Access method and apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are an access method and apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium. The method comprises: receiving first information, wherein the first information comprises auxiliary access information of at least one cell; and sending second information, wherein the second information is used for reporting one or more cells which are selected for access from among the at least one cell on the basis of the auxiliary access information. By means of the solution of the present disclosure, a multi-cell operation can be quickly established or recovered, thereby facilitating rapid activation of air interface resources, and accelerating data transmission between a terminal and a network.

Description

Access method and device, and computer-readable storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 26, 2023, with application number 202311819356.3 and application name “Access method and device, computer-readable storage medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an access method and device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In the prior art, the terminal measures the signal strength of the cell and selects a suitable cell (for example, a cell whose signal strength meets the conditions) to reside or access. Before initiating the access process, the terminal will obtain the system information of the target cell, which includes the random access channel (RACH) resources used for access. The terminal selects a resource that meets the conditions and initiates a random access process in the target cell, and establishes a connection with the network through this process. After that, the network will configure the terminal to perform measurements. Based on the measurement results, the network will configure the terminal to perform multi-carrier operation in multiple cells with different frequencies, or perform dual connectivity (DC) operation in another base station cell, which can be collectively referred to as multi-cell operation (also known as multi-carrier cell).

[0004] Applying this access mechanism to the Sixth-Generation Mobile Communications (6G) scenario, the primary cell broadcasts a system message containing the RACH resources of that cell. A terminal accesses the primary cell using the RACH resources and selects the appropriate RACH resource to initiate a random access procedure. The network then configures the terminal to perform measurements, which can include multiple access point cells on other frequencies. Based on the measurement results, the network configures the terminal to perform multi-cell operation on multiple cells with different frequencies.

[0005] However, the 6G network architecture puts a user-centric approach. In 6G scenarios, multiple cells can provide services to terminals, giving them greater autonomy in making choices based on their own services and needs. In this context, how terminals can autonomously select the appropriate access frequency cell (node) to quickly establish or restore multi-cell operations and better meet user needs has become a pressing issue. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem solved by the present invention is how to quickly establish or restore multi-cell operation.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides an access method, including: receiving first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; sending second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0008] Optionally, the process of selecting one or more cells to access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information includes: selecting n cells with the best measurement results from the at least one cell for access, where n is determined based on the auxiliary access information and / or terminal capabilities, and n is a positive integer.

[0009] Optionally, the auxiliary access information includes a threshold value and a frequency priority of each cell, and the process of selecting one or more cells for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information includes: selecting n cells from the at least one cell whose measurement results meet the threshold value and have the highest frequency priority ranking, where n is determined based on the auxiliary access information and / or terminal capabilities, and n is a positive integer.

[0010] Optionally, the auxiliary access information includes a quantity limit, and n is determined according to the quantity limit and / or terminal capability.

[0011] Optionally, the auxiliary access information includes at least one of the following: sending and receiving point group information, a threshold value, a frequency priority of a cell, a quantity limit, and load information of a cell.

[0012] Optionally, the sending and receiving point group information is selected from: frequency list information, cell list information, sending and receiving point identifier list information, and wireless access point identifier list information.

[0013] Optionally, the load information is associated with the frequency priority, and / or the frequency priority is associated with the service.

[0014] Optionally, the first information is carried by at least one of the following messages: a system message, a state switching indication message, a radio resource control reconfiguration message, and a radio resource control connection release message.

[0015] Optionally, the first information also includes pre-configuration information of the at least one cell or indication information indicating retaining the alternative cell configuration, and the alternative cell is selected from the at least one cell. The method also includes: resuming multi-cell operation based on the pre-configuration information or retained configuration information of one or more cells selected for access.

[0016] Optionally, the first information is received from a wide-coverage cell, and the at least one cell is a cell associated with the wide-coverage cell.

[0017] Optionally, the first information also includes random access resources corresponding to each of the at least one cell, and sending the second information includes: for each of the one or more cells selected for access, initiating random access in the cell using the random access resources of the cell.

[0018] Optionally, the first information also includes at least one random access resource, wherein each random access resource corresponds to a combination of some cells and / or beams in the at least one cell, and sending the second information includes: using the random access resources corresponding to the one or more cells and / or beams selected for access to initiate random access in the cell that sends the first information.

[0019] Optionally, the second information is carried by at least one of the following messages: a wireless resource control establishment request message, a wireless resource control recovery request message, a wireless resource control request establishment completion message, and a wireless resource control recovery completion message, and the second information includes: one or more cells selected for access and / or the beam corresponding to the selected cell.

[0020] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention also provides an access method, including: sending first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; receiving second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0021] Optionally, the auxiliary access information includes at least one of the following: sending and receiving point group information, a threshold value, a frequency priority of a cell, a quantity limit, and load information of a cell.

[0022] Optionally, the sending and receiving point group information is selected from: frequency list information, cell list information, sending and receiving point identifier list information, and wireless access point identifier list information.

[0023] Optionally, the load information is associated with the frequency priority, and / or the frequency priority is associated with the service.

[0024] Optionally, the first information is carried by at least one of the following messages: a system message, a state switching indication message, a radio resource control reconfiguration message, and a radio resource control connection release message.

[0025] Optionally, the first information further includes pre-configuration information of the at least one cell or indication information indicating to retain the configuration of the alternative cell, and the alternative cell is selected from the at least one cell.

[0026] Optionally, the first information is received from a wide-coverage cell, and the at least one cell is a cell associated with the wide-coverage cell.

[0027] Optionally, the first information also includes random access resources corresponding to each of the at least one cell, and the receiving of the second information includes: receiving synchronization information from one or more cells selected for access, and the synchronization information is used to synchronize the cell selection result of the terminal.

[0028] Optionally, the first information also includes at least one random access resource, wherein each random access resource corresponds to a combination of some cells and / or beams in the at least one cell, and receiving the second information includes: receiving a random access request initiated using the random access resources corresponding to one or more cells and / or beams selected for access.

[0029] Optionally, the second information is carried by at least one of the following messages: a wireless resource control establishment request message, a wireless resource control recovery request message, a wireless resource control request establishment completion message, and a wireless resource control recovery completion message, and the second information includes: one or more cells selected for access and / or the beam corresponding to the selected cell.

[0030] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention also provides an access device, including: a receiving module for receiving first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; a sending module for sending second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0031] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention also provides an access device, including: a sending module for sending first information, wherein the first information includes auxiliary access information of at least one cell; a receiving module for receiving second information, wherein the second information is used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0032] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is a non-volatile storage medium or a non-transient storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is run by a processor, the steps of the above method are executed.

[0033] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an access device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and the processor executes the steps of the above method when running the computer program.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0035] On the terminal side, an embodiment of the present invention provides an access method, including: receiving first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; sending second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0036] Compared to existing terminals that can only select and report a single cell for access, terminals using this implementation can select one or more cells based on auxiliary access information and report the selection results to the network, thereby enabling rapid establishment or recovery of multi-cell operations.

[0037] Furthermore, by reporting the selection result through the initial access process, multi-cell operation can be quickly established or restored. Furthermore, the selection result may include one or more frequencies or cells, and corresponding beam information.

[0038] Furthermore, for a terminal switched from an inactive state to an active state, by selecting and reporting multiple cells, the physical layer channel can be quickly restored, air interface resources can be activated, and data transmission with the network can be accelerated.

[0039] Furthermore, the multi-cell operation is directly restored according to the pre-configured information and the selected cells and the restored cells are notified to the network.

[0040] On the network side, an embodiment of the present invention provides an access method, including: sending first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; receiving second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0041] Compared to the prior art, where the configuration information provided to the terminal only includes the RACH resources of at least one cell, this embodiment provides auxiliary access information containing more information about at least one cell in the first message. This allows the terminal to select one or more cells that are more suitable for its own situation for access based on the auxiliary access information. This helps the terminal quickly establish or resume multi-cell operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] FIG1 is a signaling interaction diagram of a four-step random access process provided by the present application;

[0043] FIG2 is a signaling interaction diagram of a two-step random access process provided by the present application;

[0044] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a 6G network provided by this application;

[0045] FIG4 is a flow chart of an access method according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] FIG5 is a flow chart of an access method according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] 6 is a signaling interaction diagram of accessing a network in a first typical application scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] 7 is a signaling interaction diagram of accessing a network in a second typical application scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] 8 is a signaling interaction diagram of accessing a network in a third typical application scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] 9 is a schematic structural diagram of an access device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of an access device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] As mentioned in the background technology, in order to better adapt to the characteristics of 6G communication scenarios in which users can have more autonomy and terminals can connect to multiple cells, the existing 5G New Radio (NR, also known as New Wireless) network access mechanism needs to be enhanced.

[0053] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention provides an access method, including: receiving first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; sending second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0054] With this implementation, the terminal can select one or more cells based on the auxiliary access information and report the selection result to the network, thereby enabling rapid establishment or recovery of multi-cell operation.

[0055] Next, some basic concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of this application are explained.

[0056] Regarding the air interface status of the terminal: In 3GPP NR, the terminal has three states in the air interface: RRC idle state (RRC_IDLE), RRC inactive state (RRC_INACTIVE) and RRC connected state (RRC_CONNECTED). In the idle state, terminals are not connected to the base station and only need to periodically initiate location updates, perform cell reselection procedures, and receive paging. In the connected state, terminals are connected to the network, and the network configures terminal resource blocks (RBs) and physical layer configurations, including DC operation (divided into same-frequency and inter-frequency scenarios, with at least two cells controlled by different gNBs). The network can schedule uplink and downlink data for the terminal. In the inactive state, terminals do not need to notify the base station when moving within a certain Radio Access Network (RAN)-based Notification Area (RNA). The terminal retains certain configurations (currently, the terminal retains configurations such as Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) / Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) and some low-layer configurations of the original serving cell (Primary Cell (Pcell)), but does not retain the low-layer SCG configuration). If the network needs to schedule the terminal or the terminal has data to send, it needs to migrate to the connected state and restore the retained configuration for data transmission.

[0057] If a terminal wants to initiate data transmission in a non-connected state (including an idle state and an inactive state), it needs to perform a random access process to migrate to a connected state.

[0058] Currently there are four-step and two-step random access:

[0059] Referring to Figure 1 , the four-step random access process may include:

[0060] In step 1, the terminal sends a random access preamble (Random Access Preamble) with message 1 (Msg1) to the network. The terminal selects a synchronization signal block (SS / PBCH BLOCK) or channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) from a qualifying SSB or CSI-RS, then selects a preamble and sends it on a permitted PRACH occasion (RO).

[0061] In step 2, the terminal receives the Random Access Response (RAR) message 2 (Msg2) sent by the network. The terminal receives the RAR data by detecting the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) scrambled with the Random Access Radio Network Temporary Identity (RA-RNTI). The RAR data includes a Timing Advance Command (TA) with Timing Advance information, an Uplink Grant (UL Grant) with scheduling information for the terminal to send Message 3 (MSG3), and a Temporary Cell-RNTI (TC-RNTI) for terminals without a Cell-RNTI (C-RNTI) to receive Message 4 (MSG4). Multiple terminals may select the same RO and preamble to initiate a random access procedure, resulting in conflicts. Therefore, the next two steps are required for conflict resolution.

[0062] In step 3, the terminal uses the authorization received in message 2 to send message 3. For non-connected terminals, Radio Resource Control (RRC) Common Control Channel (CCCH) messages are sent, including RRC Setup Request (RRCSetupRequest), RRC Resume Request (RRCResumeRequest), or RRC Resume Request 1 (RRCResumeRequest1), etc. Some of the information carried is used as the terminal identity (UE Identity) for conflict resolution.

[0063] In step 4, the terminal receives the PDCCH using the TC-RNTI received in message 3. If the received data carries the Contention Resolution Identity MAC-CE, the contention resolution is considered successful if received.

[0064] Referring to Figure 2 , during the two-step random access process, Message A (MSGA) includes the original (e.g., in Figure 1 ) Message 1 and Message 3 information, namely, the preamble sent on the PRACH and the payload sent on the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); Message B (MSGB) includes Message 2 and Message 4 information.

[0065] If the network only receives the preamble information sent by the terminal, it responds with a MAC RAR for the four-step random access process, and the terminal falls back to the four-step process. Because inactive and idle terminals must first transition to another state before sending data, Message A only contains the RRC message, and data can only be sent after completing the RACH process.

[0066] Regarding 6G networks (6G communications, 6G network architecture): User-centric networks are a requirement within the 6G network architecture. User-centricity enables users to define, configure, and control network functions related to their subscribed services. User-centric 6G networks primarily utilize multiple transmission reception points (TRPs) or access points (APs) to meet users' high-speed transmission needs while minimizing handoffs and maintaining continuous service.

[0067] A possible 6G network architecture is the CCU-DDU-AP architecture, which includes a cloud control unit (CCU), a distributed data unit (DDU), and a wireless access point (AP). This architecture introduces:

[0068] 1) Cloud Control Unit: Provides network management and control plane functions. This includes traditional control plane functions such as system information management related to the Access Stratum (AS) and Non-Access Stratum (NAS), establishment / maintenance / release of Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, paging control, and security functions, including bearer management, mobility management, terminal measurement, report management, and NAS information transmission. The CCU also performs management plane functions in the User Centric Access Network (UCAN), such as terminal context management and AP management.

[0069] 2) Distributed Data Unit: As the anchor point of the User Plane (UP), the distributed data unit manages basic user plane functions.

[0070] 3) AP: Mainly responsible for antenna RF transmission. It uses low-frequency TRP to ensure wide coverage and high-frequency TRP to ensure service transmission.

[0071] For terminals, when accessing the network, they may connect to one or more APs to receive services. Existing 6G networking scenarios include low-frequency cells (APs) for wide coverage and high-frequency cells (APs) for service transmission. The wide-coverage frequency cell is referred to as the primary frequency cell, as shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the fill areas of varying depths represent the signal coverage of each high-frequency cell / low-frequency cell.

[0072] 6G system message optimizations may include: through system message pooling, that is, aggregating system information (SI) from a physical resource pool including multiple carrier links on a single carrier and sending it. In this way, the primary frequency cell can assist in sending system messages from other frequency cells. Alternatively, combined with the existing NR 5G method, the cell only broadcasts a portion of the system information, and the base station can request the other portion to be broadcast based on terminal needs, that is, a broadcast + on-demand (on-demand) approach.

[0073] There may be only one RRC connection state in the 6G network. In the RRC connection state, based on whether there is a stable physical layer channel, it is divided into two states: non-active and active. Both states are sub-states of the RRC connection state.

[0074] Non-active state: This refers to the terminal's power-saving state. The network and the terminal primarily maintain security context and bearer context, and may also have a complete DRB (Data Radio Bearer) configuration. There is no fixed physical layer channel between the terminal and the network, meaning the terminal does not maintain fixed activated air interface resources with a specific DDU / TRP. When a transmission is required, a specific DDU / TRP must be activated. For faster transmission, the physical layer configuration of the TRP can also be pre-configured and activated on demand.

[0075] Active state: This refers to a state in which the terminal can continuously transmit data. The user context is maintained, the terminal maintains a user physical layer channel with the network, and maintains active air interface resources / physical layer configuration with one or more specific DDUs / TRPs. Flexible cells are formed and managed only in the active state.

[0076] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and beneficial effects of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0077] FIG4 is a flow chart of an access method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] This implementation scheme can be applied to 5G NR scenarios as well as 6G communication scenarios.

[0079] In a specific implementation, the access method provided in the following steps S101 to S102 may be executed by a chip with access functionality in the terminal, or may be executed by a baseband chip of the terminal.

[0080] The terminal implementing this embodiment can be in a 6G non-active state or a non-connected state, where the non-connected state includes a 5G RRC idle state (RRC_IDLE) and an RRC non-active state (RRC_INACTIVE).

[0081] Specifically, referring to FIG4 , the access method described in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0082] Step S101: receiving first information, where the first information includes auxiliary access information of at least one cell;

[0083] Step S102: Send second information, where the second information is used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell according to the auxiliary access information.

[0084] More specifically, the auxiliary access information may include at least one of the following: transmission reception point (TRP) group information, a threshold value, a cell's frequency priority, a quantity limit, and cell load information. Frequency refers to the cell's frequency point, and frequency priority indicates the cell's access priority. For example, a terminal preferentially accesses a cell with a high frequency priority. The quantity limit determines the maximum number of one or more cells that a terminal can select.

[0085] Furthermore, the TRP group information may be selected from: frequency list information, cell list information, TRP identifier list information, and wireless access point (Access Point, AP) identifier list information.

[0086] In some embodiments, load information can be associated with frequency priority. For example, a cell with low load has a high frequency priority, and the terminal can preferentially select this cell for access. Thus, the frequency priority can reflect the load information of the cell.

[0087] In some embodiments, frequency priority can be associated with services. For example, services with different latency requirements can be assigned to cells with different frequency priorities, such as services with high latency requirements being assigned to cells with high frequency priorities. For another example, a terminal can be assigned a cell with a specific frequency specifically for services with high latency requirements.

[0088] In some embodiments, the number limit may be associated with load information. For example, the greater the load of at least one cell, the smaller the number limit may be set. The terminal may select a smaller number of one or more cells for access.

[0089] In some embodiments, the quantity limit may be associated with the service. For example, when the terminal has a large amount of service data, the quantity limit may be appropriately set to be larger so that the terminal can select more cells to access and speed up data transmission.

[0090] In a specific implementation, the first information may be carried by at least one of the following messages: a system message, a state switching indication message, an RRC reconfiguration message, and an RRC connection release message.

[0091] Specifically, the state switching indication message may be used to instruct the terminal to switch from the connected state to the unconnected state.

[0092] In a specific implementation, the first information may be received from a wide-coverage cell, and the at least one cell is a cell associated with the wide-coverage cell.

[0093] Specifically, a wide coverage cell can broadcast system information of other cells in the relevant area. For example, a base station of a wide coverage cell can obtain and broadcast system information of other cells through inter-base station interface interaction, background configuration (eg, operator configuration), etc.

[0094] Furthermore, the association relationship between other cells and the wide-coverage cell may be pre-configured. For example, a high-frequency cell within the signal coverage of the wide-coverage cell may be determined to be associated with the wide-coverage cell.

[0095] Furthermore, the RACH resources broadcast in the first message may be resources configured by at least one cell and carried in a system message. The wide-coverage cell indicates the RACH resources configured by at least one cell to the terminal through the first message. The terminal selects the cell to be accessed on demand and accesses the cell using the RACH resources configured by the cell.

[0096] Alternatively, the RACH resources broadcast in the first information may be resources configured in a wide-coverage cell. The terminal accesses the wide-coverage cell and then reports the selected one or more cells.

[0097] In one specific implementation, the process of selecting one or more cells to access from at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information may specifically include: selecting n cells with the best measurement results from at least one cell for access, where n is determined based on the auxiliary access information and / or terminal capabilities, and n is a positive integer.

[0098] Specifically, the terminal may make a selection based on the relevant configuration and measurement results in the first information, and may further make a selection based on the terminal capabilities or service requirements.

[0099] For example, the terminal may select the first n frequency points or cells with the best measurement results.

[0100] Furthermore, n can be determined based on a quantity limit and / or terminal capabilities. For example, n can be greater than the quantity limit configured by the network through the first information, or not greater than the number supported by the terminal's capabilities, or a combination of the two. Thus, the terminal can determine the specific value of n as needed, which is beneficial for reducing power consumption. Another implementation method can be that the terminal determines n based on service requirements. For example, when the terminal's service data volume is large, n can be selected to be greater than the quantity limit configured by the network through the first information, and the network can be notified subsequently.

[0101] In one variation, the process of selecting one or more cells for access from at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information may specifically include: selecting n cells from at least one cell whose measurement results meet the threshold and have the highest frequency priority ranking, where n is determined based on the auxiliary access information and / or terminal capabilities, and n is a positive integer.

[0102] For example, the terminal may measure the RS reference signal of each cell in at least one cell, and select the top n frequency points or cells with the highest priority whose reference signal received power (RSRP) meets the threshold.

[0103] In a specific implementation, the first information may further include pre-configuration information of at least one cell or indication information indicating to retain the configuration of a candidate cell, and the candidate cell is selected from at least one cell.

[0104] Specifically, the network can send pre-configuration information of alternative cells (including cells with different frequencies, which can be cells connected when multi-cell operation is already performed in the connected state) in the message of migrating from the connected state or the activated state to the unconnected state or the inactivated state, or the previously retained alternative cell (referring to a cell that is not currently in service and may be switched to in the future) configuration. The terminal still retains the relevant information after switching to the unconnected state or the inactivated state.

[0105] Accordingly, the method described in this embodiment may further include the step of: resuming multi-cell operation based on pre-configuration information or retained configuration information of one or more cells selected for access.

[0106] For example, after the terminal selects one or more cells to access using the selection mechanism described in the above embodiment, it can directly restore the corresponding configuration in the selected cell according to the pre-configuration information or the reserved configuration, and notify the base station of the finally selected cell.

[0107] Furthermore, the reporting base station may be a base station of a wide coverage cell or a base station of a selected cell. When reporting to the base station of the selected cell, the base station of the selected cell may synchronize the terminal's access status to the base station of the wide coverage cell.

[0108] In some embodiments, in addition to the parameters that may be included in the aforementioned first information, the pre-configuration information may further include physical layer information of a cell (e.g., a candidate cell), bearer configuration information, mobility-related information, etc. Accordingly, the candidate cell may reserve resources for terminal access.

[0109] In some embodiments, the base station of the wide coverage cell may carry pre-configured information in a state switching indication message and indicate in an RRC connection release message that the configuration of the alternative cell is retained. In response to receiving the RRC connection release message, after switching to a non-connected state or an inactive state, the terminal may retain the first information.

[0110] In some embodiments, the base station of the wide coverage cell may also directly carry the pre-configuration information in the RRC connection release message.

[0111] In a specific implementation, in step S102, the selected one or more cells may be reported by initiating access in the selected one or more cells respectively based on the initial access process.

[0112] Specifically, the first information may further include random access resources (ie, RACH resources) corresponding to at least one cell. Furthermore, different random access resources may correspond to different beams.

[0113] Accordingly, step S102 may include: for each of the one or more cells selected for access, initiating random access in the cell using the random access resources of the cell. The base station of the wide-coverage cell configures different random access resources for different beams of different frequency cells in the first information. The terminal initiates n random access procedures based on the configurations in the n selected frequency cells, using different random access resources corresponding to different beams for different frequencies.

[0114] For example, the first information includes the following configuration: RACH resource 1 corresponds to frequency 1 + beam 1, RACH resource 2 corresponds to frequency 1 + beam 2, RACH resource 3 corresponds to frequency 2 + beam 1, and RACH resource 4 corresponds to frequency 2 + beam 2. Assume that the terminal selects frequency 1 + beam 1 and frequency 2 + beam 1. In this case, the terminal needs to initiate a random access procedure using beam 1 of cell 1 (corresponding to frequency 1) at frequency 1, and initiate a random access procedure using beam 1 of cell 2 (corresponding to frequency 2) at frequency 2.

[0115] In one specific implementation, in step S102, based on the initial access process, the network may be notified of the frequency and / or beam information of one or more selected cells by initiating random access at a centralized control node. The centralized control node may be, for example, a base station that sends the first information, such as a base station of a wide-coverage cell.

[0116] Specifically, the first information may further include at least one random access resource, where each random access resource corresponds to a combination of some cells and / or beams in at least one cell. For example, RACH1 represents frequency 1 cell + beam 2, RACH2 represents frequency 1 cell, and RACH3 represents frequency 2 cell.

[0117] Correspondingly, step S102 may include: using random access resources corresponding to one or more cells and / or beams selected for access, to initiate random access in the cell that sends the first information.

[0118] For example, assuming that RACH resource 1 of the wide-coverage cell represents: beam 1 of the wide-coverage cell + beam 1 of cell 2, if the terminal uses RACH resource 1 to initiate a random access process in the wide-coverage cell, it means that cell 2 and beam 1 of cell 2 are selected.

[0119] Furthermore, in response to receiving the second information, the base station of the wide-coverage cell may synchronize the cell selection result of the terminal to the selected cells, instructing these cells how to schedule the terminal. Still taking the aforementioned example where RACH resource 1 of the wide-coverage cell represents beam 1 of the wide-coverage cell + beam 1 of cell 2, in response to receiving a random access procedure initiated by the terminal using RACH resource 1, the base station of the wide-coverage cell instructs the base station of cell 2 to schedule the terminal in beam 1.

[0120] In some embodiments, the random access resources include time-frequency resources and random access preambles, where different random access preambles correspond to different cell and / or beam combinations.

[0121] In a specific implementation, the second information may be carried by at least one of the following messages: a radio resource control establishment request message, a radio resource control recovery request message, a radio resource control request establishment complete message, and a radio resource control recovery complete message.

[0122] Furthermore, the second information may include: one or more cells selected for access and / or the beam corresponding to the selected cell. That is, the terminal may indicate the selected frequency and beam index in the message requesting establishment or restoration or the message requesting establishment completion or restoration completion.

[0123] For example, after the terminal uses the RACH resources of the wide-coverage cell (which indicates the current wide-coverage cell and the corresponding beam, and does not include information about other selected cells) to access, it reports other selected cells and beams through corresponding messages.

[0124] From the above, by adopting this implementation scheme, the terminal can select one or more cells based on the auxiliary access information, and report the selection results to the network. In this way, multi-cell operation can be quickly established or restored. Further, by reporting the selection results through the initial access process, multi-cell operation can be quickly established or restored. Furthermore, the selection results may include one or more frequency points or cells, and corresponding beam information. Furthermore, for terminals switched from an inactive state to an active state, by selecting and reporting multiple cells, the physical layer channel can be quickly restored, air interface resources can be activated, and data transmission with the network can be accelerated. Furthermore, multi-cell operation is directly restored based on the pre-configured information and the selected cells, and the restored cells are notified to the network.

[0125] FIG5 is a flow chart of an access method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0126] This implementation scheme can be applied to 5G NR scenarios as well as 6G communication scenarios.

[0127] In a specific implementation, the access method provided in the following steps S201 to S202 can be executed by a chip with access functionality in a network device, or by a baseband chip of the network device. The network device can include a base station, such as a base station of a wide coverage cell.

[0128] Specifically, referring to FIG5 , the access method described in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0129] Step S201: Send first information, where the first information includes auxiliary access information of at least one cell;

[0130] Step S202: Receive second information, where the second information is used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell according to the auxiliary access information.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that steps S201 to S202 can be considered as corresponding execution steps to steps S101 to S102 in the embodiment shown in FIG4 , and that the two complement each other in terms of specific implementation principles and logic. Therefore, the explanation of terms in this embodiment can refer to the relevant description of the embodiment shown in FIG4 , and will not be repeated here.

[0132] In one specific implementation, the first information includes RACH resources of at least one cell, and the terminal may use the RACH resources of the selected cell to directly initiate a random access procedure in the selected cell. Accordingly, step S202 may include: receiving synchronization information from one or more cells selected for access, where the synchronization information is used to synchronize the cell selection result of the terminal.

[0133] In one specific implementation, the first information may include at least one RACH resource, where each RACH resource corresponds to a combination of some cells and / or beams in at least one cell. Accordingly, step S202 may include receiving a random access request initiated using random access resources corresponding to one or more cells and / or beams selected for access. Furthermore, the base station of the wide-coverage cell may synchronize the cell selection result to the selected cell, instructing the selected cell to schedule the terminal using the selected beam.

[0134] As described above, this embodiment provides auxiliary access information containing more information about at least one cell in the first message, so that the terminal can select one or more cells that are more suitable for its own situation for access based on the auxiliary access information. This helps the terminal quickly establish or resume multi-cell operation.

[0135] In a typical application scenario, referring to Figure 6, a terminal may perform the steps described in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, and a base station in a wide-coverage cell may perform the steps described in the embodiment shown in Figure 5. The wide-coverage cell may be associated with cells 1 to 4, where cells 1 to 4 may be high-frequency cells.

[0136] Specifically, cells 1 to 4 may broadcast system messages respectively, where the system messages include RACH resources and auxiliary access information of each cell.

[0137] Furthermore, the wide coverage cell performs operation s301 to broadcast first information, which includes RACH resources and auxiliary access information of cells 1 to 4.

[0138] In response to receiving the first information, the terminal selects a cell to access based on the measurement results and auxiliary access information in cells 1 to 4. Assuming that the number of auxiliary access information configurations is limited to 3, the terminal can select the first two cells with the highest measurement results (assuming they are cell 1 and cell 4) for access.

[0139] Assume that RACH resource 1 configured in cell 1 corresponds to beam 1, and RACH resource 2 configured in cell 4 corresponds to beam 2. The terminal performs operation s302 to initiate a random access procedure using RACH resource 1 in beam 1 of cell 1, and uses RACH resource 2 in beam 2 of cell 4. In this example, either a four-step random access procedure or a two-step random access procedure can be initiated. Therefore, either message 1 or message A can be sent in operation s302.

[0140] Furthermore, cell 1 and cell 4 may respectively perform operation s303 to send synchronization information to the wide coverage cell to inform the terminal to select access to the cell.

[0141] In a typical application scenario, referring to Figure 7, a terminal may perform the steps described in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, and a base station in a wide-coverage cell may perform the steps described in the embodiment shown in Figure 5. The wide-coverage cell may be associated with cells 1 to 4, where cells 1 to 4 may be high-frequency cells.

[0142] Specifically, cells 1 to 4 may broadcast system messages respectively, where the system messages include auxiliary access information of each cell.

[0143] Furthermore, the wide coverage cell performs operation s401 to broadcast first information, wherein the first information includes RACH resources of the wide coverage cell and auxiliary access information of cells 1 to 4.

[0144] In response to receiving the first information, the terminal selects a cell to access based on the measurement results and auxiliary access information in cells 1 to 4. Assuming that the number of auxiliary access information configurations is limited to 4 and the terminal capability is 3, the terminal can select the first two cells with the highest measurement results (assuming they are cells 2 and 4) for access.

[0145] Assume that RACH resource 1 in the wide-coverage cell configuration corresponds to cell 2 and beam 3, RACH resource 5 corresponds to cell 4 and beam 1, and RACH resource 6 corresponds to cell 2 + cell 4 and beam 1. The terminal performs operation s402 to initiate a random access procedure in the wide-coverage cell using RACH resource 6. In this example, either a four-step random access procedure or a two-step random access procedure can be initiated. Therefore, either message 1 or message A can be sent in operation s402.

[0146] In response to receiving message 1 or message A, the wide-coverage cell may continue the random access procedure with the terminal and may also perform operation s403 to instruct cell 2 and cell 4 to use beam 1 of their respective cells to schedule the terminal.

[0147] In one variation, the message sent in operation s402 or message A may not include a cell selection result. After the terminal successfully accesses a wide-coverage cell based on the random access procedure, it may indicate the selected cell or cells and / or the beams corresponding to the selected cells in an RRC setup request message, an RRC recovery request message, an RRC setup request complete message, or an RRC recovery complete message.

[0148] In a typical application scenario, referring to Figure 8, a terminal may perform the steps described in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, and a base station in a wide-coverage cell may perform the steps described in the embodiment shown in Figure 5. The wide-coverage cell may be associated with cells 1 to 4, where cells 1 to 4 may be high-frequency cells.

[0149] The terminal could originally be in the RRC connected state and perform multi-cell operations with the wide coverage cell, cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3.

[0150] Furthermore, the wide coverage cell may perform operation s501 to send state switching indication information to instruct the terminal to migrate from the RRC connected state to the inactive state (inactive or non-active). In addition, the state switching indication information may also indicate indication information for retaining the configurations of cell 1 and cell 2.

[0151] In response to receiving the state switching indication information, the terminal transitions to the inactive state and retains the relevant information of cell 1 and cell 2.

[0152] Furthermore, when necessary, the terminal may directly restore the corresponding configuration in the selected cell (assuming cell 1 and cell 2) according to the measurement results in cell 1 and cell 2, service requirements and / or terminal capabilities.

[0153] Furthermore, the terminal may perform operation s502 to report the selected cell to the wide coverage cell.

[0154] In a variation, the state switching indication information sent in operation s501 may further include pre-configured information of cell 4. When selecting, the terminal may determine the cell to be accessed this time based on the measurement results of the retained cells 1 to 3 and the measurement result of the configured cell 4.

[0155] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access device 6 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the access device 6 described in this embodiment can be used to implement the method and technical solution described in the embodiment described in FIG4 above.

[0156] Specifically, referring to Figure 9, the access device 6 described in this embodiment may include: a receiving module 61, used to receive first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; a sending module 62, used to send second information, the second information is used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0157] For more details about the working principle and working mode of the access device 6, please refer to the relevant description in FIG4 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0158] In a specific implementation, the above-mentioned access device 6 can correspond to a chip with communication function in the terminal, or to a chip with data processing function, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc.; or to a chip module in the terminal that includes a chip with communication function; or to a chip module with a chip with data processing function, or to a terminal.

[0159] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access device 7 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the access device 7 described in this embodiment can be used to implement the method and technical solution described in the embodiment described in FIG5 .

[0160] Specifically, referring to Figure 10, the access device 7 described in this embodiment may include: a sending module 71, used to send first information, the first information including auxiliary access information of at least one cell; a receiving module 72, used to receive second information, the second information is used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell based on the auxiliary access information.

[0161] For more details about the working principle and working mode of the access device 7, please refer to the relevant description in FIG5 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0162] In a specific implementation, the above-mentioned access device 7 can correspond to a chip with communication function in a network device, or to a chip with data processing function, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc.; or to a chip module in a network device that includes a chip with communication function; or to a chip module with a chip with data processing function, or to a network device.

[0163] In specific implementations, the modules / units included in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments may be software modules / units or hardware modules / units, or may be partially software modules / units and partially hardware modules / units.

[0164] For example, for each device or product applied to or integrated into a chip, each module / unit contained therein may be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, or at least some of the modules / units may be implemented in the form of software programs, which run on a processor integrated inside the chip, and the remaining (if any) modules / units may be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits; for each device or product applied to or integrated into a chip module, each module / unit contained therein may be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, and different modules / units may be located in the same component (such as a chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module, or at least some of the modules / units may be implemented in the form of software programs. The element can be implemented in the form of a software program, which runs on the processor integrated inside the chip module, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits; for various devices and products applied to or integrated in the terminal, the various modules / units contained therein can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, and different modules / units can be located in the same component (for example, chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components in the terminal, or, at least some modules / units can be implemented in the form of a software program, which runs on the processor integrated inside the terminal, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits.

[0165] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is a non-volatile storage medium or a non-transitory storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the access method provided in any of the above embodiments are executed. Preferably, the storage medium may include a computer-readable storage medium such as a non-volatile memory or a non-transitory memory. The storage medium may include ROM, RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0166] An embodiment of the present invention further provides another access device, comprising a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program, it executes the steps of the access method provided in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 4 . The access device can be integrated into a terminal, or the access device can be, for example, a terminal.

[0167] An embodiment of the present invention further provides another access device, comprising a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program, it executes the steps of the access method provided in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 5 . The access device can be integrated into a network device, or the access device can be, for example, a network device.

[0168] The wireless communication systems mentioned in the embodiments of the present application include but are not limited to: Narrow Band-intermet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Time Division-Synchronization Code Division Multiple Access (TDSCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), fifth-generation mobile communication systems or possible sixth-generation and seventh-generation mobile communication systems, vehicle-mounted wireless short-range communication systems, and future mobile communication systems.

[0169] The technical solution of the present application is also applicable to different network architectures, including but not limited to relay network architecture, dual-link architecture, Vehicle-to-Everything (vehicle-to-anything communication) architecture and other architectures.

[0170] The base station (BS) in the embodiments of the present application, which may also be referred to as a base station device, is a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions. For example, the device providing base station functions in a 2G network includes a base transceiver station (BTS), the device providing base station functions in a 3G network includes a node B (NodeB), the device providing base station functions in a 4G network includes an evolved node B (eNB), and in wireless local area networks (WLANs), the device providing base station functions is an access point (AP). The device providing base station functions in 5G New Radio (NR) is a gNB, and an evolved node B (ng-eNB). The gNB and the terminal use NR technology for communication, and the ng-eNB and the terminal use E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access) technology for communication. Both the gNB and the ng-eNB can be connected to the 5G core network. The base station in the embodiments of the present application also includes devices that provide base station functions in future new communication systems.

[0171] The base station controller in the embodiment of the present application is a device that manages base stations, such as a base station controller (BSC) in a 2G network, a radio network controller (RNC) in a 3G network, and may also refer to a device that controls and manages base stations in future new communication systems.

[0172] The network side in the embodiment of the present invention refers to a communication network that provides communication services to terminals, including base stations of a radio access network, base station controllers of the radio access network, and devices on the core network side.

[0173] The terminal in the embodiments of the present application may refer to various forms of user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The terminal device may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The embodiment of the present application defines the unidirectional communication link from the access network to the terminal as a downlink, the data transmitted on the downlink is downlink data, and the transmission direction of the downlink data is called the downlink direction; and the unidirectional communication link from the terminal to the access network is an uplink, the data transmitted on the uplink is uplink data, and the transmission direction of the uplink data is called the uplink direction.

[0174] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein simply describes an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " as used herein indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0175] The term "plurality" used in the embodiments of the present application refers to two or more.

[0176] The first, second, etc. descriptions appearing in the embodiments of this application are only for illustration and distinction of the description objects. There is no order, nor does it indicate any special limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this application, and cannot constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0177] The "connection" appearing in the embodiments of the present application refers to various connection methods such as direct connection or indirect connection to achieve communication between devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0178] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An access method, characterized in that, Including: Receiving first information, where the first information includes access assistance information of at least one cell; Sending second information, where the second information is used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell according to the access assistance information.

2. The access method according to claim 1, wherein The process of selecting one or more cells for access from the at least one cell according to the access assistance information includes: Selecting the n cells with the optimal measurement results for access from the at least one cell, where n is determined according to the access assistance information and / or terminal capabilities, and n is a positive integer.

3. The access method according to claim 1, wherein The access assistance information includes a threshold value and the frequency priorities of each cell. The process of selecting one or more cells for access from the at least one cell according to the access assistance information includes: Selecting the n cells with measurement results meeting the threshold value and the highest frequency priority ranking for access from the at least one cell, where n is determined according to the access assistance information and / or terminal capabilities, and n is a positive integer.

4. The access method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The access assistance information includes a quantity limit, and n is determined according to the quantity limit and / or terminal capabilities.

5. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The access assistance information includes at least one of the following: transmit-receive point group information, threshold value, frequency priority of the cell, quantity limit, and load information of the cell.

6. The access method according to claim 5, wherein The transmit-receive point group information is selected from: frequency point list information, cell list information, transmit-receive point identifier list information, and wireless access point identifier list information.

7. The access method according to claim 5, wherein The load information is associated with the frequency priority, and / or the frequency priority is associated with the service.

8. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first information is carried by at least one of the following messages: system message, status transition indication message, radio resource control reconfiguration message, and radio resource control connection release message.

9. The access method according to claim 8, wherein The first information further includes pre-configuration information of the at least one cell or indication information indicating to retain the alternative cell configuration. The alternative cells are selected from the at least one cell. The method further includes: Restoring multi-cell operation according to the pre-configuration information or the retained configuration information of the one or more cells selected for access.

10. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first information is received from a wide-coverage cell, and the at least one cell is a cell associated with the wide-coverage cell.

11. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The first information further includes the random access resources corresponding to each of the at least one cell. The sending of the second information includes: For each cell among the one or more cells selected for access, initiating random access in the cell using the random access resource of the cell.

12. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The first information further includes at least one random access resource, where each random access resource corresponds to a combination of some cells and / or beams in the at least one cell. The sending of the second information includes: Initiating random access in the cell where the first information is sent using the random access resource corresponding to the one or more cells and / or beams selected for access.

13. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The second information is carried by at least one of the following messages: Radio Resource Control establishment request message, Radio Resource Control resume request message, Radio Resource Control request establishment complete message, and Radio Resource Control resume complete message. The second information includes: one or more cells selected for access and / or beams corresponding to the selected cells.

14. An access method, characterized in that, including: transmit first information, the first information including secondary access information of at least one cell; receive second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell according to the secondary access information.

15. The access method according to claim 14, wherein The secondary access information includes at least one of the following: transmission and reception point group information, threshold value, frequency priority of the cell, quantity limit, and load information of the cell.

16. The access method according to claim 15, wherein, The transmission and reception point group information is selected from: frequency point list information, cell list information, transmission and reception point identifier list information, and wireless access point identifier list information.

17. The access method according to claim 15, wherein The load information is associated with the frequency priority, and / or the frequency priority is associated with the service.

18. The access method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that The first information is carried by at least one of the following messages: system message, status switching indication message, Radio Resource Control reconfiguration message, and Radio Resource Control connection release message.

19. The access method according to claim 18, wherein The first information further includes pre-configuration information of the at least one cell or indication information indicating to retain an alternative cell configuration, and the alternative cells are selected from the at least one cell.

20. The access method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that, The first information is received from a wide-coverage cell, and the at least one cell is a cell associated with the wide-coverage cell.

21. The access method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, The first information further includes random access resources corresponding to the at least one cell respectively, and the receiving the second information includes: receiving synchronization information from one or more cells selected for access, the synchronization information being used to synchronize the cell selection result of the terminal.

22. The access method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that The first information further includes at least one random access resource, where each random access resource corresponds to a combination of some cells and / or beams in the at least one cell, and the receiving the second information includes: receiving a random access request initiated using the random access resource corresponding to the one or more cells and / or beams selected for access.

23. The access method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that The second information is carried by at least one of the following messages: Radio Resource Control establishment request message, Radio Resource Control resume request message, Radio Resource Control request establishment complete message, and Radio Resource Control resume complete message. The second information includes: one or more cells selected for access and / or beams corresponding to the selected cells.

24. An access device, characterized in that, including: a receiving module, configured to receive first information, the first information including secondary access information of at least one cell; a transmitting module, configured to transmit second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell according to the secondary access information.

25. An access device, characterized in that, including: a transmitting module, configured to transmit first information, the first information including secondary access information of at least one cell; a receiving module, configured to receive second information, the second information being used to report one or more cells selected for access from the at least one cell according to the secondary access information.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium being a non-volatile storage medium or a non-transitory storage medium, having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is run by a processor, it performs the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

27. An access device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein a computer program capable of running on the processor is stored on the memory, characterized in that, When the processor runs the computer program, it performs the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

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