1, the k sub-windows correspond one-to-one to the k terminal groups, and the target paging opportunity is located in the sub-window corresponding to the second communication device in the k sub-windows.

[0217] Optionally, the sub-window is a paging frame.

[0218] Optionally, after the target detection window, the processing unit 2200 is further configured to control the first link to enter a sleep state.

[0219] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be the first communication device in the above method embodiment, or may be a module or chip applied to the first communication device in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the first communication device in the above method embodiment.

[0220] Specifically, the communication unit 2100 is used to send a wake-up signal, which is used to wake up the first link of at least one terminal group; the processing unit 2200 is used to determine the target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group based on the time of sending the first link, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the time when the first link is awakened; the communication unit 2100 is also used to send paging messages to some or all terminals in the at least one terminal group in the target detection window at the target paging opportunity corresponding to the some or all terminals.

[0221] Optionally, the wake-up signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a start time of the target detection window and / or an end time of the target inspection window.

[0222] Optionally, the first indication information indicates a first frame number, and the target detection window is the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number, or the start time of the target detection window is the start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number; or, the first indication information indicates a first offset, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the first time, and the time interval between the first time and receiving the wake-up signal is the first offset.

[0223] Optionally, the processing unit 2200 is specifically configured to: determine the target detection window according to the time of sending the wake-up signal and the wake-up time of the first link.

[0224] Optionally, the start time of the target detection window is the start time of a paging frame, and the end time of the target detection window is the end time of a paging frame.

[0225] Optionally, the target detection window is a period of time within a paging cycle, and the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle.

[0226] Optionally, the paging cycle includes m detection windows, m≥1; the processing unit 2200 is specifically used to: determine, according to the time of sending the wake-up signal, a detection window among the m detection windows whose start time is closest to the time when the first link is awakened as the target detection window.

[0227] Optionally, the end time of the i-th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the i+1-th detection window, i=1, 2, ..., m-1.

[0228] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further used to: send configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the m detection windows.

[0229] Optionally, the target paging occasion is determined according to one or more of the following parameters: an identifier of the terminal, a length of the target detection window, a number of paging frames within the target detection window, and a number of paging occasions within one paging frame.

[0230] Optionally, the wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups out of k terminal groups, k≥2, h≥1, one of the h terminal groups includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link; the target detection window includes k sub-windows, the end time of the j-th sub-window in the k sub-windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the j+1-th sub-window, j=1, 2,..., k-1, the k sub-windows correspond one-to-one to the k terminal groups, and the target paging opportunity is located in the sub-window corresponding to the second communication device in the k sub-windows.

[0231] Optionally, the sub-window is a paging frame.

[0232] Regarding the steps or processes executed by each unit in the communication device 2000, please refer to the corresponding method embodiments above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0233] It should be understood that the "unit" in the communication device 2000 can be implemented by hardware, can be implemented by software, and can also be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation. For example, the "unit" can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. For another example, the communication unit 2100 can be replaced by a transceiver transceiver circuit (for example, a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit 2200 can be replaced by a processor or a processing circuit.

[0234] Figure 15 shows a schematic block diagram of another communication device 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 3000 can be a terminal or network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal or network device to implement the above method. The communication device 3000 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment.

[0235] The communication device 3000 may include one or more processors 3100, which may also be referred to as processing units, and may implement certain control functions. The processor 3100 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a user chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0236] In an optional design, the processor 3100 may also store instructions and / or data, which can be executed by the processor 3100 so that the communication device 3000 executes the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0237] In another optional design, the communication device 3000 may include a communication interface 3200 for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 3200 may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a transceiver. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0238] Optionally, the communication device 3000 may include one or more memories 3300, which may store instructions. The instructions may be executed on the processor 3100, causing the communication device 3000 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory 3300 may also store data. Optionally, the processor 3100 may also store instructions and / or data. The processor 3100 and memory 3300 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0239] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 4000 provided in this application. The aforementioned communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 can be configured in the terminal 4000. Alternatively, the communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 itself can be the terminal 4000. In other words, the terminal 4000 can perform the actions performed by the second communication device or the first communication device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. For ease of illustration, Figure 16 only shows the main components of the terminal. As shown in Figure 16, the terminal 4000 includes a processor, memory, control circuitry, an antenna, and input / output devices.

[0240] The processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire terminal, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the terminal in performing the actions described in the above method embodiments. The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The control circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The control circuit and antenna together are also called a transceiver, which is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0241] When the terminal is powered on, the processor reads the software program stored in the storage unit, interprets and executes the program's instructions, and processes the program's data. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits it via the antenna as electromagnetic waves. When data is sent to the terminal, the RF circuit receives the RF signal via the antenna, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor, which converts the baseband signal into data and processes it.

[0242] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, for ease of explanation, FIG16 shows only one memory and processor. In an actual terminal, multiple processors and memories may exist. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device, etc., which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0243] For example, a processor may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily responsible for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily responsible for controlling the entire terminal, executing software programs, and processing data from software programs. The processor in Figure 16 integrates the functions of both the baseband processor and the CPU. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the CPU may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a terminal may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities, and that the various components of the terminal may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored as a software program in a storage unit, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing functionality.

[0244] For example, in the embodiment of the present application, the antenna and control circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit 4100 of the terminal 4000, and the processor with processing function can be regarded as the processing unit 4200 of the terminal 4000. As shown in Figure 16, the terminal 4000 includes a transceiver unit 4100 and a processing unit 4200. The transceiver unit can also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device used to implement the receiving function in the transceiver unit 4100 can be regarded as a receiving unit, and the device used to implement the transmitting function in the transceiver unit 4100 can be regarded as a transmitting unit, that is, the transceiver unit 4100 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. For example, the receiving unit can also be referred to as a receiver, a receiver, a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0245] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device 5000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 can be configured in the network device 5000. Alternatively, the communication device 2000 or communication device 3000 itself can be the network device 5000. Alternatively, the network device 5000 can perform the actions performed by the network device or the first communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0246] As shown in Figure 17, the network device 5000 may include one or more DUs 5010 and one or more CUs 5020. The CU 5020 can communicate with the NG core (Next Generation Core Network, NC). The DU 5010 may include at least one antenna 5011, at least one radio frequency unit 5012, at least one processor 5013, and at least one memory 5014. The DU 5010 is primarily used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals, and performing some baseband processing. The CU 5020 may include at least one processor 5022 and at least one memory 5021. The CU 5020 and the DU 5010 can communicate via interfaces, wherein the control plane (CP) interface may be an Fs-C, such as F1-C, and the user plane (UP) interface may be an Fs-U, such as F1-U.

[0247] The CU 5020 is primarily used for baseband processing and controlling the network device 5000. The DU 5010 and CU 5020 can be physically located together or separately, i.e., as a distributed base station. The CU 5020 is the control center of the network device 5000, also known as a processing unit, and is primarily used to perform baseband processing functions. For example, the CU 5020 can be used to control the network device 5000 to execute the network device operation procedures described in the above-described method embodiments.

[0248] Specifically, baseband processing on the CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and above are set in the CU, while the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP, such as the radio link control (RLC) layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer, are set in the DU. For another example, the CU implements the functions of the RRC layer and the PDCP layer, while the DU implements the functions of the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer.

[0249] In addition, the network device 5000 may optionally include one or more radio frequency units (RUs), one or more DUs, and one or more CUs. The DU may include at least one processor 5013 and at least one memory 5014, the RU may include at least one antenna 5011 and at least one radio frequency unit 5012, and the CU may include at least one processor 5022 and at least one memory 5021.

[0250] In one example, the CU 5020 can be composed of one or more single boards, and multiple single boards can jointly support a wireless access network with a single access indication (such as a 5G network), or can respectively support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 5021 and the processor 5022 can serve one or more single boards. That is, a memory and a processor can be set separately on each single board. It is also possible that multiple single boards share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits can be set on each single board. The DU 5010 can be composed of one or more single boards, and multiple single boards can jointly support a wireless access network with a single access indication (such as a 5G network), or can respectively support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The memory 5014 and the processor 5013 can serve one or more single boards. That is, a memory and a processor can be set separately on each single board. It is also possible that multiple single boards share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits can be set on each single board.

[0251] It should be understood that the network device 5000 shown in FIG17 is capable of implementing each process related to the actions performed by the first communication device or network device in the aforementioned method embodiments. The operations and / or functions of each module in the network device 5000 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the aforementioned method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0252] It should be understood that the network device 5000 shown in FIG17 is only one possible architecture of a network device and does not constitute any limitation to this application. The method provided in this application is applicable to network devices with other architectures. For example, a network device including a CU, DU, and AAU, or a network device that does not adopt a CU-DU separation architecture. This application does not limit the specific architecture of the network device.

[0253] It should be understood that, in one possible design, each step in the method embodiment provided in the present application can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0254] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or an instruction in the form of software. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor for execution, or can be completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0255] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0256] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the various steps or processes executed by the first communication device, the second communication device, or the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0257] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code runs on a computer, the computer executes the various steps or processes performed by the first communication device, the second communication device or the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0258] The present application also provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes the various steps or processes performed by the first communication device, the second communication device or the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0259] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of a first communication device and a second communication device.

[0260] The above-mentioned device embodiments and method embodiments are completely corresponding, and the corresponding steps are performed by the corresponding modules or units. For example, the communication unit or communication interface performs the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiment. Other steps except sending and receiving can be performed by the processing unit or processor.

[0261] In the embodiments of this application, each term and English abbreviation is provided for convenience of description and shall not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0262] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," and the like are used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and a computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and a component can be located on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable storage media having various data structures stored thereon. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0263] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0264] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can be based on the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0265] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0266] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0267] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0268] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0269] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0270] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receiving a wake-up signal; Waking up a first link according to the wake-up signal; Determining a target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received, where a start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to a time when the first link is woken up; Receiving a paging message at a target paging occasion in the target detection window.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wake-up signal includes first indication information for indicating a start time of the target detection window and / or an end time of the target check window; Wherein, determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received includes: Determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received and the first indication information.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first indication information indicates a first frame number, the target detection window is a paging frame corresponding to the first frame number, or a start time of the target detection window is a start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number; Or, The first indication information indicates a first offset, a start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to a first time, and a time interval between the first time and the time when the wake-up signal is received is the first offset.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received includes: Determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received and a wake-up time of the first link.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, A start time of the target detection window is a start time of a paging frame, and an end time of the target detection window is an end time of a paging frame.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The target detection window is a period of time within a paging cycle and a length of the target detection window is less than a length of the paging cycle.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The paging cycle includes m detection windows, m≥1; Determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake-up signal is received includes: Determining, as the target detection window, a detection window among the m detection windows whose start time is closest to the time when the first link is woken up according to the time when the wake-up signal is received.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein An end time of the i-th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to a start time of the (i + 1)-th detection window, i = 1, 2, ……, m - 1.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, Before receiving the wake-up signal, the method further includes: Receiving configuration information for configuring the m detection windows.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The wake-up signal is used to wake up at least one terminal group, the at least one terminal group includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The target paging occasion is determined according to one or more of the following parameters: an identifier of a terminal, a length of the target detection window, a number of paging frames within the target detection window, and a number of paging occasions within one paging frame.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups among k terminal groups, k≥2, h≥1, and one of the h terminal groups includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link; The target detection window includes k sub - windows, the end time of the j - th sub - window among the k sub - windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the (j + 1) - th sub - window, j = 1, 2, ……, k - 1, the k sub - windows correspond one - to - one with the k terminal groups, and the target paging opportunity is located in the sub - window corresponding to the second communication device among the k sub - windows.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein The sub - window is a paging frame.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, After the target detection window, the first link enters the sleep state.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Sending a wake - up signal, which is used to wake up the first link of at least one terminal group; Determining a target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group according to the time when the first link is sent, and the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to the time when the first link is woken up; Sending a paging message for some or all of the terminals in the at least one terminal group at the target paging opportunity corresponding to some or all of the terminals in the target detection window.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The wake - up signal includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the start time and / or the end time of the target detection window.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The first indication information indicates a first frame number, the target detection window is the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number, or the start time of the target detection window is the start time of the paging frame corresponding to the first frame number; Or, The first indication information indicates a first offset, the start time of the target detection window is later than or equal to a first time, and the time interval between the first time and the time when the wake - up signal is received is the first offset.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The determining the target detection window corresponding to the at least one terminal group according to the time when the first link is sent, determining the target detection window, includes: Determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake - up signal is sent and the wake - up time of the first link.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 - 18, characterized in that, The start time of the target detection window is the start time of a paging frame, and the end time of the target detection window is the end time of a paging frame.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15-19, characterized in that, The target detection window is a period of time within a paging cycle and the length of the target detection window is less than the length of the paging cycle.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein The paging cycle includes m detection windows, m≥1; The determining the target detection window according to the time when the wake - up signal is sent, includes: According to the time when the wake - up signal is sent, determining the detection window with the start time closest to the wake - up time of the first link among the m detection windows as the target detection window.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The end time of the i - th detection window among the m detection windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the (i + 1) - th detection window, i = 1, 2, ……, m - 1.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, Before sending the wake - up signal, the method further includes: Sending configuration information, which is used to configure the m detection windows.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 - 23, characterized in that, The target paging opportunity is determined according to one or more of the following parameters: the identifier of the terminal, the length of the target detection window, the number of paging frames within the target detection window, and the number of paging opportunities within one paging frame.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 - 24, characterized in that, The wake-up signal is used to wake up h terminal groups among k terminal groups, where k≥2 and h≥1. One of the h terminal groups includes a second communication device, and the second communication device includes the first link; The target detection window includes k sub-windows. The end time of the j-th sub-window among the k sub-windows is earlier than or equal to the start time of the (j + 1)-th sub-window, where j = 1, 2, ……, k - 1. The k sub-windows correspond one-to-one to the k terminal groups, and the target paging opportunity is located in the sub-window corresponding to the second communication device among the k sub-windows.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein The sub-window is a paging frame.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units for performing each step of the method according to any one of claims 1-14.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units for performing each step of the method according to any one of claims 15-26.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor. When the processor executes the program or instructions stored in the memory, the device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-14 or 15-26.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and an interface. The interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 1-14 or 15-26.

31. A readable storage medium, on which a computer program or instructions are stored, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-14 or 15-26.

32. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program instructions that cause the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-14 or 15-26.

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