Measurement indication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a measurement indication method and apparatus. The method comprises: sending first indication information, wherein the first indication information is configured to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement are / is performed in a first measurement period; and when the first indication information indicates that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement are / is not performed in the first measurement period, performing data transmission in the first measurement period. A communication method provided in the present application can be applied to a network device or a terminal device, can indicate that a subsequent measurement period is configured to measure a signal of a neighboring cell or transmit data, and can minimize the impact on signal quality measurement frequency while reducing the transmission delay for the data, and improving user experience.

Description

A measurement indication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 10, 2024, with application number 202410041002.9 and invention name “A measurement indication method and device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a measurement indication method and apparatus. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, with the continuous development of the fifth-generation (5G) communication system, data transmission latency has been continuously reduced and transmission capacity has been increasing. 5G communication systems have gradually penetrated into some multimedia services with strong real-time requirements and large data capacity requirements, such as video transmission, cloud gaming (CG), and extended reality (XR), among which XR includes virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

[0004] With the rapid increase in communication transmission rates, real-time video transmission has gradually become one of the core services in current networks. The continuous advancement and improvement of extended reality technology has also led to the rapid development of related industries. Today, VR technology, as a type of XR, has entered various fields closely related to people's production and daily life, such as education, entertainment, military, medical care, environmental protection, transportation, and public health. Compared with traditional video services, VR offers advantages such as multiple perspectives and strong interactivity, providing users with a brand new visual experience.

[0005] In addition to smartphones, people are increasingly looking to enhance their XR experience through devices such as head-mounted displays (HMDs) or smart glasses (such as VR and AR glasses). Therefore, as XR devices become increasingly popular, improving user experience has become a key research topic.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, in order to reduce data transmission delay and improve user experience while minimizing the impact on signal quality measurement frequency.

[0008] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to the terminal side, such as the terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for the communication function (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). Taking the application of this method to the terminal as an example, the method includes: sending a first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement within a first measurement period; when the first indication information indicates that same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement is not to be performed in the first measurement period, data transmission is performed in the first measurement period.

[0009] The present application proposes a communication method that can indicate that subsequent measurement periods are used to measure signals of neighboring cells or transmit data, thereby reducing data transmission delay and improving user experience while minimizing the impact on signal quality measurement frequency.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the first measurement period.

[0011] This implementation method is more suitable for application scenarios with large fluctuations in signal quality or large fluctuations in business data volume, and the terminal equipment needs to flexibly change the purpose of the measurement period according to real-time needs.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement in multiple measurement time periods; wherein the multiple measurement time periods include the first measurement time period.

[0013] This implementation method is more suitable for application scenarios where the service data volume or signal quality is stable. The terminal device can generate the first indication information according to the change pattern of the service data volume or signal quality.

[0014] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, when the duration of overlap between the first measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than an overlap duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed within the first measurement period.

[0015] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, when the duration of overlap between the first measurement period and the delay budget period of data transmission is greater than or equal to an overlapping duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed within the first measurement period.

[0016] This implementation prioritizes user experience and works best in scenarios such as VR gaming where the terminal device is relatively stationary and the signal quality is stable.

[0017] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: performing radio resource management (RRM) measurement in a second measurement period to obtain an RRM measurement result; when the RRM measurement result is greater than an RRM measurement threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed in the first measurement period.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: performing RRM measurement in a second measurement period to obtain an RRM measurement result; when the RRM measurement result is greater than or equal to an RRM measurement threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that no intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the first measurement period.

[0019] This implementation method prioritizes maintaining higher signal quality and is more suitable for continuously moving terminal devices such as vehicle-mounted devices.

[0020] By determining the purpose of subsequent measurement periods based on the packet delay budget period or RRM measurement results, unnecessary measurements can be reduced and service data can be sent continuously.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first time period. Sending the first indication information includes: sending the first indication information within the first time period.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, there is a first interval period between the first time period and the first measurement period.

[0023] Setting the first interval period allows the terminal to complete transmission of information sent in the first period as much as possible before the measurement period.

[0024] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the duration of the first interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0025] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, when the first measurement period and the first time period overlap, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed in the first measurement period.

[0026] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the period length of the first time period is configured by the network device.

[0027] The configuration of the first time period in this implementation manner is independent of the measurement period and has high compatibility in different communication systems.

[0028] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a network side, such as an access network device on the network side, a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) in the access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. Taking the application of this method to an access network device as an example, the method includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement within a first measurement period; and transmitting data in the first measurement period when the first indication information indicates that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not to be performed in the first measurement period.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the first measurement period.

[0030] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement in multiple measurement time periods; wherein the multiple measurement time periods include the first measurement time period.

[0031] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first time period. Receiving the first indication information includes: sending the first indication information within the first time period.

[0032] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, there is a first interval period between the first time period and the first measurement period.

[0033] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the duration of the first interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the period length of the first time period is configured by the network device.

[0035] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, or a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for a communication function (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core). Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: receiving third indication information, the third indication information is used to indicate whether to perform same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement within a second measurement period; when the third indication information indicates that no same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement is performed in the second measurement period, data transmission is performed in the second measurement period.

[0036] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the third measurement period.

[0037] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether multiple measurement time periods perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement; wherein the multiple measurement time periods include the third measurement time period.

[0038] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the method further includes: receiving fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the second time period; and receiving third indication information, including: receiving the third indication information within the second time period.

[0039] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, there is a second interval period between the second period and the third measurement period.

[0040] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the duration of the second interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0041] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the period length of the second time period is configured by the network device.

[0042] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a network side, such as an access network device on the network side, a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) in the access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. Taking the application of this method to the access network device as an example, the method includes: sending third indication information, the third indication information is used to indicate whether to perform co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement during a second measurement period; and when the third indication information indicates that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not to be performed during the second measurement period, transmitting data during the second measurement period.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the third measurement period.

[0044] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether multiple measurement time periods perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement; wherein the multiple measurement time periods include the third measurement time period.

[0045] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, when the duration of overlap between the third measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than an overlapping duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed within the third measurement period.

[0046] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, when the duration of overlap between the third measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than or equal to an overlapping duration threshold, the third indication information is used to indicate that no intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed within the third measurement period.

[0047] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: performing RRM measurement in a fourth measurement period to obtain an RRM measurement result; when the RRM measurement result is greater than the RRM measurement threshold, the third indication information is used to indicate that no intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the third measurement period.

[0048] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: performing RRM measurement in a fourth measurement period to obtain an RRM measurement result; when the RRM measurement result is greater than or equal to the RRM measurement threshold, the third indication information is used to indicate that no intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the third measurement period.

[0049] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: sending fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the second time period; and sending third indication information, including: sending the third indication information within the second time period.

[0050] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, there is a second interval period between the second time period and the third measurement period.

[0051] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the duration of the second interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0052] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, when the third measurement period overlaps with the second period, the third indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed in the third measurement period.

[0053] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the period length of the second time period is configured by the network device.

[0054] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has the functions of implementing the first or third aspect mentioned above. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first or third aspect mentioned above. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0055] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has the functions of implementing the second or fourth aspect mentioned above. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operations involved in the second or fourth aspect mentioned above. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0056] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory is used to store part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the first or third aspect above. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method in any possible design or implementation of the first or third aspect above. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication function within the communication device and / or the communication function of the communication device with other devices or components.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the communication device may further include the memory.

[0059] The communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0060] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory is used to store part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the second or fourth aspects above. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method in any possible design or implementation of the second or fourth aspects above. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication function within the communication device and / or the communication function of the communication device with other devices or components.

[0061] In a possible implementation, the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0062] In a possible implementation, the communication device may further include the memory.

[0063] The communication device may be a network device, a communication module in a network device, or a chip in the network device responsible for communication functions such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0064] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes at least one communication device described in the seventh aspect and at least one communication device described in the eighth aspect.

[0065] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program or instructions are stored. When the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, the method described in any implementation of the first aspect or the method described in any implementation of the third aspect is executed.

[0066] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which, when run on a computer, enables the method described in any implementation of the first aspect to be executed, or enables the method described in any implementation of the third aspect to be executed.

[0067] It can be understood that the description of the beneficial effects of any of the second aspect to the eleventh aspect can refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] FIG1 is a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0069] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an SMTC provided in this application.

[0070] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an MGC provided in this application.

[0071] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission process provided by the present application.

[0072] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of first time period configuration information provided by the present application.

[0073] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of first time period configuration information provided by the present application.

[0074] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a scenario in which the packet delay budget period and the measurement period overlap, as provided in the present application.

[0075] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a scenario in which the first time period and the measurement time period overlap, provided in the present application.

[0076] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission process provided by this application.

[0077] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0078] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] Figure 1 shows a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 wirelessly. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or by wire. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the core network logical functions and the radio access network logical functions.

[0081] The RAN 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0082] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality. It should be understood that core network equipment and RAN nodes in this application may also be collectively referred to as network equipment.

[0083] In one possible scenario, a RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG1 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device. For example, an access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node may also be provided with a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication functions. The RAN node may also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application may also be a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0084] In another 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 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). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0085] 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 the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0086] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver functions, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home appliance, transport vehicle with wireless communication functions, communication module, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The terminal is typically provided with a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication functions. The terminal is also configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication functions.

[0087] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may also involve devices or transmission nodes not shown in Figure 1. Of course, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may also only include some of the devices or transmission nodes shown in Figure 1, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0088] The above-mentioned network architecture applied to the embodiment of the present application is only an example. The network architecture applicable to the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned devices is applicable to the embodiment of the present application.

[0089] In the aforementioned communication system, downlink control information (DCI) includes scheduling information for the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). When the network needs to transmit data to a terminal, it generates a DCI message containing information such as PDSCH resource allocation, modulation, and coding parameters, and sends it to the terminal via the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The terminal that receives the DCI uses this information to decode the data subsequently received on the PDSCH. For example, the terminal knows which resource blocks, when, and what modulation and coding scheme to use to receive the data. Then, within the time window specified by the DCI, the network sends the actual data packets on the PDSCH. The terminal correctly decodes this data based on the previously received DCI. Similarly, uplink control information (UCI) includes scheduling information for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0090] In a mobile cellular network, when a terminal moves from one cell (covered by a base station) to another, it must perform a handover between cells. Before handing over, the terminal measures the signal strength of the neighboring cell to determine when to switch. During the measurement period, the terminal and network equipment prioritize the transmission of measurement signals, with only a small amount of important data signals being sent and received. As a result, the data transmission rate during this period is very low, and users of XR devices will experience significant data transmission delays.

[0091] Specifically, the measurement is divided into intra-frequency measurement and inter-frequency measurement. Intra-frequency measurement means that the cell where the terminal is currently located and the target cell to be measured are on the same carrier frequency. During intra-frequency measurement, the terminal can perform measurements using the reference signal inserted during data transmission without affecting the transmission and reception of data. Terminal switching in modern communication systems is based on terminal measurement of the synchronization signal block (SSB). The terminal achieves time and frequency synchronization and obtains necessary system information by receiving and decoding the SSB.

[0092] SSB-based RRM measurement timing configuration (SMTC) is a resource management mechanism. Radio resource management (RRM) is responsible for managing and optimizing resource allocation in wireless communication systems to ensure quality of service and network performance. SMTC specifically refers to synchronization signal block-based radio resource management measurement timing configuration. SMTC provides a specific time window for terminals, called the SSB-based RRM measurement timing (SMT) period, during which terminals can perform inter-cell measurements, such as reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ), without conflicting with normal uplink data transmission.

[0093] SMTC is usually sent to the terminal by the network side through an RRC message. This message contains specific configuration information about SMT. The terminal can perform measurement operations within the specified time window according to the received configuration information. Specifically, SMTC includes: the SSB-based radio resource management measurement time repetition period (SSB-based RRM measurement timing repetition period, SMTRP) can be 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms or 160ms; the SMT offset is a number of milliseconds expressed as a natural number and is less than or equal to the SMTRP, indicating the delay from the start time of the SMTRP to the start time of the SSB-based radio resource management measurement time period (SSB-based RRM measurement timing period, SMTP). The SSB-based radio resource management measurement time duration (SSB-based RRM measurement timing length, SMTL) can be 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, 4ms or 5ms. The following example illustrates the configuration information of SMT in conjunction with Figure 2.

[0094] As shown in Figure 2, the SFN (system frame number) refers to the system frame number. It is a sequence number starting from 0 and used to identify a downlink transmission time interval (TTI). A radio frame consists of 10 subframes, each 1ms long. The gray subframes in Figure 2 represent SMTP. Figure 2 also shows that the SMTRP is 2 radio frames, or 20ms; the SMT offset is 2ms, and the SMTL is 4ms.

[0095] Inter-frequency measurement occurs when the terminal's current cell (serving cell) and the target cell are on different carrier frequencies. This can be achieved by using a resource management mechanism called measurement gap configuration (MGC). This mechanism reserves measurement gap (MG) periods during which the terminal does not send or receive any data. Instead, the terminal tunes its receiver to the target cell's frequency to perform inter-frequency measurements. At the end of the MG period, the terminal switches back to the serving cell. The period during which the terminal suspends communication with the serving cell to measure inter-frequency neighboring cells or other cells using different radio access technologies (RATs) is called an MG period.

[0096] The MGC is usually sent to the terminal by the network side through an RRC message. This message contains specific configuration information about the MG. The terminal can perform measurement operations within the specified time window based on the received configuration information. Specifically, the MGC includes: the measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) can be 20ms, 40ms, 80ms or 160ms; the MG offset is a natural number of milliseconds and is less than or equal to the MGRP, indicating the delay from the start time of the MGRP to the start time of the measurement gap repetition period (MGP). The measurement gap length (MGL) can be 1.5ms, 3ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5.5ms or 6ms. The following example illustrates the configuration information of the MG with reference to Figure 3.

[0097] As shown in Figure 3, a radio frame consists of 10 subframes, each 1ms long. The gray subframes in Figure 3 represent the MGP. Figure 3 also shows that the MGRP is 2 frames, or 20ms; the MG offset is 13ms; and the MGL is 6ms.

[0098] In the above embodiments, both the SMT period and the MG period can be referred to as the measurement period, and both the SMT duration and the MG duration can be referred to as the measurement duration. Both the SMTRP and the MGRP can be referred to as the measurement period, and both the SMT offset and the MG offset can be referred to as the measurement offset. The measurement offset represents the delay from the start of the measurement period to the start of the measurement period. It can be considered that the period, offset, and duration can be used to determine the period of periodic repetition.

[0099] In various embodiments of the present application, "sending information" can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or as one logic module within a device sending information to another logic module. For example, "a network device sending information" can be understood as the network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or as logic module 1 within the network device sending information to logic module 2 within the network device.

[0100] Similarly, in this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logic module within a device receiving information from another logic module. For example, "a network device receiving information" can be understood as the network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logic module 1 in the network device receiving information from logic module 2 in the network device.

[0101] In this application, "sending information to (e.g., a network device)" or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination end of the information being the network device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the network device. "Receiving information from (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information from (e.g., a network device)" or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a network device)", or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source end of the information being the network device, which can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the network device. The information may be processed as necessary between the source end and the destination end of the information transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0102] In related technologies, data transmission involves latency, requiring some frames of data to be transmitted over a longer period of time. In some cases, the transmission time of some data overlaps with the measurement period, causing this data to be transmitted only after the measurement period ends. Users experience significant latency during the measurement period, resulting in a poor user experience. However, simply selecting a longer measurement period reduces the frequency of signal quality measurements, preventing terminal devices from switching cells in a timely manner when signal quality is poor.

[0103] In view of this, the present application proposes a communication method that can indicate subsequent measurement periods for measuring signals of neighboring cells or transmitting data, thereby reducing data transmission delay and improving user experience while minimizing the impact on signal quality measurement frequency.

[0104] The following is a further introduction to the measurement indication method and device in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It can be understood that the present application uses a network device and a terminal as an example to illustrate the execution subject of the interaction diagram, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction diagram. For example, the method executed by the network device in the present application can also be implemented by a module in the network device (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, a logical module or software that can realize all or part of the network device function; the method executed by the terminal in the present application can also be implemented by a communication module in the terminal or a circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for the communication function (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip containing a modem core, or a SIP chip).

[0105] The following describes in detail a data transmission process S400 provided by this embodiment with reference to the data transmission flow diagram shown in FIG4 .

[0106] S410: The network device sends second indication information to the terminal.

[0107] Specifically, the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to send the first indication information to the network device during a first time period.

[0108] In one embodiment, the second indication information includes a monitoring period, a monitoring offset, and a monitoring duration. The second indication information can serve as configuration information for the first time period. During the first time period, the network device monitors the first indication information sent by the terminal. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the start time of a monitoring period coincides with the start time of a measurement period, the duration of the monitoring period and the measurement period are both 20ms, the monitoring offset is 3ms, and the monitoring duration is 10ms. The corresponding first time period can be determined based on the monitoring period, monitoring offset, and monitoring duration.

[0109] It can be seen that the first time period is followed by the measurement period. Due to the delay in the transmission of information, the information sent by the terminal in the first time period may not have been completed when the measurement period begins. Optionally, a post-monitoring bias is set, and the post-monitoring bias represents the delay from the end moment of the first time period to the start moment of the next measurement period, so that the information sent by the terminal in the first time period is completed before the measurement period as much as possible. Furthermore, in the case where the network device sets the post-monitoring bias for an activated downlink bandwidth part (BWP) or an activated uplink BWP, the terminal device does not need to monitor the PDCCH or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in the above-mentioned BWP during the time period corresponding to the post-monitoring bias.

[0110] Specifically, the post-monitoring offset can be set according to the subcarrier spacing of the above-mentioned BWP. For example, in the NR system, usually, a subframe includes 2 complete time slots, that is, the duration of a time slot is 0.5ms. It can be stipulated that the subcarrier spacing and the post-monitoring offset satisfy the relationship shown in Table 1.

[0111] Table 1

[0112] Similarly, a front monitoring offset may also be defined, where the front monitoring offset represents the time delay from the start time of the first measurement period to the start time of the next measurement period.

[0113] Furthermore, the monitoring duration can be calculated based on the pre-monitoring configuration and post-monitoring offset. As shown in Figure 6, the start time of a monitoring cycle coincides with the start time of a measurement cycle. The duration of both the monitoring cycle and the measurement cycle is 20ms. The post-monitoring offset is 2ms, and the pre-monitoring offset is 10ms. This results in a monitoring duration of 8ms, thus obtaining the first time period.

[0114] In various embodiments of the present application, the start time of one cycle coincides with the start time of another cycle, and the subframe number at the start of one cycle is the same as the subframe number at the start of another cycle. It should be understood that in a communication system, time slots or symbol numbers can also be used to represent specific time periods. By replacing the above subframe numbers with time slots or symbol numbers, whether the start time of one cycle coincides with the start time of another cycle can also be determined. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0115] In summary, in multiple embodiments of the present application, for any specified time period, the corresponding time period can be determined by the period, offset and duration; the corresponding time period can also be determined by the period, front offset and back offset.

[0116] In another embodiment, the second indication information includes a monitoring period, a front monitoring offset, and a rear monitoring offset. Of course, the second indication information may also include all parameters related to the first time period mentioned in the above embodiment. This embodiment does not limit the representation of the first time period or the specific content of the second indication information.

[0117] Optionally, the second indication information may be sent via DCI signaling, MAC CE, RRC signaling, or a combination of at least two thereof. For example, one of the DCI signaling, MAC CE, and RRC signaling indicates the target cell; or, the MAC CE or RRC configures a candidate set of neighboring cells, and the DCI indicates the target cell in the candidate set; or, the RRC configures a candidate set of neighboring cells, and the MAC CE indicates the target cell in the candidate set; or, the RRC configures a set of candidate sets of neighboring cells, the MAC CE indicates the candidate set of neighboring cells, and the DCI indicates the target cell.

[0118] In one embodiment, a suitable method is selected for each control information to carry the second indication information. For the case of using control information in combination, one of DCI signaling, MAC CE, or RRC signaling carries the second indication information. For DCI signaling, a portion of the DCI scrambled by the radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) has a reserved field. For example, after DCI 1_0 is scrambled by the random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI), there is a 16-bit reserved field. The reserved field can be used to carry the second indication information. For MAC CE, the length / command identifiers (LCID) field of the MAC CE is used to indicate the type of the MAC CE. The LCID field has a reserved value. In the downlink shared channel (DLSCH), the reserved value is 33 to 46. In the uplink shared channel (ULSCH), the reserved value is 33 to 51. The MAC CE of a protocol data unit (PDU) can be set to a reserved type, and the second indication information can be carried in the PDU. As for RRC signaling, RRC is a high-level message, and its specific structure and content can be customized to carry the second indication information.

[0119] Specifically, the terminal and network device can predefine the length and fields of the second indication information in the communication protocol. For example, the second indication information includes three fields: monitoring period, monitoring offset, and monitoring duration. These three fields can each be represented by a 10-bit integer representing twice the number of milliseconds. In this case, the length of the second indication information is 30 bits. Taking the monitoring duration as an example, the length of the monitoring duration field is 10 bits, and the value A indicates that the monitoring duration is A / 2ms. The maximum monitoring duration is 1023 / 2 = 511.5ms. It is possible to consider using MAC CE or RRC to transmit the second indication information.

[0120] Enumeration values ​​may also be set for the monitoring period and monitoring duration separately, or for the combination of the monitoring period and monitoring duration. For example, a 3-bit enumeration identifier may be used to represent the monitoring period and monitoring duration respectively, or a 6-bit enumeration identifier may be used to represent the combination of the monitoring period and monitoring duration, and 10 bits may be used to represent twice the number of milliseconds of the monitoring offset. The length of the second indication information is 16 bits. The second indication information may be transmitted using the 16-bit reserved field in the scrambled DCI. An enumeration of possible combinations of monitoring period and monitoring duration is shown in Table 2.

[0121] Table 2

[0122] Correspondingly, the terminal receives the second indication information sent by the network device and configures relevant parameters.

[0123] It should be understood that the configuration information of the first time period may also be pre-configured in the terminal and the network device respectively, that is, S410 is optional.

[0124] S420: The terminal determines the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods and generates first indication information.

[0125] Specifically, the measurement period may be used for data transmission or measurement, that is, the purpose of the measurement period includes the terminal device transmitting data within the measurement period, or the terminal device measuring signals of neighboring cells within the measurement period.

[0126] The first indication information is used to indicate the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods, that is, the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to measure the signal of the neighboring cell or to transmit data during one or more subsequent measurement periods. Measuring the signal of the neighboring cell includes intra-frequency measurement and inter-frequency measurement, and transmitting data includes the terminal sending uplink data to the network device, the network device sending downlink data to the terminal, and the transmission of sidelink data between terminals. This embodiment does not limit the method of measuring the signal of the neighboring cell or the method of transmitting data.

[0127] In multiple embodiments of the present application, the overlap between one time period and another time period refers to the presence of at least one subframe in one time period, and the subframe number is the same as the number of a subframe in the other time period. The subframes that exist in both time periods are called overlapping subframes. Furthermore, the total duration of consecutive overlapping subframes is called the overlapping duration. It should be understood that in a communication system, the number of time slots or symbols can also be used to represent a specific time period. Replacing the above subframe number with the number of time slots or symbols can also calculate the overlapping duration, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0128] In one embodiment, the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods can be determined based on the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period. The duration required to send information is called the packet delay budget (PDB), and the period within which the packet delay budget occurs is called the packet delay budget period. In this embodiment, the start time of a monitoring period coincides with the start time of a measurement period, the duration of both the monitoring period and the measurement period is 20ms, and the monitoring period and the measurement period are represented by the same set of period numbers. As shown in FIG7 , if the packet delay budget period and the measurement period overlap within period 0, the measurement period corresponding to period 0 is used for data transmission. If the packet delay budget period and the measurement period do not overlap within period 1, the measurement period corresponding to period 1 is used for measurement. Furthermore, it can be configured that when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is less than an overlap duration threshold, the measurement period is used for measurement; and when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is greater than or equal to the overlap duration threshold, the measurement period is used for data transmission. The overlap duration threshold can be adjusted based on the durations of the packet delay budget period and the measurement period. For example, the preset threshold is the minimum of the measurement period and the packet delay budget period. Alternatively, according to the above embodiment, the overlap duration threshold is 0 ms. Alternatively, the overlap duration threshold is fixed at 2 ms. This embodiment does not limit the selection of the overlap duration threshold.

[0129] It should be understood that the judgment conditions in this application can be understood as necessary conditions, and there is no limitation on whether the conditions are sufficient conditions or whether they are necessary and sufficient conditions. For example, when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is less than the overlap duration threshold, the measurement period is used for measurement. Such a description includes two possible situations: when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is less than the overlap duration threshold, the measurement period is used for measurement; or when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is less than the overlap duration threshold, and other conditions are met, the measurement period is used for measurement.

[0130] It should be understood that the above embodiment compares the overlap duration between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period with the overlap duration threshold and categorizes the usage of the measurement period according to "less than" or "greater than or equal to." In similar embodiments, the usage of the measurement period can also be categorized according to "greater than" or "less than or equal to," and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0131] Optionally, the network device may send the overlapping duration threshold to the terminal, or the overlapping duration threshold is pre-configured by the network device and the terminal respectively, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0132] This implementation prioritizes user experience and works best in scenarios such as VR gaming where the terminal device is relatively stationary and the signal quality is stable.

[0133] In another embodiment, the purpose of a subsequent measurement period may be determined based on an RRM measurement result and an RRM measurement threshold, wherein the RRM measurement result may be measured during a measurement period before the first period. The RRM measurement threshold may be pre-set or sent by the network device to the terminal. Specifically, when the RRM measurement result is greater than or equal to the RRM measurement threshold, the subsequent measurement period is used for data transmission; when the RRM measurement result is less than the RRM measurement threshold, the subsequent measurement period is used for measurement. RRM includes parameters such as RSRP, RSRQ, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and handover parameters. More specifically, RSRP may be layer 1 reference signal received power (layer 1 RSRP, L1-RSRP) or layer 3 reference signal received power (layer 3 RSRP, L3-RSRP). The above parameters and some other parameters included in RRM may be set with thresholds and may also be measured, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0134] It should be understood that the above embodiment compares the RRM measurement results with the RRM measurement threshold and categorizes the usage of the measurement period according to "less than" and "greater than or equal to." In similar embodiments, the usage of the measurement period can also be categorized according to "greater than" and "less than or equal to," and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0135] Optionally, the network device may send an RRM measurement threshold to the terminal. The RRM measurement threshold may be an RSRP threshold, a combination of an RSRP threshold and an RSRQ threshold, or a combination of other RRM parameters. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the RRM measurement threshold sent by the network device.

[0136] Similarly, the terminal may send an RRM measurement result measured by the terminal to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the RRM measurement result measured by the terminal sent by the terminal.

[0137] When transmitting RRM measurement thresholds or RRM measurement results using RRC, MAC CE, UCI, or DCI, a 1-byte integer can be used to represent the inverse of RSRP in decibel milliwatts (dBm). For example, if the RSRP range is typically -140dBm to -44dBm, the RSRP field value can range from 44 to 140. A signed 1-byte integer can be used to represent RSRQ in decibels (dB). For example, the common RSRQ range of -20dB to 3dB can be represented. Other RRM representations are similar to RSRP or RSRQ and are not detailed here.

[0138] This implementation method prioritizes maintaining higher signal quality and is more suitable for continuously moving terminal devices such as vehicle-mounted devices.

[0139] It should be understood that in the above embodiment, the duration of the monitoring period and the measurement period are the same, but this application does not limit this. Specifically, the duration of the monitoring period can be configured by the network device (for example, as needed).

[0140] In one embodiment, the start time of a monitoring period coincides with the start time of a measurement period, and the monitoring period length is an integer multiple of the measurement period length. Specifically, assuming that the monitoring period length is 4 times the measurement period length, it is possible to determine whether the subsequent four measurement periods are used for data transmission based on the overlap duration of the measurement period and the packet delay budget period. The specific method is similar to that of the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here. It is also possible to determine whether the subsequent multiple measurement periods are used for data transmission based on the RRM measurement threshold. When the RRM measurement result is greater than or equal to the RRM measurement threshold, the subsequent four measurement periods are used for data transmission; when the RRM measurement result is less than the RRM measurement threshold, the subsequent four measurement periods are used for measurement.

[0141] In another embodiment, the ratio of the duration of the monitoring period to the duration of the measurement period is not an integer, and the purpose of a subsequent measurement period can be determined based on the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the first period. In the scenario shown in Figure 8, the duration of the measurement period is 20ms, and the duration of the monitoring period is 16ms. The subframes in Figure 8 are numbered as subframes 0 to 39. It can be found that the first period and the measurement period overlap in subframes 35 to 38. Therefore, it can be considered that the measurement period corresponding to subframes 35 to 39 is "invalid", that is, in the first period corresponding to subframes 19 to 23, the measurement period corresponding to subframes 35 to 39 is used to transmit data. For the first period that does not overlap with the measurement period, the specific judgment method can refer to the aforementioned embodiment.

[0142] The configuration of the first time period in this implementation manner is independent of the measurement period and has high compatibility in different communication systems.

[0143] By determining the purpose of subsequent measurement periods based on the packet delay budget period or RRM measurement results, unnecessary measurements can be reduced and service data can be sent continuously.

[0144] S430: The terminal sends first indication information to the network device in a first time period.

[0145] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first indication information sent by the terminal in the first time period.

[0146] Specifically, the first indication information can be sent through UCI signaling, MAC CE, RRC signaling or a combination of at least two of them. The specific method is similar to the method of sending the second indication information and is not repeated here.

[0147] In the aforementioned embodiment, the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods can be determined based on the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period, and the first indication information can be generated, wherein when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is less than the overlap duration threshold, the measurement period is used for measurement; when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is greater than or equal to the overlap duration threshold, the measurement period is used for data transmission. Optionally, when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is greater than or equal to the overlap duration threshold, the terminal triggers a signaling and sends the signaling to the network device, indicating that the measurement period is used for data transmission; when the duration of the overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period is less than the overlap duration threshold, the terminal device does not generate a signaling and does not send the first indication information, indicating that the measurement period is used for measurement. Alternatively, under both judgment results, the terminal triggers a signaling and sends the signaling to the network device, and the purpose of the measurement period is indicated by the content of the signaling. In other words, the first indication information can be indicated by whether the signaling is triggered or by the specific content of the signaling. It should be understood that the method for determining the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods in this embodiment includes all the determination methods in the aforementioned embodiments, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0148] The terminal and network device may predefine the length of the first indication information in the communication protocol. In one embodiment, the first indication information includes N bits, of which the kth bit is used to indicate whether the signal of the neighboring cell is measured in the subsequent kth measurement period; wherein N and k are both positive integers and k≤N, wherein N can be configured by the network device or predetermined in the relevant protocol. For example, if the length of the first indication information is 3 bits and the first indication information is 101 (binary), it means that the subsequent three measurement periods are used for transmitting data, measuring, and transmitting data, respectively. Of course, 010 can also be used to represent the same information.

[0149] This implementation method is more suitable for application scenarios with large fluctuations in signal quality or large fluctuations in business data volume, and the terminal equipment needs to flexibly change the purpose of the measurement period according to real-time needs.

[0150] It should be understood that the measurement period is periodically repeated, and the first period may be periodically repeated. Optionally, in a communication system, one of UCI signaling, MAC CE, or RRC signaling carries the first indication information, and the terminal sends the first indication information to the network device in multiple first time periods.

[0151] In another communication system, one of the MAC CE or RRC signaling carries the first indication information, and the terminal does not send the first indication information in some first time periods. The network device may deem that, in these first time periods in which the first indication information is not received, the first indication information identical to the first indication information of the corresponding previous first time period has been received. For example, for any two consecutive first time periods, the network device receives the first indication information in the previous first time period, indicating that the next measurement time period is used for measurement. Subsequently, the network device does not receive the first indication information in the next first time period, then the network device deems that the next measurement time period of the next first time period is also used for measurement. Alternatively, according to the aforementioned embodiment, the next measurement time period of these first time periods in which the network device receives the first indication information is used for data transmission, and the next measurement time period of these first time periods in which the network device does not receive the first indication information is used for measurement.

[0152] In another embodiment, the length of the first indication information is 1 bit, and the first indication information is used to indicate the purpose of all measurement periods before the terminal sends the first indication information next time. For example, if the value of the first indication information is 0, all measurement periods before the terminal sends the first indication information next time are used for data transmission; if the value of the first indication information is 1, all measurement periods before the terminal sends the first indication information next time are used for measurement.

[0153] Correspondingly, the first indication information is used to indicate the usage of all measurement periods before the network device receives the first indication information next time.

[0154] This implementation method is more suitable for application scenarios where the service data volume or signal quality is stable. The terminal device can generate the first indication information according to the change pattern of the service data volume or signal quality.

[0155] In another embodiment, the first time period is not periodically repeated. After receiving the second indication information, the terminal sets a first time period, the start time of the first time period coincides with the start time of a measurement cycle, and after the first time period ends, the terminal will not set another first time period until the terminal receives the second indication information next time. Optionally, the first indication information is used to indicate the purpose of all measurement periods before the terminal sends the first indication information next time; or, the first indication information is used for the purpose of the first measurement period after the first time period, and the remaining measurement periods are used for measurement.

[0156] This implementation method is more flexible and has the advantages of the two aforementioned methods, making it suitable for more complex business scenarios.

[0157] S440: The network device sends confirmation information to the terminal.

[0158] Specifically, the confirmation information is used to determine whether the network device has received the first indication information.

[0159] Specifically, if the network device successfully receives and decodes the first indication information sent by the terminal, it will send a DCI with an ACK bit set to 1 to the terminal via PDSCH in the next downlink time window. The ACK information may be the DCI with ACK information.

[0160] If the network device fails to receive or decode the data of the terminal, the terminal may resend the first indication information, or the network device may consider that the first indication information is not received in the current first time period.

[0161] Correspondingly, the terminal receives confirmation information sent by the network device.

[0162] It should be understood that S440 is optional.

[0163] S450: The terminal transmits data or performs measurement.

[0164] Specifically, the terminal performs the function of transmitting data or performing measurement according to the purpose of the subsequent one or more measurement periods determined in S420.

[0165] The present application also proposes a data transmission method, in which a terminal can indicate whether one or more subsequent measurement periods are used for data transmission, thereby reducing data transmission delay and improving user experience.

[0166] The following describes in detail a data transmission process S900 provided by this embodiment with reference to the data transmission flow diagram shown in FIG9 .

[0167] S910: The network device sends fourth indication information to the terminal.

[0168] Specifically, the network device sends fourth indication information to the terminal in the second time period. S910 is similar to S410, and the fourth indication information is similar to the second indication information. S410 describes the second indication information and the specific sending method in detail, which will not be repeated here.

[0169] S920: The network device determines the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods and generates third indication information.

[0170] Specifically, the measurement period can be used for transmitting data or measurement, and the third indication information is used to indicate the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods. The third indication information is similar to the first indication information, which is described in detail in S420 and will not be repeated here.

[0171] Optionally, the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods may be determined based on the duration of overlap between the measurement period and the packet delay budget period; alternatively, the purpose of a subsequent measurement period may be determined based on the RRM measurement result and RRM measurement threshold measured by the terminal; and the purpose of a subsequent measurement period may also be determined based on the duration of overlap between the measurement period and the second period. The specific processes of the above three determination methods are similar to the specific process of the terminal determining the purpose of one or more subsequent measurement periods in S420 and are not further described here.

[0172] S930: The network device sends third indication information to the terminal in the first time period.

[0173] Correspondingly, the terminal receives third indication information sent by the network device in the second time period.

[0174] Specifically, the third indication information can be sent through DCI signaling, MAC CE, RRC signaling or a combination of at least two of them. The specific sending method and content are similar to those of the first indication information and are not repeated here.

[0175] It should be understood that the second time period is repeated periodically. Optionally, in a communication system, one of the DCI signaling, MAC CE, or RRC signaling carries the first indication information, and the network device sends the third indication information to the terminal in multiple second time periods. In another communication system, one of the DCI signaling, MAC CE, or RRC signaling carries the third indication information, and the terminal does not send the third indication information in some second time periods. The terminal may deem that, in those second time periods in which the third indication information is not received, it has received the same third indication information as the third indication information of the corresponding previous second time period. The specific process of this step is similar to S430 and is not repeated here.

[0176] S950: The terminal transmits data or performs measurement according to the third instruction information.

[0177] The present application proposes a data transmission method, in which a network device can indicate whether one or more subsequent measurement periods are used for data transmission, thereby reducing data transmission delay and improving user experience.

[0178] The above describes the data transmission method provided by the present application in detail. The following introduces the communication device provided by the present application.

[0179] Figure 10 shows a possible exemplary block diagram of a communication device involved in embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, communication device 1000 may include modules or units corresponding to the above method embodiments. In one possible design, communication device 1000 includes: a processing unit 1002 and a communication unit 1003. Optionally, the communication device 1000 may also include a storage unit 1001 for storing device program code and / or data.

[0180] The communication device 1000 may be the terminal-side device in the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, a terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for the communication function.

[0181] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 1003 is configured to send first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement during a first measurement period. The processing unit 1002 is configured to control the communication device 1000 to perform a data transmission operation during the first measurement period when the first indication information indicates that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not to be performed during the first measurement period.

[0182] In one possible design, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the first measurement period.

[0183] In one possible design, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement in multiple measurement periods, where the multiple measurement periods include the first measurement period.

[0184] In one possible design, when the duration of overlap between the first measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than an overlap duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the first measurement period. Alternatively, when the duration of overlap between the first measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than or equal to an overlap duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the first measurement period.

[0185] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is further configured to control the communication device 1000 to perform RRM measurement in a second measurement period and obtain an RRM measurement result. When the RRM measurement result is greater than an RRM measurement threshold, or when the RRM measurement result is greater than or equal to the RRM measurement threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed in the first measurement period.

[0186] In one possible design, the communication unit 1003 is further configured to receive second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first time period. The communication unit 1003 is configured to send the first indication information, including: the communication unit 1003 is configured to send the first indication information within the first time period.

[0187] Optionally, there is a first interval period between the first time period and the first measurement period, and the duration of the first interval period may be related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0188] Optionally, when the first measurement period and the first time period overlap, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed in the first measurement period.

[0189] Optionally, the period length of the first time period is configured by the network device.

[0190] For example, in another embodiment, the communication unit 1003 is configured to receive third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement in a third measurement period. The processing unit 1002 is configured to control the communication device 1000 to perform a data transmission operation in the third measurement period when the third indication information indicates not to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement in the third measurement period.

[0191] In one possible design, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the third measurement period.

[0192] In one possible design, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement are performed in multiple measurement periods, where the multiple measurement periods include the third measurement period.

[0193] In one possible design, the communication unit 1003 is further configured to receive fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the second time period. The communication unit 1003 is configured to receive third indication information, including: the communication unit 1003 is configured to receive third indication information within the second time period.

[0194] Optionally, there is a second interval period between the second time period and the third measurement period, and the duration of the second interval period may be related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0195] Optionally, the period length of the second time period is configured by the network device.

[0196] In one possible design, when the communication device 1000 is a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, the functions of the processing unit 1002 may be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or SIP chip containing a modem core. The functions of the communication unit 1003 may be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

[0197] In one possible design, when the communication device 1000 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a terminal, such as a modem chip or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, the functions of the processing unit 1002 can be implemented by a circuit system including one or more processors or processor cores in the aforementioned chip. The functions of the communication unit 1003 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0198] The communication device 1000 may be a network-side device in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 1003 is configured to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement during a first measurement period; and the processing unit 1002 is configured to control the communication device 1000 to perform data transmission during the first measurement period when the first indication information indicates not to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement during the first measurement period.

[0199] In one possible design, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the first measurement period.

[0200] In one possible design, one bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement in multiple measurement periods; wherein the multiple measurement periods include the first measurement period.

[0201] In one possible design, the communication unit 1003 is further configured to send second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first time period. The communication unit 1003 is further configured to receive the first indication information, including: the communication unit 1003 is further configured to send the first indication information within the first time period.

[0202] Optionally, there is a first interval period between the first time period and the first measurement period, and the duration of the first interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0203] Optionally, the period length of the first time period is configured by the network device.

[0204] For example, in another embodiment, the communication unit 1003 sends a third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate whether to perform co-frequency measurement and / or hetero-frequency measurement in the second measurement period; the processing unit 1002 is used to control the communication device 1000 to transmit data in the second measurement period when the third indication information indicates that co-frequency measurement and / or hetero-frequency measurement is not to be performed in the second measurement period.

[0205] In one possible design, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed in the third measurement period.

[0206] In one possible design, one bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether multiple measurement periods perform same-frequency measurement and / or different-frequency measurement; wherein the multiple measurement periods include the third measurement period.

[0207] In one possible design, when the duration of overlap between the third measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than an overlap duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed within the third measurement period. Alternatively, when the duration of overlap between the third measurement period and the delay budget period for data transmission is greater than or equal to an overlap duration threshold, the third indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed within the third measurement period.

[0208] In one possible design, the processing unit 1002 is also used to control the communication device 1000 to perform RRM measurement in a fourth measurement period to obtain an RRM measurement result; when the RRM measurement result is greater than the RRM measurement threshold, or when the RRM measurement result is greater than or equal to the RRM measurement threshold, the third indication information is used to indicate that no intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed within the third measurement period.

[0209] In one possible design, the communication unit 1003 is also used to send fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information is used to indicate the second time period; the communication unit 1003 is used to send third indication information, including: the communication unit 1003 is used to send third indication information within the second time period.

[0210] Optionally, there is a second interval period between the second time period and the third measurement period, and the duration of the second interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

[0211] Optionally, when the third measurement period overlaps with the second period, the third indication information is used to indicate that intra-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed in the third measurement period.

[0212] Optionally, the period length of the second time period is configured by the network device.

[0213] It is understandable that the division of units in the above-mentioned device is merely a division of logical functions, and one function may correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions may be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or part of the units may be integrated into one physical entity, or distributed across different physical entities. In addition, the above-mentioned functional units may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel may use different methods to implement the described functions for specific applications, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0214] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as: one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0215] In an example, the storage unit 1001 may include a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory and / or a register.

[0216] FIG11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a terminal 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Terminal 1100 may correspond to the terminal shown in FIG1 and is configured to implement the operations of the terminal in the above embodiments. As shown in FIG11 , the terminal includes one or more antennas 1110 , a radio frequency processing system 1120 , and a processor system 1130 .

[0217] In the downlink or sidelink direction, the RF processing system 1120 receives RF signals through the antenna 1110 and sends the processed signals to the processor system 1130 for further processing. In the uplink or sidelink direction, the processor system 1130 processes the terminal side information and sends it to the RF processing system 1120. The RF processing system 1120 processes the signal and sends it through the antenna 1110.

[0218] In one example, the RF processing system 1120, serving as the terminal's external communication interface, may include an RF front end (RFFE) 1121 and an RF transceiver 1122. RFFE 1121 is primarily responsible for performing one or more of the following processing operations, such as shaping, passband selection, or gain control, on RF signals received by the antenna or to be transmitted via the antenna. It may include one or more components, such as an RF switch, a duplexer, a filter, a power amplifier, an antenna tuner, and a low-noise amplifier. RFFE 1121 may be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete components or integrated into one or more chips. RF transceiver 1122 is responsible for processing RF signals received by the RFFE into baseband / IF signals for further processing by the processor system 1130, and for processing baseband / IF signals provided by the processor system 1130 into RF signals for transmission to RFFE 1121. The baseband / IF signals transmitted between RF transceiver 1122 and processor system 1130 may be either digital or analog. The RF transceiver 1122 may be implemented by one or more chips, which are often referred to as radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs).

[0219] In one example, the processor system 1130 may include one or more processors for processing signals and executing one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the processor system 1130 may also include a memory 1136. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 1131 (also known as a modem processor). The memory 1136 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, the processor system 1130 may also include one or more application processors 1132 for processing the terminal operating system and application layer. Optionally, the processor system 1130 may also include one or more of a voice subsystem 1133, a multimedia subsystem 1134, or an interface circuit 1135. The voice subsystem 1133 is used to process voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 1134 is used to handle multimedia-related operations such as video encoding and decoding, image processing, etc., and the interface circuit 1135 is used to communicate with other terminal components, such as the display 1140, input device 1150, and memory 1160. The aforementioned components in the processor system 1130 may communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0220] In one example, the processor system 1130 can be packaged into a processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, the processor system 1130 can be a system consisting of multiple chips, for example, the baseband processor 1131 can be packaged into a single chip, or packaged into a single chip with part or all of the circuits of the radio frequency processing system.

[0221] In one example, the memory 1136 may be an on-chip memory, that is, located on the processor system 1130 chip. In one example, the memory 1160 may be an off-chip memory, that is, located outside the processor system 1130 chip.

[0222] In one example, the baseband processor 1131 may include one or more processor cores 11311 and an interface circuit 11314. The one or more processor cores 11311 are configured to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the baseband processor 1131 may also include a memory 11312 configured to store at least a portion of corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores 11311 implement the relevant operations of the above-described method embodiments by executing the computer program instructions stored in the memory 11312. In the present disclosure, the memory 11312 is used to store corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. This may refer to the memory 11312 being used to store all corresponding computer program instructions and / or data for execution by the processor core 11311; or it may refer to the memory 11312 being used to store a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data, which portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data includes the computer program instructions and / or data currently required to be executed by the processor core 11311. The memory 11312 may store different portions of computer program instructions and / or data multiple times for execution by the processor core 11311 to implement the relevant operations in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The interface circuit 11314 serves as a communication interface for communicating with other components, such as transmitting signals with the RF processing system 1120, communicating with other subsystems and related components of the processor system 1130 via a bus, such as transmitting data control signals with the application processor 1132, and transmitting data or computer program instructions with the memory 1136 or the memory 1160. Optionally, in order to reduce the load of the processor core, a baseband signal processing circuit 11313 may be provided to implement at least part of the baseband signal processing, including one or more of signal demodulation, modulation, encoding or decoding.

[0223] In one example, the communication device provided in the present application may be a terminal 1100 , a communication module including a processor system 1130 and a radio frequency processing system 1120 , a processor system 1130 , or a baseband processor 1131 .

[0224] The above-mentioned processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit or processor core can be collectively referred to as a processor, which may include one or more combinations of a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor unit (MPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an artificial intelligence processor (AI processor) or a neural processing unit (NPU).

[0225] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive RAM (ReRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), cache, register, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the aforementioned embodiments may be stored in a non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the aforementioned memory 1160 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or hard disk). When the terminal is running, the corresponding computer program instructions can be partially or completely loaded into a memory with a faster transmission speed to the processor, such as at least a part of the above-mentioned memory 1136 and / or memory 11312 (such as one or more of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, PCM, RERAM, MRAM, FRAM, cache, or register), for execution by the processor to implement the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0226] In one example, the RF transceiver 1122 and the RF front end 1121 may also be packaged in one chip. In one example, the RF transceiver 1122, the RF front end 1121 and the baseband processor 1131 may also be packaged in one chip.

[0227] The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" refers to one or more, and "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "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" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC, and "at least one of A, B and C" can also be understood to include A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0228] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0229] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0230] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0231] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0232] Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Sending first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether to perform co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement during a first measurement period; When the first indication information indicates that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the first measurement period, data transmission is performed during the first measurement period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that One bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed during the first measurement period.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein One bit of the first indication information is used to indicate whether co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed during a plurality of measurement periods; wherein, the plurality of measurement periods includes the first measurement period.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that When the overlapping duration between the first measurement period and the delay budget period of the data transmission is greater than an overlapping duration threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the first measurement period.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Performing radio resource management (RRM) measurement during a second measurement period to obtain an RRM measurement result; When the RRM measurement result is greater than an RRM measurement threshold, the first indication information is used to indicate that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the first measurement period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The method further includes: Receiving second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate a first time period; The sending of the first indication information includes: Sending the first indication information within the first time period.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, There is a first interval period between the first time period and the first measurement period.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The duration of the first interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, When there is an overlap between the first measurement period and the first time period, the first indication information is used to indicate that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the first measurement period.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The periodic duration of the first time period is configured by a network device.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receiving third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to perform co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement during a third measurement period; When the third indication information indicates that co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is not performed during the third measurement period, data transmission is performed during the third measurement period.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein One bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed during the third measurement period.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein One bit of the third indication information is used to indicate whether co-frequency measurement and / or inter-frequency measurement is performed during a plurality of measurement periods; wherein, the plurality of measurement periods includes the third measurement period.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that The method further includes: Receiving fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate a second time period; The receiving of the third indication information includes: Receiving the third indication information within the second time period.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, There is a second interval period between the second time period and the third measurement period.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The duration of the second interval period is related to the subcarrier spacing.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The periodic duration of the second time period is configured by a network device.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors being coupled to a memory for executing computer instructions stored in the memory to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instructions are stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is caused to be executed, or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17 is caused to be executed.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is caused to be executed, or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17 is caused to be executed.

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